Rural Animal Shelters Are Struggling Across Appalachian Kentucky

"If every county had an animal shelter, it would make things so much better."

Content warning: Today’s story contains mention of animal neglect.

It’s no secret that the pandemic has put both a financial and logistical strain on animal shelters across the country, as funding dollars have been increasingly stretched thin and volunteer support waned amid a raging virus. The reality, though, is that animals in dangerous or unhealthy situations still need a place to go—even in the middle of a global public health crisis. And whether the animals are stray, cases of neglect or owner surrender, rural reaches like Appalachian Kentucky—where animal shelters are few and far between—are being particularly impacted.

The difference in quality of care and basic access to an animal shelter in Kentucky can mean the difference of just a couple of counties over: drive a half-hour from Winchester to Ravenna, and you’ll go from a shelter that has the money to hold spay and neuter clinics each week to one desperate for grant money to host the events even occasionally. Drive another half-hour to Beattyville, and you’ll find there’s no animal shelter at all—and all stray critters are being sent to Estill County.

Making matters worse is how local leaders are a decidedly mixed bag when it comes to taking seriously the funding and support that local animal shelters need. In Estill County, a former deputy county judge executive was indicted last week by Attorney General Daniel Cameron for allegedly “dealing with public money from the Estill County Animal Shelter as [if it were] her own” while she was employed by the Estill County Fiscal Court. In the state legislature, Senate Bill 125 would’ve created “procedure for seizing agencies [like animal control] to petition a court to order payment of animal care costs by owner” and establish penalties, while prohibiting “the destruction of seized animals, except for humane reasons determined by a veterinarian.” And while it had some momentum through committee, the bill stalled out three weeks ago on the House floor.

But the need is still very real and increasingly desperate. Tucked away at the base of the Fitchburg Furnace just outside of Ravenna, the Estill County Animal Shelter is currently a complete one-woman show: Amy Walters is not only the shelter’s executive director—she’s its only employee. Oh, and she’s also the county’s animal control officer. When we spoke last week, the issues of overcrowding, underfunding and being severely short staffed were top of mind, but didn’t outweigh the bigheartedness Walters radiates.