Western Kentucky Rescue Launches Animal Ambassador Program

Every Thursday morning at the studio here in Owensboro, we host our SparKy Pet of the Week thanks to our friends at Ritzy's . We are all huge animal lovers here and want to do whatever we can to help find them homes.

SparKy stands for Saving Paws Animal Rescue of Kentucky and they are a local non-profit shelter that takes in stray cats and dogs from Daviess County and surrounding counties. Founded by our friends Bridget and John Austin in 2006, the rescue operates solely from the generosity of donors and volunteers.

Insuring all animals who find their way to SparKy are healthy and happy, vets and caregivers take on even the most heartbreaking cases. Like my sweet boy Duane I took home a few months ago after falling in love with him one Thursday morning. He and his brother were found roaming after being abandoned. Totally emaciated, infested with fleas and parasites, and suffering from "shut down syndrome" causing them to be terrified of literally everything.

Volunteers assist with the animals' medical care, work on training them and love on them while they await their forever homes. Some of the animals are lucky enough to find foster homes to pass the time and some of them live out at the Daviess County Detention Center where they are cared for by the folks out there.

The SparKy rescue center on 18th street in Owensboro stays pretty full. Bridget told me that they are averaging around 80 pets right now. They have a core group of dedicated folks keeping the ship afloat, but they desperately need help. That's where you come in! If you love animals, but maybe don't have room to adopt one permanently, you should become an Animal Ambassador.  Here's what the program consists of:

The fun begins this Saturday at the rescue center at 1004 E. 18th Street.  The checklist you pick up has things like go for a car ride, go to the park, get a yummy treat, and most importantly taking and sharing a picture on social media to spread the word about your sweet new friend and help them find a home. Perfect for the whole family and teaches your kiddos how to give back.

If you're unable to be an Ambassador, please consider picking up some extra dog food, paper towels, cleaning supplies the next time you go shopping. Or you can make a monetary donation. It takes a village and every little bit really does help. They are raising money to improve their outdoor space as well. Adding shade and enrichment areas will be a huge benefit for the precious puppies who run and play out there.

Speaking of precious puppies, my family participated in SparKy's foster-to-adopt program with Duane. He lived with us for about a month before we officially adopted him. Although I knew pretty much immediately he was going to be the perfect addition to our family, I wanted to make sure it was a good fit for him too. Our golden retriever, Freddie, is obsessed with his best friend. Even if he gets jealous when we give Duane lovin'!

This sweet face brings us so much joy. I can't imagine a world without him or SparKy Animal Rescue. Let's help them continue to do the amazing work of saving lives. Sign up to be an Animal Ambassador today!

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