Group terminates agreement to operate Johnson County animal shelter

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

PAINTSVILLE — Johnson County Animal Shelter manager Lisa Trusty-Roberts announced Monday that Whiskers or Wags, Inc. (WOW) is exercising its right to terminate an agreement and lease dated May 12, 2015, to operate the facility.

The Johnson County Fiscal Court said in a release later in the day that it had received the notice from WOW, a 501c3 non-profit, and will work to find another organization to operate the animal shelter.

The fiscal court said the shelter will remain open, and WOW will continue to operate the facility over the next 30 days, per the agreement, while the selection process to identify another non-profit is completed.

“Johnson County Fiscal Court will have staff on-site at the shelter everyday throughout the transitional period to ensure the continuity of care for sheltered animals,” the fiscal court said in the release. “A Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a non-profit to lease and operate the Johnson County Animal Shelter will be advertised in the April 19th edition of the Paintsville Herald. Proposals will be due on May 3.”

WOW’s decision to terminate the agreement came after a Pennsylvania group, Cross Your Paws Rescue, went to assist Johnson County with their animal rescue.

Trusty-Roberts posted on the Johnson County Animal Shelter Facebook page that they were “excited to work” with the rescue at that time as the rescue’s “intentions seemed pure” and they indicated they wanted to help.

“We were well aware that of these dogs one did need extra nutrition which she had been receiving and she was being given dewormer,” she said in the post. “She was also an extremely active dog in her kennel. As you can see all other dogs were healthy and all including her were healthy enough to receive a health certificate to travel to Pennsylvania. What came next was a campaign to bash our shelter when what we were hoping for was help. We had already put a plea prior for help with the kennel doors and were aware of the shortcomings of the shelter and were working with County officials to address these shortcomings. We were not prepared for the oncoming and continued smear campaign this group has chosen to wage against us. Anyone that truly knows us knows that we would not knowingly put a dog in harm’s way. We operate and do the best we can, again, with the resources that we have at any given time.”