BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The Humane Society in Bowling Green is asking the community to donate $20 before 2020 is over.
Dogs, cats, rabbits, and various other animals come into the shelter needing a wide variety of care. To supplement medicine, surgeries, and veterinary care, the shelter can usually host benefits and charity gatherings throughout the year, but due to COVID-19, funds have been hard to come by. The fund to treat pets is tapped out, according to Humane Society Manager Leah Lawrence, and the $20 in 2020 fundraising campaign will help the shelter continue caring for pets.
“You know a lot of shelters just don’t have the funds to save all of them, but we’re doing our best to do that. Because of the virus, we’ve had to cancel a lot of our larger fundraisers, so this is something that’s going to help supplement that program,” Lawrence said.
The shelter has taken in over 9,000 pets this year and treated everything from heartworm disease to ear and skin issues.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 has affected many Kentuckians in the Bowling Green and Warren County area, and for some, it's become harder and harder to take care of their pets. Helping thousands, the shelter hopes with the money they raise, they can continue caring for the pets in need.
“People are having a really tough time struggling. They’ve lost jobs, they’ve been cut back on hours. Of course we’ve had restrictions here too, just trying to keep everybody as safe as possible, but it definitely has not slowed down the number of intakes we’ve gotten,” Lawrence said.
The shelter began receiving donations after Thanksgiving. Seeing a mix of both old and new donors, Lawrence says that anyone can help.
“A lot of people are giving above the $20 too, which we’re always really really grateful for, and people that maybe can’t donate the twenty dollars, they’ve been bringing out supplies, you know donating blankets and you know other supplies that we need, cleaning supplies and things like that so you know everybody can do something,” Lawrence said.
Donations can be made online, via phone at 270-783-9404, and by mail at P.O. Box 1456 Bowling Green, KY 42102.