UPCOMING EVENTS
Hand-made Quilt raffle & Indoor Yard Sale/Pet Expo. Just $5 gets you a chance to win this gorgeous hand-made double bed quilt made and donated by Pearl Clemons. Second prize is a $25 Applebee's gift card, plus we will have 6 more hourly door prizes. The drawing will be at the March 3 Indoor Yard Sale & Pet Expo (Info below--we need vendors!); you do not need to be present to win. Get your tickets at Avalon Computers (across from Bonnie Kate Theater) M-F, 9-3, or at the Purple Bus on Saturdays, 10:30-noon at Tractor Supply in Eliz., or call 423-437-3850.
March 3, 2012, 8:00am-2pm, ETSN Indoor Yard Sale & Pet Expo, Parks & Rec Building (Old Armory), Mill St., Elizabethton. Tables $12 each. ETSN will have a table--we need items donated. We're also looking for yard sale vendors...items do not need to be pet related. Businesses or groups with helpful products and information relating to pet care topics such as health, training, nutrition, first-aid, fun, rescue, etc. are welcome for the Pet Expo. (Tables $12) There is plenty of room for demonstrations. If you are interested in participating or have some ideas, please contact 423-437-3850 or etnspay-neuter@hotmail.com.
After the yard sale, have a chili dinner to help raise funds for our new shelter--Just $5 at the VFW on West Elk Ave., from noon to 3pm. There will also be a silent auction of some wonderful items. Make March 3 your day to help the Pets & People of Carter County!
Ongoing: Pet Food Drive, Big John's Closeouts, Elizabethton.
Our Pet Food Pantry helps local families who are struggling to feed their pets this winter. We help nearly 60 families. You can donate cash or bags of Purina dog and cat food at Big John's Closeouts in Elizabethton. We're asking for Purina or better, to keep pets healthy! Cash will be used for pets with special dietary needs. Donations can be dropped off during regular business hours, 8-6 Monday-Friday or 8-4 Sat.
To apply for food, please come to a transport sign-up on Saturdays, 10:30AM-NOON at Tractor Supply in Elizabethton. To volunteer, please contact Danika at etnspay-neuter@hotmail.com.
ETSN Flea Market Store, Tri-Cities Flea Market, Bldg. 12, #80, Bluff City. If you have any unwanted items in good condition, we can turn them into cash for the critters! We also need volunteers to help sort, price, and staff the store on Saturdays and Sundays. Contact etnspay-neuter@hotmail.com or leave a message at 423-437-3850.
RECENT EVENTS
Feb. 11, 2012, 11am-2pm, A Hunka, Hunka Furry Love, Tractor Supply, Elizabethton. For
one day only, Elvis's almost-famous brother, Melvis, will be stopping
by for a photo shoot at Tractor Supply. Bring your pets, friends, and
family and have a Valentine's photo with Melvis! It's just $5, and all
proceeds benefit ETSN's Pet Food Pantry fund. We're also accepting
Purina pet food donations. Come have a howlin' good time!
January 6, 2012 Day-Time Tri-Cities, WJHL-Channel 11. Danika was interviewed on the morning show with Amy Lynn. See it here.
December 10, 2011, Santa Paws at Tractor Supply, 11am-2pm, Elizabethton. HUGE THANKS TO JESSICA AND MARK WOODARD!!! We had a whopping 49 pet lovers bring their pets for a photo with Santa! Next year, we plan to have Santa Paws visit for TWO big weekends!
Dec. 8, 2011, 6pm, Elizabethton City Hall, Sycamore St., Elizabethton: City Council is meeting to discuss the new shelter director's position--come show your support!
Mon., December 3, 2011, Elizabethton Christmas Parade, The Big Purple Bus will join the festivities again. Come Join ETSN to welcome in the Holiday with a walk down main street, , Volunteers Are always needed to help us get the "Don't litter Fix your critter" message to the public.
Mon., Nov. 14, Carter Co. Humane Society fundraiser, Pizza Hut, Elizabethton. Please come out and support the Humane Society--they provide vouchers for 80% of the pets who travel on the ETSN Bus! Be sure to leave a BIG TIP!
