UPDATED|Clinic needs help, money for rescued dogs

By Shawntaye Hopkins

SHOPKINS@HERALD- LEADER.COM

A Jackson County animal shelter is struggling to care for more than 75 dogs that were rescued Tuesday from an animal shelter in Sandy Springs.

Gray Hawk Veterinary Clinic needs items such as dog food (any kind), bleach and bleach wipes as well as volunteers to clean and walk dogs and clean the kennels.

The clinic also is accepting monetary donations for the rescued dogs.

Dozens of dogs suffering from such abuse as starvation, untreated disease and wounds inflicted by other dogs were taken from the Sandy Springs animal shelter in rural Jackson County on Tuesday, police said. Of the more than 115 dogs found at the shelter known as Animal Assist, at least 40 were dead or dying. Timothy Foust, 32, and Shawn Embs, 18, were charged with 117 counts each of animal cruelty and lodged at the Jackson County jail. Foust’s wife, Aimee Robbins-Foust had not been charged as of Wednesday afternoon.

Embs, in a phone interview from the Jackson County jail, said he lives in Estill County with his mother and had nothing to do with the incident. Embs said he is not the “cruel person” media reports have portrayed him to be.

“I have as much sympathy for these poor dogs as anybody else,” Embs said. “I have never been accused of anything like this in my life.”

After making his statement, Embs did not want to answer questions about the incident.

Foust has been released from the jail on bond and could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Imandra Johnson, receptionist at the clinic, said most of the dogs are doing well, except they’re malnourished.

She said dozens of people have contacted the shelter about adopting the animals.

Before people can adopt the dogs, a court order has to be entered relinquishing rights to Gray Hawk, Johnson said. For now, the clinic will continue to take names and numbers of people interested in adopting dogs. All the dogs will be spayed or neutered, and the owner probably will have to pay a small adoption fee.

“I have all the confidence in the world that we will not have trouble finding homes,” Johnson said.

She suggested people always visit a clinic before sending animals there and discuss the shelter’s policies with the owner.

For more information about volunteering or donations, call Gray Hawk Veterinary Clinic at (606) 287-8475. Send donations and checks, made payable to Gray Hawk Vet Services, with “Rescue Dogs” in the memo line, to P.O. Box 387, Gray Hawk, Ky. 40434.

Another fund for the dogs has been set up by the Jackson County sheriff’s office at Citizens Bank in McKee.

Checks should be made payable to Jackson County Sheriff Save the Dog Fund and sent to Citizens Bank at P.O. Box 697, McKee, Ky., 40447. Call Citizens Bank at (606) 287-8390 for more information about that fund.