Animal Services
Director Polly Helton
PHelton@oldhamcountyky.gov
502-222-7387
Fax: 502-222-7385
8am - 4pm
Monday - Friday
Saturdays by appointment
1345 N Highway 393
La Grange, KY 40031
Do you have questions or concerns about an animal in your area?
Please Call Oldham County Animal services at:
502-222-7387 to speak to us directly.
Oldham County Animal Services is a nationally certified animal shelter that provides quality care to stray animals in Oldham County. The director, Polly Helton, is nationally certified in Animal Control Management, and Cruelty Investigation.
The OC Animal Services Department enforces state and county laws regarding domestic animals. They also investigate complaints of animal neglect, cruelty, abandonment, nuisance animals and bites or attacks by or upon animals.
Unclaimed dogs and cats are available for adoption for a modest fee. All dogs over four months of age must be vaccinated and licensed. Most Oldham County veterinarians sell the county dog license with the rabies tags. Dog licenses can also be purchased at the county shelter.
Shelter houses over two thousand animals a year. Tax deductible donations are encouraged and are used to provide veterinary care, vaccinations, surgery, and other procedures for animals that would otherwise be put down. All animals in the care of the shelter receive good care, but tax money is not spent on luxuries or extras. Every donated dollar goes directly to help an animal in need. The Animal Shelter also accepts in-kind donations. These are goods that are used on a daily basis. The shelter can always use:
- Dog and cat food
- Laundry detergent
- Dish detergent
Adult volunteers can walk dogs, groom dogs and cats, and assist with other chores. Background checks are performed on volunteers. The shelter also participates in the court ordered community service program and utilizes inmates through a work release program. The shelter also has an indigent care program where people who have lost their jobs or fallen on hard times can receive free animal food/supplies instead of surrendering their pets.
Animal Services FAQs
I found a dog running loose.
Call Animal Control at 222-7387. If the public decides to keep a found dog, even for a short period while searching for the owner, they become the Legal Harborer of the animal. This means they assume all responsibility for the animal. If the dog bites, or gets hit by a car, or runs away from the finder, then the legal owner may hold the finder responsible. It is always best to report a found animal to this agency and we will hold the animal for the mandated time. We make every reasonable effort to find the owner, or a new home. If the finder wishes to adopt the found animal, it is now legal to do so. We have actually had cases where a Good Samaritan was sued by the dog owner and accused of stealing.
What can be done about barking dogs?
All dogs bark. It becomes a violation when the noise is constant, habitual and disruptive to others on an on-going basis. If your neighbors dog wakes you at 2AM that is not a violation. If the dog wakes you constantly every night, all night, or even barks non-stop all day, that is a violation. This is under the county’s Public Nuisance Ordinance 12-840-138 Section VIII.
There is a dead animal in front of my home.
If it is a horse, deer, or other large animal that impedes traffic, then call Dispatch at 222-0111. Effective January 1, 2020, Blueline Outdoor provides dead animal removal services for the county.
- If it is on a state road (they have numbers like Hwy 146, 22, I-71) then call the state road department at 502-222-9009.
- If it is a small carcass like a raccoon or rabbit, then dispose of it yourself in your garbage can or by burial, or you may bring the small carcass to the composting station behind the county animal shelter. There is no agency that picks up small dead animals.
Why do we have to license dogs?
The dog license is the legal proof of ownership. We have required dog licenses in the state since 1952. An unlicensed dog may be kept by the finder, or by this agency. All purebred dogs look like their breed. And mutts are very subjective in description. The dog license establishes the legal ownership and assures the dog is returned to its rightful owner.
I am seeing coyotes around my house. Should I be worried?
Coyotes, like all wildlife, are under the purview of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Coyotes will predate on small dogs and pet cats. Feed pets indoors or in the case of outdoor pets, feed them in the morning, and do not leave food out for them at night. This will attract coyotes.
My neighbor moved and left some outdoor cats.
Animal Control works with the local Humane Society of Oldham County to spay/neuter/vaccinate unowned cats. The HSOC number is 222-7537. Humane Society is an all volunteer agency and you may leave them a message or call Animal Control at 222-PETS.
My neighbor has six horses on a half acre of land. Is this a violation?
