March 18, 2016
The Herald Chronicle
By: Linda Stacy, Assistant Editor
That organization is Animal Harbor, Franklin County’s local animal shelter which helps find loving homes for adoptable pets. Animal Harbor is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) charity which relies mainly on contributions from donors.
The shelter’s focus is on the humane treatment of animals, finding loving homes for them and doing educational outreach to prevent abuse and neglect.
History
Patricia Thompson Dover, president of Animal Harbor, said, “For many years prior to that, the Franklin County Humane Society existed as a small group of dedicated people with a dream of someday opening a shelter.”
Led by beloved community members Grace Gallagher and Chuck Moye, the group held fundraisers to save up money, and rescued as many animals as they could.
Meanwhile, another group, the Sewanee Animal Rescue League, was formed in Sewanee in 2000 and operated a makeshift shelter in a small stable.
In 2001, some new members joined The Franklin County Humane Society, including some of the people from the Sewanee group.
Transforming a hog barn
During the first year, Animal Harbor had no paid staff . The shelter was managed by James and her sister, Jan Doran, with assistance from a few other volunteers. As soon as it was financially feasible, a shelter manager was hired, and eventually more staff members were added.
Thompson said, “In those early days, the staff and volunteers of Animal Harbor made many improvements to the property and learned a great deal about sanitation, disease control, and other best shelter practices.”
Because of generous donors and endless hours of service from board members, staff and volunteers, Animal Harbor survived and flourished.
However, the building, which was never fully adequate, was aging and becoming increasingly hazardous, and holding the organization back from being as effective as they wanted to be.
Capital campaign
A seed gift of $50,000 from a generous donor gave the campaign an initial boost.
As the plans for the new building were drawn up and costs were projected, the campaign goal was raised to $600,000.
Gail Castle was hired as the organization’s first development officer to lead the campaign.
The board searched for a new site for the building that would be closer to the center of the county’s population and more convenient for people to come to visit, adopt, and volunteer. They purchased the property at 56 Nor-Nan Road, off of Highway 127 in Decherd.
A new location
Ground was broken for the new building in January 2014, and the new shelter opened for business on Dec. 19, 2014, at 56 Nor-Nan Road, off Highway 127 in Decherd.
The new building provides an inviting atmosphere to encourage adoption, volunteering, and education.
Features include three group rooms for cats to roam and a porch where they can enjoy the outdoors safely, quarantine areas for those not ready for adoption, outdoor exercise yards, a “meet and greet” room; separate areas for offices and prep work; and overall space for up to 40 cats and 40 dogs at any one time, depending on the mix of adults to puppies/kittens.
Matching up hearts
In 2015, Animal Harbor took in and placed 600 animals, a 20 percent increase over 2014.
Thompson said, “The increase is due to better and more space to house the animals, but more importantly, the huge increase in traffic at the new location with the accompanying word-of-mouth publicity and community involvement.”
All pets adopted from Animal Harbor will have been vaccinated and either spayed or neutered. Cats are negative for Feline Leukemia and FIV, and dogs are heartworm negative.
Animal Harbor has a low-income spay and neuter program for pets belonging to seniors and low income families who otherwise may not be able to have their loved pets neutered. Last year, 248 surgeries were subsidized. Animal Harbor also maintains a pet food bank to help pet owners get through a hard time.
To help educate youth about the importance of treating animals humanely, for the past three years Animal Harbor has provided books for the libraries of all of the elementary schools in Franklin County, purchased with funds from a grant from the Templeton Foundation.
Veterinarian practices in Franklin County support Animal Harbor by providing health services at special rates.
“We are very grateful for their help and support,” Thompson said. Those practices include Animal Care Center, Midtown Veterinary Services and Town and Country Veterinary Hospital.
Board members and staff
The following board members are also volunteers.
Patricia Dover, president (librarian at the University of the South); Susan Rupert, vice president (instructor of music, University of the South); Cecelia Brodioi, secretary (retired teacher, FC Schools); Phyllis Larson, treasurer (retired accountant); Anne Giles, assistant treasurer (retired business owner and manager); Sue Ridyard (professor of history, University of the South); Dianna Ogden (retired); Susan Walton (self-employed, property manager);
Staff members include: Amber Kelley, shelter manager; Caitlyn Barstad, development officer; Rini Tyler, shelter assistant manager; Ronnie Kelley, kennel manager; Heather Forshee, kennel assistant; Freya Loder, kennel assistant.
