(LEX 18) — Kentucky's specialty license plate promoting pet spaying and neutering has received its first redesign in more than 20 years, Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell announced Tuesday.
The updated plate features a playful design by Lexington graphic artist Hayli Strickland, showing peek-a-boo images of a kitten and dog on a green background. The bottom displays "Spay or neuter your pets" with a red heart-shaped pawprint overlapping the text.
"Practicing responsible pet ownership and the need to reduce the stray and homeless pet population are the messages surrounding this new eye-catching plate design," Shell said. "Kentucky has 411 animal shelters and animal welfare organizations making it obvious we, as a society, need to do more to control the pet population."
Strickland, who teaches graphic design and photography at the University of Kentucky and owns a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, said she wanted to create something that would bring joy to drivers.
"I wanted to create something playful that would make people smile while they were waiting in traffic," Strickland said. "I loved the idea of 'breaking the third wall' by having the cat and dog interact with the driver behind them, peeking from the top and bottom of the plate in a fun, lighthearted way."
Since its introduction, the specialty plate has generated more than $600,000 in grants, resulting in over 17,200 cats and dogs being spayed or neutered across Kentucky, according to a press release.
Proceeds from plate sales support the Animal Control and Care Fund, administered by the Animal Control Advisory Board. The board, established in 1998 by the Kentucky General Assembly, evaluates spay and neuter grant applications for Kentucky counties and municipalities.
The new personalized plates are available at County Clerk offices statewide or through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's website.
