Jessamine Matters Newsletter Booklet 2016 flipbook

Jessamine County Animal Shelter:
Making Positive Changes
Every animal that comes through the Jessamine County Animal Shelter’s doors is vaccinated, gets a full physical exam by one of the shelter’s vet techs, and
receives treatment for ticks and fleas. “At some shelters, an animal comes in and is sent straight to a kennel and stays there until their stray hold period is up.
That’s not the case here,” Public Services Director Mike Cassidy said.
A few years ago, the Jessamine County Animal Care and Control
(JCACC) shelter was a dark, dingy, and damp place—making it the polar
opposite of the clean, light-filled, and welcoming facility that it is today.
As part of its efforts to make the change, Jessamine County Fiscal Court
(JCFC) took over the shelter and its management in 2011, and
established a clear mission: “To provide services that safeguard the
public health and safety; to humanely house and care for animals in its
charge; to protect the animals of the community from abuse and neglect
and to provide its citizens with information concerning responsible
ownership.”
The first task on JCFC's agenda was a whopper: build a more efficient
shelter. To do that, the county applied for and received a $150,000 grant
from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. That, along with additional
support from Jessamine County Fiscal Court, led to the creation of the
new 10,000 square foot shelter that opened its doors in July, 2012, and
was named Kentucky’s “Animal Shelter of the Year” in 2014. Cassidy
worked on the original grant application and has been an integral part of
the planning and creation of the shelter. He couldn’t be prouder of the
state-of-the-art facility and staff—and he’s happy to share the JCACC
way of doing things with other shelters around Kentucky.
“Our shelter has the best employees, training methods and equipment in
the state,” Cassidy said. “Because of that, we have two counties that are
making arrangements for their employees to come here for long-term
training—not just a day visit,” says Cassidy. “They will learn about our
cleaning and vaccination methods.”
Celebrating Accomplishments
Jessamine County’s Animal Care and Control Department (JCACC) has a long
list of 2015 accomplishments. A few specifics:
Rescuing Skinny Girl
One 2015 JCACC rescue went viral after appearing on the shelter’s Facebook
page—Skinny Girl, an emaciated pit bull-cross that was found wandering the
streets of Nicholasville. “The dog was basically a skeleton,” Director of Public
Services Mike Cassidy said. The shelter nursed Skinny Girl back to full health,
and a family in Jessamine County adopted her.
Skinny Girl has been renamed Sophia, and JCACC receives updates on her
progress. To keep up with Sophia, visit her “Sophia (Skinny Girl)” Facebook page.
Lowering euthanasia rates
Adoptions like Sophia’s make everyone feel good, but one of the JCAC team’s
most important goals is to lower the shelter’s euthanasia rate, according to
Cassidy. “Unfortunately, we’re an open admissions shelter, which means we
can't turn animals away," he explained. “There are no-kill rescue groups that
can say, ‘We’re full right now.’ We don’t have that option.”
To lower euthanasia rates, JCACC promotes adoptable animals by using
Facebook and its website (www.adoptapet.com/JCACC). JCACC also works
Cassidy and his team also show visitors how JCACC uses social media
to increase adoption rates and help lost animals find their way home. “We
put mug shots online so owners can see if their dog has come into the
shelter,” Cassidy explained. “We also use our “Jessamine County Animal
Shelter” Facebook page to get our pets’ faces out there in the public. We
have had more than 70,000 views of a single post.”
Through successful fundraising efforts, Jessamine County Animal
Care and Control purchased a new truck to transport animals. The
Lexington Kennel Club donated an additonal $5,000 to purchase the
box that will be mounted to back of the truck to transport animals. “We
can't thank all of the donors enough for helping us reach our goal so
that we can better serve the citizens and animals of Jessamine
County,” Public Services Director Mike Cassidy said.
closely with rescue groups who pull animals out of the shelter and find them
homes. Thanks to rescue groups, more than 168 dogs and 145 cats have
placed in homes this year, according to Cassidy.
Acquiring new equipment
With help from Jessamine County Fiscal Court (JCFC) and private contributors
and volunteers, JCACC’s reached its goal to raise the money required to
purchase a new truck to respond to cruelty complaints and to rescue animals
from bad situations. “The truck will also pull our mobile adoption trailer to
events,” Cassidy said.
Working with community partners through programs like “Ales for Tails” and
“Pups on the Patio” are also examples of JCACC’s work to reach its goals.
During the winter months, The Tap House Bar and Lounge, 613 N. Main Street,
hosts “Ales for Tails”—a weekly event that includes a $1 donation to the shelter
with every pint of beer purchased. When the weather warms up, the bar hosts
“Pups on the Patio” in its beer garden every Sunday to raise money for the
shelter. Patrons can bring their dog, relax in the garden and drink an adult
beverage for a great cause. Ten percent of all sales are donated to the JCACC.
Looking for ways to help JCACC accomplish its mission? Visit “Jessamine
County Animal Care and Control” on Facebook, call 859-881-0821, or visit the
Animal Shelter at 120 Fairground Way, Nicholasville.
~ 4 ~