Pike County Animal Shelter seeks to reduce number of animals on hand
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A female Australian Shepherd mix has been found between Barry and Baylis on Hadley Gravel. She appears to have been well cared for. She exhibits an exceptionally affectionate demeanor. Call 217-285-4811 if you know the dog’s owners. Brooklyn White is shown with the dog. (David Camphouse/River County News)
Trisha Thompson and Martha Felion took time from their animal care duties to pose in front of a Christmas tree at the Pike County Animal Shelter with two cats. The shelter is trying to drastically reduce the number of animals it has on hand after the shelter’s budget was slashed by the Pike County Board. Call 217-285-4811 to contact animal shelter staff. Adoptions are now available for free-will donations of money or needed supplies. (David Camphouse/River County News)
By DAVID CAMPHOUSE
Even after the “Clear the Shelter” event that was held December 6, the Pike County Animal Shelter still requires the public’s assistance to help get the remainder of its cats and dogs adopted by loving homes.
According to Assistant Pike County Animal Warden Terri Lucas, the department has enjoyed a great deal of community support since the Pike County Board significantly cut Pike County Animal Control’s budget during the budgeting process for the fiscal year that started December 1.
Animal Control was the hardest hit County department by cost saving efforts on the part of the Pike County Board. Tens of thousands of dollars were cut from the department’s relatively modest budget. The cuts eliminated funding from the county to pay for part-time employees and for veterinary services.
At the time the cuts were made, Pike County Board President Reta Hoskin expressed regret that the cuts were deemed necessary by the Board members.
“It’s very unfortunate, because I feel that the Animal Control Department has worked very hard to put very good services in place,” County Board President Reta Hoskin said. “Unfortunately the revenue has not increased to pay for those services, so we just had to cut back.”
Even with the support shown by the community, the Animal Shelter still needs to drastically reduce the number of animals that it has on hand.
“We still have over forty dogs and over forty cats,” Assistant Warden Lucas said. “We need to get down to having about 15 dogs and 15 cats.”
In an effort to further reduce the number of animals being held by the Animal Shelter, adoptions are still being made available for free will donations of money or supplies.
Residents who are not in a position to adopt a cat or dog, but who wish to support the animal shelter can donate to the CARE Foundation, which is a nonprofit organization that was set up to provide support to the Pike County Animal Shelter.
The CARE Foundation is not part of Pike County government, and it is not financially or administratively affiliated with the shelter itself. CARE was created by Jean Hoover and Christina Butler as an independent 501(c)(3) dedicated to improving animal welfare in Pike County.
The focus of the CARE Foundation is on direct animal care efforts, such as:
■ Spay and neuter
■ Emergency and routine veterinary care
■ Vaccinations
■ Food and nutrition support
■ Medical supplies
■ Foster-care support needs
■ Transport for medical care or adoption when appropriate
■ Other direct services that improve an animal’s health, safety, or well-being.
For more information on how to assist the Pike County Animal Shelter, contact (217) 285-4811 or [email protected].
