A Saturday fundraiser will provide the Cookeville-Putnam County Animal Shelter with thousands of dollars in savings by collecting essential supplies.
Shelter Director Jennifer Tracy said the facility is currently at maximum capacity and requires a high volume of resources to maintain daily operations. Tracy said the shelter utilizes approximately 50 pounds of dog food and 20 pounds of cat and kitten food every day.
“I order litter 40 to 60 bags at a time, that’s several hundred dollars right there every time I have to buy food and I’m only usually buying maybe six or eight bags at a time, it’s two and three hundred dollars,” Tracy said. “So it’s thousands of dollars of savings for us.”
Petals for Helping Pets fundraiser at Abel Gardens will allows donors to drop off pet food or litter in exchange for a bouquet of roses. Tracy said the retailer orders a variety of fresh, colorful roses specifically for this event rather than using existing inventory.
“Not only are you helping the animal shelter but you’re getting something that’s typically a bit of an indulgence to gift to a friend or loved one or even yourself,” Tracy said. “So that’s what I think is really special about this particular event. There’s just love all around.”
Tracy said the shelter also goes through four or five bags of litter daily, though shredded paper is used in some areas to manage costs. The facility only uses traditional litter in the adoption area.
“We can divert towards veterinary care, medical supplies, heartworm prevention, flea control products, things like that we would have to cut back on if we didn’t have that support,” Tracy said.
Tracy said the partnership helps the shelter reach different segments of the community that might not otherwise be aware of the facility’s specific needs. The savings generated by the drive allow the shelter to expand animal care and purchase items that might have been cut from the budget to cover basic necessities.