Estill County Animal Shelter asks for help after rescuing 25 dogs, hog

ESTILL COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — A search warrant led the Estill County Animal Shelter director into a room he could barely walk through, with clutter piled knee-high, and into the hands of more than 15 new Chihuahua mixes, many of them blind.

“It’s frustrating going into an environment like I did today, gagging, my eyes burning, saving babies like I did today,” Shelter Director and animal control officer Chris Winters said.

He said some are puppies and others are seniors, living in conditions not fit for man nor animal.

“It was extreme filth,” Winters said.

This rescue comes just one day after the shelter accepted 10 other dogs and even a hog, found living in a trailer for four days. The hog’s ears are mangled from having to fight off the dogs.

Winters said the shelter spent Friday making room for these new additions and hopefully getting them ready to be adopted.

These two cases have put the shelter into a crisis situation.

“With the amount of animals that we have here, it’s myself, one other full-time employee. She’s actually sick right now, so it’s just me with 80 dogs and a hog to be able to care for them, so I obviously need help,” Winters said.

Being in a rural area makes it difficult to find enough homes for adoptable pets. Winters is pleading for help.

Thanks to a kind sponsor, several adoption fees will be waived for folks who decide to give these dogs a brighter life.

To contact the Estill County Animal Shelter, call (606) 723-3587.