TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Pima Animal Care Center (PACC) is expanding its reach with a new satellite adoption facility planned for Tucson’s Eastside, aiming to make it easier for residents in Vail, Rita Ranch, and surrounding neighborhoods to adopt pets without traveling to the Silverbell campus.
The project was formally approved in mid-October when the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to accept the funding.
“This is all about bringing adoptable pets to the east side of Tucson.” Torre Chisholm, CEO of Friends of PACC, says the new building will primarily focus on dogs and cats.
"There won't necessarily be a clinic, there won't be intake. There won't be a lot of the other services that are still gonna be available at PACC’s main campus over on Silverbell," Chisholm explains.
The new building is located at 7225 E Broadway Blvd.
"We have two meet and greet areas in here. We'll have a number of private dog rooms, we'll have two rooms that are dedicated just for cats. We do have a couple of larger rooms that'll have multiple kennels for dogs in those, but overall, it's just gonna be much more calm," Chisholm says.
Nikki Reck is the Public Information Officer for PACC, and says while staff does everything possible to keep the animals comfortable, the facility is overwhelmed at times due to them being at over-capacity.
“It's the best that we can provide in a stressful situation for them over there, but it's not the best place for them. The best place is on your couch or your bed," Reck explains.
Reck also shared that community feedback on the Eastside project has been largely positive. Some residents expressed concern about potential nighttime noise, and PACC is already planning ways to mitigate those issues.
“Anyone who's worried about dogs barking at night because this is a busy area, they're working on ways to keep that from being a problem.”
Friends of PACC is contributing $1 million to make the project possible. Chisholm says a key goal is to create a calmer, less stressful environment for the animals.
“Imagine trying to be your best self stuck in a 4 by 8 jail cell," Chisholm explains, "So having a place like this where you know, a lot of the dogs will have their actually their own rooms, and they're not also going to be right next to dogs to the left, dogs to the right.”
The new facility is expected to open in February or March of 2026 and will be able to hold up to 50 dogs and cats at a time.
Friends of PACC is also initiating a $500,000 fundraising campaign, matching each donation dollar for dollar from reserve funds.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
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