Is Anderson County animal friendly?
In 2016, a new animal shelter was established out on Blockhouse Valley Road in South Clinton to serve the needs of animals picked up within the county limit, including Clinton, Oliver Springs, Rocky Top, and at times, Oak Ridge and Norris. (The Oak Ridge Shelter accepts strays or surrenders from within the cities of Oak Ridge and Clinton and is often full to capacity.)
The total intake for the Anderson County Animal Shelter in 2017 was 925 animals, a number that will continue to increase.
The current staff and volunteers at the shelter are doing an incredible job of finding new homes for animals through adoption, working with rescue organizations, and working with transports to relocate animals.
However, there are needs which cannot be met with the current facility. Some of the main limitations are lack of space, (there are only 12 dog kennels and 12 cat cages), poor location, no area for quarantine/isolation of sick animals, no veterinary or surgical area, no area to showcase adoptable animals, and lack of educational opportunities to educate the public about responsible pet ownership.
Due to these limited resources, concerned citizens have formed a new foundation, the Anderson County Animal Rescue Foundation, (AC ARF.)
The Board of Directors includes: Katrina Hall, President; Steven Newby, Vice-President; Melia Hayes, Treasurer; Jo Madding, Secretary; Joe Hall, Director; with Brian Porter and Mayor Terry Frank in advisory roles.
The mission of the AC ARF is to promote humane treatment of animals in Anderson County, to advocate responsible companion animal ownership through educational programs, to increase public awareness of the need for involvement in animal welfare, and to provide a safe environment for unwanted, stray, abused, or abandoned animals, with the goal of finding loving “forever” homes for these animals.
The ultimate goal of AC ARF is to partner with the Anderson County Government and the Anderson County Animal Shelter to create a new state-of-the-art animal shelter for the county, one that will provide exceptional shelter, services, veterinary care for animals, and educational opportunities for the community.
However, they need much community support to make this possible. The hope is to raise funds from the general public and corporations and to receive grants from government and other non-profit organizations.
These funds will be used not only to build and maintain a larger facility but also to fix the issues with the current facility until a new one is built.
The Anderson County Animal Rescue Foundation is asking for support and commitment from the citizens of their county. Anderson County could become one of the most pet friendly counties in the state, which will be not only rewarding to the current citizens but also will help to attract a younger population to the community.
If you are interested in making this goal a reality, please see their Facebook page at Anderson County Animal Rescue Foundation, where donations may be made to the cause through PayPal. Or you may send a donation to:
Anderson County Animal Rescue Foundation
P. O. Box 181
Clinton, TN 37717
Help to make Anderson County a truly pet-friendly community.
