Logan County Humane Society in need of public’s support

Published 6:00 am Tuesday, April 15, 2025

By Ann Marie Dotson

The Logan County Humane Society is in desperate need of the public’s support so it can continue improving the lives of animals.

The organization, which has been in operation since 1989, depends mainly on fundraisers, donations and the support of the community.

“The truth of the matter is there is only one town in Logan County that financially supports us at all, and that’s Russellville,” said Julie Martin, president of the board of directors of the Logan County Humane Society. “We fundraise for 95% of our budget. We also depend on donations, sponsorships we receive and grants. Help is desperately needed. We are a rural county and we need help from larger cities as well, like Bowling Green.”

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The cost for the shelter to remain open is approximately $10,000 a month and Martin said that every month, the organization falls short.

“Sometimes we miss that goal by about $8,000 a month,” she said. “It’s a huge goal to reach. It’s a struggle, so that’s why these fundraisers are so important to us. Logan County is in desperate need of the Humane Society so that’s why we’ve really got to hustle.”

The first major fundraiser of the year was the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow St. Patrick’s Day 5K Run/Walk in downtown Russellville on March 16.

“We had 50 participants and that was our goal,” Martin said. “It was a fantastic success and was so much fun. People are already looking forward to it next year.

Events like this are so important to us. If we can’t raise the funds, we can’t keep our doors open.”

Tammy Wellman has been appointed the new fundraising chair and “has been instrumental in helping us put together our fundraising calendar for the year.”

“It’s going to be a lot of fun and we are looking forward to our next event this month,” she said.

With kitten season fast approaching and Logan County facing a large number of stray and feral cats, “The Kittens Are Coming” will take place during the entire month of April.

At the time Martin spoke to the Daily News, the shelter had 13 kittens and three pregnant mothers.

“And that’s only the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “We had 43 kittens in the shelter at one point last year.”

Martin said the shelter will host kitten showers and place boxes in local businesses with a list of needed supplies.

“Since we can’t take in all kittens, what we are really hoping to do is to create kitten kits for those who find kittens,” she said. “That way, we can provide them with some of the supplies they need to take care of the kittens themselves. Of course, all of that costs money.”

Martin said that one of the shelter’s biggest challenges is the number of cat intakes and with kitten season almost here, that number continues to grow. Recently there were 134 cats on the wait list.

“The Humane Society is the front line in Logan County for cats because we are an open intake shelter,” she said. “Some shelters have specific guidelines for what they will take in. But we have no restrictions and we are always in a code red situation.”

Martin said that having pets spayed and neutered is one of the best ways to prevent overcrowding at the shelter.

“One thing I really try to get people to understand is what’s called cat math,” Martin said. “I didn’t fully understand it until I ran the numbers. People don’t realize that cats can start having kittens at around 4-6 months of age and can have up to three litters a year with up to six to eight kittens in a litter. If we presume there are only two surviving kittens from one unaltered cat, those kittens and all of the offspring can produce about a million cats in a seven-year span.”

Martin said that most people want to do the right thing and get their pets spayed or neutered, but the Humane Society doesn’t have a low cost spay-neuter program.

The animals at the Logan County shelter also have to go elsewhere to get fixed, Martin said, and that comes at a price.

Martin said she has a 10-year goal for the shelter, as soon as corporate sponsorships are in place and the worry of day-to-day bills disappears.

“I would love to see 80% of eligible dogs and cats in Logan County spayed, neutered and microchipped in 2035,” she said.

The corporate sponsorships are rolling out now and will come as a tremendous relief to the shelter, with four levels of sponsorships available, and depending on the level, “we will splash your name around on everything,” Martin said.

Another helpful addition to the shelter is a microchip station located outside. This allows a person to scan a stray animal for a chip, making the chances of finding the owner greater.

“Moving forward, we would also like to see a mobile spay-neuter van,” she said. “Right now, we are speaking with some folks in Louisville and picking their brains about their mobile unit.”

Some of the shelter’s other upcoming events include the annual Founder’s Day Gala and Auction and a Tattoo “Flash Page” fundraiser in May; the annual Pickleball Tournament, Snip & Chip Microchipping Event and Summer Fun Bingo Party in June; Summer Fun Bingo Party, Summer Movie Night and ice cream socials in July; and Volunteer Appreciation Day, Summer Fun Bingo Party and ice cream socials in August.

Additional events are held throughout the year, including Pub Trivia Nights, Sip & Paint Evenings and Coffee with Kitties, which takes place the first Sunday of each month and is “a great way to socialize the kittens.”

Martin added that volunteers and fosters are always needed, with the shelter offering foster information sessions.

“With all of these kittens coming in, we will need families to foster them until they are 8 weeks-old,” Martin said.

For more information about the Logan County Humane Society, upcoming fundraisers and community events, visit www.adoptlcpets.com or follow them on Facebook and TikTok.

I am originally from Owensboro and graduated from Owensboro High School. In 1994, I received a degree in print journalism from Murray State University. I have lived in Bowling Green and have worked at the paper since I graduated.

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