News from White County Humane Society

This is the first in a series of monthly articles designed keep you up-to-date on news from the White County Humane Society (WCHS).  Each month we’ll tell you about our accomplishments, our ongoing fundraisers and any planned events. 

For those of you that are not familiar with our organization, I’d like to begin by telling you a little about us.  The WCHS was established in 2004.  At that time White County did not have a County Animal Shelter or an Animal Control Officer.  Our original mission was to investigate animal cruelty and neglect, prosecute offenders, and provide financial assistance to pet owners who wished to have their pets spayed or neutered.  Shortly after we were established, the county built a shelter, hired an Animal Control Officer, and local law enforcement took on full responsibility for cruelty investigations.  This allowed us to direct 100% of our efforts toward spay/neuter assistance. We were granted non-profit status in 2005 and immediately began applying for grants and holding fundraisers in order to raise money for this effort.

Pet overpopulation is a serious problem in White County.  It’s our firm belief that for the most part, animal cruelty and neglect are a direct result of the fact that there are simply too many unplanned, unwanted litters of puppies and kittens born each year.  These innocent animals are often forced to live in horrendous conditions or worse yet, are abandoned and left to fend for themselves.  The only permanent solution to this problem is PREVENTION.  We simply cannot adopt or rescue our way out of this situation.   That’s where we come in…we offer financial assistance to pet owners that wish to do the responsible thing by having their pets spayed or neutered, but don’t have the resources to do so.  We make spay/neuter an affordable option for everyone.  Since our program began in 2006, we’ve funded 13,106 surgeries.  That’s a lot of unwanted births prevented, and a lot of lives saved.  In order to fund our program we write grants, hold fundraisers and receive donations from our supporters.  Twice a month we sponsor transports to area low-cost spay/neuter clinics.  Our clients drop their pets off at the library parking lot, and we transport them to clinics in Lebanon and Dunlap, where they’re spayed or neutered and receive a rabies vaccination if needed.  We also work with the Major Mike Shipley S/N Clinic in Cookeville (a low-cost non-profit clinic) and with five private veterinary clinics. 

October was a busy month for us.  We sponsored transports on the 1st and 22nd of the month, providing spay/neuter for 58 cats and six dogs.  An additional 21 cats and dogs were fixed at other clinics, for a total of 85 surgeries for the month of October.  That brings our total for 2025 to 934 surgeries funded.  On October 11th we sponsored a booth at the Liberty Square Celebration, where we talked to residents about our program, and encouraged them to have their pets spayed or neutered.  Liberty Square is a great opportunity to meet people and educate them about the importance of spay/neuter.

One of our ongoing fundraisers is our aluminum can collection program.  We have a drop off site located at 390 Sewell Drive (across from the hospital.)  Enter the parking lot at the sign that reads “Docks 1-4” and you’ll see our chain link cage directly in front of you.  We can accept aluminum beverage cans, and some brands of cat food cans are also aluminum.  Over the summer we’ve taken in an average of $200-$250 each month from the sale of aluminum, all of which goes to support spay/neuter surgeries.  This is a great way to support our efforts.  Please consider saving your cans for us.

Plans are currently in the works to hold a “yard sale” at the American Legion on 21 and 22 November.  We’ll be setting up on Thursday, 20 November, beginning at 9am.  If you would like to donate items for our sale, they can be dropped off at the Legion that morning.  We’re not taking clothing, but any other donations would be appreciated.  Please come out and support our yard sale.  Again, all proceeds will be used to fund spay/neuter surgeries.

If you need assistance having your pet spayed or neutered, or are interested in learning more about our organization, please call us at 931-935-8377, or visit our Facebook page, White County Humane Society TN.  We meet the second Monday of each month at the White County Library at 3pm.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  We’re always looking for new members to help us accomplish this worthwhile mission, and would love to have you join us.