ASHLAND — Dogs now fill the new shelter on Baney Road, a move that has been delayed since the end of September.
Ashland County Dog Warden Joe Eggerton started moving dogs from the old shelter to the new one at noon on Wednesday with his employees. Even volunteers showed up to help.
“Come on, baby. It’s OK,” he said, guiding a blue-eyed mix dog named Rogue.
By 1 p.m., the staff had moved around 25 out of 36 dogs, Eggerton said, before finishing up around 2:30 p.m.
The original plan was to get the dogs moved into the new building, which has been mostly finished since Sept. 11, the week following the Ashland County Fair.
Ashland County commissioner Denny Bittle said the hold-up has been getting computers and phones moved and the internet connection established.
“We just had their internet service from the current shelter moved over to the new building. So Armstrong moved it on Friday and they just finished everything up yesterday,” Bittle said.
Eggerton said the move has been a bit hectic, especially since dog shelter workers didn’t skip a beat in their everyday duties, like setting up adoptions.
“But I guess it could be worse,” he said.
The $3 million dog shelter has been in the works since 2018 and under construction since June 2022. It is 8,000 square-feet, with room for up to 69 pups. Each kennel has an opening to an outdoor space.
The building also features 2,300 square-feet of unfinished space that officials hope to rent to a veterinary office or grooming salon.