November 5, 2011, Belk Charity Day Sale, Johnson City. Thanks to May & Vicky for helping out!
October 22, 2011, Octoberfest, downtown Elizabethton. ETSN will have a booth to sell hand-crafted items to raise money for our programs.
Mon., October 17, 2011, Pizza Inn Fundraiser, Elizabethton Had alot of fun, raised $785. Thank you everyone who came out to volunteer or to come visit with us and have a great meal.September 16, 2011, WBEJ Radio.
Danika and Mark Woodard were interviewed about the latest events at ETSN, including Mark's $15,000 donation and community challenge--all to raise money for the low-cost veterinary clinics.
Sat., September 24, 2011, Pancakes for Pets, Fatz Restaurant, Elizabethton. We raised $1000!!!! Thanks to everyone!August 11, 2011, Bark in the Park, Johnson City. 5:30pm. Take your dog to the ball park! Have some fun and stop by and see us!
August 6, 2011, 10am-2pm, Tractor Supply Pet Appreciation Day, Tractor Supply Company, Cherokee Dr., Elizabethton. Our friends at TSC are having a national pet event that promises to be a lot of fun. Come on out and see the Purple Bus, and lots of other pet-related stuff!
June 18, 2011, Elk Crossing Center Sidewalk Sale, Elizabethton (behind Chik-Fil-A): ETSN will have a table at this sale, and we can use some volunteers to help work it. The Big Purple Bus will be there too--come out and support us!
July 19, 2011, 5:15pm, Shelter Building Committee, Elizabethton Star Building, Sycamore St., Elizabethton: The New Shelter for Carter County Committee meeting is held at the Elizabethton Star building. Please come join us in getting the new shelter built and staffed! Meetings generally last about an hour.
July 2, 2011, noon, Elizabethton 4th of July parade: The Big Purple Bus will join the festivities again, and we could use some help handing out the info baggies volunteer Charles Clemons puts together for us. It's always a fun time, and is one of the best ways to get our "Don't Litter! Fix Your Critter!" message out there.
July 9, 2011, ETSN Indoor Yard Sale, CANCELLED due to lack of interest
June 11, 2011, 8am-2pm, Covered Bridge Yard Sale, Elizabethton: Thanks to Janet, Richard, Jean, Brenda, Birgit, Bonnie, Jennifer & Erik, and Wanda for all your help!
Sat., May 21, 2011 Meeting for Volunteers, 1:00pm at Carter Co. Library, Elizabethton: If you love animals and want to make Carter County a NO KILL COMMUNITY, now is the time to get involved! We are expanding ETSN's services to include not only more transports, but programs to help shelter animals (including keeping them OUT of the shelter in the first place!) You CAN make a difference! Please join us...we have something to fit anyone's schedule or ability. If you need more info, please contact Danika at 423-289-5548.
Sat., April 30, 2011, Easter Treat Seek: Thanks to volunteers Bonnie Rogers, Pat Riddle, Donna Gobble, & Rosanna Lowe for volunteering at the Johnson City Dog Park fundraiser. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time...and so did the dogs!
Sat., April 16, 2011, Belk Charity Sale: Thanks to volunteers Bonnie Rogers and Sarah Pippin for volunteering at the Belk sale. Their participation makes ETSN eligible for a portion of the sales.
Fri., April 8, WBEJ Radio, 9:30am: Danika spoke about expanding our service to Roan Mtn. and getting Carter Co. animal lovers to attend the City & County meetings about the shelter.
June 21, 2011, 5:15pm, Elizabethton Star Building, Sycamore St., Elizabethton: The New Shelter for Carter County Committee meeting is held at the Elizabethton Star building. Please come join us in getting the new shelter built and staffed! Meetings generally last about an hour.
Saturday, April 2, 11am to 2pm, Tractor Supply Co, Elizabethton: The Big Purple Bus was at Tractor Supply...and thanks to Kayla Neikir, Miss Watauga Valley 2011 who braved the nasty weather to help us spread the word!
