Animal shelters across Kentucky reach capacity

FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Animal shelters across Kentucky are reaching their capacity to take in dogs, as they face a growing stray population and more owners looking to surrender their pets.

The Franklin County Humane Society currently has more than a dozen dogs on a waitlist to be surrendered to the shelter.

Just last week, the humane society was forced to extend beyond its usual kennel space to make room for a number of extra dogs.

“It definitely has been one of the most challenging periods of intake that I've experienced and I've been with the organization for ten years,” said Kerry Lowary, executive director of the Franklin County Humane Society.

Franklin County isn't alone.

Shelters across the state are experiencing similar problems. Among the long list, Fayette County, Estill County, Anderson County and the Kentucky River Regional Animal Shelter are struggling to meet the demands of their shelters as well.

Even statewide rescue organizations, like KY Hopeful Paws Rescue, are feeling the burden.

“Well we are just as flooded as most of the shelters are,” said Megan Barger.

The group received requests to foster 47 dogs on Wednesday alone.

“It's all across the state. All shelters are pretty much full, and whenever they do open up, people hear about it, and they go to that shelter to relinquish,” Barger said.

Both Lowary and Barger point to economic struggles as a contributing factor to the problem, as more and more people surrender their pets to shelters.

“For instance, a regular bag of cat food would probably have been $8 to $10. That's a $15 to $20 bag of cat food now,” Lowary said.

A recent survey from Veterinarians.org found that the price of dog food has increased by more than 45% on average since 2020.

The rising cost of veterinary care is also a consideration.

In Franklin County specifically, Lowary added that soaring housing costs and rental rules regarding pets have been a source of some of the surrendered pets that have come to the shelter.

Lowary and Barger both ask people to spay and neuter their pets to keep the problem from getting worse.

“The more of that we can get done, the fewer litters of animals that are homeless we have to find homes for,” Lowary said.