Highlights
- Seven rescue birds died at The Gud Ark Animal Sanctuary after monsoon storms flooded and destroyed enclosures Monday night.
- Pastures were flooded, enclosures destroyed, and large trees uprooted at the sanctuary, causing thousands in damage.
- A storage trailer at a nearby food pantry was flipped by the storm's winds.
- Volunteers were on site by 5 a.m. Tuesday working to assess and contain the damage.
Seven rescue birds died and an animal sanctuary was left in shambles after devastating monsoon storms swept through Maricopa overnight Monday, flooding properties and causing thousands of dollars in damage across the city.
The Gud Ark Animal Sanctuary bore the worst of it. Pastures flooded, enclosures were destroyed, and large trees were uprooted across the property, according to azfamily.com's reporting. "It's been a little crazy. I've been here for four years, and this is the worst we've had it," Amy Petris, vice president of the sanctuary, told azfamily.com. Volunteers were on site by 5 a.m. Tuesday, though damage continued to mount.
A storage trailer at a nearby food pantry was also flipped by the storm, FOX 10 reported.
ABC15 reported separately that gusty winds tore down buildings and canopies at another area animal sanctuary over the weekend, and in one case lifted a doghouse weighing hundreds of pounds, which landed on the foot of a senior rescue animal named Chuckles.
The storms are part of Arizona's 2026 monsoon season. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen is reporting from Maricopa; a fuller damage assessment is expected as volunteers and staff continue work through the day.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- Fox 10 Phoenix retrieved 01/09/2026 04:52
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 01/09/2026 04:52
- ABC15 Arizona retrieved 01/09/2026 04:52
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 01/09/2026 04:52. Every claim traces to a source.
