Nola Sizemore
Staff Writer
Children at the Harlan Boys and Girls Club were treated to a unique assortment of animals on Thursday when Harlan County Humane Society volunteer Paula Cox presented a hands-on exhibit.
“I enjoy doing this for the kids and it gives them information about animals they don’t normally see,” said Cox. “The animals are on loan from Fish Hunt and Off-Hook Pets, located on U.S. 119 on Sukey Ridge. Tim and Kelly Hensley are always more than willing to let us borrow pets to do these programs. The Chinese chicken is on loan from Brian Middleton, of Jones Creek, who raises this rare breed.”
Exhibited during the program was an albino corn snake, ball python, Halloween crab, Madagascar hissing cockroach, bearded dragon, a Chinese chicken and an iguana.
“We have a very diverse program at the boys and girls club and we’re had a busy summer,” said Director Kateena Haynes. “We’ve been on field trips to the movies, water park and a lot of special guests. This is Miss Paula’s second visit to the club. The first one she brought an albino owl. It was a really nice treat for the kids and the staff. They are so rare, only one in seven million barn owls are born albino.”
Haynes said the albino owl was found by a couple in Evarts after the owl had fallen out of a tree. She said because the owl was albino the mother didn’t recognize it and pushed it out of the nest.
“They called Paula and she took the owl to a bird sanctuary in Tennessee and it may actually end up at Dolly Wood.,” said Haynes. “At Miss Paula’s last visit the kids also got to dissect owl pellets to see what the owl had eaten. We’ve definitely had an animal theme this summer.”
The boys and girls club is open from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. during the summer. Starting Aug. 13 they will begin their after school program, open every day from after school to 6 p.m. There are educational activities such as homework assistance and things of that nature. For more information, you may call 573-0960.
Reach Nola Sizemore at 606-573-4510 or at nsizemore@heartlandpublciations.com
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