County
begins to plan for construction of animal shelter
Fiscal
Court has put $50,000 towards project
By LAURA
HAGAN
Plans are being made for an animal shelter to be built in Owen
County.
At the
August meeting of the fiscal court, Judge/Executive Billy O’Banion
asked the court for the money needed to begin work on the project.
The fiscal court agreed to give $50,000 toward building the shelter.
In 2004, the Kentucky General Assembly said that each county had
to get an animal shelter. At the time, there was a grant program
available for animal shelters, because the General Assembly didn’t
fund the project. To get an animal shelter built in Owen County,
the county needed to have property available to build the shelter
on, which they didn’t have.
Since then,
3 acres have been donated by Billie Jo Ashcraft to be used for
specifically for the animal shelter. The land is located by the
Halloween Express warehouse, across the street from the Smith
House.
“The
timing was where we needed to go ahead (with the project),”
O’Banion said.
He said
the shelter is needed because of the growing animal issue, and
the need for a more centralized location that will allow for finding
the animals good homes.
Based on
the number of animals handled within the county, he said building
a shelter will be a better use of tax dollars, as well as a more
efficient system. As far as running the facililty, O’Banion
said that responsibility will go to the Dog Warden.
Dog Warden
Deanna Wolfe said an animal shelter in the county would help her
out a lot. When she goes out in the county on calls and picks
up stray dogs, they all end up at her home. She said she currently
has 20 dogs.
“We
try to find them homes,” she said. “Some dogs we’ve
had here for a couple of weeks.”
Wolfe said
she picks up dogs every day, and though people know they can come
to her place and take a dog home, she said it would be nice to
have an animal shelter.
O’Banion
said the next step for him is to go to the Health Department and
get a site survey done on the land for a septic drainage system.
Then there
will be a bidding process, to figure out how much money will be
available over the $50,000 that has already been given by the
fiscal court.
O’Banion
said anyone else interested in donating money, time and/or labor
is encouraged to contact his office at 484-3405.
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