Tux and Tails
The second annual Tux and Tails fundraiser will be held on April 2 at San Miguel’s on the Square in Winchester.
The evening will feature a full dinner with a custom menu designed and served by IvyWild, with a full vegetarian option. Hors d’oeuvres will be passed and a full bar will be available.
Well-known artist Thomas Andrew (thomasandrewart.com) will unveil a specially commissioned 42” x 60” painting he created to be auctioned off .
The live auction will also offer items from Orr Décor and More, Spirit Dog Pottery and artist Francis Perea; a house party performance by musician Lee Gibson; and other items. Tickets are $100 per person and are available on the website animalharbor.org, or by calling 931-581-2147.
Pet stories and personal statements
Red was a forgotten dog, wandering aimlessly, looking for something to eat, dodging cars on the road, not welcome anywhere by anyone.
Fortunately, a kind-hearted person took him in, fostering him until a space opened up at Animal Harbor.
In June 2015, Phillip and Jen came to Animal Harbor in hope of finding a new best friend. While they met and walked several other dogs, Red leaped straight up vertically about 5 feet in the air to say hello.
“This definitely caught our attention,” Phillip said, “and we’ve been buddies ever since.”
They named him Floki, after a character in a TV show with a similar playful and curious personality. Floki enjoys sprinting, hiking in the woods, hiding bones, and boat rides. He loves attention but always knows when you need a hug.
“We are grateful for the care that Animal Harbor gave him, and for the opportunity to find such a great companion,” Phillip said.
Twister the cat faced a double whammy — not only was he homeless and unwanted, but he also had a deformed back leg. He was first picked up by Franklin County Animal Control and brought to the pound. But he was such a sweet kitty that the Animal Control folks gave Animal Harbor a call to see if they would be interested in pulling him.
Amber Kelley, shelter manager, said, “I have a soft spot for misfit pets, so they knew I would love him. When I met this kitty, he was so wonderful that I couldn’t say no!”
The veterinarian recommended amputating Twister’s bad leg. Generous donors quickly raised enough money to have the surgery done.
Twister was recovering well and was ready to be placed up for adoption when Amber was devastated by the loss of one of her senior cats.
“I always say that the best way to honor a pet you have lost is to make room in your heart for another, so I followed my own advice,” she said, “and Twister was just what I needed to help fill the void in my heart and home.”
Board members comment
Sue Ridyard has a soft spot for animals, especially cats.
“Look into those eyes — how much love is there, and how much that small creature deserves to be loved — for life, even when the eyes dim, the hearing fades, and they don’t play the way they used to.” She has an 18-year-old tortoiseshell cat named Heloise who just showed up on her front porch.
“I never dreamed she would be with me for so long, and I cherish every moment we have together,” Ridyard said. “I’ve spent more hours in her company than I have with any human being, and she has been with me through the toughest years of my life. She is my joy.”
Dianna Ogden says she is proud to be on the Animal Harbor Board.
“We make important decisions at every meeting, all with the welfare of the animals our primary concern,” she said. “We are a hands-on board working hard at many of the fun and productive off -site events held in the course of a year.”
She and her husband adopted their Daisy from Animal Harbor.
“She is a great source of entertainment in our house,” Ogden says.
Phyllis Larson believes animals are an important source of unconditional love.
“Teaching young children to respect the life of an animal will teach them that all life is to be cherished and respected,” she said.
“We are their voice.” She owns a 15-year-old toy poodle name Solee and a 6 year old miniature Dachshund named Little Man.
“My feeling about my pets is that, people come and go in my life but my pets will always be there to bring me joy and love — all they ask is that I feed them and keep them safe and be there for them when they cross the Rainbow Bridge,” Larson said. “Adoption is such a rewarding way to bring joy into your life; there is a pet out there just waiting to love you.”
Cailyn Barstad said she was led to Animal Harbor not only by a soft spot in her heart for animals but for a drive to make a positive impact in the community.
