Maricopa County Animal Care and Control announced Thursday that its shelter in Mesa is returning to full operations after being closed last year.

For a portion of this year, the East Valley shelter was being used for weekend adoptions, overflow and special events, with the West Valley shelter near the Durango Curve serving as its primary location.

Now, both shelters will operate seven days a week. The reopening will also allow the county to return animal control services to the East Valley.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has approved $27 million to build a new shelter on county land in Mesa as part of the 2022 budget, intended to replace the current location, which was built in 1991.

On average, county shelters take in more than 20,000 pets per year.