Correspondent photo / Sean Barron Linda Frayer, a volunteer with the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County in Vienna, provides a bit of tender loving care to Bambi, a 3-year-old mastiff mix. Bambi was among the dogs and cats that were at the third annual Be Mine adoption event Saturday and Sunday at the Eastwood Mall in Niles.

NILES — Besides radiating obvious, sheer joy and excitement, the look on 3-year-old Norah Krishnan’s face seemed to mirror her mother’s desire to expand the family.

“I’ve been dying for a dog for a while,” Julie Krishnan of Cleveland, said.

Norah’s expression grew as she and her mother met Ollie, a 4-year-old pit bull mix that was among the dogs and cats on display Saturday and Sunday for the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County’s third annual Be Mine adoption event at the Eastwood Mall.

If mother and daughter decided to make Ollie part of the family, the dog wouldn’t have to look far to find feline company, because they also have two elderly cats, Julie Krishnan said, adding that she was looking for “a dog in need.”

“I love any big, slobbery meatball,” she said with a chuckle.

Joining Norah and her mother Saturday afternoon was family friend Emma Myer, 9, of Liberty, who was not shy about expressing her desire to one day volunteer with the AWL, where she likely would walk and provide playful company to the animals.

“I love dogs, and I have two dogs,” Emma said.

Offering additional love and company to Ollie on Saturday was Alyssa Vachino, an AWL staff member who said the dog has been with the facility five or six months. Ollie has been difficult to adopt largely because many people are reluctant to take pit bull-types that also are physically strong because they assume such animals would be difficult to handle, Vachino explained.

“Ollie’s very friendly and can be energetic at first,” she said.

The nonprofit AWL is temporarily home to an estimated 50 dogs, 56 cats and four bunnies. Last month, the facility saw an influx of dogs and used all of its space to accommodate them, primarily because of the long duration of cold weather, but now has room for dogs, Morgan Estes, the AWL’s development manager, said.

The AWL occasionally accepts animals from owner-surrender situations, but the majority of intakes are from its humane department, Estes said.

“We (also) investigate every phone call that comes our way,” she said, adding that the facility tends to see an increase and decrease in the number of dogs and cats, respectively, during the winter and the reverse situation during the warmer months.

The only “investigation” in which Linda Frayer of Mineral Ridge seemed engaged was deciding how much love and affection to offer Bambi, a 3-year-old mastiff mix with a benign neurological disorder.

“Bambi’s energetic, loving, playful and good with other dogs,” Frayer, a two-year volunteer with the AWL, said.

Frayer added that her main duties at the facility are to walk the dogs, provide them with exercise opportunities and do laundry.

Also hoping for a loving forever home Saturday was Manny, a 10-year-old female mix that came to the AWL with severe skin dermatitis with hyperpigmentation, a type of nonemergency irritation in dogs that causes unusually frequent licking and scratching. Since coming to the shelter Nov. 22, 2024, Manny has received about a month’s worth of medicated baths.

Handling the dog Saturday was Tony Crumly of Hubbard, an AWL volunteer.

The Be Mine adoption gathering also featured a basket raffle and merchandise for sale that included leashes, harnesses, collars, toys and tennis balls. Proceeds were to benefit the AWL.

Also available was information on feline immunodeficiency virus, an infection that is usually passed from one cat to another during a fight that results in a deep penetrating wound. The AWL tests for FIV and a condition called feline leukemia virus, a condition that often is transmitted via saliva or nasal secretions from infected cats to other such animals and can weaken their immune systems.

The Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County is in need of volunteers. Those interested can call the facility at 330-539-5300 or email awlrescueme.com, Estes said.

The next volunteer orientation session is set for 5 p.m. Feb. 25 at the shelter, 812 Youngstown-Kingsville Road, Vienna, Estes noted.