There is not a law that regulates the square footage required for animals. However, the law does state that all animals must have adequate space, food, water, and care to prevent suffering. Call Animal Control and we will look at the health and conditions and make a determination.
My child wants to volunteer at the animal shelter.
Because we use work release inmates, all volunteers must be over 21 years of age, and pass a background check. However, we do have special projects with Beta Club, Scouts, 4-H, in which children may participate.
Preventing Dog Bites
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) there are consistently over 800,000 serious dog bites a year in this country, which are treated in hospital emergency rooms. All told it is estimated that Americans experience over one and a half million dog bites annually, many of which go unreported. These range from a simple nip during rough play to fatalities. Dog bite fatalities have continued to increase every year. Dozens of American deaths are caused by dog attacks annually. Globally, thousands of people a year die from dog attacks. Most victims of fatal dog attacks are young children.
Which dogs are most likely to bite? Which dogs are most likely to attack and kill a child? Intact dogs (capable of reproduction) are much more likely to bite than altered dogs. Through analysis of data the CDC reports that most fatal dog attacks are committed by owned dogs, not wild or feral strays.
Dogs are social animals, and like the wolves they descended from, are a pack species. Humans become the dog’s pack when they are raised in a home and well cared for by people. But the human must be the alpha or leader. If a dog senses weakness, it may try to lead or protect the pack. In one study it was determined that only 10% of fatal attacks were by unknown dogs. That translates to the vast majority of dog attacks involve owned pets. But just because a dog has an owner does not necessarily mean it is well socialized. It is thought that chaining dogs leads to frustration and aggression. But in another CDC study, only 30% of fatal attacks were by dogs that were habitually chained.
Animal Control hears both sides of the breed ban issue. More than half of fatal dog attacks are committed by pit bull type breeds. Pit bull is a category of dog breeds, like retrievers or herders. Pit bull dogs were selectively bred to be canine gladiators. At some point in breed developments, standards were set for each breed. If there were no breed characteristics, then there would be no point in having breeds. We would only have one homogenous dog, a mutt! This does not mean all pit bulls are vicious killers. But they are very powerful dogs and they do not bite and release. They grasp and shake, causing tremendous damage.
Oldham County does not have a breed ban. We do have a Dangerous Dog law that applies to the dog’s behavior, not its breed.
All dogs must be treated with respect, and be well socialized and trained. Dogs that have regular veterinary care, and are altered, not only make better pets, but trustworthy members of the community. It is essential that small children be carefully supervised around animals, and older children must be taught safety if confronted by an angry dog.
It is far better to be a responsible pet owner and a responsible citizen who notifies authorities of potential problems, than to live with the regret of not reporting loose or aggressive dogs and the subsequent tragedies that can follow.
Animal Control will investigate anonymous reports. It is not necessary to provide your name to have us look into a situation.
Rabies Information
Rabies is a high profile/low incidence disease. It is a virus that resides in the saliva of infected animals. It is normally transmitted by a bite or exposure to the saliva of dogs, raccoons, foxes, bats, skunks, cats, coyotes, or other carnivorous mammals. Birds and reptiles do not contract rabies. Any mammal could contract rabies but it would be rare or unlikely in rodents, opossums, rabbits, and deer. Small animals like mice, chipmunks, squirrels and rats typically die of the bite wound before the virus can run its course, therefore rendering these species highly unlikely to be rabid. Groundhogs are the only rodent species that does routinely contract rabies.
In other parts of the world dog rabies is a very serious threat to human lives. In Asia and Africa thousands of people die of rabies every year. North America has had widespread rabies vaccination for dogs since the 1940s. It is our compliance with mandatory rabies vaccination that has reduced our incidence of rabies in this country. All dogs, cats, and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies. There are no approved vaccines for wild animals. Raccoons, bats, foxes, and skunks should never be kept as pets or handled by children. Livestock species such as goats, cattle and horses can contract rabies, and can be vaccinated against it. Livestock normally contracts rabies from bats or skunks. Dead wild animals should be picked up by gloved hands and buried, incinerated or composted.
Any animal that bites a person must be quarantined for ten days to observe signs of rabies. These signs would include personality changes, lack of appetite, unusual passivity or aggression, and staring vacantly. An animal that is killed following a bite should be taken to a veterinarian so it can be tested for rabies. If you are bitten by any animal that punctures the skin, you should see a physician.