Thurs, February 17, 600th Critter transported! Just in time for national Spay Day, ETSN transported critter number 600! Pet owner Miranda Sears received a gift basket for sending her cat Ginger to be spayed. The Elizabethton Star printed a front page article with a photo. You can see it by clicking here.
Fri., February 18, WBEJ Radio, 9:30am: Tune in to hear Danika on 1240AM to talk about reaching 600 animals transported, and national Spay Day on Feb. 23.
Sat., March 5, noon to 3pm, New Shelter for Carter County Chili Dinner & Silent Auction: Chili dinner and auction at the Elizabethton VFW, to benefit the new shelter building fund. Please print & distribute this flyer. Then tell your friends, buy some tickets, make a donation for the auction, and plan on coming by for some GREAT home made chili and a really fun afternoon. They have lined up some entertainment with the Watts Dancers for 2 - 30 minute shows, BloodKin amd JB & Friends for musical entertainment, Live auctions for items over $250, silent auction for over 100 treasures to bid. Come have a good time and good eats for a good cause!
Tues., March 8, 4pm, Carter County Library: Danika and Rhodyjane will be giving the after-school program for first, second, and third graders. They'll all be having fun learning about proper pet care...and singing the new "Don't Litter! Fix Your Critter!" song that Rhodyjane wrote and will play for us!
January 22, 2011 Volunteer Meeting at Carter Co. Library, Elizabethton: Thank you to the 6 volunteers who showed up--I really appreciate your support!
For everyone else, how about getting involved? This is a community-wide problem!! The best way to reduce the euthanasia rate at the shelter is to get pets spayed and neutered...and I can't do this alone.
If I had 15 people donate one morning two times a month, we could transport about 500 animals EACH MONTH, instead of the 18 months
it's taken for me to take 566 alone. Download a list of other volunteer opportunities or c
etnspay-neuter@hotmail.com.
Fri., December 10, WBEJ Radio: Our good friends at 1240AM invited Danika on the air once again, this time to spread the word about ETSN's holiday gift certificate program, and to provide info about adopting a pet.
Sat., December 4, Elizabethton Christmas Parade: The purple bus made its parade debut, and it was cold and rainy! Many thanks to Nicole and Ricky Lay and their nephews who helped distribute goodie bags. We also had a mystery guest as Rover the dog!
Sat. & Sun., December 4 & 5, 11am-4pm, Pet Photos with Santa. Our friends Siberian Husky Assist Rescue will be at PetSmart in Bristol (Exit 7 on I-81) Saturday and Sunday. Prices are reasonable, and the funds will help them rescue more gorgeous huskies!
November 1, 5:00-9:00 pm: Pizza Inn Fundraiser, Elizabethton. Great big THANKS to Ashley Poole, Tabitha Price, Kayla Neikirk and all the volunteers, Pizza Inn staff, and supporters who made this fundraiser a great success. We raised $800 to help the animals!
Danika receiving $800 check from Pizza Inn Managers Debbie & Lauren
Friday, October 29, 2010: WBEJ radio, Once again, our friends at WBEJ invited Danika to appear on morning radio to give an update on our fundraisers and the latest ETSN news.
Saturday, October 23, 2010: Clayton Homes, Elizabethton, TN. Danika and the ETSN bus made an appearance at the Elizabethton Animal Shelter adoptathon at Clayton Homes' Open House day. Saturday, October 9, 10:00 am: Wesley Memorial Church, 225 Susannah Rd., Johnson City, TN. Blessing of the Animals. Bring your beloved pet for an annual blessing and peruse the various pet services and products represented. ETSN's new bus will be venturing out again!
Saturday, September 25, 2010: First Presbyterian Church, Elizabethton. Pet Blessing and Walk to raise money for the New Shelter for Carter County. Even though it was a bit overcast, a nice group of pet lovers and their furry friends came out and raised $400! Plus, Our new bus made its public debut!
