LEXINGTON, Ky. — It was a Christmas present the Lexington Humane Society was not expecting this year. Sunday morning, employees came into the shelter to buster water pipes and water inside cages.  

Meghan Hawkins says it was an unforgettable Christmas Day at the Lexington Humane Society. 

“We still have loyal staff that come in and take care of the animals. They came on Christmas Day to waterworks, flooding in the dog kennels. We had some pipes bursting,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins says luckily the break only affected one row of cages, but employees spent the holiday cleaning. “We had to dip into an extra budget to take care of this. Being a nonprofit we have a very limited budget,” Hawkins said.

Having to close their doors on Monday and pay thousands of dollars in repairs, Hawkins says they also lost money from possible adoptions. 

“Because of the repair work we had to close, we were affected in that sense. We’re asking people to donate whatever they can,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins says the organization has already faced many challenges over the years. “In addition to the holidays, it’s cold weather. So we see an increase in the number of animals that look to ask for care during those cold weather months. So we have a lot of dogs and cats in our care,” Hawkins said. But even with record breaking numbers in their shelter, the Humane Society says they wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of the community. 

“It’s because of the people that believe in us and believe in what we do that we were able to have this small setback and bounce back from it and be bigger and better than ever before,” Hawkins said.

The Lexington Humane Society will reopen on Tuesday, and encourages people to come out to donate and adopt a new furry friend this holiday season. 

The Lexington Humane Society is accepting donations in person and online to help with the pipe repairs, along with needs within their organization.