Paws & Reflect

New Year's Resolutions are meant to be kept so we've kept our goals for 2010 simple:

1) Raise money

2) Continue construction on the animal shelter

3) Raise more money

4) Let's see, what was next? Oh, that's right - raise even more money!

See? Easy peasy!

(Well, as long as we have your continued support.)

(Um, we do, don't we?)

"It's Raining Cats and Dogs" in Claiborne County

The song, "Raining Cats and Dogs" was written for the Claiborne Animal Shelter by Peter Martz. We have gladly accepted his unusual donation! The video we put with it shows shelter volunteers raising money, hosting low-cost spay/neuter, and building the shelter.

As you can see, we're getting closer to the finish line by the day. Your tax-deductible donation will go 100% toward getting this shelter built. Please consider sending it today; because, as the song says...

"You and I can make a difference if we open up our door, the clouds will break apart and blow away and the sun will shine once more."

This Stuff is Great! When's the Auction?

The Claiborne Animal Shelter Auction is really coming together! If we make enough money, we won't have to stop construction. That's great news for the owners - YOU and me!

Auctioneer Jim McMurray of United Country Stone Realty & Auction Co. Inc., and his sidekick, Robin McMurray have volunteered to auction off the goods. Thanks Jim and Robin!

Here's what we have so far: farm equipment, antique furniture, 4 UT Lady Vols tickets, 2 Pizza Inn dinners, collectibles, a car that runs, a truck that will run with a bit of TLC, lawn equipment, gas cards from Taz's BP, and two flat bed trailers.

Do you have something to give? There's still time to donate items for the auction. Call our office 423-626-2686 to make arrangements. (Remember these words: tax deductible)

The slideshow below previews just a few of the items that'll be sold to the highest bidder in December.

Have You Heard About the Auction?

What? The Claiborne Animal Shelter Auction

When? Sometime in December

Where? At the Claiborne Animal Shelter Property

Why? That's easy, to raise enough money to keep on building!

WIFY? (Translation: What's in it For You?) You mean besides all the excellent things you can buy at auction? The Five "F's" Of Happiness...

• Fun
• Food
• Friends
• Family
• Federal Income Tax Write-off. We're talking about the much-coveted end-of-the-year Tax Deduction for you and/or your business! Now that's a sweet deal.

Are you interested in participating? Here's what we need: heavy equipment (we already have one car - and it runs!), refrigerators, stoves, ATVs, lawn mowers, really nice furniture (some quality antiques will be auctioned), flatbed trailers, power tools, boats, engines, fishing equipment, hunting gear, and anything else you can think of that'll help us raise $75,000. (Was that you who just gasped or one of us?)

Stay tuned for photographs of some of the fantastic items that'll be auctioned off. In the meantime, you can call Ruby at our office, 423-626-2686, and make arrangement to drop your donated items at the shelter.

Thanks for your continuing support. Together, this community is making a difference!

Hats Off to John Hatfield and His Merry Band of Men!

You may not know this but John Hatfield and some volunteers from the Claiborne High Masonry class have donated their time and expertise to lay the block at the animal shelter. After putting in the foundation last spring, (which included laying out 40 doggy doorways!) they're now building the partitions between the dog runs.

As the building has shot up, our bank account has shot down. The donation of this service has saved the shelter thousands of dollars!

These guys are true craftsmen. Don't take our word for it, go see for yourself. We're at the end or Ritchie and Lewis Drive off Old Knoxville Highway. Not sure where that is? Here's a link to a map. Now no excuses, go look. (Seriously, you will be impressed!)

The next time you see John or one of his students, be sure to give them a slap on the back, a high five, and great big THANKS for the wonderful work they are doing for this community. Together we will get it done!

A Treasure Hunt With Hot Dogs - Claiborne Animal Shelter Rummage Sale

The morning was cold and foggy but it didn't stop the garage salers of Claiborne County from getting out early to shop for bargains. Click here for more pictures.

Thanks to everyone who made the Claiborne Animal Shelter rummage sale a huge success. We made enough money to purchase almost 1500 cement blocks for the outside walls between the dog runs! Yes, we are getting there - dollar by dollar, block by block, inch by inch, um, well, you know what we mean.

Special thanks to Roger Ball for the use of his parking lot, electricity, and bathrooms!

Gigantic Rummage Sale October 3

The Claiborne Animal Shelter annual Fundraiser/Garage Sale is scheduled for Saturday, October 3 from 8-2 in front of Ball's Hardware on 25E. We'll be selling clothing, household items, collectibles, hot dogs, shelter t-shirts, and anything else we can get our hands on!

If you have items to donate, please drop them off that morning between 7:30-8:00. If you need to drop off earlier, give our office a call at 423-626-2686 to make arrangements.

We hope you'll be there to support us because...

This building is going up faster than greased lightening!

The good news is, we don't have one cent of debt.

The bad news? Our bank account is at an all-time low.

The generosity of this community is what's making this happen. Please support our rummage sale and keep this shelter going up - Up - UP!

You can click here for more pictures of this work-in-progress.

