Dog Warden

LIBERTY - A temporary fix to solve Casey County's stray cat and dog problems was put in place Monday by the Fiscal Court. The court agreed to contract with Taylor County Animal Shelter in Campbellsville to take stray animals at a cost of $7,500 per year. The action came after several people voiced their views on why the county needs an animal shelter and animal control officer and why Fiscal Court should not pay $70,000 for the project. Gary Daugherty, a local resident, questioned Kirk Kelly, executive director of Casey County Animal Rescue Enforcement, about the proposed shelter that would cost the county more than $70,000.

Joe Biden's clumsy attempt last week at complimenting fellow U.S. Sen. Barak Obama grabbed headlines around the country. In one chew on an already well-chawed wingtip, the Delaware Dem with chronic foot-in-mouth disease turned a shoe bite into a sound bite and went from a presidential wannabe to a presidential neverwillbe. You would've thought that was the first time a white guy had ever played the old "black but clean" and "African-American but articulate" cards in a feeble attempt at trying to praise a black guy. No, Biden is hardly the first liberal caucasian who has used those cards in an effort to sound approving of blacks but ended up coming across as condescending and patronizing and, yes, racist.

LIBERTY - The first step toward getting an animal shelter in Casey County was made Monday night when Fiscal Court agreed to apply for grant funds to pay for the proposed project. The court passed a resolution to develop an animal shelter and apply for grant funds. It also authorized Judge-Executive Ronald Wright to apply for grant funds and sign all necessary documents relating to the project. This action came after Kirk Kelly, executive director of Casey Animal Rescue Enforcement, asked the court and the city of Liberty to assist in the establishment of an animal shelter to help rid the county of stray domestic animals.

Dear Editor, Not too long ago, I had to call the dog warden regarding a dog chasing me and my sister as we was riding our bikes. We have been doing this for several years and not once had we had a problem with a dog chasing us. I did try calling the owner to talk to them about the problem because in the process of trying to look back and see where the dog was I fell off of my bike and messed up my knee. But the dog owner was not a very pleasant person to talk to, so again I called Mr. Ellis and he acted as if he could care less about the situation.

CRAB ORCHARD - If Crab Orchard ever had a stray-dog issue, it may have a bigger one now. City Commissioners have voted to discontinue their service with Lincoln County's dog warden, Ellis Whitis. "Just recently he hasn't been responding," said Crab Orchard Mayor Michael Ramey. "Why are we paying $50 a month for a service that we are not getting?" Ramey said the city had the service with Whitis for about a year, but according to the minutes of the June 1 meeting, citizens have complained of unanswered calls to the dog warden.

LANCASTER - Garrard County's dog warden, Sharon Graham, is waiting patiently for the Fiscal Court to vote on adding an employee to the shelter's roster. The move has been tabled for two months. "My daughter does the job, she's just not paid for it," Graham told the court in April meeting, referring to volunteer Jessica Isaacs. The shelter must stay open 24 hours a week to meet a condition of a $1,000 grant it receives from the state. Graham told the court that state audits will be conducted during surprise visits.

Built in the 1950s, the Jessamine County Humane Society has undergone many facelifts over the years. But according to JHS president Kim Hurst, those facelifts are as about as helpful as placing a Band-Aid on a cut which requires stitches. "It's an ongoing need. We are operating in a facility that is extremely outdated and overcrowded," Hurst said. Hurst and shelter Director Susan DiMartino say Jessamine County needs to build a "state-of-the-art" facility to meet the animal control/humane society needs in Jessamine County.

STANFORD - Charges of animal cruelty have been brought against former Lincoln County school board member David Hacker, after witnesses said his fallen horse was left laying in a field for days until it died. Hacker has since pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree cruelty to animals. He is scheduled to appear in Lincoln District Court Thursday for a pre-trial conference. Hacker said Goldie, the 24-year-old American Standardbred, was down for less than a full day before death.

Dear Editor: I am a homeowner and spend a lot of time and money keeping my yard and grounds looking nice. I have a problem with cats. They are overrunning the neighborhood. Nobody wants to claim them and nobody seems to care about them or they wouldn't let them be so destructive. My car has scratches from them jumping on it. I have a clothtop car, and cat hair is stuck in it and won't come out. My garden is used for a litter box. They dig my flowers up in the spring. I can't walk in my yard without getting cat manure on my shoes.