Newest Projects
January, 2012 A Better Life for Pets and People
ETSN is off to a great start in the New Year! We've refined and coordinated a cohesive group of programs designed to keep pets healthy and out of the shelter. We call them "pre-shelter pets", and most often they belong to people who love them but are experiencing financial or other difficulties in caring for them. We call it A Better Life for Pets and People because it's designed to help the entire community--four-legged and two-legged.
The current programs are spay-neuter assistance & transport and the pet food pantry. We also help families find foster or adoptive homes for pets they can no longer keep through an alliance with For Pete's Sake Rescue. And we provide information and resources on proper pet care in an effort to resolve problems that may result in surrender.
Our pet food pantry helped 42 families in December, and 44 in January, and distributed about 600 lbs. of dog & cat food each month. And on January 23, Tractor Supply of Elizabethton donated a whole pallet of dog food! Our aim is to provide quality food so that pets stay healthy, so we ask for donations of Purina brand or better. Some pets have special dietary needs, and cash donations help with that. We continue to receive applications for help, and as long as we get donations of food and cash, we'll keep delivering!
We are also moving along with plans for our wellness clinic and have a veterinarian who is interested in working with us. We'll keep you updated on that as we go.
Our core group of volunteers is also expanding, and we now have teams dedicated to transport, pantry, clinic, and fundraising! This is fantastic, because the more people that get involved, the more pets and people we can help.
Speaking of that, check out our Events page for the FUNdraisers coming up--we like to have a good time while we raise money for the pets and people of Carter County!
Big John's Closeouts in Elizabethton will be collecting bags of Purina dog and cat food to help those families struggling to feed their pets. We will also take cash donations to build up a pet food pantry fund that will allow us to purchase food or offer vouchers so that families can purchase the type of food their pet is already accustomed to.
All donations can be dropped off anytime during regular business hours,
8-6 Monday thru Friday or 8-4 on Sat. To apply for food, please come to a transport sign-up and bring proof of income below $25,000/yr.
We are specifically requesting "good quality dog and cat food" (such as Purina, Pedigree, or better) for a number of reasons. While we appreciate the sincere wishes of generous donors who buy the largest bag of food for their money, it is important to consider the pets who are eating it. Higher quality food has better ingredients and provides better nutrition. Just like human food, some of the cheapest pet foods have a high percentage of undigestible fillers, which can cause digestive upset, allergies, or worse. Families who need help feeding their pets cannot afford the high vet bills that may result from these ailments.
ETSN would also like to start a Pet Food Voucher Fund, which would allow low-income famlies to purchase their own pet food. We feel this is better for the pet owner and the pet, because it permits families to buy the brand of food their pet is accustomed to. Once again, this helps them maintain their pet's health, especially if their dog or cat requires a special diet. A voucher system also avoids the need for storage of large quantities of food, and the possibility that it may go stale.
You can contribute to the Pet Food Voucher Fund at Big John's Closeouts during business hours, or by sending a check to ETSN at P.O. Box 2171, Elizabethton, TN 37644. Please mark "Pet Food Pantry" on the check. You may also donate by PayPal by clicking on the PayPal button at the bottom of the Home Page. Please indicate "Pet Food Pantry" in the notes section.
Higher quality pet foods will help low-income families keep their pets healthy, and that's our goal--happy, healthy pets and families!
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August, 2011: Low-cost Veterinary Care
One of the problems we've noticed is the growing need for a veterinary clinic for pets of low-income families. There are many people who care deeply about their pets but simply can't afford to go to the vet for even the most basic care.
Enter our friend, Mark Woodard, of Avalon Computers. He's working with us to raise awareness and funds to open several small day clinics to provide basic wellness care for pets of low-income families. In fact, he's donating $15,000 to the project, and is challenging the community to match this donation! In addition, if you buy a computer from Avalon Computers (stores at Tri-Cities Flea Market and in Bristol) and mention ETSN, he has promised us 10% of the total purchase price!
The plan is to do vaccinations, check-ups, and handle health issues such as ear and eye infections, skin problems, first aid, and also provide initial diagnosis of more serious problems which would then be referred to local veterinarians. We plan to have a care fund to help clients with the cost of these more serious issues. Care would be limited to low-income families' pets, and proof of income will be required.
Of course, this will take some serious fundraising, but we feel it is something that this community desperately needs. We're tired of hearing people called "irresponsible pet owners" when they are simply too poor to pay normal vet prices.
