WARREN — As winter’s chill sets in, animal shelters and local rescuers across the region are bracing for a surge in abandoned and neglected pets, which will strain already overburdened facilities.

At Healthy Hearts and Paws in Warren, the influx of dogs has intensified with the cold snap. Strays, owner surrenders, abandoned animals and those left behind after arrests or hospitalizations are filling kennels faster than adoptions can keep up.

“We’re always overwhelmed with dogs, but it just seems to be getting worse as these cold months step in,” said Jason Cooke, the city’s animal control coordinator and a humane agent for the county. “We’re taking a lot of dogs that aren’t being taken care of.”

The shelter’s nine outdoor kennels soon will be unusable in freezing temperatures, exacerbating a space crunch. Plans for a second building are underway but won’t be ready before the harsh weather fully hits. Meanwhile, Cooke said vet bills are climbing as incoming animals arrive with medical issues, adding to the strain.

In nearby Girard, Veronica Caruso, owner of Small World Animal Shelter, echoes those concerns based on her 20 years of experience rescuing cats and dogs, with a focus on felines. Her facility also cares for military animals and took in numerous cats displaced by the East Palestine train derailment.

Caruso talked about the challenges her shelter faces, including high heating costs and a steady influx of abandoned pets.

“People just drop animals,” she said. “They put them in a box and put them out where the carport is.”

Underlying the problem at both shelters are pet owners grappling with financial hardship, mental illness and drug addiction, rescuers said.

“I’m seeing the same thing over and over again, and the animals are paying the price,” Cooke said.

Caruso pointed to irresponsible pet ownership, particularly among young people, and inflated veterinary costs as factors exacerbating the issues.

A recent case in Warren illustrates some of the concerns when a dog was tied up and abandoned outside the Warren Rescue Mission food pantry. Video footage showed the apparent owner leaving the animal, which rescuers struggled to approach safely.

“It puts the dog in danger, it puts the public in danger, and it puts us in danger,” Cooke said. “We couldn’t even get close to that dog. Somebody could walk by and get bit. We don’t get any history on the dog. We don’t know if it has vaccines.”

As temperatures plummet, pets face heightened threats of hypothermia and dehydration.

Dogs without adequate shelter, often just an igloo-style house lacking straw, or with frozen water bowls, are at particular risk. Cats, too, need protection, with many outdoor colonies in Warren and Girard relying on community-provided food and unfrozen water.

Cooke and Caruso urged owners to act responsibly. Cooke suggested elevating dog houses off the ground, filling them with straw, providing fresh water and wholesome food. For cats, he recommended simple styrofoam boxes with straw for refuge. Caruso said there’s a need for better community support and proper animal care to prevent abandonments.

As a humane agent, Cooke has more authority to intervene but said he wishes to use it sparingly.

“I want to focus on education first and foremost,” he said. “Try to remedy the situation before it gets out of hand.”

Still, calls about exposed animals divert resources from other emergencies, like strays in life-threatening situations. Both shelters rely heavily on donations and community support.

To ease the burden, facilities need volunteers, adopters, fosters and donations. A basket raffle fundraiser for Healthy Hearts and Paws is set 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Central Social Club on West Market Street in Warren.

Cooke and Caruso encouraged the public to report concerns promptly, especially in subzero conditions where animals can perish quickly.

“If they see something, say something,” Cooke said. “Time is of the essence. I think we’re going to have a tough one (winter) so we are trying to take the necessary steps now to get prepared.”