Animal resource guide now available

Sep. 9—Judy Paulsen has always loved animals.

The animal advocate became involved with Focus on Cumberland County Animal Safety about three years ago. Soon, she started getting calls from people asking where they could take a stray animal or where they could donate specific items.

"I discovered I didn't know anything," she said. "I didn't know about the county animal shelter or the other organizations."

That inspired Paulsen to coordinate the publication of a directory of Cumberland Animal Resource Entities, or CARE. This booklet shares information about services and contacts for the shelter and nonprofit organizations serving Cumberland County.

"As I learned more, I learned many people don't know about the resources available," Paulsen said.

She hopes the directory, to be available at the Cumberland County Animal Shelter, through other organizations and online, will help people find the right group for their needs and connect donors and volunteers to organizations.

"Everybody needs and wants help," Paulsen said of the groups in the directory.

"If one organization can't help them, they can find other options."

It's first and foremost a resource directory with some basic information about groups and services available.

"It answers a lot of the questions people call about," said Andrea Gaskins, manager of the Cumberland County Animal Shelter on East Lane.

"It also helps people find resources like help with spaying and neutering pets. If more would people spay and neuter their pets, we wouldn't have so high of an animal intake."

Gaskins said the resource guide may also help identify gaps in animal welfare organizations in the future.

The directory begins with who to call if you are in need of animal control depending on where you live and the type of animal. If there is an emergency, call 9-1-1. Otherwise, contact Crossville animal control at 931-484-6991 if you are inside the city limits or, outside the city limits, 931-456-9873.

If the animal is a wild animal, contact the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency at 931-484-9571.

Next, the animal shelter holds animals brought in by animal control for three to 10 days, depending on if the animal has a collar or if it is brought in by city of Crossville animal control. The shelter will also take pet surrenders for a $10 fee. Please call ahead for pet surrenders.

They offer pets for adoption, listed on Petfinder.com, and request appointments to meet with potential pets. The shelter is open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

They welcome volunteers, foster homes for pets, and donations of pet supplies or money to support the shelter.

Call 931-484-8525 for more information.

Wags and Whiskers offers financial assistance with spaying and neutering. That's been a successful program over time, though the need continues. The organization welcomes donations.

Learn more about the organization at www.wawpr.org.

Gaskins said one of the barriers to owners spaying and neutering pets is that the financial assistance does not cover the entire cost of fixing a pet locally. While there are low-cost options in surrounding counties, travel can sometimes be difficult for pet owners.

"We need that here," Gaskins said. There are organizations that offer mobile spay/neuter services.

"We're in the middle. No one comes this far, unfortunately."

Focus on Cumberland County Animal Safety originally formed to raise nearly $400,000 for the construction of an intake center at the county animal shelter. With the facility complete, the group turned its attention to the needs of animals in the community with education and community-based programs to prevent cruelty to animals.

They welcome volunteers, foster homes for pets, help transporting pets for treatment, and more. Visit www.foccas-tn.org to learn more.

A Time 4 Paws is a no-kill animal welfare organization. They try to work with pet owners to find alternatives to surrendering pets, offering programs that assist with fencing, housing, dog adoption match making, and a community pet food pantry. They operate a thrift store that accepts community donations and also welcome public and private donations.

Learn more at www.AT4P.org.

A.A.R.F., All About Rescue and Fixin' Incorporated, based in Cookeville, is a foster-based animal rescue helping animals in high-risk situations. They operate a transport program to take animals from local shelters to guaranteed adoption facilities in other parts of the country.

They need volunteers to serve as fosters or drivers, and donations to support their work.

Learn more at www.aarf-tn.com.

The summer is kitten season, and that can lead to a lot of animals coming to the shelter. One female cat can have two litters each year, with litters of one to 12 kittens. Soon, a stray cat that people leave food for can multiply and become a burden.

Often, that's when they reach out to animal control or the shelter.

"Don't let them linger," Gaskins advises.

Wild About Cats of Cumberland County works to reduce the homeless cat population through a trap, neuter, vaccinate and return program. This program works for feral cat populations that cannot be socialized and domesticated. Often, these cats are returned to safe environments where the rescue maintains feeding stations.

If the cats can be socialized, the organization looks for foster caregivers until the cats can be adopted.

They need monetary donations, foster families, volunteers, and help with fundraising.

Learn more at www.facebook.com/wildaboutcatscc.

Helping Animals Rescue Team, HART, also works to trap, neuter and release feral cats. They also offer a barn cat program, pet adoption, and foster services. They need food, cat litter, and other pet supplies and volunteers to help with transport, fundraising, and marketing.

Learn more at hartrescue.weebly.com.

Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com.