TOLEDO – The clang of tools and hum of machinery at 1301 Monroe St. will soon be replaced with barks and tail wags as construction on the new Lucas County Canine Care & Control (LC4) facility nears completion. What’s being built here isn’t just a shelter—it’s a reset.
Designed with both humans and animals in mind, the $35 million, 40,000-square-foot project facility will replace the current Erie Street building and bring a host of long-overdue improvements.
The building includes 177 total kennels divided between adoption and intake wings, along with 23 play areas and a garage for animal transport. Each kennel is double-sided, allowing dogs to relieve themselves on one side and sleep on the other, promoting cleanliness and comfort. The dogs will be housed in small pods of no more than 10 with separate ventilation and outdoor access to reduce stress and minimize the spread of illness.
According to LC4, the new space offers more natural light, expanded outdoor play areas, larger kennel rooms, an expanded vet clinic, better laundry facilities and modern ventilation systems. For the staff, it means safer workspaces and a layout designed for efficiency and care.
“Our little furry friends will not be so cramped and stressed out,” Lisa Sobecki, Lucas County commissioner, said of the upgrades. “This is going to be just a great environment for them to be in.”
At the helm of the facility’s next chapter is Dave Blyth, whom the Board of Lucas County Commissioners appointed as director in March 2025. Blyth previously worked at the agency as a deputy dog warden from 1981 to 2008 before moving on to a role with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Ohio.
“So, I got a call from a commissioner. ‘I want to talk about LC4,’ and we did–we talked,” Blyth recalled. ”They described the problems as they existed. I said, you know, I have a few ideas. And what it boils down to is, with my experience level as a deputy dog warden for Lucas County and with my law enforcement background, I think, they felt that that would be a good fit as we move into the new building.”
Blyth’s appointment, alongside the selection of Terra Bundy as LC4’s inaugural deputy director, follows the firing of the previous director and the suspension of the shelter’s volunteer program amid multiple complaints of poor treatment of both staff and animals, as reported by WTOL.
“We’re here to move forward,” Blythe said.
The key to moving forward? Outreach. Blyth is particularly interested in expanding community-facing programs that get dogs out of the shelter and into public view, even if just for a few hours. One such initiative is Dogs on the Town, a short-term fostering program that allows residents to take adoptable dogs on day trips for socialization.
In fact, this is how his daughter got her dog. “They brought it back and paid for it,” Blyth said.
He also hopes to continue growing LC4’s network of rescues and nonprofits, like Friends of LC4, who support adoption efforts.
“Before they go to a dog breeder or a pet store, please come down to LC4,” Blyth encouraged. “We’ve got some great candidates down here.”
Crews have been working on this project for over a year, and it is expected to be completed in August. LC4 hopes to open to the public in September.
While the facility represents a fresh start, it also follows a period of public scrutiny. Allegations of mismanagement and mistreatment in recent years have put LC4 under the spotlight. Blyth acknowledges that history but emphasizes a focus on what’s ahead.
“I have an open-door policy,” he said. “If there’s a problem, we deal with it. There’s no need to take anything to extremes.”
Sobecki echoed that sentiment, saying Blyth’s deep knowledge of the agency and its mission made him the right leader for the moment.
“He really does understand the mission of this program, and he understands the importance and the care for our dogs,” she said. “So, he’s just really been the perfect fit for this opportunity. I’m excited for him. I’m excited for Terra. But most importantly, I’m really, really excited for our furry friends.”
The current LC4 facility
 facility nears completion in Toledo, replacing the current Erie Street building.){kind=link}