BY KARI KUH

DBCHS

Next year the Danville-Boyle County Humane Society marks its 50th year of service. As we prepare for the next half-century, we’re reaching beyond shelter walls to make Danville and Boyle County the most compassionate and kind community for animals in all of Kentucky.

Before us, community leaders provided the vision for DBCHS, built the Katherine E. Nelsen Adoption Center, and established impactful programs. In recent years DBCHS has built upon that foundation by implementing evidence-based best practices that guide the way we admit animals into the shelter environment, treat the animals in our care, and help them find permanent homes.

Safety nets like Home To Home™ and our community cat program treat animals where they are. With Home To Home™ DBCHS helps owners find new homes for their pets instead of surrendering them to the shelter. The community cat program utilizes Trap/Neuter/Vaccinate/Return to home (TNVR), providing spay/neuter surgery for outdoor cats at no cost to their caretakers. TNVR protects public health, curbs the population of free-roaming cats, and drastically decreases shelter euthanasia rates.

Mutts with Manners, a volunteer-driven dog training program at Northpoint, and Happy Paws, our volunteer-run low-cost spay/neuter clinic, are two of our most well-known safety net programs that help pets live their best lives.

Together these safety nets have decreased the “length of stay” for animals in our care to a historic low of five days and saved many pets the stress of coming to the shelter at all, reserving space for injured, abandoned, and ill animals.

So far this year we’ve helped place 140 animals in new homes, reunited more than 50 lost pets with their people, and provided low or no-cost spay/neuter surgery to more than 500 animals. Along with our partners at Boyle County Animal Control, we’ve positively impacted nearly 700 animals, yet only 150 of those dogs and cats entered the shelter!

DBCHS recently completed a strategic planning process to assess our community’s needs and prepare for our future. Nearly 200 people provided input by completing surveys or participating in interviews, and we are so grateful! As a result, we have committed to prioritizing our efforts around three main areas:

• Improving the health of animals in our community;

• Engaging the public to work with us on issues of animal welfare and policymaking;

• Providing more resources to support pet owners.

Because we know details matter, you can view our complete strategic plan at www.dbchs.org.

Here’s how you can help.

Invite us to speak with your community, civic, church, or other groups to answer your questions and discuss our goals. (We’ll meet you where you are! Workout buddies? Poker night, friends? Class? Office?)

Let us know if you’re interested in finding out more about fostering animals.

Like our Facebook page and visit dbchs.org to stay current on adoptable animals and initiatives.

If you see a healthy outdoor cat that needs to be altered, call us at 859-238-1117 between 1-3 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule free surgery.

If you need to find a new home for your pet or want to adopt, check out dbchs.home-home.org.

Together we’ll reach beyond shelter walls and save more lives.

To join us in our lifesaving mission, call 859-238-1117 or email me: karikuh@dbchs.org. I look forward to meeting you!