Animal lovers looking for a feline or canine companion are encouraged to visit the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter this weekend.
The animal shelter will host their first ever “Empty the Shelter” event at the facility from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5. The event was planned following the success of the most recent adopt-a-thon held at Petsense – a business that is also assisting with Saturday’s event.
Interim Director Susan Robinson added that while the event is scheduled for Saturday, anyone looking to adopt an animal out can do so during the week with the perks offered by the event.
With the assistance of various groups, including the Friends of the Shelters, Robinson herself, and grant funding, over $2,000 worth of sponsorship funds have been gathered to help adopt out the animals to celebrate the event.
“We’ve covered the spay and neuter and sponsorship first for our big dogs with the incoming weather,” Robinson said. “But for the funds aren’t for any specific animals. We’re estimating that 50 animals can be adopted out free of charge.”
The funds gathered covers the cost of adopting out a third of the shelter, Robinson said.
“We’ve been busting at the seams,” she added about the capacity at the shelter. “But after the event, we can start the intake of animals. We’ve already been able to adopt out animals this week.”
Once the sponsorship funding runs out, $10 adoption fees will be waived for remaining animals, along with receiving a free microchip. Spay and neuter costs for animals includes $35 for cats and $45 for dogs.
Saturday’s event is expected to be a hotbed of support with multiple volunteers including Miss Watauga Valley’s Peyton Jones. Robinson added that anybody looking to assist with the event can call the mayor’s office at (423) 542-1801.
It’s been a busy turnaround for Robinson, who was placed back into the director role for the time-being after the resignation of Katelyn Harrington in October.
But with the recent announcement of Shannon Posada joining the facility as director, the sky is the limit, according to Robinson.
“Personally I couldn’t be more delighted,” Robinson said. “Shannon has a lot of experience with animals and has a big heart.”
Posada will handle the role of shelter management as director come Nov. 14 while Robinson will handle adoption events, much like Saturday’s event, while also coordinating rescue programs.