TAZEWELL, Tenn. — Claiborne Animal Shelter volunteers can’t wait until the day they can finally open their doors to the stray population of the county; they have been working diligently at gaining support.

Recently, the shelter held a formal dinner-event that raised over $8,000, but more volunteers and dedicated supporters are necessary to ensure that the operating costs of the shelter can be met on an annual basis.

Currently, unwanted or homeless animals in Claiborne County must be taken to a shelter in a surrounding county.

“I don’t think that people realize just how bad the situation is,” says one shelter volunteer.

In 2011 Bell, Union, and Campbell County animal shelters took in well over 10,000 animals, many of those originating from Claiborne County. Of those, only a small portion were adopted; rates range from Bell County’s impressive 30 percent to a mere 4 percent in Campbell County.

The key to the problem lies in spaying and neutering.

“It’s not the shelter’s fault that so many animals are euthanized; it’s so frustrating for us because there is just no way to find homes for all the animals brought in” states another volunteer.

One un-fixed animal, male or female, averaging 2 litters per year with less than three surviving off-spring per litter, will produce 2,072,514 additional animals over the course of just 8 years.

“Responsible pet ownership involves having your pet spayed or neutered” agree shelter staffers.

Reduced-cost spay/neuter clinics are held routinely at each of the local shelters, including Claiborne County. For more information on these services, contact the shelter nearest you.

For now, abandoned and homeless animals in Claiborne County are left to fend for themselves, foraging for food and companionship. A fortunate few find their way into the homes of “fosters.” Fosters are individuals that keep animals in their own homes until they can be relocated to various no-kill shelters, adoption agencies, or into permanent homes. Fosters work closely with some animal shelters, such as Bell County, and have a positive effect on the number of adoptions the shelter is able to facilitate.

For information on how you can help, or if you are interested in becoming a foster, contact the Bell County shelter at 606-337-6331 or the Claiborne Shelter at 423-626-2686.

“Take a stand in our community and do something to help; make a donation to a local shelter” added one volunteer; “in addition to funding, they have a continuous need for toys, used blankets/comforters, litter, kitten/puppy food, bones, index cards and unscented household bleach. If each individual will do their part, we can make a difference.”