05/31/2026
This is a Plea to the Residents of Pike County.
We need help with the stray animal problem in our county, and we need help at the Pike County Animal Shelter. As many of you know, adoptions can be very slow. We may go several weeks without adopting a single dog, then have a good week where 4 or 5 find homes.
I love dogs. They have always been my favorite animal, and I've owned them since I was a child. It breaks my heart when I get calls and messages from residents needing help and I have to tell them we simply don't have the space.
We only have so many kennels, and right now we even have dogs housed together in some of our back kennels. Many of these dogs have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. Some don't know how to trust people anymore, and we're doing everything we can to help them decompress and learn that not everyone is going to hurt them.
Right now, there are several moms with puppies needing help, along with many other dogs throughout the county. We have small breeds, medium-sized dogs, and everything in between. We can't take in every stray dog we get a call about, and that is one of the hardest parts of this job. If you know me, you know how much I care about dogs and how badly I want to help every one of them.
If anyone is willing to foster a dog, even temporarily, it would allow us to help other dogs that are currently in need. You can foster to adopt, or simply foster while we continue advertising the dog until it finds a permanent home.
A good colleague of mine is working hard to open a low-cost spay and neuter program for residents of both Pike and Floyd counties, and it's almost ready to launch. This will be a huge help in reducing the number of unwanted litters and stray animals.
The Pike County Humane Society offers a spay and neuter voucher program every few months, but only a limited number of vouchers are available. Pike County is a large county with a tremendous need, and one resource alone simply isn't enough.
I personally know where several moms and puppies are located right now if anyone is willing to help. Please consider fostering, fostering to adopt, or giving one of these dogs a forever home.
The situation is serious. If we had several more shelters in the county, they would likely be full within a week. That's how many animals need help. Every employee at the shelter has taken dogs home at one time or another to help ease overcrowding.
If you can open your home, even for a short time, it would mean the world to us—and even more to a dog that is currently spending its days in a 5x10 kennel waiting for a chance..
