The Daviess County Animal Shelter in Kentucky is about to change hands. After just 18 months, the Evansville-based nonprofit It Takes a Village is ending its contract to operate the shelter, and county government takes back control on December 31. That leaves the Daviess County Fiscal Court and Judge Executive Charlie Castlen a short window to get this transition right.

Several residents have spoken out about conditions at the shelter since the nonprofit took over. Local resident Julia Campbell told WEHT that some animals are not getting enough food or the care they deserve. She also said county leaders did too little research before signing the deal and never consulted the people doing hands-on work in the shelter. These concerns have not been independently confirmed, but they point to a real gap: there is no public standard for how animals at the shelter must be treated.

Daviess County is not alone. In September, Spencer County commissioners also ended their partnership with the same organization, and those animals were moved to its Evansville facility.

The Fiscal Court is now hiring a new team to run the shelter. Before the December 31 handover, county leaders should publish clear care standards covering daily feeding, veterinary care and cleanliness. They should order an independent welfare check of every animal now at the shelter and share the results with the public. They should invite local volunteers and rescue groups to help choose the new operator. And they should make adoption, fostering and volunteering the priority during the changeover, so no animal pays the price for a partnership that fell apart.

Residents have already shown they are ready to help by donating food, walking dogs and adopting. They deserve a shelter they can trust.

Sign the petition to demand that Daviess County protect every shelter animal before the December 31 handover.