We want our supporters to know how the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) is mobilizing to help animal shelters in Mayfield, Kentucky and in other tornado-impacted areas. This is a constantly evolving situation, and we will continue to share information as we have it. For the latest updates, follow KHS on Facebook or Twitter.
Here’s what we know so far (updated 12/13/2021 at 2pm):
At the urgent request of Mayfield-Graves County Animal Shelter, at 8am December 13 KHS staff left Louisville with three rescue vehicles and headed to Mayfield, Kentucky. We are working with Greater Good Charities to completely empty the Mayfield animal shelter of dogs and cats who were in the shelter before the storm.
It is important to note that KHS is only taking shelter animals that were there before the storms (not animals on stray hold). We are doing this so that the Mayfield-Graves County Animal Shelter has room for incoming stray pets so they can be reunited with their families and so their staff can focus on what their community needs most. We anticipate that about 40 dogs and cats will arrive at KHS sometime tonight.
KHS is turning our Main Campus at 241 Steedly Drive in Louisville into a temporary emergency hub for shelter animals from tornado-impacted areas.
We have reached out to other animal shelters in tornado-impacted areas, including Hopkins County Animal Shelter, which has roughly 120 animals in care. Our friends at Paris Animal Welfare Society are sending a van to Hopkins County today to pick up dogs and bring them to KHS later today, and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), will be transporting approximately 60 cats to KHS on Tuesday.
To help make room for animals coming from impacted Kentucky animal shelters, KHS in turn is emptying our shelter of animals in our care. The Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA) deployed its rescue bus and staff members to KHS this morning. In partnership with the ASPCA, the BVSPCA is taking approximately 80 dogs and cats from KHS today and transporting them to their shelters in Pennsylvania and Delaware for adoption.
Over the next several days, adoptions will be closed at the KHS Main Campus on 241 Steedly Drive as our staff concentrates on assisting shelters in urgent need of help and getting as many pets out of Kentucky and into shelters that have space. Pets will be still available for adoption at the KHS East Campus located at 1000 Lyndon Lane and cats will be available for adoption at Purrfect Day Café, 1741 Bardstown Rd.
How to Help People and Pets in Impacted Communities
Many people are asking us how they can help the people and pets impacted by the devastating tornado. As a concerned citizen, the best way you can help right now is to donate money, which allows impacted communities the most flexibility in responding to this heartbreaking tragedy. Here are some suggestions:
- The Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund was created to assist communities impacted by the deadly storms. Donate here: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief.
- To give to the Mayfield-Graves County Animal Shelter, donate via PayPal at or visit the shelter Facebook page and click “donate.”
- To donate to the Hopkins County Humane Society – where Dawson Spring is located – visit https://checkout.shelterluv.com/donate/HCKY.
- To donate to the Bowling Green/Warren County Humane Society, visit http://www.bgshelterpets.com/donate.html
- To donate to the Caldwell County KY Animal Shelter, visit their Facebook page for instructions.
- Donate to the Muhlenburg County Animal Shelter at https://www.muhlpets.com/donate.
About the KHS Love 120 Program
Over the last three years, KHS has worked very closely with our friends at the Mayfield-Graves County Animal Shelter to improve the lives of companion animals and the people who love them. Through our Love 120 project, we have had a KHS staff person embedded at the shelter for the last three years, and we have provided almost 1,000 low-cost spay/neuter surgeries and 2,000 wellness services to local pets and transported more than 1,600 shelter animals to KHS for adoption. We are heartbroken to see this community we love and know so well shattered by these storms.
More about Love 120: Thanks to a three-year grant from the Arnall Family Foundation, in 2019 KHS launched its Love 120 pilot project, with the goal of positively impacting companion animals in all 120 Kentucky counties. Through Love 120, KHS provides targeted spay/neuter surgeries, mentoring to local shelters and pet adoption to help reduce pet suffering in rural Kentucky communities. Mayfield-Graves County Animal Shelter is one of three initial communities that has received intensive support from KHS since the program launched in 2019.