OAK GROVE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – An abandoned dog tied to a cinderblock was recently found in Oak Grove underneath a bridge. After being rescued, she is now up for adoption at the Christian County Animal Shelter and law enforcement is looking for information about her previous owner.
“She was a big sweetheart, obviously a little unsure, but one she settled in and she was looking at you she’d crawl in your lap and is just happy to be around people…that’s not the norm,” Jennifer Mosier with Oak Grove Animal Control told Christian County Now.
A resident spotted the dog on Carter Road on Sept. 17 with no food, water or shelter aside from the bridge. She had no injuries and was did not show visible signs of severe neglect. The cinderblock she was tied to was not heavy enough to weigh her down, and she was able to drag it around with her to move around a little bit.
“Please remember that at one point, this dog meant something to you, and to her, you were her entire world,” said Mosier in a public statement. “Whatever circumstances may have led to this decision, leaving her tied up and unable to seek food, water, shelter, or safety was not an acceptable solution.”
Due to the jurisdiction, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office initially responded, and Oak Grove Police eventually took over. Even though the rescue occurred after hours, Mosier was able to take the dog to the shelter and had the privilege of naming her Constance Carter. She said, “I wanted her to have a strong name given the circumstances she was found in.”
Oak Grove PD is looking for information about the dog’s owner, and anyone who recognizes her or witnessed anything is encouraged to reach out to the shelter, Oak Grove Police, or Christian County Dispatch.
“Abandoning your animal is not an acceptable solution.” said a statement from Oak Grove Police. “This is not only cruel but a violation of the law. If you are unwilling or unable to care for an animal, please reach out to animal control or your animal shelter to discuss better solutions.”
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New surrender policy at Christian County Animal Shelter
In light of this rescue, animal control is reminding the public about responsible pet ownership, and that under Kentucky law, it is illegal to abandon animals.
At the end of June, Oak Grove Animal Control confirmed they would no longer be able to transport owner surrenders due to a policy change at the Christian County Animal Shelter. This now requires owners to make an appointment to drop off pets in person and pay a surrender fee. The shelter currently accepts pets from Christian, Todd and Trigg Counties.
According to the shelter, this was done to help offset the cost of care while continuing to support responsible pet ownership and humane animal management. This change was approved by the Christian County Fiscal Court which implements the following fees.
- $50 to surrender a dog; reduced fee of $25 if owner provides complete veterinarian documentation.
- $50 to surrender a litter of puppies.
- $25 to surrender a cat.
- $50 to surrender a litter of cats.
The new regulations dictate the fee adjustments may be made on a case-by-case basis if more than three dogs are being surrendered at once by a single owner. In order to surrender a pet, owners will now have to call 270-887-4175 to make an appointment and pay the owner surrender fee.
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