The city of Harlingen broke ground on Thursday for a kennel expansion at their animal shelter.

Twenty-nine new outdoor kennels will be built. The kennels will have an overhead awning to keep dogs out of the sun.

Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda says the extra space is needed.

"This is truly essential, because we have been evaluating the Harlingen Animal Shelter over the past year and the need for having additional space, and we have a lot of larger pets and dogs specifically that need more space," Sepulveda said.

The city hopes to have the kennel construction completed by the fall, weather permitting.