Published: May 20, 2008 10:11 am            

Counties adopt plans to save shelter

Fundraising event planned to raise money

By Sean Bailey / Staff Writer

The Knox/Whitley County Animal Shelter’s doors will not close after a deal was struck between three counties on funding for the shelter.

The judge-executives of Whitley, Knox and McCreary counties met with officials from the shelter on Monday, and were able to work out funding plans.

“The meeting was wonderful, it went really well ...We are going to be able to keep it open and it’s going to work well,” shelter director Amy Young said.

At the last Whitley County Fiscal Court meeting, shelter employees spoke to raise public awareness of the financial “dire straits” the shelter was facing.

At its inception, the shelter was funded mostly by bingo nights and charity events. The bingo nights fell through thanks to what shelter employees called “politics” in dealing with the bingo hall manager.

After Monday’s meeting, Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. said his county had $20,000 budgeted for the animal shelter, but would be increasing it to $30,000, pending fiscal court approval.

“We were able to increase the funding but not to an outlandish extent. Everybody won today, it went very well,” White said.

Knox County Judge-Executive J.M. Hall said his county would be increasing funding to $25,000, pending fiscal court approval.

“I think this is something we can all live with. This came together and I think it will work,” Hall said.

Hall added that the shelter would also be asking cities that use the shelter to help with funding, such as Williamsburg and Corbin.

At Whitley County’s last fiscal court meeting, there was some discussion on the possibility of having the counties take over operation of the shelter. Counties are required to either have a contract with or access to an animal shelter by Kentucky law. With the funding deal struck Monday, the shelter will stay privately operated, Young said.

Young said while waiting for the new budgets to be approved there will be a fundraising event for the shelter during July.

        

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