The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) has received a $50,000 grant from the Joanie Bernard Foundation and its Give Them Ten™ Movement to continue delivering free spay and neuter services to 400 cats in rural Kentucky through its CARE-a-van mobile veterinary clinic. The funding marks the second consecutive year the foundation has supported KHS in reaching underserved communities across the Commonwealth.
With the Foundation’s support in 2025, KHS’s CARE-a-van mobile veterinary clinic provided free spay/neuter surgeries to 339 cats across 12 rural counties where families face significant barriers to accessing affordable veterinary care.
Kentucky is experiencing a severe veterinarian shortage, ranking among the bottom 10 states nationwide for access to care, according to the Veterinary Care Accessibility Project (VCAP), with rural counties particularly impacted. The CARE-a-van helps bridge this gap by delivering essential veterinary services directly to underserved areas.
With continued support from the Joanie Bernard Foundation, the CARE-a-van will provide 400 free spay/neuter surgeries for cats in rural Kentucky counties in 2026, preventing suffering, reducing unwanted litters, and helping families keep their pets healthy and at home.
“In so many rural Kentucky communities, families love their cats but simply can’t access veterinary care,” said Kat Rooks, Vice President of Community Impact at Kentucky Humane Society. “Support from the Joanie Bernard Foundation allows our CARE-a-van to meet people where they are, providing spay/neuter services that prevent needless suffering, reduce unwanted litters, and give cats a healthier future. This partnership brings real relief to families and ensures cats receive the care they deserve.”
The Joanie Bernard Foundation is an Ohio-based cat welfare organization that funds community-based spay and neuter programs nationwide. Through its Give Them Ten Movement, the foundation supports long-term partnerships designed to reduce shelter intake and end the euthanasia of healthy cats.
“Our partnership with the Kentucky Humane Society exemplifies how mobile spay/neuter services can transform cat welfare in underserved areas,” said Deborah Cribbs, founder and leader of the Give Them Ten Movement™. “By bringing care directly to rural communities, KHS is helping ensure that every cat gets that tenth life – a chance to thrive in a community that cares.”