June 2, 2009

From the kennel area looking out, the mudslide is shown flooding directly into the Pikes County Animal Shelter on Sunday, May 10, 2009, in Pikeville, Ky. (Photo Courtesy of Pikes County Animal Shelter)

NEW YORK -- Things are moving slowly at the Pike County Animal Shelter, which sustained damages during a volatile storm system that resulted in a state of emergency being declared in Kentucky last month.

The shelter's supply building was completely demolished in a mudslide on Sunday, May 10. According to Rose Deskins, director of the shelter, it was an act of nature which "is not that common" for the area.

The flash floods, mudslides and even tornado damages impacted 15 Eastern Kentucky counties.

Now the shelter is caught between the county's contractors and trying to re-open to take in the homeless animals that are starting to be dropped off at its doors.

"We are just waiting for them to get all the debris out," Deskins said. "We just lost the storage building -- the isolation building is fine -- and we have fencing to put back up, but we can't do that until they get their heavy equipment in here and move the dirt out."

Deskins and the shelter staff are busy everyday in the clean-up process -- working with county officials to get the shelter back open. But the project is now out to bid, and while Deskins should hear back from officials this week as to the excavation plans, she hopes the shelter will open in the next couple weeks.

In the meantime, the shelter is working with the public, asking pet owners who wish to surrender animals to wait until the shelter is open again.

Although Deskins says most people are understanding and willing to wait, "there are others that don't care."

"We have had a problem with people who are just dropping off animals, leaving them outside the door or inside the kennels since the fence is down," said Deskins.

The drop-offs, which happen during the weekend when the facility is closed, was never a regular issue for the shelter until now.

"A 6-week-old puppy was put in with an adult dog overnight, and then a puppy was just placed in the outdoor kennel, where it couldn't get inside," Deskins said. "Some were found -- 8 pups -- left on the railroad tracks below the shelter here."

Deskins also said a "mommy dog and six pups" were all dropped off during the weekends since the mudslide.

While the shelter is dealing with drop-offs and seeking rescues to help with these unexpected intakes, Deskins says the shelter has about eight dogs living on-site in their undamaged facility. These dogs were returned from foster homes where the families have now left for summer vacations.

When the mudslide hit an estimated 100 animals were evacuated from the shelter. The community stepped up in droves, offering their homes as a temporary housing solution for the dogs and cats.

Now, only 10 to 15 pets remain in foster homes, as the others have been adopted out or sent to neighboring rescue organizations.

"We've had a tremendous outpouring from people here in Pike County, and then people from out of state, to offer to come down and help us. It's been great," Deskins said of the aid which has come as far away as Memphis, Tenn.

For more details on how to help the Pike County Animal Shelter, e-mail ddstratton@setel.com or pcas2006@yahoo.com.

Robin Wallace, editor of Zootoo Pet News, can be reached at rwallace@zootoo.com.