Paws With A Cause
I'm looking for stories about pets who have been spayed or neutered through our services--if you have a story to share, send it to us at etnspay-neuter@hotmail.com and we'll put it here!
Local Pet Owner Grateful
My house burned down September 14, 2011, and I lost six pets in the fire. Stray was in a fenced backyard, and the only male dog around Stray was already fixed. But now we have to pay rent, and Stray is now on a chain, and any dog can get to her. So she needed to be fixed badly, and it took all the money we had to pay for rent, so I couldn't afford to have it done.
But I thank East Tn. Spay & Neuter for getting Stray fixed. We couldn't afford any more animals to feed and take care of. May God bless you for all your kindness.
--Barbara Ratcliffe
ETSN Reaches #1000!
Well, it took 3 years, but we transported our 1000th critter on November 16, 2011! Whew! That's a lotta dogs and cats that WON'T end up at the shelter...and that's what it's all about. And it couldn't have been done without the help of all ETSN's supporters and volunteers, and the staff at Margaret Mitchell Clinic. A Big THANK YOU to all.
And thanks to Carol Woodard who made two beautiful pet beds for us to include with our cat & dog prizes. Number 1000 was Momma cat, who belongs to Linda Good & Sherry Wallace. Bolo, a chihuahua who belongs to Danny and Christina Anderson, was number 1001. Here are the happy prize-winning pet owners...now it's on to the next thousand!
Patches Finds a Home!! 
Little Patches started out the week at the Elizabethton Animal Shelter, but thanks to Trina Hodgson, she's got a wonderful new home with a loving family and perfect playmate! Here's a great shot of Patches with Luke, Trina's son. Don't they look so cute together?
Samson Bennett's Tale
Hi, my name is Breelyn Bennett, my mother, Michelle Bennett, brought my cat Samson Bennett, to you all and had him neutered this week. I want to personally thank you all for the wonderful job you did! I was afraid to do it because I thought he might come home and act weird, but he acts just fine! I wasn’t too thrilled about him staying overnight, but I knew I had to do it because it was the only way I would be able to keep him. In a way I thought he would be mad at me (as weird as that sounds) because I thought he would feel as if I ditched him.
I rescued Samson this summer while I was at my brother’s apartment in Erwin. I've had him for almost three months. He was very underweight and I could tell he hadn’t eaten in a while. We kept it from my landlord for a while about having Samson because I thought she wouldn’t let me keep him because we aren’t supposed to have inside pets, but one day my mother told her we had him and all she said was I had to get him fixed in order to keep him inside so he wouldn’t spray.
My aunt Caroline informed me about you all and how great you all were with her cats. I found your pricing very reasonable, because me nor my mother can afford to take him to the vet for his shots and to be fixed. I thank you again for the wonderful care you all took of my little boy. I’m glad I chose you all instead of a different place. I will definitely recommend you to my friends and anyone I hear that is looking for a spay-neuter clinic! Again thank you!
P.S. I hope you all get to open a clinic here in Elizabethton!
Best regards,
Breelyn Bennett
Pancakes for Pets Great Success!
Carmella greeting customers Kelsi approves of the pancakes!
There were lots of happy faces at Fatz Cafe in Elizabethton for ETSN's first Pancakes for Pets fundraiser. We had a great turnout on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011 with lots of hard-working volunteers, plenty of pancake patrons, and even a special guest or two.
We sold 170 tickets beforehand, plus another 44 at the door--volunteer Wanda Hyder was top seller with 35! Add in tips and donations, and ETSN netted an even $1000 for the two-hour breakfast fundraiser.
Everyone did their part to make the day a great success, and it was wonderful to see how each volunteer took up just the right job. There were our young signholders Ariel, Cici, and Jessica; ticket takers Nancy & Carmella; Anna and Ashley keeping the beverages flowing; and a whole group of volunteers serving and bussing tables...and keeping the customers happy! And of course, Fatz managers Anthony Latta and Dave Rowe and their kitchen staff helped keep everything going smoothly.
Toward the end of the breakfast, Elvis's younger brother, Melvis, made a guest appearance, circulating among the crowd and even holding a sign to help draw in customers.
Everyone had a lot of fun, and we raised a lot of money for ETSN's local programs. Thanks to all who helped us make this such a great success! We'll let you know when the next Pancakes for Pets is scheduled...
Melvis stops traffic Melvis & Nancy
Sammy Nave and Fatz Manager Dave Rowe share a laugh
Ashley and Anna in the kitchen
Danika, Mark Woodard, and the Sign Girls: Cici, Jessica, & Ariel!
Red Letter Day for ETSN!!
