Collections to Help Animal Owners Part of Month of Miracles
This video is no longer available.
JACKSON,Tenn.- The City of Jackson is sponsoring a donation of animal care supplies called “Paw it Forward.” Part of April’s Month of Miracles effort, the program is designed to help animals in need by providing an avenue for citizens to assist pet owners with special circumstances. Animal Control asks residents to “paw it forward” by donating basic care supplies that will improve the quality of life for area pets. “With the economy the way it is, several people have lost their jobs in the last several years and they have pets that they have had for a long time,” said Animal Control Officer Whitney Owen. “Each one of us sees around 50 to 100 dogs in substandard conditions every week and I don’t mean the same dogs repeatedly, I mean different animals every week.” Animal control officers said new or used animal care basics are needed for families who are struggling financially to properly care for their pets. The items needed are : dog houses, five gallon buckets with metal handles, metal carabiner clips , metal food bowls , heavy duty tie-out cables, collars, tarps, wood shavings, or chain link fence panels. The issues facing many pet owners are vast. “They don’t have constant food and water, they don’t have a proper restraint system and they don’t have shelter,” said Owen. “It’s an ongoing problem around here a lot of that is lack of education. By watching this happen over and over again, we realized that it’s not one person it’s not one neighborhood it’s city-wide,” said Owen. If a pet owner’s living condition can not be improved, the pet is seized then taken to Madison County Rabies Control Center. Workers there said cats and dogs only have three to five days to find a home before they are euthanized. “They have limited area in which to hold an animal and limited hold availability so it’s not always a guarantee that your pet is going to get a new home,” said Owen. Officers said some of the worst living conditions included dogs that had been tied up with shoestrings, electrical cords and wire coat hangers. In some homes, Owen said animals are using to -go and ice cream box containers as food bowls. Organizers said this program is not just an attempt to rescue the animal, but the pet owner as well. The three items needed most for needy pets are dog houses, collars and metal food bowls. If you would like to donate, there are three drop off points for donations. Jackson Health and Sanitation Department Address: 180 Conalco Dr, Jackson, TN 38301 Phone:(731) 425-8545 Tail Wagger’z 1923 Emporium Dr Jackson, TN 38305 (731) 664-0088 Deming Veterinarian Service 2173 Hwy 70 E Jackson, TN 38305 (731) 300-3344
