Beech Tree News Network

Two years ago, a group of like-minded citizens decided it was time to form an organization that would care for neglected and abandoned animals in Butler County.  As a result, the Animal Assistance program was born.  The program was initially funded by the estate of Ms. Mona Gilstrap of Aberdeen, who left a directive that the funds provided by her estate be used for the betterment of the animals of Butler County.
    The board members of Animal Assistance (Dick Deye, Anna Mae Hunt, Bonita Hunt, Kim West and Mike Porter) took that directive to heart.  Working closely with the Butler County Animal Shelter and Heritage Animal Hospital, the organization is making a difference in the lives of animals that might not otherwise have someone in their corner. 
    The group has done everything from buying hay for horses to offering financial assistance for the spaying and neutering of cats.  The Animal Shelter and Heritage Animal Hospital are instrumental in identifying animals that can benefit from the group’s assistance. 
    According to the 2012 annual study conducted by the ALDF ( Animal Legal Defense Fund), Kentucky ranks number one in the top ten worst states for animal abuse laws.  The report is based on animal protection laws of the states, with emphasis on the “presence or absence of felony-level penalties for the most egregious types of abuse” (http://aldf.org).
Even without this glaring report, the Animal Assistance organization recognizes the gravity of their challenge.  The group is very hands-on when it comes to meeting an immediate need.  The members work hard to get medical assistance to injured animals and try diligently to find homes for those that are abandoned, taking in some animals themselves until a permanent home can be found.  “Our main purpose is to see that the animals that have nobody to take care of them, get taken care of,” says board member, Mike Porter.
     In the partial list of initiatives that the ALDF proposes for a state to improve its standing is: Expanding the range of protection for animals; Reporting of animal cruelty cases; and Strengthening standards of care for animals.  With groups like the Animal Assistance organization on patrol, maybe Kentucky will be able to improve its standing in the area of animal cruelty.
    (For more information on the Animal Assistance organization, you may contact Kim West at the Butler County Judge Executive office or Butler County Animal Shelter or Heritage Animal Hospital.  The animal hospital offers rabies vaccines for $10/ea. on the first Monday of each month, with half of the proceeds to be donated to Animal Assistance.  This goes for annual exams as well.)

Story by Cheryl Hughes, Beech Tree News