WARREN — Jason Cooke, founder and director of The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project, last week ended a 12-month contract signed with Warren, just over three months and 10 days after it was agreed upon.

Cooke noted there is a divide between what he sees happening in the city with animal control and what city officials believe is taking place.

“I did not want to do this,” Cooke said.

Cooke said his organization has already picked up more than 300 stray dogs in Warren since the beginning of the year.

“We will not be picking up stray dogs in the city unless it is an emergency,” he said.

Trumbull County Dog Warden Matthew Dubon told commissioners during their regular Tuesday workshop that there is a big problem with dogs running astray.

County Commissioner Rick Hernandez said the dog pound is taking in more than 500 dogs a year.

“We need to talk to Warren to find out what they are thinking about,” Hernandez said. “We are down an employee. You’re going to probably be asking for an assistant, I imagine.”

Hernandez said there is a bigger problem than just finding housing for stray dogs.

“We are working on that,” he said.

Hernandez said the commissioners are expected to address the issue of the pound after finding a home for the county’s 911 Center.

Dubon described it as taking a village to address the issues facing the area about animal control.

“There is only so much that we can do,” Dubon said. “Everybody has to come together to work on this. This is unfortunate. We are handling it day by day.”

Commissioner Tony Bernard said this is not only a problem in Trumbull County, but also in Mahoning County and the state. Trumbull County’s dog pound is at capacity.

“We will figure it out,” he said. “We have to figure it out. It is a big problem.”

Shawn Shook, a Trumbull County activist, noted the courts should come down harder on these animal abuse cases.

Shook added that they need to find a better, more suitable way of funding the dog pound.

“I don’t know what the answers are, but I see what the problems are,” Shook said.