On August 2, 2011, ETSN received a $2500 grant from the East Tennessee Foundation (ETF) in celebration of the foundation's 25th anniversary. In addition to the check, Terry Holley, of ETF's Knoxville headquarters, also presented us with a certificate of appreciation for the work we've done and continue to do in our community. Terry is a good friend and supporter of ETSN, and was instrumental in getting us the grant--Thank you Terry! (See the ETF video of the award.)
Of course, the Big Purple Bus made an appearance, and Birgit Krupinski drove the Roan Mountain Critter van to Tractor Supply in Elizabethton for the award ceremony. In addition to the ETF grant, Tractor Supply Manager Shane Hicks presented ETSN with a large dog crate for the Roan Mountain Critter Van. We also received word this week that Pro Sound of Elizabethton and Mike Barnett of Big John's Closeouts will be donating the window-tinting on the RM van.
Several of our friends on the board of the Elizabethton-Carter County Community Foundation were also in attendance to show their support. The local foundation recently presented ETSN with a $2,000 grant for 2011 to provide spay-neuter assistance for pets of low-income families in Carter County. And our newest supporter, Mark Woodard of Avalon Computers, also came out to help us spread the word about the low-cost veterinary clinics he's helping us open. Some of the ETF grant money will be used to start our Veterinary Care and Clinic Fund.
The low-cost veterinary clinics will help low-income families get basic care for their pets as well as provide diagnostic and referral service for more serious issues. The Veterinary Care Fund will help pay for those cases. Our hope is to have local veterinarians donate two days per month in exchange for referrals, and get the community involved in helping us raise the necessary funds.
All in all, it was a great day for ETSN and the pets and people of Carter County!
Presentation of the East Tennessee Foundation grant
A big dog crate for the Roan Mountain Critter Van!
Oreo Purrs About Being #800!
ETSN reached another milestone on July 7, 2011--Critter number 800 was transported! The lucky pet was a beautiful black & white female kitty named Oreo. Her loving mom, Janet Payne, received a special kitty gift basket to celebrate. On to 1000....
Janet & Oreo Payne...lucky 800!
Hello, my name is Janet Payne and I have a cat named Oreo. My cat needed "fixed". I saw the purple bus in Elizabethton and called the number. A lady named Danika called me back.
She was very helpful and compassionate about animals and wanted to see that you got the best deal. It was very obvious that she was not in this for the money but to see that animals and their owners have a better life. I came to register on Thursday morning then brought my cat on the next Wednesday morning.
The clinic was very thoughtful and called to give me a report that my cat had a heart murmur and may be at risk for the surgery. That was probably due to the fact that her and her other sister cat, "Boots", forty-five chickens, and a pig named Pancake, and my daughter, husband, and three children survived a tornado in Camp Creek in Greeneville. Thank God for his mercy.
My experience with this lady and what she does was a real blessing in my whole family's life as she was so willing to help owners and their pets. When I arrived on Thursday to pick up my cat I was surprised to find out that I was the number 800 customer and had won a basket of cat goodies for Oreo.
I highly recommend this avenue as a way to get your critter fixed. Also if you have any donations {she did not tell me to ask this} please offer any help you may have even volunteeering your time. May God Bless you all and remember "Don't litter, fix your critter"!
Thank you again Danika for all that you do.
Received 7/12/11 by email
Big Thanks to Volunteers...
THANK YOU to Bill & Karen Lewis, Lorie & Eiren Price, and Charles Clemons for helping at Elizabethton's 4th of July Parade. We left the driving to Bill, and Karen, Lorie, Eiren and Danika handed out the ETSN info baggies to the crowd. Loyal volunteer Charles Clemons assembled 400 baggies to get our "Don't Litter! Fix Your Critter!" message (and contact info, of course) to the community. And some friendly bikers donated a bunch of stuffed critters to decorate the bus! (See them in the photo with Bill...and there's Karen with the bus...)
Daisy's Happy Ending
Just wanted to give a big thank you for all you are doing. I adopted Daisy back in March 2011. I called the local veterinarians, and could not afford the cost of having Daisy neutered. I had seen the "purple bus" around Elizabethton and got the number to contact etnspay-neuter. I first emailed and received a phone call the very next day from Danika. Within a few days, we had Daisy on the bus heading for Bristol. She stayed the night and the next morning I picked her up at the meeting place. I did not have a carrier for Daisy, so Danika loaned one to me for a day or so. Daisy only took a few days to heal and is doing great. Thank you, and the volunteers of East Tennessee Spay & Neuter.
