The Logan County Board of Commissioners have announced a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Logan County Animal Shelter.
The ceremony will occur at 2:30 p.m Thursday, April 17, on the grounds of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, located at 284 S. County Road 32, Bellefontaine.
The commissioners and representatives from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, Beasley Architecture, Levan Excavating Incorporated, and B Hoylman Construction LLC will all be present.
Members of the public are invited to attend.
The shelter will be located on the grounds of the sheriff’s office, and will be operated by Logan County Sheriff Randy Dodds and Logan County Dog Warden Deputy Jacob Boyd.
Commissioners previously stated that one full-time staff person will need to be hired to run the daily facility operation and handle adoptions of animals to the public. There will be opportunities for the public to volunteer for assistance.
Additional support for animal care, building maintenance, cleaning and operations will be provided by inmate trustees from the Logan County Jail during non-public hours.
The commissioners recently adopted new dog tag rates for 2025 to support the cost of staffing the shelter.
In recent years, Logan County has had arrangements with nearby counties to house stray dogs brought in locally.
“Currently, we’re spending $65,000 a year to ship our dogs to Shelby County. As you can tell, it won’t take very long to recoup those costs in a new building,” Logan County Commissioner Mike Yoder said in the fall when the shelter plans were announced.
“Not only will we be able to recoup these costs, but people won’t have to travel to another county in the event that their dog gets loose. And we’ll be able to house stray cats here as well.
“We’re excited about it and we think it’s going to be a big success for the whole county, and the land here at the sheriff’s office.”
In addition, the commissioners have designated the Logan County Sheriff’s Office Behind the Badge Volunteers, Inc., a 501c3 charitable organization, to accept all financial donations toward the construction and operation of the facility.
Cash may be dropped off at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office during regular business hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Checks may be mailed to the office at 284 S. County Road 32, Bellefontaine, OH 43311.