The Pinal County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a Special Use Permit on September 17, 2025, allowing Arf-Anage Dog Rescue to continue operating a commercial kennel at 53480 West Bowlin Road in Maricopa. The facility, which sits on 2.5 acres in the General Rural zoning district, has operated at this location since 2020. The rescue itself has been a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization since 2015.
The Application
Senior Planner Patrick Zaia-Roberts presented the case to the board, explaining that “this kennel in question does classify as a nonprofit rescue and intends to hold between 70 to 100 dogs.” The Planning and Zoning Commission had previously recommended approval by a 6-0 vote with 12 stipulations.
Staff received three comments of support, including a letter from the City of Eloy, and no letters of opposition. The application was one of five similar commercial kennel cases brought before the commission as part of a broader effort to address existing operations through Special Use Permits.
How the Case Came About
The rescue’s path to the Board of Supervisors began with a code compliance case filed in May 2022. Property owner Cathy Roe explained during the hearing that the trouble started with persistent complaints from an unexpected source.
“This all got started by a citizen of Waddell,” Roe said, referring to a town approximately 1.5 hours north of the rescue site. “For some reason, they had something out against us. We really do not know why, but they have made it practically impossible for us.”
Alex Robinson, Field Supervisor for Pinal County Animal Control, confirmed that complaints have been minimal. “We haven’t had maybe a complaint here and there, once a year, if anything,” Robinson said. “They all have been unfounded or either resolved through compliance.”
Chairman Stephen Miller expressed confusion about the situation. “I’m just trying to get staff’s perspective on this thing because I can’t see how we got there,” Miller said, noting his concern about the financial burden the compliance requirements would place on the nonprofit. He questioned the original code compliance complaint and asked about the costs associated with required drainage studies and site plans.
Zaia-Roberts clarified that the facilities already exist on the property and that a minor site plan would need to be filed to ensure ongoing compliance.
Managing the Population
When board members pressed Roe about the number of dogs currently on the property, she provided specific numbers and goals.
“Right now, we have 65 and we’re working to get it down to 50,” Roe said. “That’s our goal, is to get it down to 50.”
When Supervisor Rich Vitiello asked how they plan to achieve that reduction, Roe explained: “Through adoptions. We take them out to adoptions at PetSmart and other local places. We went to the Lowe’s grand opening in Maricopa. I think we’ve been there three times with ranch dogs for adoption. So yeah, we do put them up for adoption.”
A Supervisor’s Investigation
Vitiello, who represents District 1 where the property is located, shared his firsthand observations with his fellow board members, describing multiple unannounced visits to the property.
“In the past four months, I’ve driven by four or five times, poked my head through the metal gate that’s leaned forward, and haven’t heard a peep,” Vitiello said. “And I did it all different times. I knocked on the door once, but I actually drove by, got out of my car, stuck my head through the door, and was surprised I didn’t hear a bark. I don’t know how many dogs are there, but I didn’t hear, or see, or smell anything in the area. They got block walls around the whole place and it was amazing.”
A Mayor’s Support
Vitiello asked Roe about Eloy Mayor Andrew Sutton’s involvement in supporting the rescue.
Roe responded that the mayor “has fostered a couple of dogs for us. And he’s good friends with a long-term foster that we have, Tina.” She then explained the broader significance: “Part of why he is involved with this process is because we are saving Pinal County money by taking these dogs in. We fix them. We adopt them out, we feed them, we care for them, we do all of their vetting, and there’s no cost to Pinal County for that.”
Saving Lives, Stopping Overpopulation
Tina Morrison, a longtime volunteer with the rescue, delivered passionate testimony about the organization’s mission. She emphasized their role in preventing euthanasia at overcrowded county facilities.
“When people don’t want to or can’t send dogs to Pinal County because they’re overpopulated right now, they had been free from doing euthanasias for a long time and unfortunately they are having to euthanize dogs because of space right now,” Morrison said. “We as a rescue will a lot of times pull from the E-list. When I started out with Cathy, one of my main things was to pull the dogs that were behavioral and that was going to be euthanized because nobody else would and work with them. Sometimes it took a year to adopt them out, but we did everything we could because every life matters.”
Morrison also addressed the overwhelming demand facing rescues. “When people reach out and they say, ‘Hey, I can’t keep this dog. What do we do?’ people go, ‘Well, contact a rescue. The shelters are full. Contact a rescue.’ We’re the ones that are contacted,” she explained. “We take dogs if it’s fearful, if it’s not adoptable, if it’s ultimately going to die at county because they can’t work with it, we work with it.”
Roe confirmed that all medical care happens through professional veterinary clinics. “We work with Dr. Kelly’s, North Phoenix Animal Clinic, and Trusted Paws,” she said. “Every dog is spayed, neutered, microchipped. They all have their shots.”
Approval and Conditions
The board approved the resolution with all 12 stipulations, which include maintaining a commercial kennel license from Pinal County Animal Control, submitting a site plan application within one year, meeting Lighting Zone 1 requirements, and prohibiting new signage on the property. The Special Use Permit limits commercial kennel uses to rescue operations as described in the application. Any expansion would require an amendment approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Roe must now submit the required site plan within one year to maintain the permit’s validity. The approval allows the rescue to continue its operations legally while ensuring compliance with county regulations.
