The Boyle County Humane Society shelter has two employees who are paid by the state -- 86 cents a day.
Each animal that has any chance of making it to adoption is bathed if necessary, vaccinated and de-wormed. 19-year-volunteer Anna Linkous helps weigh a puppy, to determine how much medicine is fitting for his size. "Medication and vet bills are most costly here, but they all deserve a chance to be adopted, so we vaccinate them if they may have any chance for adoption," said Dan Turcea. Stacey Fentress, a class-D felon, earns 63 cents each day he works at the humane society. "We could not do what we do without the program," said shelter director Can Turcea. Shown, Fentress cares for a unhealthy kitten whose eyes continually dry closed. Dan Turcea, Humane Society director, has worked seven days a week for months because of vacant position in the clinic. "Any job that involves animals is not nine to five, Monday through Friday or always happy time. This job takes your soul away, more or less." Turcea's tasks include a bit of everything: extensive adoption paperwork, vaccinations, supervising workers, euthanizing animals and coordinating volunteers. Most days the clinic receive multiple, full litters of puppies and kittens from owners who don't have the funds to care for their animals. Dan Turcea educates a couple on the importance of taking their animals to the new low-cost spay/neuter clinic. They brought in 14 puppies, some of which had to be euthanized due to the overcrowded facility. Most mornings inmate Stacy Fentress cleans and sanitizes 28 cat cages alone - many of which contain more than three cats. A four hour process, feeding and freshening the felines is one of the more laborious tasks the shelter has to offer. "Just this week they hired Kristen [Jones] to help out around here," said Fentress. Being short on funding, the shelter can only afford to employ Clark part time, despite a need for more help. Class-D felon Andrea Best sprays out the dog kennels at the start of the day.Local student and volunteer, Holly Hurt, volunteers at the shelter to earn volunteer hours for BETA club. "I need volunteer hours and I love animals," said Hurt. Each afternoon the society's pet cat, RC, climbs into the water fountain for a drink. "Unfortunately we aren't a no-kill shelter. There are too many animals, we could never keep and rehabilitate them all," said director Dan Turcea. Last year, over 2100 animals were euthanized at the Danville-Boyle County Humane Society. The recent opening of a spay-neuter clinic is making strides against euthanism at the clinicVet assistant Jasmine Kaeser, left, provides additional anesthesia to a patient at Happy Paws spay/neuter clinic, while veterinarian Dr. Lorie Fuller performs spay surgery. "I love doing surgery," said Fuller. "Some people think this is boring, but I love it." She has committed her career to operating only at low-cost spay/neuter clinics. Generous monetary support from the Danville-Boyle Cunty Humane Society launched the low-cost clinic where patients' owners must prove that they are needy.Lucky, the cat, was one of 21 animals to be spayed/neutered on Happy Paws spay.neuter clinic's opening day. Only open one day per week, the clinic plans to perform 1000 spay/neuter surgeries in its first year.