Also, a gigantic THANKS to the kids of Claiborne County who participated in our writing project! Stay tuned to read what kids in grades 1-3 think the animal shelter should do. (And to find out who won the drawing!!)

The Shelter, The Fair, and The Kids of Claiborne County

The walls are up and the roof is going on! Isn't it a pretty sight? It's happening because of people like you who have donated money, goods, services, and lots of time. This is an accomplishment we all can be proud of - together, we really are making a difference!

We had a great time at the County Fair! We sold a bunch of t-shirts, got lots of $$ in our donation jar, and had the chance to meet so many of you whose generosity has gotten us where we are today. Thanks for your continuing support!

Hey first to third grade kids and teachers, don't forget to tell us what YOU think an animal shelter should do. Send us your opinion individually or as a class project. The name of everyone who participates will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of three cool prizes. Scroll down the page for more details or click here to be instantly transported there. The deadline is September 18. We hope to hear from you soon!

A Shout Out to the Kids of Claiborne County

Hey all you first to third grade kids in Claiborne County - the Claiborne Animal Shelter wants to hear from you!

About what? What else - the Animal Shelter!

Now that the building is being built, we need to start thinking about the next step: What exactly is the Animal Shelter going to do?

Do you have an idea? If so, we'd love to know what it is. Everyone who sends us an idea will automatically have his or her name entered into a drawing and three of you will win a prize!

Here's how it'll work:

1. Write down your idea.
2. Include your name, age, phone number, name of school, and what grade you're in. (REMEMBER, this is for first to third graders - if you're in a higher grade, we'll have a chance for you to send us an idea in October.)
3. Ask a parent or guardian to sign your paper so we know you have their permission to participate.
4. Mail your idea to: Claiborne Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 186, Tazewell, TN 37879
5. We need to receive it no later than Thursday, September 17 because...
6. The drawing for the three prizes is on Friday, September 18.

The First name drawn wins a way cool animal shelter t-shirt.

The Second and Third names win a highly collectible Claiborne Animal Shelter lapel pin.

Even if you don't win a prize, your name and your idea will be posted on this blog. Fame, at last!

So, put your pencil to paper and help us figure out what the most important thing is that our Animal Shelter will do. We can't wait to hear from you!

Dogs and Cats and Cement, Oh My!

On Wednesday, July 15, people arrived at the Claiborne Animal Shelter property with their dogs and cats in tow. They came to to take advantage of the PAL Mobile, a low-cost spay/neuter clinic that comes to our county each month.



While they were there, they were treated to an awesome sight - the cement pad for the animal shelter was being poured!



You may not know this but the floor of an animal shelter is really, really expensive. Here's why: It's not just a slab of concrete, it's a system that connects and protects a network of intricate drains, water intake lines, sewage output pipes, and underfloor heating coils for the dog runs.

The prep work for the slab took hundreds of hours. Most of the labor was donated, saving us tens of thousands of dollars.

Even so, by Wednesday night our bank account hollered, "Ouch!" Up until the cement was poured, we had 1/3 of the money needed to complete the building but, hooo-ey, after that...!

If you get a chance, take a drive past the shelter property and see how much progress we've made. It's at the end of Ritchie and Lewis Drive (behind Volunteer Knitting on Old Knox Hwy.) Click here to see a map of the area.

And while you're at it, please think about making a tax-deductible donation to our shelter. It'll help make this community a safer, happier place for people and animals to live.

Pancake Breakfast a Hit!

The Claiborne Animal Shelter's second annual pancake breakfast was a resounding success! Special thanks to the Good Dog Training Club for their generous donation toward the purchase of the fixin's, and to Reverand Charles Mattson of the New Tazewell United Methodist Church for his support and for the use of the Fellowhip Hall.

We saw many of our old friends, met lots of new ones, and sent carry out breakfasts to a whole slew of folks who weren't able to attend. Mayor Joe Tyler Duncan stopped by to pick up a carry out, thanks for your support, Mayor Duncan! There was a special guest appearance by a recently rescued stray puppy named Jack, who acted as the 2009 Canine Ambassador of Goodwill and as a reminder of what this is all about.



Breakfast ticket sales plus revenue from selling t-shirts and raffle tickets (to a one-day pontoon rental donated by Cedar Grove Marina), will cover more than a third of cost of the fence installation at the shelter property!

Congratulations to Carol Dunafer, the lucky winner of the pontoon rental.

Click here for more pictures.

The generosity of this community is as spectacular as it is heartwarming; together we WILL make a difference!

Recipe for a Shelter... and a Slide Show!

The three main ingredients for building a shelter are: 1) Volunteers to build the shelter, 2) Volunteers to raise money to do so, and 3) Community support!



If we've got item #3, we'll automatically have items #1 and #2 - correct?

You can see how the recipe works in a cool slideshow coming up right after this important Public Service Announcement...

One way to help us build the shelter is to attend our Second Annual Shelter Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, July 11 from 8-11 AM at the New Tazewell United Methodist Church (On Hwy 33 across from the Coffee Funeral Home). Tickets are $5 per person, dine in or carry out. Tickets can be purchased at our office or at the door. For more details call our office at 423-626-2686.

