The Cookeville-Putnam County Shelter is encouraging residents to participate in a specialty license plate pre-order initiative to generate new funding for local animal rescues and shelters.
Shelter Director Jennifer Tracy said the project was launched by Adopt-A-Golden in Knoxville to create a statewide specialty plate that supports animal adoption. Tracy said the organizers are currently seeking 1,000 pre-orders to secure the plate’s production and official recognition by the state.
“They’re petitioning to have this plate, specialty plate created to support adoption from rescues and shelters in the area,” Tracy said. “And basically right now what we’re just reposting is they’re trying to get a pre-order of a, a thousand plates to secure it. If they’re able to get that, then they are sharing a portion of the fees they collect with whatever rescue or shelter that people name when they pre-order their plate.”
Tracy said the specialty plate features a “Rescue Adopt Love” message accompanied by cartoon illustrations of puppies and kittens. Tracy said the shelter could potentially receive anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the volume of orders and the long-term success of the plate.
“The more money we have, the more we can do for the animals, so we’re always happy for any revenue source that we can get,” Tracy said. “And we can always put it to good use and every bit of it gets used towards the care of the animals.”
Tracy said the funds could be utilized for various operational needs including the purchase of food or the financing of adoption events. Tracy said residents can select the Cookeville-Putnam County Shelter as their designated beneficiary when submitting their pre-order through the program’s online portal.
“I hope it will make people think that way,” Tracy said. “I support the spay and neuter plates as well because those help to go help animals. That’s one that’s already available. I hope they make a difference. I can’t say that I’ve seen any statistics to, to measure that, but I hope it is makes an impact.”
Tracy said the shelter is currently managing a population of more than 100 cats due to the peak of kitten season. Tracy said the dog population is currently holding at approximately 50 animals, which she noted is somewhat unusual for the current summer heat.
“I’m just grateful for how supportive the community is of us,” Tracy said. “We’re, we’re very blessed in that way. We wouldn’t have the shelter that we have, we wouldn’t be able to provide the amount of care and the quality of care that we do without that community support. So it makes a huge difference and we’re extremely grateful for it.”
Tracy said the community can also support the shelter through volunteering, donating supplies, or serving as foster parents for animals not yet ready for adoption.