Nearly $25K raised for new Butler County animal shelter

MORGANTOWN, Ky. (WNKY) — Friends of Butler County Animals is one step closer to building a new home for the Butler County Animal Shelter after its first “Blueprints for Pawprints” fundraiser brought out more than 120 people Saturday and raised nearly $25,000.

The fundraiser featured barbecue from Up in Smoke and live music from the Funkhouser Hillbillies and Greg Martin of The Kentucky Headhunters.

Building fund continues to grow

“We are so overwhelmed and thankful with the amount of turnout and donations. We raised almost $25,000, so this is going to put us closer,” said Jeanie Locke, president of Friends of Butler County Animals.

With $453,000 already saved for construction and nearly $25,000 raised Saturday, the group now has about $478,000 toward the new shelter’s estimated $2.5 million cost. Locke said that building fund comes from donations and fundraising and is completely separate from the money provided by the Butler County Fiscal Court to operate the current shelter.

Six acres have already been purchased for the new campus. The blueprints are finished, and Locke said studies on the property have also been completed.

“We’re ready,” Locke said. “We just need the funds.”

Current shelter continues to struggle

The need for a new building remains clear at the current shelter.

“Right now, we have ceilings falling in, and it’s already getting cold at night. So that means that dogs are cold. So we can’t keep the place warm. We’ve had a couple people reach out. They’re going to try to come patch the areas again,” Locke said.

She described keeping the building patched together as a “constant battle,” with black mold and other problems continuing as the facility deteriorates.

The new campus would bring the shelter, spay and neuter clinic, educational space and thrift store together in one location.

A personal reason to keep pushing

During Saturday’s fundraiser, shelter director Ruby Fooks spoke about her great-grandmother, Betty Plummer, who helped raise Fooks and was an important part of her life.

“I wish you could see the thousands of animals we’ve helped. I wish you could see the people that we’ve reached. And I wish she could stand on those six acres with me and see what we’ve been dreaming of building next,” Fooks said.

FOBCA plans to keep fundraising, applying for grants and asking for community support. Locke said the group would love to break ground in the spring.

Those who want to help can still donate online at fobca.org.