LOUISA, Ky. (WSAZ) -- Open Arms Animal Shelter, owned and operated by the Lawrence County Humane Society, is out of funding.
Open Arms Animal Shelter in Louisa, Kentucky, owned and operated by the Lawrence County Humane Society, is out of funding.
They rely on public donations to pay for electric bills, veterinarian bills, and the facility’s maintenance.
“It's like rags to riches for these animals. So my hope is that people will fall in love with Lawrence County Humane Society and help us keep it going,” said Board Director Karen Salvaterra. “And without them, we can’t keep it going. It won't last much longer.”
This location receives a contract payment from the county for taking in animals. They say it isn’t enough to cover what’s going out.
“Our monthly income is about $2,200, and that is supposed to cover everything,” said Karen Salvaterra. “And it doesn’t. One bill could be four to five hundred dollar vet bill.”
A recent roof repair caused the shelter to take out a loan to cover the expenses. The shelter takes monetary and cleaning supplies donations all year long.
"Go the store and get an extra bag of trash bags, put an extra thing of Clorox in your shopping cart. They can donate through our Paypal account, they can write a check. There is different way that’s you can help. Not everyone can give a monetary donation. But there are different things you can do that can help the shelter run."
“We have a very clean facility; the animals get treated very well. I would hate to see it closed because of funding,” Salvaterra said.

