
What an exciting year 2016 has been! The support from so many wonderful folks near and far, as well as the support from local businesses is so greatly appreciated. It is heartwarming to know that so many care about and support ETSN's programs and mission. ETSN is so grateful for your help!
2017 is looking to be another amazing year for ETSN!
- Spay and Neuter -This year, ETSN helped nearly 350 pets get spayed/neutered. That brings our totals to over 4,000 pets fixed since the beginning of ETSN in 2009! So many thousands of unwanted litters have been prevented this year! Pet owners who use our service are so appreciative of what we do. We are very proud that we are making a difference in the community. Many thanks go to Margaret B. Mitchell Spay and Neuter Clinic and The Animal Defense League of Washington County, Virginia. With their continued support, we strive to help even more pets in 2017!
- Pet Food Pantry – Our pet food pantry is vital to our low-income pet owners in Carter County. We assist by supplementing two weeks’ worth of food, monthly, for nearly 550 pets. This allows pet owners to spend their money on their own needs. One of the top reasons given for surrendering an animal at a shelter was due to not being able to afford to care for them any longer. Our pet food pantry helps families to keep their beloved furry friends at home with them, where they belong. Many thanks go to Michael Barnett of Big John's Closeouts for his sponsorship and allowing us to pack food in his building that we have lovingly dubbed “The Alley Cat Building.” We also appreciate Tractor Supply Company as well as Karen Bourke of 3 B's Thrift Shop. We are so deeply grateful for the many individuals who donate throughout the year to help keep the pet food pantry running, as well as Patsy and Jim Schang for everything they do to keep the Roan Mountain pet food pantry going.
2017 is looking to be another amazing year for ETSN!
- Critter Care Cruiser – We are looking forward to getting our mobile wellness care unit on the road by spring of 2017! With it, we can reach even more pets in need! The Critter Care Cruiser will travel to rural areas and provide low cost vaccines and basic wellness care to pets. By treating a pet with minor health issues early on, we hope to prevent major medical issues in the future. In many cases, these pets would not otherwise get to see a regular veterinarian due to the overwhelming cost. The Critter Care Cruiser's purpose is one of the greatest needs that we hear of when we speak with local pet owners seeking assistance. We are so grateful to the Glenda Taylor DeLawder Charitable Trust for providing the very generous donation making it possible for us to purchase the beautiful RV. We also appreciate Smoky Mountain RV for assisting with renovations as well as Winchester Flooring for installing new heavy duty vinyl flooring in the unit. The Boo Boo Fund was created to assist with our basic wellness care program. With it, we can help those who could otherwise not afford care for their beloved pet.
- Office Space – We would love to renovate the Alley Cat Building for use as office space. It would be great for those seeking assistance who can't make it to our Saturday sign ups. It would also be wonderful for our volunteers who currently brave all sorts of weather conditions to help folks seeking assistance at our outdoor sign ups. Although we are known by our Purr-ple bus, having a home base would also help us to become a more recognizable staple in the community.
- Updates and Fundraising – We plan to be more socially active with our website:
www.etnspay-neuter.org and our Facebook page in 2017. In today's world, we know that connecting via the internet is crucial for expanding our educational programs, spreading the word about our mission and seeking donations to help our programs continue to grow and expand. We appreciate coverage from media outlets such as WJHL Newschannel 11, WEBJ radio, and Elizabethton Star, and look forward to continuing our relationship in 2017.
As always, we will continue providing spay and neuter assistance to those in need. With our new upcoming programs, we will reach even more pets who need our help! To know we are making a difference in our community drives us to improve our programs to meet the need. We know that it could not be done without your help, and we appreciate your continued support of our work in the community!
We wish you the happiest of holidays and many blessings in the new year!
From All of Us at ETSN