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McCracken County approves revised two-year contract with Humane Society amid overcrowding and operating losses
Summary
The fiscal court approved a revised two-year contract with the local Humane Society after a presentation from Executive Director Tracy Phelps detailing capacity strains, rising wages, and net operating losses; the contract removes an automatic cost-of-living clause and adds quarterly reporting and a $5-per-day fee for court-ordered animals after 60 days.
The McCracken County Fiscal Court voted to approve a revised two-year contract with the Humane Society after hearing a detailed presentation from Executive Director Tracy Phelps.
Phelps told the court the Humane Society operates as a no-kill organization and has been strained by a rise in court-ordered animal intakes. "We are a no kill organization," she said, explaining that policy limits euthanasia and contributes to capacity problems. She reported the shelter is currently housing more than 135 court animals and said the organization recorded net operating losses (reported as $114,000 in 2024 and $150,000 in 2025).
To help offset costs, the draft contract adds a $5-per-day charge for court-ordered animals held beyond 60 days. Phelps said restitution awarded by courts has not been reliably paid to the shelter, and the $5-per-day charge is intended to help offset extended holding costs.
Court members raised administrative questions about the city/county interlocal agreement, noting the city pays a prorated share of the county payment (discussed in the meeting as roughly 60%). The transcript shows agreement that the Humane Society's board president, Mark Whitlow, agreed to remove an automatic cost-of-living adjustment from the contract and to provide quarterly activity reports to the fiscal court.
The court first moved the contract from the special list and then debated an amendment to remove the phrase "with a first year total of $350,000" so the contract's payment language would read as an annual total; the amended motion was seconded and carried. The motion to approve the contract as amended passed by voice vote.
Why it matters: county leaders said they prefer contracting with an existing local provider rather than abruptly operating a county-run shelter; the contract change reflects an attempt to balance fiscal responsibility with continuity of animal-control services.
The court also discussed how restitution or court-awarded amounts would be pursued through the county attorney and how the $5-per-day fee would be applied for city-origin cases under the interlocal agreement. Phelps said the Humane Society plans to expand surgical capacity to offer a low-cost spay/neuter program targeted at McCracken County residents to address long-term overpopulation.
