FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — In this sort of cold, remember it's also dangerous for our pets. To help show what you can do to help, we decided to revisit an old friend. Or at least try to revisit that friend.
Let's think back to warmer days. Last June, NewsChannel 5 visited the Grassland Sonic where there was someone the community would all come out to visit.
"Tater Tot the Cat!" said a smiling customer.
See, the trouble was Tater Tot was somewhat hard to find. Tater Tot, a feral cat, would emerge at certain hours of the day, keeping her distance from customers while also observing the action outside the restaurant.
Flash forward to now, a very cold day in Middle Tennessee with dangerous temperatures.
Scott Pieper is with the Williamson County Animal Center. He stood outside the Grassland Sonic Monday morning, making a few adjustments to a new enclosed bed insulated with straw donated to Tater Tot by the Friends of Williamson County Animal Center.
"This is an example of shelters that we have that we give away to community members who care for outdoor cats," he said, showing the shelter. "This one also has foam insulation inside of it as well."
Scott said the ideal is getting animals inside from something like this, but for a feral cat like Tater Tot, that's not going to be so easy.
"She's a cat, and cats do things on their terms," he smiled.
The Williamson County Animal Center has bales of straw sitting outside their address for anyone who needs to take some to keep an animal warm.
"Straw would be the preferred method for insulation," Scott continued.
Even with cat food and water set out and two choices of bedding Monday morning, Tater Tot was again missing.
"She prefers to appreciate her support from a distance," Scott laughed. "Y'know. Truth be known. I've never actually seen her in person."
Here's the thing. Tater Tot has a few stops around the area where she stays warm. Tater Tot is seen when she wants to be seen, y'know, like when after I'm gone. When she gets in, she'll find everything a community has left for her. Stay warm, old friend.
"We are lucky to be in middle Tennessee that really embraces animal welfare," said Scott.
You can watch where we first met Tater Tot in the video below.
Journalism is at its best when we can shine a light on an issue that needs more attention. Once again, Hannah McDonald does this beautifully by highlighting the hardships of teens aging out of the foster care system. I learned something new in her reporting and am inspired by the work I AM NEXT is doing to make a difference. I think you will be too!
-Carrie Sharp
