MAURY COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Maury County's animal shelter had an empty adoption floor for the first time ever.
We are so happy to tell you after a story about fostering animals over the holidays.
But there's still more work to do.
“That was surreal. Our kennels are usually really loud,” said Kim Raffauf, director of Maury County Animal Services. “To walk through there and have dead silence was just amazing.”
What they called Operation Silent Night was a success. For the first time ever, all the animals under Maury County Animal Service's care were in the care of loving families for the holidays.
“It’s the first time in history. We were really excited about that,” said Raffauf.
Raffauf said 30 animals were sent to foster or adoption homes for a holiday respite.
But it was a silence, short-lived.
“We’re pretty full. Well, we’re always full,” said Raffauf. “We are a community that has grown so fast that our shelter is very undersized for the population here in the area. We have to manage the intake of what we can bring in."
The space cleared and kennels emptied are again home to strays or runaway pets. The day after Christmas there was another knock at the door.
“His name is Miracle,” said Raffauf pointing to a newer intake with injuries. “A lady was at her grandmother’s house in Mount Pleasant. He was on the side of the road dragging himself along. She thought he had been hit by a car, but he really had been shot.”
After giving so many dogs and cats homes for the holidays, Raffauf now knows miracles are possible.
She's hoping there's one more miracle left.
“Here at the shelter we're limited in what we can do but he has the want to live and I want to give him every opportunity I can,” said Raffauf.
There are still plenty of fostering and adoption opportunities available through Maury County Animal Services.
Raffauf also warns of the New Year's Eve fireworks as it's one of the busiest times for taking in runaway pets.
She recommends writing your phone number in your pet's collar with sharpie, keeping them calm and inside away from the noise and getting them micro-chipped.
