The Berrien County Board of Commissioners is starting to think about its options for expanding the county animal shelter.

Speaking to the board Thursday, County Administrator Brian Dissette said he and shelter manager Ashley Herr recently took a trip down to Elkhart County, Indiana to tour a new Humane Society shelter. They were looking for ideas to help better run the shelter in Berrien.

Dissette told us a need for more space at the animal shelter has become apparent. Berrien County Animal Services has gotten busier since the sheriff’s department took over the enforcement side of things.

“The animal control officers are bringing in a significant number of additional animals than we traditionally have seen,” Dissette said. “We’ve seen this phenomenon now for about three years. Our daily intake is just significantly higher than it has been traditionally in the past.”

Dissette said the county is in the exploratory phase of a shelter expansion that would likely add around 3,000 square feet to the facility. There are some questions commissioners will have to consider.

“And then if we’re going to do this, is now the time to make the investments for additional medical equipment, additional space, knowing that spay-neuter clinics is something that is absolutely critical.”

Dissette said the shelter in Elkhart County had a medical wing for spay and neuter operations and it generates a lot of revenue for the service. Additionally, he noted the Humane Society employed a variety of means to raise funds for the shelter. They did things like allow sponsorships for individual kennels. He tells us following the Silver Beach playground campaign, Berrien County could look at a new way of funding a shelter expansion through partnerships.

The discussions are only now starting, and Dissette says any actual project could be years off.