Staff photo / Chris McBride
President and CEO of Healthy Hearts and Paws Jason Cooke alongside volunteers, Animal Welfare League officers for the groundbreaking Friday morning of a new 6,000- square-foot building that will house 60 more kennels for Cooke’s nonprofit shelter.

Jason Cooke, the president and CEO of Healthy Hearts and Paws, a nonprofit animal shelter, broke ground on a 6,000-square-foot building that will add 60 larger kennels and indoor and outdoor play areas to make life better for the animals while they wait for homes.

Right next to it, they’re adding a 5,000-square-foot parking lot and a new driveway out to Martin Luther King Boulevard. The group also just picked up 22 more acres, bringing their total land to 42 acres.

Cooke said the expansions are badly needed because the shelter is taking in about 100 dogs a month from across the county, and they’re already caring for 120 right now.

“The dogs deserve the space,” he said. “It’s not about putting in more kennels. It’s about putting in larger kennels, giving them play yards, more outdoor play areas, indoor-outdoor runs, trying to make their lives better while they’re here.”

Construction on the bigger building should wrap up in about 18 months, with crews hoping to get the groundwork done before winter hits.

Another project nearby — a 4,200-square-foot facility with 30 to 35 new kennels — is already underway and could be finished by December 2025, depending on funding. All the work is paid for through donations from citizens, local businesses, contractors and suppliers.

Fabian Pike, the chief humane officer for Trumbull County, said his team gets slammed with calls about animals in trouble, anywhere from 12 to 18 a day, adding up to 60 to 100 a week. Many are about pets left behind in homes or other tough spots, though about 60% turn out to be neighbor disputes or less urgent situations.

His office takes in around 25 dogs a week, but their shelter was only built for 57 and is now well over capacity at 120.

Pike hopes lawmakers and officials step up soon with real progress on a new addition at the Trumbull County Dog Pound.

“I do know that the pound is supposed to be in the works for construction for the new facility,” he said. “However, I haven’t seen any real progress as of yet.”

He added that seeing actual groundbreaking, like at Healthy Hearts and Paws, could rally more community support.

Cooke agreed the animal overcrowding problem isn’t going away and might even get worse. His group plans to keep investing in Warren, including in ways to help pet owners take better care of their animals.