Daisy's Mom
Donna
Lucky Winner Goes to Biltmore
Here's a great example of how a little ingenuity can result in a tidy sum for ETSN's programs: Volunteer Sharon Wareing received 2 free admission tickets to Biltmore that she wasn't going to use. She suggested we raffle them off. Volunteer Debbie Grindstaff did just that, selling $1 chances at Trends Hair Salon where she works. She raised $107 in just a couple of weeks!
Here's Debbie picking the winning ticket
on 2/11/11. Congratulations to Dana Barnett, the lucky winner!
Just look what that $107 can do! Here are some figures to give you an idea of how we can use the money Debbie raised:
$10 = 1 Rabies Shot
$20 = 1 Rabies shot & 1 distemper shot OR 1/2 male cat surgery
$30 = 1/2 dog surgery OR half the gas to transport 25 animals
$40 = 1/2 laser toner cartridge OR 1 male cat surgery OR 2 years of phone service
$55 = 1 female cat surgery OR 3 months of website hosting
$60 = 1 dog surgery OR gas for 1 transport of 25 animals
$70 = 1 dog surgery plus Rabies shot OR 2 months of internet service
$80 = 1 laser toner cartridge OR 1 dog surgery with rabies & distemper shots OR a full tank of gas for the bus OR 2 male cat surgeries
$100 = 1 dog surgery with shots & transport OR 2 male cat surgeries with rabies shots OR almost enough gas to transport 50 animals
Remember: every dollar donated to ETSN funds programs to help local pets and their families. And EVERY dollar makes a difference!
Note of Thanks
We always love to hear from satisfied pet owners & their pets:
"Thank you so very much. I appreciate all who are involved in this service for pets. This is atruly a blessing and appreciated.
Thank you, Kathy & Babycakes West & Mama says Thank you also!"
ETSN Transports 600th Critter!
Just in time for national Spay Day, ETSN transported critter number 600 on February 17, 2011. Pet owner Miranda Sears received a gift basket full of pet themed goodies for sending her cats, Ginger and GG to be spayed.
Ashley Rader and Brandon Hicks of The Elizabethton Star were there to cover the story. On February 21, there was a front page article with a photo. You can read the whole story by clicking here.
Snowy First Flight of the Puppy Flyway
Rhonda Miles is one of the pilots who volunteer for the Pilots N Paws group, helping to get rescued animals from foster families to their new homes. The first flight from Elizabethton, TN was on January 30, 2010, in the middle of yet another of the winter's snowy storms. This event could never have happened without the support of many people, including Sharon Bryant, Shirley Rhone (foster), and many others. This is Rhonda's report of the day:
"This was my first flight for PNP.. Of course, it was the weekend that we had to deal with snow, ice, closed airports and 2 planes with maintenance issues. WooHoo, sounds like a typical day in my life. But, no matter, we were able to put "Storm" a 40 lb Dobie mix and 11 puppies into the back of "Jezebel", my airplane, and get the job done. A DOZEN DOGS... WOW !! My friend Nikki Mitchell went with me as animal wrangler and cried when we had to leave the pup that she named "Little Ricky".. But, we left all our passengers in the capable hands of fellow pilots, Robert Schemmerling and John DiSalle.
"Nikki and I have know each other for almost 14 years and have a great history as friends. In 98, we took a small plane and flew around the world together. www.bridgeofwings.com. Through all our adventures, we have learned to support each other in what is close to the heart. Nikki is huge rescue dog lover and was the one that pointed me to P-N-P. I am unable to do the day to day things because I fly corporate for Unum Group and my husband flies for Delta Airlines. We are gone a lot. The transport is something that I can do.
"Nikki has worked for Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter fr 19 years and still manages his business since his death. In addition to flying for Unum for the last 8 years, I used to fly for Cracker Barrel Restaurants, Reba McEntire and Hank Williams Jr... My biscuit eaters and country singers era..
"What I noticed on my first transport was the dedication, from everyone involved, to making these animals comfortable and giving them a sense of being loved and cared for. I watched a flight instructor at the KSHD airport, lie on the floor so he could talk to the pups in their crate. A corporate passenger stopped to find out what was going on, then smile and thank us. It was a great experience and one that I will do again."
--Rhonda Miles, 2/1/10
More photos of the flight:
Look's like a happy bunch!
Thanks to everyone who helped!
Here are a few of our other successes:
Waldo, the wandering Chow, was found near Dennis Cove, TN. Through the help of volunteers including Lori Bass and Bonnie Rogers, we were able to rescue Waldo and get him transported to his new home in Indiana. He's a gorgeous boy, and we wish him the best in his new home.
Relaxing at Bonnie's
Riding with Bonnie
Watching the rain fall on the highway...
Tater and his new family
Chili has a new home!
Click here to see more Happy Tails at the Blackjack Animal Rescue site!