Please consider helping us get these clinics open--every dollar makes a difference! If you know someone who'd be interested in volunteering at the clinic--especially veterinarians and vet techs. And pass the word!
...AND the Roan Mountain Transport begins!
The long-awaited Roan Mountain transport makes its maiden voyage on Wednesday, August 17, thanks to the support of three wonderful volunteers: Birgit Krupinski, Patsy Schang, and Rhodyjane Meadows!
We're starting with just a couple of shuttles a month, but we hope that as the word gets out, more Roan Mountain pet owners will sign up and make it a weekly trip, same as the Elizabethton transport.
Let's get those critters on the van!!!
Birgit Krupinski and Patsy Schang and the Roan Mountain van
March, 2011: Branching out again...
The latest addition to the ETSN fleet is yet another trusty Previa van--gotta love 'em! (Lot o' room, and 27mpg!!!) And this van will be used to better serve our pet loving friends in Roan Mountain and Hampton areas.
Since gas prices have soared, we've been using the original ETSN van for transports more often. And now that we have the Roan Mtn. Critter Van, we're looking for help to get them both all wrapped up like this:
We'll be doing the same sponsorships as we did for the bus. The only difference will be that the sponsors will have the choice of which vehicle they'd like to put their logo on. (And remember, individuals or families can also be sponsors--it's a great memorial for your pet!)
We also need to supply the Roan Mtn. Critter Van with travel crates, so if you have one to donate, we'd sure appreciate it. While new is great, flea market or yard sale finds are fine too...as long as they are in good condition. In other words, one that you'd feel comfortable putting your own precious pet in!
January, 2011: The bus interior is shaping up...
Many thanks to Randy Thomas for his excellent job on making and installing the shelves--they make transporting the pets so much easier and safer! Thanks to Mike Barnett at Big John's Closeouts for donating all the materials for the shelves.
And Barbara Barnett's expert seamstress skills provided "purrfectly purrple" seat covers and curtains. When the weather warms, the interior painting will continue. Thanks to Shane at Tractor Supply for donating the brand new extra large dog crate--it comes in handy for those hundred pounders!
Of course, our friendly mechanics at Sloan's Automotive deserve thanks too--for keeping the bus running great, and giving us that prime parking spot across from the Hardee's drive-thru!
Hey, anyone know how we can get this bus a bath?
That's the TSC crate under the purple cloth...
September, 2010: The bus graphics are done!!!
Cindy & Eddie from Moving Picture Graphics--they did that fantastic design!
The Tech Gyrls of the YWCA of Bristol generously donated a bus to ETSN! With it, we will be able to transport 20 to 30 animals at a time to spay-neuter surgeries. This will help us expand our services to the animals of East Tennessee three-fold, and eventually may be made into a mobile spay-neuter clinic!
A generous donor helped us get our tags, first insurance installment, and battery. Several local sponsors helped us cover the cost of the graphic wrap, done beautifully by Moving Picture Graphics in Bristol, TN (that's Cindy and Eddie in the photo when they delivered it on 9/21). Sloan's Automotive and Mike Barnett of Big John's Closeouts covered the cost of mechanical work, and we'll have a safe parking spot for it at Big John's Closeouts. Next up will be remodeling the interior to make it safe for transporting pets...and of course, the next insurance payment, and gas, and....
To help with the costs, we're looking for businesses or individuals to sponsor the bus, (think NASCAR). Each sponsor gets a logo square placed along the lower portion of the side of the bus (at driver's eye level; you can see a few in the photo above). We'll be driving the bus around town, around the County, and back and forth to the clinic, so your business will get lots of coverage on our "moving billboard".
Platinum sponsorship (3 year placement & website link): $500
Gold sponsorship (one-year placement): $200
Silver sponsorship (6-month placement): $150
For comparison, just one month for a billboard in Elizabethton costs $600. Contact Danika at 423-289-5548 for more info. You can also help us by donating via PayPal on our Home Page--be sure to put "bus" in the "note" section.
We are so VERY GRATEFUL to the Tech Gyrls of the YWCA and all our sponsors. This will mean so much to so many pets in East TN.
Learn more about the Tech Gyrls at www.ywcabristol.org and see our sponsors' links on our Links page.
We'd also like to thank Sue Williams of Holly Help Spay-Neuter Fund for playing a big part in this donation, and her support of ETSN.
See Holly Help's page at http://hollyhelp.org
Tech Gyrls & food for pets! Danika & the Tech Gyrls on board
Holly Help's Big Rig for Disaster Response
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