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Sevier Co. animal shelter plans to double size

Pets Without Parents in Sevierville is aiming to expand, all because of a generous neighbor.

A Sevier County animal rescue has plans to nearly double the size of their property.

Shelter Director of Pets Without Parents Dani Langston has been working hard to give the dogs, cats and other animals a home all across Sevier County.

Now, a deal from a neighbor will extend the shelter's efforts further than they ever thought.

Pets Without Parents on Mize Lane in Sevierville.

The dogs at Pets Without Parents have a tendency to be louder--the cats like it a little quieter.

"Where it's quiet, it's calm—that's what cats need stress level wise," said Langston. "They're very used to being able to be more into a more dug out, their own little habitat, watching from afar."

And while the cats are moving, they're not going too far.

"Right now, we can house up to 160 cats at one time, but it's in a stressful environment," said Langston.

To take a weight off, Langston and the shelter are planning a big expansion, to help carry animals who need homes from across Sevier County.

"(The property owner) gave us a fantastic deal," said Langston.

Pets Without Parents sits on Mize Lane, and the new property is right next to it—adding five acres to their land.

"Dogs surrounding their environment prevents them from being able to de-stress and have a comfort zone, so having a shelter specifically for cats, takes every bit of that stress level away," said Langston.

They'll add cat condos, which helps cats socialize.

"That will allow them the time to bond," said Langston. "So what if you had a cat that just came in, a little scared, but what if it just needed a best friend."

And the new area will appeal to both indoor and outdoor cats.

"We're going to have a barn program on site, to where we can fence in some of the acreage and allow the feral cats to live outdoors in an environment for them," said Langston.

It saves them time and money—resources that can now go to help more animals.

"Every bit does count," said Langston. "Everything that we get goes toward something. If you look at the money we receive from the local government for animal control and accepting animals, you can see where the money's gone."

And donations will help, no matter how little.

"We need not only monetary donations, to not only keep the ball rolling, but we also have to plan ahead for the fact that we need to hire new staff," said Langston.

Langston says you can head to the Pets Without Parents website to donate, or send them a donation through the mail.

The address is 901 Mize Lane, Sevierville, Tennessee, 37862.

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