Last week, David Marshall, JHS' legal representative, asked both the Wilmore City Council and the Nicholasville City Commission to seek donations; $25,000 from Nicholasville and $10,000 from Wilmore.
"This is the first year that we've gone to the city of Wilmore," Hurst said. "We've gone to the city of Nicholasville for several years."
Wilmore Mayor Harold Rainwater said it is something the city council is taking under advisement for its upcoming budget.
"We've never had a request made to us [from the humane society]," he said. "It's a new funding request and we're not sure how we're going to handle it."
Rainwater added that he believed county taxes would take care of the society's needs.
In the past, Nicholasville has contributed $1,500-$2,000 to help with the cost of JHS community services in animal welfare.
"Basically, the city feels it's the county's responsibility," she said.
As long as the need is justified, Commissioner Russ Meyer believes the city will do its best to help the JHS.
"I've got to know a little history of how we've helped them in the past," he said. "I feel good that the city will help them ... I can't speak for the other board members, but I think we'll help them."
Like Wilmore City Council, Meyer said the city commission would have to address the need when planning next year's budget.
"I think what we're going to have to do is discuss it when we put the budget together," he said. "We'll look at it then."
Years ago, Hurst said, Kentucky law called for the fiscal court to provide a dog warden, but the laws and times have both changed.
"We don't have those anymore, they've now got animal control officers," Hurst said.
In recent years, the county has gone from two full-time animal control officers to three, and Hurst and DiMartino say that fact supports a need for a new facility.
"Their budget increases every year, but not for a building," Hurst said.
Presently, the Jessamine County Fiscal Court budgets $50,000, a $26,000 increase from years past, Hurst said. In 2004, the total operating cost for the facility was $104,406, but the humane society's total income was only $52,681, leaving a deficit of $69,857.
A new facility would cost around $2 to $3 million, according to Hurst.
"To meet the needs of this county, I think our preliminary figures indicated that we'd need 60 kennels," she said.
The land - 35 acres located off U.S. 27 near Camp Nelson - has already been purchased thanks to a $125,000 grant made possible through the efforts of Sen. Tom Buford and Rep. Bob Damron, Hurst said.
"We're very fortunate to have two legislators that saw our need," she said.
At full capacity, the current shelter has 26 indoor/outdoor kennels, five indoor only kennels and six outdoor only kennels which can only be used during warm weather months, DiMartino said.
In any given month, the shelter is home to upwards of 60 dogs and 45 to 50 cats. Those numbers peak during "kitten season" which occurs during the late summer months, DiMartino said.
The root of the society's problem is in the facility itself.
"It's not user friendly and it's not easy to clean," Hurst said. "This facility is not adequate anymore. The systems are old ... it's way too small for what we need."
The materials that much of the building is constructed from are also of major concern.
"A lot of the shelter is wooden, which is a big no-no," DiMartino said. "You're inviting disease and fungus that you are trying to keep out of the shelter."
The cost for an animal's medical care is pricey as well. Once a dog or cat is at the shelter for the mandatory five days, it receives vaccinations and de-worming which can run in excess of $30 for each animal, depending on its size and breed.
