Hundreds of animals in Daviess County are without a loving family. Spread out in shelters, the humane society and foster homes, so many pets are longing for a better life.
If you are looking to add a furry friend to your family, there are several local options for adoptions.
Daviess County Animal Shelter
2620 KY 81
Owensboro, KY 42301
270-685-8275
The Daviess County Animal Shelter takes in the most animals in Owensboro and Daviess County. Located on Kentucky 81, the shelter is always full of animals needing to be saved.
Daviess County Animal Control Director Ashley Thompson said adoption numbers went through the roof in early spring, after a post went viral claiming that the local animal shelter was out of kennel space. Thompson said the shelter isn’t full — rather, the shelter promotes adoption awareness when animals are close to being euthanized. Right now, around 70 percent of unadopted dogs at the shelter are pit bulls or pit mixes
The adoption fee is $100, covering surgeries the animal had, as well as vaccines and any and all medical treatment it underwent while in the shelter’s care.
“That’s a pretty good package deal you’re getting there,” Thompson said.
She said those looking to adopt should schedule an appointment to meet the animals at the shelter.
“Come out and spend some time with them,” she said. “The animals are much different out of their cages.”
Saving Paws Animal Rescue Of Kentucky
270-684-4787
SparKy is a local, nonprofit, no-kill, animal rescue that takes a unique approach to animal rescue through the utilization of foster homes. These foster homes provide the animals with a loving environment.
The main difference about SparKy compared to other local shelters is they do not have an actual facility.
John Austin, president of SparKy, said this is great because they have little overhead and can focus on medical needs for the animals.
“We get no money from any government source and all of our income comes from donors or adoption monies,” he said.
Austin said the dog population remains consistent, but the number of cats and kittens fluctuate.
Many times if people are looking for a certain breed, you can find that breed in shelters, rescues, or even national breed rescues.
“If people were to adopt more instead of buying from a breeder, fewer animals would be euthanized,” Austin said. “Saving lives in important. Many breeders are not always scrupulous and will breed indiscriminately causing animals to suffer and causing future health issues for the animals. We have taken in several animals over the years that came from puppy mills. These dogs have numerous health problems and in many instances are starved for attention.”
Owensboro Humane Society
3101 West Second Street
Owensboro, KY 42301
270-302-6813
The Owensboro Humane Society believes that all animals are adoptable and in 1999, they decided to go completely no kill.
According to its website, “some will spend their remaining lives in our care. Even though we are small in size, we are big at heart. Our size and fund restrictions limit the number of animals we can rescue; however, we are dedicated to help as many animals as possible.”
Molly’s Mutts Animal Rescue
248 KY 983 • Dixon, KY 42409
270-213-5002
Cori Camp, Rescue Director at Molly’s Mutt’s, said they can only keep their doors open with donations from the community.
Camp said donations pay for their growing vet bills, to buy dog food for the rescue, to pay for a specific or costly medical treatment/procedure for a dog, or to purchase supplies for the rescue.
While they are located in Dixon, outside of Madisonville, Owensboro plays a big part in getting dogs adopted.
“Webster County does not have any pet-specific stores,” Camp said. “Owensboro is one of the closest towns with a Petsmart, and we have quite a few adopters from the Owensboro area.”
The adoption fee includes vet exam, vaccinations, microchip, monthly heartworm prevention, monthly deworming, heartworm testing and treatment and spay/neuter.
Camp said the rescue is always in need of dog food, cleaning supplies, treats, blankets, beds and toys.