Statements

Mission

Friends of WCAC's mission is to promote and support quality of life for all animals and the humans who care about them by ensuring a compassionate environment and humane treatment for the animals of Williamson County. Friends of WCAC's mission focuses on three general areas: 1) To provide support to Williamson County Animal Center; 2) To increase community awareness regarding animal welfare; and 3) To support/initiate legislation and policies that provide compassionate treatment of animals.

Background

Friends of WCAC was created in 2011 as an outcome of a 2 year county task force review to identify what it would take to make Williamson County Animal Center a best in class organization. The original board members of Friends of WCAC all came from the County task force with the exception of the shelter Director. Collectively, the board has many years of volunteerism regarding animal welfare and are focused on enhancing animal welfare through improvements in shelter operations, increased education and community outreach, and contributing valuable insight into public policy. Many of these activities are supported through Friends of WCAC's fundraising efforts. Within shelter operations, Friends is involved in marketing the present advantages of shelter adoptions and services, improving the quality of information provided to assist potential adopters in making well-thought choices, providing spaying/neutering of existing pets for low-income owners, utilizing data-based, industry-best behavioral assessment techniques in evaluating animals, and providing outstanding veterinary care -- all designed to maximize save rates to best-in-class levels. Education and community outreach focuses on a variety of initiatives to enhance the general public's awareness of the county's shelter and the value of services provided, general animal welfare needs, promoting good pet ownership responsibilities, emphasizing the need for spaying/neutering, supporting a low-cost rabies/microchip clinic, and supporting food pantries and families with pet food for low-income families.

Impact

2014 -- Purchased an industrial washer/dryer for shelter laundry; funded a vet technician position at the shelter, funded the construction of an equine facility for confiscated horses/livestock, funded construction of emergency kennels & an awning, and provided pet food to area food pantries. 2015 -Installed an industrial dish washer, provide added medical support through on site and offsite veterinary care, funded medical lab expenses & specialized veterinary care, began upgrading the quality of cat enclosures to new standards, continued and expanded the support of pet food to local food pantries. 2016 - Supported the shelter's veterinary care through additional medical support by funding outside veterinary care, medical equipment, & laboratory services. Funded the Trap/Neuter/Release Cat Program. Funded Sunday adoption hours. Funded numerous shelter improvements including play yard expansion, cat enclosure upgrades (Purr Palace & Meow Manor), outdoor lighting, security cameras, and other facility improvements. We continue to provide pet food to local food pantries. We have also begun reserving funds for a major facility upgrade which will likely be a new facility. 2017 - With increased animal intakes, medical expenditures remain a significant area of support by funding additional on-site medical support, outside veterinary services, medical equipment, and laboratory services. We have provided support for adoptions by funding additional staffing hours on weekends/holiday and promotional events to raise awareness of the shelter. As plans for a new shelter are in development, we have begun reserving funds to ensure a best-in-class facility to maintain our animal save rate. 2018 -- Medical support and the construction of a new facility will be our primary goals to ensure our animal save rate remains strong. 2019 -- Medical support, behavior training, a spay/neuter feral cat program and raising funds to supplement the construction of a new facility were the major accomplishments for the year -- all of which contributed to maintain a best-in-class save rate of 95%. 2020 - Construction design and funding of a new county animal shelter was begun. Also, Friends continued to provide additional medical support, a Pet Food Bank for those needing assistance, fund the rabies/microchip clinics, spay/neuter support, behavioral training, and adoption promotions. 2021 - Supporting the construction of the new shelter by funding enhancements over what the county's budget was provided through a donation of $1.4 million from Friends of WCAC. The funding provided for a covered outside exercise area, an indoor training area, and a community education center. In addition, Friends of WCAC continued to provide additional medical support, a Pet Food Bank for those needing assistance, monthly rabies vaccine/microchip clinics, support for Spay/neuter programs, and adoption promotional support for the shelter. 2022 - Provided equipment and furnishings for the new shelter, supplemented medical support with additional staffing/medicines, expanded the Pet Food Bank program to reach more families in need of assistance, provided funding for a professional behavioral training program for dogs, continue to support the rabies/microchip clinic and low-cost spay/neuter program, piloted a new program to ensure adequate housing for outdoor animals, provided photography equipment to enhance the adoption promotion efforts of the shelter, and supported several adoption events. 2023 - upgraded play yards and public dog parks at the shelter, increased support for veterinary services at the shelter and low cost spay/neuter services , increased Paw Pantry funding providing pet food and outdoor pet shelters to those families in need of assistance, continued support of the rabies/micro chip clinic, provided promotional support to increase awareness of the shelter's programs.

Needs

For 2024, the five most pressing needs include: 1)increase veterinary care support (including medical equipment, specialist care, medicines, & lab expenses) because of higher animal intakes including those needs of the feral cat program, 2) support expansion of the Paw Pantry program with pet food which reduces the number of animals surrendered and provide outdoor housing for those in need of assistance, 3) support the juvenile diversion and special needs assistance programs, 4) support of the community cat program, and 5) training and events to support successful adoptions & responsible pet ownership which reduce animals being returned to the shelter.

CEO Statement

We are an all volunteer organization.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Animal Related  - Animal Protection & Welfare
Secondary Category:	Education  - Adult Education
Tertiary Category:	-

Areas Served

We serve all of Williamson County, including all the cities and other municipalities within the county.

TN - Williamson