UPDATE | Mahoning County unveils $4 million dog shelter

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County unveiled its new $4 million dog shelter at 1230 N. Meridian Road with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. this morning.

The county commissioners cut the ribbon to formally open the shelter.

Dog Warden Dianne Fry became choked up expressing her gratitude to the community for their support of the new shelter.

“This has been nothing but a work of love,” Fry said.

The facility will be open for tours until 3 p.m. today and from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday.

The 14,000-square-foot shelter will replace the 40-year-old, 9,000-square-foot dog pound on Industrial Road.

The county broke ground for the shelter in July 2016.

Copich Architects Inc. of Liberty designed the shelter, which Vendrick Construction Inc. of Brookfield constructed.

Construction cost about $3.3 million with the majority of the remaining $700,000 going to architectural and engineering fees and site acquisition.