In Lexington, KY, Hot Dogs to Stay Cool Thanks to New HVAC System
On Monday, June 29, the Humane Society in Lexington, KY, will get a brand new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system thanks to an outpouring of donations from the community.
According to WTVQ, the Lexington Humane Society asked for $35,000 in donations on Monday, June 22 to replace its 20-ton air conditioning unit after the system broke down — completely and beyond repair. By 11 p.m. that same day, more than $33,000 had successfully been raised.
The unit, which was 10 times the size of ordinary air conditioning units, mostly covered the Humane Society’s dog kennel. Without it, temperatures and humidity quickly rose within the Old Frankfort Pike shelter, putting the more than 400 animals housed within at great risk.
“It’s a hefty, hefty, hefty budget,” Ashley Hammond, the Humane Society’s Director of Community Outreach, said. “It is something obviously that we did not expect to have to pay.”
The old air conditioning unit had been about 10 years old, which is near the end of the typical air conditioner’s lifespan. Experts recommend having all HVAC equipment inspected by a professional once it reaches 10 years of age.
To help give the donations a kick-start, Fayette Heating and Air donated the first $10,000 dollars toward the Humane Society’s new air conditioner. Bret Melrose, Fayette Heating and Air’s President, said he made the call to donate so much to the Humane Society due to an awareness of how costly a new HVAC system can be.
“In our line of business and taking care of this kind of equipment, it’s very expensive, it’s not easy,” Melrose said. “When you get hit with a capital expenditure like this that you’re definitely not expecting, it’s something that we have to reach out and help.”
Thanks to the generosity of people like Melrose and the surrounding community, the four-legged residents of the Lexington Humane Society will be able to stay cool and comfortable throughout the hottest days of the summer.
