Aside from rescue work, we help families find affordable vet care and spay and neuter services for their pets to help keep them healthy and reduce the number of unwanted pets in this area to reduce the number of animals killed in shelters. We are frequently asked to do educational programs in the community on proper vet care, importance of spay and neuter, and proper pet care and keeping. We have also traveled to many areas to speak at local community meetings against breed specific legislation and have been avid educators on the pitbull type breeds of dogs. Currently we are working on getting our state licensing to start a wildlife rehabilitation facility as well as exotic pet 'zoo' where we will take in exotic pets owners can no longer keep. The new facility will focus on rehab and care of injured or orphaned wildlife, focusing on their eventual release back into the wild, as well as a sanctuary for the exotic pets including a building specifically set up for educational programs for the public on the proper care and amount of work these animals require.
For pets adopted through HART, you submit your application and we confirm all information and do a background check. If your application is approved we will set up a home visit or request photos of your home for the adoption file. We will set up a day and time for you to come meet the pet in person. If you're interested in adopting, you'll sign the adoption contract and pay the adoption fee at this time. Adoption fees on the day of adoption are only payable in cash. If the pet is already fully vetted you will be able to take the pet home at that time. Pets that have recently come into our program and have not been medically cleared to be spayed or neutered yet will not be able to go home until the surgery has been completed and they've had sufficient time to recover.
All pets adopted from HART must go to indoor only homes. Pets you currently have or have had in the last five years must have been kept current on vaccinations and must have been spayed or neutered. We require adopters to be at least 21 years of age. Until the adoption fee has been paid and a contract signed, pets are considered still available for adoption, will remain on the website and we will continue to take applications and screen potential adopters.
DAPPv $12
Rabies $10
Vet exam $28
Heartworm test $18
Fecal $10
Microchip $10
Spay / Neuter $55
Health Certificate $25 (for out of state adoptions; in state health certificate no charge)
De-worming $8
One month flea / tick and heartworm preventative $12-$18 depending on size
The average time between the day we take in a pet and the time it's adopted is roughly 4 months. During this time we must also provide food for the pet. Because we are a small rescue and not listed as a 501c3 we do not receive donations of any kind; food, preventatives, etc. All of the costs of the rescue come from our pocket until the pet is adopted at which time some of those costs are recovered. As you can see from the numbers above, we never fully recover the cost of getting a pet ready for it's new life. We average $225 for out of state adoptions for small dogs, not including food. This is something we do for the love of animals.
On the rare occasion a pet comes in that's fully vetted, or we're given a donation of extra funds for an adoption, that money is put toward vetting pets locally in low income families, vaccinating and spaying / neutering courtesy listed pets so they can go to new families, and very frequently those are fees waived pets. We very strongly support spaying and neutering pets to help control the over population problem we have in the south.
If you're in need of low income assistance to get your pet vaccinated or spayed / neutered, please contact any of the groups listed below or contact us if you aren't in the middle Tennessee area:
Wally's Friends Spay and Neuter clinic, also does low cost vaccinations and heartworm testing with alters. Chattanooga, TN. 423-877-9966
Middle Tennessee Spay Neuter clinic, also does low cost vaccinations and heartworm testing with alters. Shelbyville, TN 931-684-5353
Putnam County Humane Society Spay Neuter clinic, also does low cost vaccinations and heartworm testing with alters. Cookeville, TN 931-372-2728
For help in Warren County for transport, please contact Warren County Humane Society. They have frequent 'clinic days' with these shelters where transport is provided! 931-743-0164
Since I knew she had a good temperament I let her in the crate. She immediately started cleaning them and snuggling with them. When they tried to nurse she'd jump up and run away but instantly come back and start cleaning and snuggling all over again. I spent that night feeding them and she cleaned them as I put them back in the crate. By morning she wouldn't leave their side and by that second night she was allowing them to nurse. When they reached about three weeks old I realized they weren't eating too much more than they had the week before and wondered if Munchi was producing milk. After watching closely I realized as she was nursing there was indeed milk at the corners of their mouths!
I called the rescue's vet to see if there was anything the kittens were lacking by being mothered by a dog or if I should be supplementing at all and he said no. A dog nursing kittens won't cause any problems at all for the kittens. I continued to supplement feed them for another week but by that time she was producing enough milk that I no longer had to do any feeding at all. They saw the vet at four weeks and were deemed totally healthy kittens. The media came out and did a story on them, and they became over night local celebrities.
Once this litter was old enough for homes of their own, another rescue was kind enough to step in and help them find homes. Munchi went on to nurse two more full litters of kittens and recently took in an abandoned three week old kitten for a couple weeks until it could also go to a rescue that's much better equipped to take in kittens than we are. To this day anytime we watch TV that has newborn kittens crying, Munchi will frantically search the house looking for 'her babies'!
The story of Munchi, along with photos and videos, can be seen here:
Chihuahua acts as surrogate mother to kittens
Cammie was first brought to our attention by a lady that had gotten her from a friend. She called us about purchasing a crate so they could crate train her. About a month later I got a call from another friend of hers asking if we could take Cammie because she was too aggressive with her son. We agreed and started doing an immediate evaluation on her temperament. Like all of the bully breeds, Cammie just had no clue she was a big dog. She thought of herself as chihuahua size, so when she saw the chi-babies in the foster home she didn't understand why she could crawl in our laps too. Over time it became obvious that Cammie was not the least bit aggressive. She was a typical bully that didn't know how big or strong she was, she was very stubborn as is most of the dogs of these breeds, and had a ton of puppy energy.
Confident that there was no aggression issues, we placed Cammie's ad on Petfinder and started getting her vetting all done. It didn't take long before the applications came rolling in for this little girl. As we sifted through them, discarding some immediately and then going through the process of elimination, one continued to stand out. After some phone interviews we just knew who Cammie's true family was and contacted them to let them know they'd been approved for her adoption if they were still interested.
From the minute Cammie's new parents walked through the door, she seemed to know that's where she belonged. After a visit with her to make sure everyone was happy and comfortable, they loaded her up and headed back home. We were very interested in staying in touch with her adopters, just as we are with all of the new parents that adopt a HART fur-baby. I was thrilled when Cammie's new mom kept her word and sent frequent photos and updates. When asked about their adoption of Cammie for this site, Cammie's mom had this to say:
The adoption was started by finding her on the Petfinders.com site. It is a success and we love her so very much. She is very settled and has a new personality, very laid back. Wonderful personality!!! She loves her fenced yard and loves to watch tv. She watches dogs, cats etc. and then looks under tv or behind it when they leave the screen. She also will chase a golf ball if that is on tv. She is a clown. Very loving. Very protective but only as she is backing up! Loves to lay in the sunshine and watch her dad work in the garden. Very good at the vet, excited to see everyone. She has learned all basic commands and at night when she gets tired or during the day at nap time she goes into her kennel and sleeps. No need to close door. Her favorite toy is a quacking stuffed goose. She weighs 67 lbs. and thinks she is a chihuahua and a lap dog but only for me. I am her favorite playmate. She uses her paws like hands and holds my arm while barely rubbing it with her mouth. She has learned not to jump up on her dad and stays off of furniture.
I have the deepest respect and admiration for you, John and H.A.R.T. because without you opening your hearts and your home to the hundreds of animals that you have, this adoption would not have been possible. We thank you for allowing us the opportunity to adopt Cammie. You rescued her and in doing so, we were able to adopt a very healthy and happy baby girl. Cammie is now in her forever home, thank you my friends !
Mr. & Mrs. Winburn, Alabama