September 15 & 16, 2010 P.A.L. Mobile Clinic: ETSN and Holly Help Spay-Neuter Fund hosted the Prevent A Litter Mobile Spay-Neuter Clinic. This was the first time P.A.L came to Carter County, and Grindstaff Auto Group graciously provided space at their location. Holly Help provided special funding for pet owners who live in Section 8 or Government housing, but The P.A.L. Clinic was open to any pet. 60 pets were spayed or neutered over the two day event, and we got good coverage in the local press. Thanks to Steve & Ashley Grindstaff & Grindstaff Auto Group, Sue Williams of Holly Help Spay-Neuter Fund, Cap Tee Vation (for our T-shirts), Traveller's Inn, and all our volunteers.
Saturday, August 7, 2010: Adventures in Rescue TV show. Danika will appear on Adventures in Rescue with Marcia Horne of Siberian Husky Assist. The 30-minute show focuses on ETSN and the need for spay-neuter. It will run on CW4 in TN on 8/7 at 4pm, and on HTV-3 in VA on 8/9 at 10am, 3pm, and 8pm.
Saturday, August 7, 2010: Car Wash Fundraiser, Taco John's, Elk Ave., Elizabethton. Thanks to the volunteers who helped out!
Sept. 13, 2010: Pizza Hut Fundraiser: Well, a rather disappointing turn-out--where were all our supporters and Facebook "friends"? Total raised was $50. Thank you Lisa for your effort, and for those who actually did come out to support us.
July 27, 2010 noon Eastern Time: A Variety of Pets internet radio show. Danika was interviewed by Glo, the host of A Variety of Pets. This was the first internet show we were on, and we had a whole hour to talk about what we do. You can listen to the recording at this link:
A Variety of Pets. Glo does a great job, and she gave us yet another great opportunity to get the spay-neuter message out on the airwaves!
July 16, 9:30 am: WBEJ radio (AM 1240), Danika was interviewed once again by our local radio station. We appreciate this great opportunity to get the spay-neuter message out on the airwaves!
July 3, 2010: Fourth of July Parade, Elizabethton. We were hoping to have our new bus on the road for this popular downtown parade, but didn't quite make it. We did have the trusty van in it though, and volunteer Lisa Merritt saved the day by showing up at the last minute to help distribute goodie bags. Everybody loves those "Don't Litter Fix Your Critter" signs!
May 1, 2010 Spring Belk Charity Sale: The semi-annual fundraiser courtesy of the Park-Belk Department Store.
Saturday, April 10, 2010, 11am - 2pm: Easter Treat Seek at Winged Deer Park ETSN had a booth at the Johnson City Dog Park Annual Dog Easter Treat Seek. It was a fun day for everyone!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010: Basic Pet Care Presentation at Bristol YWCA. ETSN volunteer Sharon Stephens gave
a Basic Pet Care presentation for the Tech Gyrls after-school program at the Bristol YWCA. Sharon is graciously giving us the benefit of her previous experience as an animal control and education officer in Riverside, CA.
March 12, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Watauga Indoor Yard Sale:
We ad a table set up at the annual Watauga Indoor Yard Sale, at the Town Hall on Main St. Come by and buy! We'll have some pet items as well as general household things. All proceeds benefit the spay-neuter fund.
Saturday, January 30, 2010: Pilots 'n' Paws Rescue Pilots Bob Chieffo and Rhonda Miles flew through snowy weather with preciou cargo: a litter of rescued pups from Elizabethon on their way to their new homes in New York! Thanks to all who were involved to make this happen! Read Rhonda's story and photos on our Happy Tails page. See the story on The Elizabethton Star web page: www.starhq.com
Tuesday, January 19, 2010: Basic Pet Care Presentation at Bristol Housing Authority. ETSN volunteer Sharon Stephens will be giving a Basic Pet Care presentation for clients of Bristol Housing Authority. Sharon is graciously giving us the benefit of her previous experience as an animal control and education officer in Riverside, CA.
December 5, 2009, Elizabethton Christmas Parade: ETSN volunteers drove and walked in the annual Christmas parade, helping to welcome the season, and get the message out to the community! Our signs, "Don't Litter! Fix Your Critter!" were big hits. (Thanks to Bethany at Quick Signs for their donation of half the cost!) Janet Isaacs walked alongside in the freezing temps to hand out bags of goodies, candy, dog biscuits, and ETSN contact info.
