Daviess County Fiscal Court voted 3-1 Thursday to approve a contract allowing the nonprofit organization It Takes a Village (ITV) to assume control of the county’s animal shelter, with Commissioner Janie Marksberry as the lone dissenting vote.
The partnership marks a significant shift in the shelter’s operations. ITV will take over management of the shelter and spay-neuter clinic beginning April 1, 2025. The initial contract runs through December 31, 2027, with a three-year auto-renewal provision if both parties agree.
Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen defended the decision, saying the court conducted a thorough evaluation process before selecting ITV.
“I want to make it clear that I had complete confidence in the investigation of the options that we went through, the request for proposal process that we conducted, the evaluation of the proposals, and the selection that we made,” Castlen said. “I’m confident that It Takes a Village has the animals’ best interests at heart. They are a known and valued member of the shelter community and will be a great partner for us to take Daviess County shelter to the next level.”
Former County Treasurer Jim Hendrix provided additional details about the contract, emphasizing that the agreement fully funds the shelter at its current operating levels and includes provisions for financial transparency.
“The contract assures that funds are spent appropriately,” Hendrix said. “ITV will submit eligible expenses to the County for reimbursement, and the County will maintain and insure the shelter and clinic facilities.”
Marksberry cited concerns about ITV’s ability to manage the shelter effectively, pointing to past incidents at their Spencer County location and their facility in Evansville.
“I was not impressed at all with their facility in Evansville, and I was really concerned with how they handled staffing during this past bout of inclement weather,” Marksberry said. “With the current number of animals in our shelter, it would have been impossible to pull all the animals because they could not staff to take care of them in inclement weather.”
Marksberry added that she supports finding a solution for the shelter but does not believe this plan is sufficient.
“With knowledge comes responsibility, and I will admit I was wrong in thinking this would be the answer,” she said. “We on Fiscal Court should not just wash our hands of the problems at the animal shelter.”
The decision drew mixed reactions from the public and stakeholders. Concerned citizen Mary Alvey said she was a veterinary technician with decades of experience and questioned whether ITV was equipped to handle the shelter’s needs.
“I do not think that they are able to take on this job,” Alvey said. “Bringing in an outside group to help with that turmoil could cause more turmoil. Why not give it to someone that has worked closely with all the groups within the shelter?”
In response, ITV CEO Amanda Green assured the court that the nonprofit is prepared to take on the responsibility.
“We may not have the nicest paint job on the outside, but we have helped over 13,000 animals in the 15 years we’ve been in existence,” Green said. “We’ve worked very closely with the Daviess County shelter for years. This will be a great fit.”
Green also clarified that past staffing issues at their Spencer County location were related to weather conditions, not a lack of personnel.
“We put our animals and our staff first and foremost, and that is what we plan to do here as well,” Green said.
Commissioner Chris Castlen said he supports the decision after thorough research and discussions with ITV.
“If I thought this was the wrong thing to do, I wouldn’t vote on it,” Castlen said. “I’m very confident in their abilities to do this job and provide a great service for Daviess County.”
Commissioner Larry Conder highlighted the importance of addressing pet overpopulation and proposed using existing donation funds to offer free spay-neuter services for county pets until the funds are depleted.
“Once that money is gone, hopefully, someone else will replace the funds to keep it going,” Conder said. “We’re doing this for the pets that are part of our families. We all have passion and love for them.”
The approved partnership aims to enhance the shelter’s operations, ensuring long-term sustainability while maintaining current funding levels. ITV will now focus on preparing for the April transition, including hiring current staff and expanding outreach in Daviess County.
For additional context, read Owensboro Times’ previous story on the proposed partnership here.
