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Resident presses county on 'dog crisis'; commissioners say plans exist but financing remains
Summary
A North Bloomfield resident urged action on what she described as a growing problem of abused and abandoned dogs; commissioners said architectural plans for a new county animal shelter exist but that funding must be secured, including possible grants, loans or ARPA dollars.
Jennifer Bernstein, a North Bloomfield resident, told the Trumbull County Board of Commissioners on July 30 that she is concerned about what she called a “dog crisis” of abused and abandoned animals and asked what the county planned to do.
"I am just here today to find out what the county is intending to do about our dog crisis," Bernstein said during the public‑comment period. "It's bad, really bad. Abused and abandoned dogs, and I know funding is, like, a problem. But what can we do? I feel like we can do better."
Commissioners responded that the county has architectural drawings and that a new animal shelter is “shovel ready” pending financing. Meeting speakers said the county has spent nearly $250,000 on architectural work and has instructed a newly hired grants‑writing consultant to seek state and federal funds to help pay for construction. Commissioners said options include loans, grants and potential ARPA funding and that the county has been providing financial support to the existing animal control operation in the interim.
Officials urged community involvement on supplies and adoption. One commissioner suggested partnering with local grocery stores to collect donated pet food and supplies, citing programs in other counties that place donation boxes outside stores for weekly pickup by rescues or humane societies.
The board did not vote on any dog‑pound funding at the July 30 meeting; commissioners said they remain committed to finding financing and to pursuing grants and other funding sources but did not provide a construction schedule.