If you can't make the breakfast, please consider making a tax-free donation today. You can find details on how to contact us on our website, www.ClaiborneAnimalShelter.com

And now, onto our featured attraction - a link the slide show! Click here.

Claiborne County Animal Shelter Property is Rockin'!

Last week, volunteers convened at the shelter property to install fence posts around the perimeter, rake gravel, dig trenches, drill fence holes, and generally get things ready for the fence to be installed and the cement floor to be poured. Once that's done, we go vertical! Yes, the wall will soon be going up.


Huge thanks to Hank Hardwick, of The Hardwick Corporation for donating his time and skills on the fence installation. Hank's dedication to this community is so very much appreciated!





You'll notice we have a big turnout from the Sheriff's Inmate/Trustee program. These men are working at the shelter property voluntarily. They work hard, do a fabulous job, and are a pleasure to have as part of our team. Thanks guys!



Earlier in the week, the PAL Mobile mobile spay/neuter clinic was held for the first time at the shelter property. Shelter volunteers organize this monthly event and are on the spot to greet people and their dogs and cats!

If you're interested in a low-cost spay or neuter for your pet, call the shelter office at 423-626-2686. Ruby, our office manager will be happy to give you the details and sign you up!

Would you like to head out to the shelter property and see it for yourself? It's easy to get there. We're right off Old Knox Hwy, behind Volunteer Knitting, at the end or Ritchie and Lewis Drive.

Click here, for a map.


This shelter is on its way to becoming a reality. Together, we WILL get it done!

This May Not Look Interesting BUT.....

This picture may seem a tad dull for this exciting blog except for one thing - you are looking at volunteers installing the drain system for the Claiborne Animal Shelter! They worked for three solid days first in scorching sun, then torrential rain which turned the sun baked soil into sticky Playdo goop, then intense heat and humidity.

Steve Barr, building contractor and owner of Mountain Dream Homes Tennessee, LLC performed the complete installation free of charge! We saved tens of thousands of dollars because of this generous man. Thank you Steve!

As the workers toiled, this fella unexpectedly showed up.


"Here comes your first customer," quipped one of the volunteers.
"Oh no it's not!" The rest of us said in chorus. There is no way we can take in animals. Not now, and not anytime soon. But....

Even though the pooch looks well fed and is wearing a collar, he had what looked like two gaping stab wounds on his back, smelled like a privy, and was covered with fat ticks. We called one of our Board members who loves Beagles hoping to pawn him off on her, and she brought her husband, an M.D., who quickly put an end to that notion. (they have five dogs already)

Nevertheless, the couple whisked the dog away for emergency medical care: wound cleaning (the wounds were too old to stitch), antibiotic cream, and oral antibiotics. They then canvassed the area surrounding the shelter property, looking for the dog's owners. Nobody claimed him.

Now what? The dog was house trained, sat up, played dead, and was as sweet as he could be. Only no one had room for another dog in their family.

Well, news travels fast in this part of the world and the next day a man called a shelter volunteer to say he was looking for a Beagle to adopt and he'd heard we had one. (How did he know???)

The woman who was keeping the dog interviewed the potential adopter, deemed him worthy of the dog, and "the first customer" is now in a loving home.

And that's the end of this story.

p.s. We still are NOT taking animals

Meet Alex and Charley

They were tossed from a moving vehicle on a frigid winter night. They ran after the car until it was out of sight. Then they stood on the dark road shivering and crying.

Left behind.

These pups were rescued by a woman who’d witnessed the scene. What would have happened to them if she hadn’t been there?

The Claiborne Animal Shelter in Claiborne County Tennessee, is now under construction. It’ll take approximately 3,000 cinder blocks to complete the lower half of the walls. You can help us purchase the block. Here’s what your donation can do:

$10 will buy about 9 blocks
$20 ~ 18
$50 ~ 48
$100 ~ 90
$500 ~ 450

Please, send your donation today. It WILL make a difference!

Send your check to: Buy a Block c/o Claiborne Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 186, Tazewell, TN 37879

You can also drop your donation off at our office. It's located in the old County Court House, 1740 Main Street,Tazewell, Tennessee. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 until 2:00. If you have questions, call Ruby, our office manager at 423-626-2686.

We're a 501c3, non-profit organization so your donation is tax deductible. Thanks!

The Animal Shelter in Claiborne County is Happening!

Dan and Shane Piercy, developers of Shenandoah Springs, donated a complete excavation!!

The Claiborne Animal Shelter is under construction. The footers are poured, the first two rows of block have been laid, and the plumbing will soon go in. After that, it's a concrete floor and the walls will go tumbling up, er, I mean, shooting up!

Stop by and check it out - it is a sight to behold.

If you're not familiar with Claiborne County, we're in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northeast Tennessee.

The shelter property is at the end of Ritchie and Lewis Drive, behind Volunteer Knitting. (403 Old Knoxville Hwy, New Tazewell)

Use this link to find us on the map. Or, you can call our office at 423-626-2686 and ask Ruby how to get there.

Ya'll stop by now, hear?