Hundreds of animals evacuated from shelters because of Hurricane Irma are finding love and care in East Tennessee.
So far, more than 200 animals have been transported to our area, and Young-Williams Animal Center took in 20 more dogs and 12 additional cats on Tuesday. They are still looking for foster homes and donations (see list at end of article) to help those animals.
At Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, they are caring for dozens of displaced cats. The vet tech students are dealing with their basic medical needs and stress from the move.
Many have already been placed in foster homes and will eventually be up for adoption at local shelters.
The UT College of Veterinary Medicine also took in a number of cats evacuated from shelters in South Carolina this weekend.
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Young-Williams Animal Center needs emergency fosters for animals being evacuated from Florida and Texas.
More than 200 animals have already arrived in Knoxville from both South Carolina and Florida, though not all of them are at YWAC. A truck carrying 20 dogs and 12 cats from South Carolina shelters are expected to arrive Tuesday morning.
The center posted on Facebook last week saying it has a limited amount of space to take in the animals. All of the animals will be evaluated, then hopefully moved to foster homes.
“Our focus at Young-Williams Animal Center is finding a home for every pet, and the foster program allows us to help as many animals as possible,” says Janet Testerman, CEO of Young-Williams Animal Center. “We are always in need of new foster homes but especially during times like these, it’s even more critical to have safe places for these animals to stay outside the shelter during such a stressful time. The more participants we have, the more pets we can save. As members of our national animal welfare community, it is our responsibility to help our neighbors in need.”
All emergency fosters must be able to keep a pet for up to a month. As space opens on the center's adoption floors, the pets will be put up for adoption.
Anyone interested must complete a foster application form with the center. It does not guarantee approval.
If you are interested, email emergencyfoster@young-williams.org.
If you cannot foster an animal, the center asks for monetary or supply donations of the following items:
- Cat litter
- Litter boxes
- Litter scoopers
- Canned cat food
- Dry Science Diet cat and kitten food
- Gallon Ziploc bags
All donations can be dropped off at Young-Williams Animal Center, 3201 Division St., Knoxville, TN 37919.