Animal shelter improvements on display this weekend

Local News

November 12, 2009

By HEATHER PYLES, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Thu Nov 12, 2009, 05:37 PM EST

Somerset — This weekend, the public will get the chance to stop by the Pulaski County Animal Shelter and see first-hand the next step in the shelter’s long — and sometimes controversial — history.

“We’re going in a whole different direction,” said Pulaski County Judge-executive Barty Bullock. “I’m very proud of the progress that’s been done there.”

While the years haven’t been the best to the shelter, which sees a significantly high number of dogs and cats come through its doors, this weekend’s Open House is all about the good news.

In-house spay and neuter surgeries and vaccinations began last week at the shelter when 15 animals were sent to their forever homes.

“I’m really excited,” said Misty Wilson, shelter secretary. “Last Wednesday was a big success.”

The spay and neuter surgeries and vaccinations for adopted animals is expected to help clamp down on the county’s dog and catl overpopulation problem, which has resulted in the shelter and the county’s rescue organizations being overwhelmed by a high number of abandoned and stray animals.

The public’s reaction has been mixed, Wilson said. Some people were surprised to discover they wouldn’t be able to take their newly adopted animals home — now, those pets must stay at the shelter until the surgeries and vaccinations are performed. Veterinarian Tammy Bumgardner has volunteered her services every Wednesday at the shelter to ensure that every dog and cat undergoes the surgeries and vaccinations before going home.

“From our perspective, this really works out better,” Wilson said.

But the new policies about in-house procedures hasn’t been met with positive comments from everyone. Wilson said one man chose not to adopt an animal the week before when he realized the dog would be altered before going home. That man, Wilson said, was looking for a dog to breed.

This weekend, officials are hoping local families will be pleased with the shelter’s new surgery room — and they’re hoping some furry friends will be going home that day as well.

“We’d like to adopt everything that’s out there that day,” Bullock said.

Wilson is hoping this weekend’s event will be a hit.

“I’ve had several people already calling and asking about it,” Wilson said.

The Open House is slated for this Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the shelter. Door prizes will be available, along with food and refreshments.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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