PAWS Shelter Foundation moving forward

ISSUE: Animal shelter plans progressing
OUR VIEW: PAWS Foundation drives important initiative

A vacant building on Peterson Drive in Elizabethtown is expected someday to be the modern shelter animals lovers believe cats and dogs deserve.

And when it does, we’ll have the PAWS Shelter Foundation to thank.

The foundation formed about eight months ago. In October, it purchased a 17,000-square-foot building. It set out to raise $1 million to renovate the building to serve as Hardin County Animal Control’s shelter.

Deedie Layman, the foundation’s president, has noted generous donations from the community, and the group has organized fundraisers such as the Mutt Strut, a 2K walk held in September for dog owners and their four-legged friends.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Layman said last month of fundraising efforts.

More events are being planned for 2012.

Meanwhile, the foundation is developing floor plans for the new shelter, drawing much inspiration from the Lexington Humane Society’s facility.

As portrayed in a rendering of the exterior, the shelter seems practical with the modest architecture of a typical warehouse, but cheerful and welcoming, with light colors and photos of animals decorating the front windows.

What will be inside will matter most. For example, plans call for rooms where patrons can get to know potential pets and the increased space and equipment upgades will help control the spread of illnesses among animals.

The active and organized members of the foundation, along with the generous businesses and individuals who have contributed, put the community a step closer to a much-needed shelter.

The current county shelter, on Nicholas Street in Elizabethtown, was built in 1956. It’s outdated and too small to meet the demands of a growing county, officials have said.

As public budgets have little room for anything beyond the basics, it’s a relief to see this kind of community partnership developing.

How to help
Tax deductible donations may be made to www.pawsdonations.org or PAWS Shelter Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 1116, Elizabethtown, KY  42701.

This editorial represents a consensus of The News-Enterprise editorial board.