MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — A Maricopa County animal shelter was evacuated Wednesday due to a threat received by the facility.
The county shelter located in south Phoenix near 27th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road was evacuated so the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office could investigate a threat, officials said.
Officials said at about 10 a.m. the shelter received a threat over the phone. Over the next hour, the shelter continued to receive more threats.
During the evacuation, two dogs were finishing up spay and neutering procedures and recuperated with evacuated staff members.
MCSO spent about two hours inspecting the facility before it was cleared at about 12:30 p.m.
Hundreds of animals are brought to the county's animal shelters each month. Over 800 animals were adopted out of the county's shelters in May 2024.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Refugio de animales del Condado Maricopa fue evacuado debido a amenazas
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
