County Renews Contract With BG/WC Humane Society Animal Shelter

Darren Doyle, story
The Edmonson County Fiscal Court voted to renew their contract with the Bowling Green/Warren County Humane Society Animal Shelter today through December, 2017.

Judge Executive Wil Cannon said the initial contract is set to expire at the end of the month and was signed as a one-year deal in order for both the county and the shelter to have the ability to re-evaluate the first-time agreement without a long-term commitment if necessary.

The county is still paying the same amount each month for animal control and housing as they were with the previous agreement with the Carrolls, which is a total of $2500 each month; however, the cost is split between the animal shelter, which receives $1250 per month, and the Sheriff's Office who provides the animal control officer for also $1250 per month.

Cannon said the BG/WC shelter had not broken down the number of animals from Edmonson County they had housed over the past year so didn't see a need in a re-evaluation of the contract. Sheriff Shane Doyle said that his office had received more calls for animal control than ever.

“As a result of our current Animal Control Officer Eric Roscoe doing his job and doing it well, the public sees that something is finally being done with animal control and more calls are coming in," he said. "When people don’t think that anything will be done, they don't see any use in calling. Officer Roscoe is a highly trained individual that has adapted to this position very well and he's doing a fantastic job."

Cannon has said the long-term goal for Edmonson County's animal shelter issue is for the county to have it's own shelter, run by a local humane society. He has said that he supports the local organization, Edmonson County PAWS, which is also working toward that same goal. He has also said that a feasible time table for a county-run shelter would be somewhere between 5 and 10 years.

In the meantime, Cannon said the county will continue working with the Bowling Green/Warren County Animal Shelter, which he says has been very cooperative with Edmonson County government.

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