About Us
McCracken County Humane Society
Our Mission
The McCracken County Humane Society strives to maintain a facility that promotes and provides a healthy and safe living environment for unwanted, but adoptable, owner surrender animals.
We achieve this mission by offering the following services to our community.
What We Offer
Our Services
Adoptions
Our Adoption staff helps hundreds of animals find homes each year. We have an off-site adoption kiosk for cats and kittens at PetSmart during their hours of operation. We also participate in in-person adoption events within the community throughout the year.
In-House Spay & Neuter
We recently welcomed Dr. Niki Henderson to our staff to ensure that all of our animals are spayed and neutered before being adopted. With the overabundance of unwanted cats and dogs, one of our goals is to help control the pet population.
Boarding
As kennel space allows, we offer boarding of cats and dogs, and require their current, up-to-date veterinarian records. Our staff walks and provides group playtime, if requested. To schedule boarding for your family pet, please complete our Boarding Form and return it to the center.
Rescue Partners
MCHS makes every attempt to place animals with other non-profit organizations when necessary to find lifelong homes. Since we do not euthanize for space, we work with various rescue groups to give all animals a chance to find their forever homes.
Community Involvement & Education
The McCracken County Humane Society proudly takes part in community events such as PetSmart in store adoptions throughout the year. We also participate in National Adoption Week through a partnership with PetSmart Charities. We work with area organizations within the community to facilitate growth and relationships.
Educational outreach opportunities are provided to those who wish to take part. We host tours of our facility, provide advice regarding pet care, preventative medicines, and seasonal hazards through public service announcement including our quarterly newsletter. Some of our educational outreach opportunities include local school programs and speaking engagements to business groups and organizations about the fundamentals of proper animal care.
Fostering of Animals
We provide foster homes for animals that come to us too young and need around-the-clock care. Our foster environments are loving homes that provide a great beginning for our young animals.
Pod for Feral Cats
We have created a Pod in our barn to allow our Feral cats to live out their lives protected. Each cat has been spay/neutered, feline-leukemia tested, and updated on all shots, including rabies. These cats may be adopted for barn or outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you a “no kill” facility?
The simple answer to this question is YES…however, it is a little more complicated than that. The term “no kill” does NOT mean “no euthanasia.” To be a “no kill” facility, there must be a 90% or higher live release or save rate. There will always be animals for which euthanasia is the best outcome; the severely injured or sick, and animals that are deemed “unadoptable” due to significant aggression making it dangerous to place them back into the community. McCracken County Humane Society NEVER euthanizes for space.
Why will you not take this animal?
The McCracken County Humane Society takes in animals from McCracken County from the public, as well as from Animal Control. On occasion, we are unable to take in animals due to limited space in our facility. Since we do not euthanize due to space, the ONLY way we can make more room to take in more animals is through adoptions. We also can not take in sick or injured animals, as we do not have a full-time veterinarian or the facilities to provide emergency care.
Why is there a charge to drop off an animal?
All incoming cats are FeLV/FIV tested and must be negative prior to intake due to the risk of exposure to cats already in the facility. Dogs are checked for Heartworm at intake. We ask for a $25 donation to help cover the cost for these tests. All donations made to MCHS are tax deductible and you will be provided with a receipt at the time of testing/adoption.
My animal got lost and I think you have it…how do I get it back?
In order to reclaim a lost pet, we must have proof of ownership; photographs, vet records, etc. This is done to ensure that the true owner can get their pet back when lost. Additionally, as per State law, we must have proof of current Rabies vaccination. If not current, you will have to pre-pay for the vaccine at your veterinarian’s office and bring us the paperwork showing where it has been paid. *As we do not have a veterinarian here every day, we are unable to provide this service for reclaimed pets.
Why do I have to pay to pick up my animal that got lost and was brought to you?
When stray/lost animals are brought into the facility, they are vaccinated (Canine 5-way and Bordetella and Feline 4-way), dewormed, given flea/tick treatment, and boarded for a period of no less than 5 days, to allow an owner to reclaim them. The fees associated with these things are what make up the reclaim fees paid upon pick up.
There is a stray in my yard. Why won’t you come pick it up… aren’t you animal control?
The McCracken County Humane Society and Animal Control are 2 different organizations. MCHS serves as a holding facility for dogs and cats picked up by Animal Control, but we do not respond to Animal Control calls or pick up animals. Any issues requiring that type of service need to go directly to Animal Control and they will assess each situation and respond as needed.
Why can’t I walk through and see the animals?
The COVID pandemic changed a lot of things with regards to how businesses operate. When we were allowed to re-open after being shut down, all animals were brought out to meet potential adopters. One thing that we noticed was MUCH less stress on the dogs without new people being in and out of the kennels all day. Adopters were then able to see more of the animals’ true personalities. Less stress also means less illness and behavior issues. Due to these reasons, the decision was made to keep the kennels closed to the public. Additionally, as we are the holding facility for Animal Control, our intake kennels are closed to the public due to active/potential court cases, and quarantined animals.
Why are adoption prices so high?
All of our animals are spayed/neutered, microchipped, up to date on all vaccines and started on flea/tick prevention as age appropriate. All cats are tested for FeLV/FIV. All dogs are HW tested and started on prevention/treatment. Adoption fees for puppies and kittens will include the first 3 vaccines in the series so if adopted prior to receiving them, they may be brought back to receive the vaccine(s) at no additional charge to the adopter. All adoption fees made to MCHS are tax deductible and you will be provided with a receipt at the time of testing/adoption.
Why do I have to pay for TNR when it used to be free?
When the TNR program first began, there was a grant to help offset our cost to provide that service. We do not currently have a grant for TNR so we now charge a small fee to help cover the costs associated with those services.
Our Leadership