Fiscal Court breaks ground on vet service clinic, expected finish early spring

November 10, 2021 | 12:10 am

Updated November 10, 2021 | 12:02 am

Photo by Josh Kelly

Daviess County Fiscal Court broke ground on a long-awaited project for the veterinary service clinic Tuesday afternoon. The clinic will be attached to the present Daviess County Animal Shelter at 2620 KY 81.

With the installation of the new clinic, the Animal Shelter is now rebranding to become Daviess County Animal Care & Control.

Animal Care & Control provides low-cost spay/neuter services, vaccinations, education on  animal welfare, and investigates reports of animal cruelty and/or general animal complaints.  

Dr. Julie Gray, County Veterinarian, was hired in July and since then she has been stationed in Ohio County doing more spay and neuters. With the clinic set to be finished in early spring 2022, she will be able to work out of Daviess County officially.

Ashley Thompson, Director of Daviess  County Animal Care & Control, said the new clinic will allow Gray and the team to provide care on-site, including wellness checks, spay/neuter, vaccinations, and other routine and life-saving procedures for animals in the shelter.

The clinic expects to perform anywhere from 20 to 35 surgeries per day.

In 2020, the shelter received nearly 3,000 animals. Gray said the number one cause of death in domestic animals is euthanasia, with overpopulation playing a large part in that.

“There are too many animals and not enough homes,” Gray said. “No one wants to see them euthanized. That’s where this spay/neuter clinic is a big part in keeping that under control. There are health benefits to having a pet spayed or neutered as well. For  example, mammary cancer is a concern with females and prostate problems in our males, as well  as unwanted male behavior such as dog fighting or roaming.”

Gray is also hoping they will be able to also address the feral cat population in Owensboro.

“The old method was to trap and euthanize feral cats but actually it’s been proven that traps, spaying/neutering, and release are actually more effective and cost less money,” Gray said.

With this initiative the County believes that cats will be able to serve a vital purpose in the community — maintaining control on mice, rats and other vermin population — while not becoming overpopulated themself.

Daviess County residents who are interested in adopting, fostering, or volunteering with the  Animal Shelter can visit daviessky.org or call 270-685-8275 for more information. 

November 10, 2021 | 12:10 am

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