Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at 3:00 am (Updated: April 6, 3:00 am)
Staff and volunteers at Vine Grove Animal Refuge spent most of their day Tuesday unloading a ton of donated food — literally.
It’s the eighth year the organization has benefited from a donation of 2,000 pounds of pet food from four organizations in Hardin County — Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance, Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, Farm Credit Mid-America and Southern States. Chuck Crutcher of the Cattlemen’s Association said the initiative was started almost a decade ago to keep money helping animals locally.
“Back years ago, there were a lot of animal rights groups showing pictures about how pets and livestock were being mistreated,” he said. “This is kind of telling people that those pictures that are depicted, not everybody is doing this and we care for our animals whether they’re small or large.”
The shelter has more than 100 cats, but also has dogs, goats and geese on the property.
Shelter manager Penny Edwards said a large number of the animals they care for are disabled — some are blind, deaf or have medical conditions such as diabetes.
Because it isn’t a county- or city-affiliated shelter, Edwards also doesn’t benefit from state funding, she said, so any donation is welcome.
“That’s a huge help,” she said. “We probably go through approximately four tons (of food) a year.”
The shelter just opened a refurbished basement area this past weekend, which has freshly painted walls and floors and a finished ceiling thanks to an anonymous $7,000 donation.
Edwards said the renovation means dust can be kept out of the area easier as the ceiling is enclosed, and an exhaust placed in a downstairs laundry room means hot air is taken outside rather than making the area too warm and humid during the summer.
The shelter will have an open house from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. May 1 to show off the animals and renovated space.
Emma Kennedy can be reached at or ekennedy@thenewsenterprise.com.