Our Mission: The Animal Refuge Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has served Hardin and surrounding counties in Kentucky since July 29, 1989. It is a no-kill, cageless animal facility that shelters animals and acts as an adoption agency, finding loving homes for all in its care. At any given time ARC houses at minimum 130 cats and 15 dogs.

Our cats are housed in a communal environment in a renovated Ranch-style house in Vine Grove, Kentucky. Our animals are accustomed to the daily activities of ARC Staff and volunteers in addition to playtime and socialization, making them easier to adopt.

The Animal Refuge Center has a mission to educate about the humane treatment of animals and assist in finding spay/neuter solutions for the public.

The Animal Refuge Center receives no government or county funds but relies on support of volunteers in the community.

We are located at 185 Basham Trail, Vine Grove, KY 40175. You can reach us at 270-877-6064

Come see us from 11-4 pm Tuesday- Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

We are closed Mondays, Fridays and Holidays.

  • Penny

35 YEARS! WHERE TO BEGIN? HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARC!

We turn 35 years old on July 29th [2024], and wow- calling it an adventure is a real understatement.

I know it’s hard to believe, but I was much younger when I started volunteering at the Animal Refuge Center. On weekends and breaks at college, I volunteered many hours between 1989- 1992 inside the barn, our original animal shelter. At that time, ARC didn’t have much of anything except cats and dogs. There were people like Juliana Brown and my mom, Inge Edwards that purchased basic items like brooms, scoops, dustpans, and everything for every room that was built into the barn, so we wouldn’t cross transfer diseases from room to room. We didn’t have running water in the barn in those days. There was no heat or air, but we had electricity, surviving with fans and kerosene heaters on a dirt floor.

Our world changed on January 12, 1993: Our barn, our world, was set on fire and as a result we were forced to bury 69 cats and kittens. Someone deliberately tried to drive us off our property just because they didn’t like the cats and dogs at ARC. Thank goodness for a bunch of strong women who wouldn’t budge. We knew we didn’t have much in the barn before the fire, but after the blaze that stole 69 of our hearts and souls made us realize we had what was really important: passion and love to save lives. It was easy to realize that in order to continue our rescue, we had to move all the survivors in the house that we now call ARC. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was necessary. The immediate benefits were felt once we moved indoors, such as heat, air, floors that could be swept, cleaned and disinfected, and a much-needed control over those fleas.

We survived not only the fire, but a huge flood in 1996. Between floods and ice storms it can become treacherous up here at the top of the hill, but we persevere! Extraordinary things have happened over our last 3-5 years at ARC.

More than 20 years ago, we enlisted the help of our veterinarian Dr. Beismer. How do you save 100 cat or dog lives? Spay or neuter just one! With her help of countless spays and neuters, countless lives have been saved; because of all her advice on everything from A to Z regarding veterinarian medicine, we would not be anywhere close to the rescue that we are today. For more than 15 years we’ve been Adoption Partners with PetSmart, and it has proven to be the key to our success with adoptions. Between PetSmart and PetFinder.com which serves as the world’s largest database of adoptable pets, the Animal Refuge Center has the tools to successfully find as many adopters as possible. In 2023 ARC adopted 195 cats & kittens. We have also made many changes at ARC because of a Living Legacy Program which allows people to leave monetary donations through their last will and testament and life insurance policies. Many people needed a place for their pets to go in the event they outlived them, so this program is important to them.

In 2016 we started Cookie’s Legacy, which provides the funding for our TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) Program. After a very injured little black kitty was caught and brought to ARC, nobody could believe she’d survived even one day on the streets, much less several months. In the end we couldn’t save this sweetie, but made her a promise that we’d trap, neuter and return every kitty from her colony and from there Cookie’s Legacy was born. All our volunteers that make ARC work – and many of them are totally behind the scenes- are a very important part of our existence. From our bookkeeper Inge Edwards, to our dogwalkers and trainer, our cat trappers, people that volunteer at adoption events, fundraising events, help clean cages at PetSmart or at ARC, to our socializers, website and newsletter designers, every- one plays an integral part at the Animal Refuge Center. Last but not least, our community has always played a huge role in our 35-year existence! You, our neighbors, have been here time and again to support us, and we are so appreciative for our community. 35 years of saving thousands and thousands of lives deserves a celebration, so look to our August newsletter where we will announce our Birthday Bash! Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought that I would be writing an editorial for our 35th birthday…but here I am. Much of the 35 years have been a bumpy ride, but it’s also been very rewarding.

I wouldn’t trade it for anything….

— Penny Edwards, Shelter Manager ARC.