FARMINGTON — Volunteers broke ground Sunday for new outdoor dog kennels at the Franklin County Animal Shelter on Industry Road.

Excavation of space to the right of the property entrance is the planned site for a new 28-foot by 80-foot structure to house seven, 10-foot by 20-foot kennels and a hallway for access, Lee Ireland, a shelter director, said.

The covered structure with a metal roof and concrete floor will allow animals to go out for some fresh air throughout the year, Heidi Jordan, shelter director, said. The structure will replace a couple fenced pens previously used for the dogs.

The shelter’s board of directors hopes to have the work completed this fall.

Tree-removal and earth moving went quickly Sunday with the use of heavy equipment. Bob Thorndike of Thorndike & Sons excavating and trucking from Phillips donated use of his equipment, they said as volunteer Jeremy Paradis flattened the land in preparation for the next step of construction.

Tractor Supply is providing special pricing on fencing for the project, Jordan said.

Volunteers will supply most of the labor, Ireland said. Donations will help offset the costs.

Along with Ireland and Paradis, Joseph Paradis and Jeff Hanrahan worked on the project Sunday.

The shelter currently houses 11 dogs and 157 cats although 50 cats were adopted during a Farmington Fair special offer, Jordan said. Along with an exhibit at the fair, the shelter offered free adoptions during the week.

In addition to the new kennels, local Boy Scout Brian Hand is in the process of applying for an Eagle Scout project with his plan to create a community dog park on the knoll beyond the new structure, she said. The idea is set up a fenced-in area with benches where community dog owners can take their pets and let them play with other dogs, she said.

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