The Humane Society was organized on May 22, 1943 by a small group of women interested in helping the stray
and homeless animals.
It took six years to convince the City and County Officials that Frankfort should have an
animal shelter and to raise enough money to build it. This little shelter was built at the end of Clinton Street on
the river with contributions of money , love from these loyal friends. The little shelter began with 10 pens growing
to 20 and served its purpose well from 1949 to 1969. It was the third animal shelter in the State of Kentucky, the other
two being Louisville and Lexington.
Because of the building of the Flood Wall in 1971, the Humane Society had to
find an appropriate site and one was found at the end of Kentucky Avenue in Bellepoint. The City bought the land from
the State Department of Education and deeded a little over an acre of land to the Humane Society.
The Second and
present shelter was built on this land with money from a Trust Fund made by Susan B. Leibig of Middlesboro, Kentucky.
Mrs. Leibig was an animal lover and good friend of Mrs. Irene Miller and named Mrs. Miller in her will as a Trustee.
The will named specific location for the shelters and provided the money to build them but not money for maintenance.
Four Shelters from this Trust have been Built. This Money certainly came as an answer to prayer at just the right time.
The shelter was built at no cost to the City, County or Community and is owned by the Humane Society, Inc.
The animals
from the old shelter were moved to the present shelter on Memorial Day 1969.
On July 17, 1988 the Shelter was renamed
the Irene Miller Animal Shelter in honor of Mrs. Miller's steadfast dedication and devotion to over 50 years to animal
welfare.
