Pulaski Humane Society has some grand plans

News Live

February 7, 2012

By HEATHER TOMLINSON, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal The Commonwealth Journal Tue Feb 07, 2012, 07:00 AM EST

Somerset —

The Pulaski County Humane Society has big plans for the future.

The non-profit organization, which focuses much of its efforts on rescuing animals and providing low-cost spay and neuter programs, has long operated through a network of volunteers who help carry out community services and who provide foster homes for rescued animals.

All that’s really and truly missing is a main facility to operate out of.

“That’s our dream,” said Connie Rakestraw, who has worked with the humane society for eight years.

The humane society reports that it rescued 420 dogs that found their way to the Pulaski County Animal Shelter and 171 from the community in 2011. The humane society also reports that 135 cats were pulled from the animal shelter and 55 from the community in the same year.

Also in 2011, the humane society reports that 66 dogs and 69 cats were adopted out by the organization.

The volunteers who work with the Pulaski County Humane Society have developed a good working relationship with Pulaski County government, which runs the Pulaski County Animal Shelter, along with the City of Somerset.

The organization operates its monthly low-cost spay and neuter clinics out of the Hal Rogers Training Center.

“The county has been exceptional,” Rakestraw said. “They’ve been terrific to allow us to do this.”

The city allows Pulaski County Humane Society President Melody Simpson to fill her gas tank every Thursday before she embarks on a journey to the Kentucky Humane Society in Louisville with numerous animals on board. Simpson expressed her appreciation for the gesture.

From Louisville, those animals are adopted out across the state.

In Pulaski County, a core group of around 30 volunteers work to rescue local animals — and provide community services such as the spay and neuter clinic.

“It (the spay and neuter clinic) helps a lot of people in the community,” Rakestraw said. “They love their animals and they want to do the right thing, but they have to make choices.”

The humane society spays and neuters and vaccinates around 40 animals each month.

And while the dedicated volunteers work hard to adopt out as many animals locally, the organization is looking forward to raising enough funds to find a building to base the humane society out of permanently.

“We just have foster homes, and we don’t have that many,” Simpson, the organization’s president, said.

Although the humane society currently doesn’t have enough volunteers to use a new building as a way to house the animals centrally, the facility would allow the organization to operate its spay and neuter clinic, perhaps more often than once a month.

Rakestraw is hoping for once a week.

“If we can get a building, then we’ll do it,” Rakestraw said.

The non-profit organization’s volunteers are all thankful for the donations they’ve received that have helped them operate, and Simpson said the generosity of donors and volunteers are necessary to keep the humane society up and operational.

Donations in the form of items such as kennels, dog houses and food are gladly accepted, and Simpson said those items will be given to those in the community if the humane society can’t use them.

“We would also like to sincerely thank all of the volunteers, fosters, and rescues for their help in making all of this possible,” stated a press release from the non-profit. “Everyone working together for the betterment of the animals is what has made this possible.”

Text Only

News Live

Local man airlifted after two-vehicle crash
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Mopar Mania to highlight Cruise
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
‘Dry’ forces concerned about wet signs
May 25, 2012 1 Photo
Visitors rave about beauty of Lake Cumberland in May
May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Pulaski’s Memorial Day weekend to be packed
May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Locally-born Rotary leader Pigman dies at 78
May 24, 2012
Technology summit gets underway
May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Local Democrats diss Obama
May 23, 2012
Floyd edges incumbent in city council run-off
May 23, 2012
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.”

May 22, 2012 1 Photo
More News Live Headlines

News Live

Search Results

Pulaski Humane Society has some grand plans

Site Map