“In my 6 months here, it has truly been a pleasure to plan events for this organization and meet the people responsible for our success.”
“I have one cat, Cooper who is an orange tabby cat and my first love, Barstad said.
He was rescued as the runt of his litter that was being given away on Facebook, and desperately needed a home that could give him the attention to thrive.
“It is a common activity these days to find animals being sold on social media and I see this as a sign that more than ever, spaying and neutering is the most important thing you can do for the welfare of all animals and is truly the responsible thing to do as a companion pet lover and owner.”
Pat Dover sends a strong message, saying, “Pets are not wild animals. They were bred over centuries to be companions to humans. Humans put them in this world and we owe it to them to give them a life free of suffering and with the appropriate amount of human interaction.”
She goes on to explain that to care for an animal and treat them right is just a basic quality of being a decent person.
“Kindness to animals extends to being kind to people as well.”
Dover got involved with Animal Harbor after seeking a way to give back to the community and trying to find the niche where she would most enjoy what she was doing.
“I had no idea of what I was getting into, but I quickly learned what a huge problem we had with homeless pets and what a terrible need there was for a shelter.”
Dover said they started with nothing and no place to put any pets.
“I kept the rescued dogs in my back yard at first. We kept at it and then joined with others in Winchester, and Animal Harbor was born.”
Dover has two rescue dogs, Gavin and Kane.
How to support Animal Harbor
Animal Harbor depends on the ongoing support of its loyal donors for its continued operation. Operating expenses include medicines and veterinary care including spaying or neutering all pets before adoption, pet food, utilities and staff to care for pets and assist visitors.
Donations may be mailed to Animal Harbor, P. O. Box 187, Winchester, TN 37398 or donate online through their website at http://animalharbor.org.
Everyone is also invited to become a Life Preserver and donate monthly or annually on a regular basis. Life Preserver levels range from Basic (any amount up to $50/month) to Platinum ($250/month) with many levels in between. For more information call 931-581-2147 or visit the website.
Animal Harbor: A win-win for all involved
Franklin County’s Animal Harbor is working hard to make sure every animal receives the love and care they deserve.
In 2015, Animal Harbor took in and placed 600 animals. That is a 20 percent increase over the previous year. This increase is credited to better and more space to house the animals, but more importantly, the huge increase in traffic at the new location at 56 Nor-Nan Road in Decherd along with the accompanying word-of-mouth publicity and community involvement.
All pets adopted from Animal Harbor will have been vaccinated and either spayed or neutered. Cats are negative for FeLV (Feline Leukemia) and FIV, and dogs are heartworm negative.
Animal Harbor has a low-income spay and neuter program for pets belonging to seniors and low income families who otherwise may not be able to have their loved pets neutered. Last year, 248 surgeries were subsidized. Animal Harbor also maintains a pet food bank to help pet owners get through a hard time.
To help educate youth about the importance of treating animals humanely, for the past three years Animal Harbor has purchased books for the libraries of all of the elementary schools in Franklin County. The books were purchased with funds from a grant from the Templeton Foundation.
All of the veterinarian practices in Franklin County support Animal Harbor with special rates for health services provided to the shelter’s pets as well as plenty of time devoted to them and advice offered. These veterinarian practices include: Animal Care Center, Midtown Veterinary Services, and Town and Country Veterinary Hospital. Animal Harbor is very grateful for their help and support.
It is through the ongoing support of loyal donors that Animal Harbor is able to continue operation. Operating expenses include medicines and veterinary care including spaying or neutering all pets before adoption, pet food, utilities, staff to care for pets and assist visitors, and all the other expenses of shelter operation.
Donations may be mailed to Animal Harbor, P.O. Box 187, Winchester, TN 37398 or donations may be made online through their website at http://animalharbor.org
The community is invited to become a Life Preserver and donate monthly or annually on a regular basis. Life Preserver levels range from Basic (any amount up to $50/month) to Platinum ($250/month) with many levels in between. For more information about how to become a Life Preserver, call Animal Harbor’s development officer at 931-581-2147 or visit their website.
Animal Harbor is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Their number is 962-4472 and their email is info@animalharbor.org