Throwback Thursday: The BG-WC Humane Society’s Adopt-a-thon returns
This Sunday, WNKY News 40 is bringing back the Adopt-a-thon that supports the Bowling Green-Warren County Humane Society with a two hour telethon for pet adoptions and financial donations. This was a long-running event in Warren County, but it hasn’t been seen since 2017. Now eight years later, it is back and better than ever.
The first Adopt-a-thon happened back in 2002, bringing together many of the local TV and radio stations together with the cable television company for a great cause. Jean Secrest, who at the time was the General Sales Manager for Insight Communications as well as a long time volunteer at the Humane Society, proposed the idea to three people: Lorri Hare at the Humane Society; Rick Williams, Insight’s then General Manager; and Sheryl Morris, Insight’s Production Services Manager at the time. Everyone agreed the event would be a great way to bring the community together for the benefit of the animals. The Adoptathon was off and running. Back then it was a three hour, live television event that aired on the cable company’s local origination channel which only their customers could watch.
Media personalities hosted the event, including Scooter Davis and Tony Rose, both popular radio hosts. The program featured adoptable animals, showcased by local people very well known to the community: political leaders like multiple Bowling Green mayors, Warren County Judge Executive Mike Buchanon, and County Attorney Amy Chandler; athletes and coaches from Western Kentucky University’s teams, and business leaders from across many fields. Jared Champion, the drummer for Cage the Elephant, was interviewed about the dog he had adopted from the Humane Society. Even Radar, News 40’s original mascot who was adopted from the shelter, made an appearance on the Adopt-a-thon early in his career.
About seventy adorable animals were featured in each telethon and viewers were invited to call in to adopt or donate. Originally produced from the studios at Insight, the Adopt-a-thon eventually moved to the Bowling Green Ballpark for a couple of years, before making the Humane Society’s facilities on Louisville Road its final home. WKU-PBS eventually took over the work of televising the event.
After losing its home on cable television and its long time host, Scooter Davis, who passed away in 2016, the Adopt-a-thon was reluctantly abandoned, despite its history of raising tens of thousands of dollars for the humane society and finding loving homes for hundreds of animals.
But this Sunday, August 24, 6:00 PM to 8:00, the Adopt-a-thon returns, this time live on WNKY NBC 40. Now everyone across southcentral Kentucky can view it. The telethon will also appear on our Facebook page. Chris Allen and his old friend Shane Holinde will reunite to host this year’s telethon. Tune in to see our community come together to support the Bowling Green- Warren County Humane Society.
