May 17, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2013
For more information,
Contact: Lauren Christ
Moxley Carmichael
(865) 544-0088
[title]
How will you celebrate Memorial Day weekend? Young-Williams Animal Center encourages East Tennesseans to get “pet-riotic” by adopting a pet in need of a loving home.
“As families across the region look forward to kicking off the summer season on Memorial Day, our shelter staff worries about the influx of homeless dogs and cats that inevitably come through our doors during the next few months,” said Young-Williams Animal Center CEO Jeff Ashin.
Ashin says the shelter typically sees a spike in intake during summer months for several reasons including the fact that more litters of puppies and kittens are surrendered following the spring mating season.
In honor of Memorial Day weekend from Friday-Monday, May 24-27, Young-Williams Animal Center is offering $50 off the adoption fee for all puppies and kittens as well as $25 off the adoption fee for all adult dogs and cats. The center hopes area families and individuals will be inspired to be “pet-riotic” by adopting and will take advantage of a long weekend to introduce a new pet to the home.
The Memorial Day special offer brings the adoption fees down to $100 for puppies and kittens and just $50 for adult dogs and cats. Adoption fees include a veterinary physical exam, spay/neuter surgery, some standard vaccinations, a microchip with registration and more. The value of these services for an adult dog, for example, could cost a pet owner more than $600 through private veterinarian offices.
Another reason shelter intake spikes in the summer is because more stray animals are brought in as pets are more likely to roam outside in the warm weather. Owners are encouraged to make sure pets are microchipped and wearing ID tags.
“If you lose a pet, please check with Young-Williams Animal Center immediately and check our Lost and Found Center every few days,” Ashin said. “All stray animals picked up by both City of Knoxville and Knox County Animal Control units are brought to Young-Williams. We would love to see our rate of owner reclaims increase so more pets are returned to their families, and we can then free kennel space for pets that don’t have homes and need a loving family to adopt them.”
To adopt, please visit the two conveniently located Knoxville adoption facilities: Young-Williams Animal Center at 3201 Division Street and Young-Williams Animal Village at 6400 Kingston Pike. The Lost and Found Center is located at Young-Williams Animal Center on Division Street.
For more information, call 865-215-6599, visit www.young-williams.org or check out Young-Williams on Facebook.
About Young-Williams Animal Center
Young-Williams Animal Center reminds the community to please spay and neuter your pets.
The Young-Williams Animal Center is the official animal shelter for Knox County and the City of Knoxville. The center is a nonprofit organization, community-supported through public and private donations, that turns no animal away and is dedicated to the sheltering and placement of animals, general animal welfare, and public education of companion animal issues.
Young-Williams Animal Center is located off Sutherland Avenue at the entrance to John Tarleton Park at 3201 Division St. Young-Williams Animal Village is located at 6400 Kingston Pike adjacent to Deane Hill Drive. Both locations are open seven days a week from noon-6 p.m.
For more information about Young-Williams Animal Center, including detailed driving directions, call 865-215-6599 or visit www.young-williams.org.
