Pima County officials recently marked the completion of first phase of the new Pima Animal Care Center (PACC), which the county says was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

Several Pima County officials and PACC jurisdictional partners officially opened the first phase of the new facility, which was funded through voter-approved bond funding in 2014 that allowed the county to borrow up to $22 million for improvements to the 50-year old original shelter. 

“For years to come when you walk in this building, I hope you’ll remember that the story could’ve ended much differently,” PACC Director Kristen Auerbach said during the county's recent ribbon-cutting. “It’s because of this group of people and it’s because of our community – our taxpayers who said that animal lives matter and that this new facility was worth building – that this building stands here today.”

Features of the new PACC building include a state-of-the-art veterinary clinic for emergency care, indoor and outdoor dog housing, group cat housing and space for isolation to prevent disease control. The new building also features a large multipurpose room for orientations, classes and animal-related programming. 

Construction of the PACC Phase 2, which will include remodeling and partial demolition of the old shelter, is slated to be complete this summer.