Here are a couple of photos of the transport van all decked out:
November 25, 2009, WJHL Interview: ETSN was on the WJHL Channel 11 news at 5 pm! WJHL did a story on the Elizabethton Animal Shelter, and interviewed Danika about ETSN at the same time. Go to the reporter's Facebook page and click on "Employees Say Animal Shelter is Overwhelmed." http://www.facebook.com/pages/George-Jackson/67836496303
November 18, 2009, WBEJ Interview: Danika was interviewed on the morning talk show, and had a great opportunity to spread the word about ETSN and spay-neuter. We appreciate WBEJ's support!
November 7, 2009, Belk Charity Sale! Thanks to everyone who helped us with this fundraiser. We have not heard the total from the actual sale day, but we raised almost $1100 dollars with pre-sale ticket sales and donations! Great job everyone!
October 3, 2009, Parrots and Tails Animal Shelter Fundraiser, The Hillbilly Parrotheads group raised $6600 with this fundraiser for the new Carter County Animal Shelter Building Fund! Thanks to all the folks who made it possible!
August 7 & 8, YARD SALE TO BENEFIT ETSN
Thanks to everyone who helped to make this yard sale a success! The community really stepped up and donated all kinds of clothes, furniture, and other items for us to sell. The Trading Post also put in a terrific color ad, and The Star did an article in last Sunday's paper about it. Although we were competing with tax-free weekend, and were situated a little bit out in the country, we still made nearly $500, which is a great start to our spay-neuter assistance fund! We'll sell items that are left over at another yard sale or at one of the local flea markets. (When we know when and where, we'll post the details here and in the local paper.)
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Things are starting to take off with East TN Spay & Neuter. We've been attending community events: Covered Bridge Days, Family Day at Food City, Bark in the Park at the Elizabethton Twins, and ongoing adoption events at Tractor Supply in Bristol. We also appeared on Channel 5's Pet of the Week in June. We also received a nice write up in the Elizabethton Star--you can read the entire article at ETSN article.
We have our non-profit status in Tennesse, and our federal 501(c)3 is in process; we've started a voucher program for animals adopted from Elizabethton Shelter; have done a number of transports to regional low-cost clinics (three more are already scheduled for October); and have begun working with area shelters to do group transports to the spay-neuter clinics. And as always, Sharon Bryant has kept doing a great job rescuing shelter animals through Blackjack Animal Rescue.
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We have an opportunity to drastically reduce the 90% kill rate at Elizabethton Animal Shelter!!! If we had ten to fifteen foster homes for dogs that could hold them for 14-21 days, we could pull a good number of dogs each week from Elizabethton, quarantine and vet them, then get them out to rescues on the Highway to Heaven network--thus putting a big dent in the killing. If you or anyone you know can help us, please contact us ASAP! (423-437-3850 or 423-289-5548).
June 4 &5, 2010: Covered Bridge Days, Elizabethton. ETSN had a booth for the second year at this great arts and crafts event. We were set up on Kids' Island and got vouchers to all the families who adopted shelter pets that weekend. We also had a table at the Community Yard Sale section of the event.
Tues., May 24, 5:15pm, New Shelter for Carter County Meeting: Come to the Elizabethton Star building on Sycamore Street in Elizabethton for a 60-90 min. meeting on the new shelter! The funds have been committed by the City & County, and now's the time to get involved and be heard! The animals are counting on you!
Tuesday, November 30, 5:15 pm: New Shelter Building Committee Meeting, The Elizabethton Star building, 300 N. Sycamore St., Elizabethton. This meeting is open to the public, and now, more than ever, we need local residents to get involved! The shelter has had some serious issues arise recently, and if we all get involved, we can MAKE A DIFFERENCE NOW! The meeting generally lasts for about an hour. Even if you come late, please come and get involved! November 12-14: Carter Co. Humane Society Craft Sale, Sycamore Shoals State Park, West Elk Ave., Elizabethton. Thanks to all who supported the CCHS booth--they made over $500!