LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — The number of unwanted dogs and cats at the Laurel County Animal Shelter has decreased over the past several years.

“We were getting around 5,000 animals a year, but that has decreased to 3,000 a year,” Manager David Coffey said. “We go by calendar year and, so far this year, we have taken in about 1,400.”

Coffey attributes part of the decline to the requirement of having pets neutered or spayed when they are adopted out.

Fifteen to 20 percent of dogs and cats at the shelter get adopted, he said.

 “The biggest majority of them, unfortunately, do get put down. We sedate first and we euthanize later. Our budget from the county for veterinary services is $5,000. I haven’t really figured how much it costs per animal. The bigger the dog, the more of the solution has to be used. The money will more than cover all the animals that have to be euthanized.”

A bottle of the euthanization solution is 250 c.c.s, and shelter employees must use one cc per 10 pounds of animal.

“Our minimum is 3 c.c.s. We just about give every small animal 3 just to cover it. A bottle costs around $55 to $60 by the time it gets here. It’s not like $10 per dog. It’s more like $1 a dog, I would think.”

The shelter also receives $13,000 a year for food and supplies.

“That covers everything just to function here,” Coffey said. “That will cover office supplies, food. Supplies and animal food is my biggest line item. I pretty much get everything we need out of that.”

Coffey said the veterinarians give all of the other shots, such as rabies when they neuter or spay the animals that are adopted.

Coffey said none of the animals are shot. That practice stopped in April 2003, even before it became illegal in Kentucky.

“Occasionally, out in the field, we do if they’re wild or vicious or something like that. That’s not our way of euthanization. That’s illegal now. Used to you could do that.”

The euthanized animals are bagged up and taken to the London City Sanitation on Ky. 192 and then transferred to the Waste Management Connections’ landfill in Lily.

“It’s bad that all these dogs have to be put down, but it’s not our fault. We’re required by law to be here. A lot of people get mad at us. We do everything legal here. We’re not hiding anything. We’re a certified animal shelter through the state veterinary clinic. We get inspected once, maybe twice a year.”



cmills@sentinel-echo.com