Imagine the life of homeless pet. No food, no water, no shelter. People look at you in disgust and even shout profanities at you. Nobody wants anything to do with you. You get cold at night and you’re covered in fleas and open sores. You scratch all the time but it only gets worse. You’re weak from not eating, and dehydrated from lack of water. You may have even been injured by another animal. Every moment of your existence is about trying to survive, until you find yourself in a kennel surrounded by dozens or even hundreds of other animals, most in the same poor shape as yourself. Each year approximately 6 million dogs and cats enter shelters nationwide. Roughly half of those will be euthanized, not due to poor health or aggression issues but simply due to lack of resources. At the Maryville Alcoa Animal Rescue Center we are committed to saving these innocent lives, all of them - not just 50% of them. We believe every animal deserves a chance at life. Our dedicated team of volunteers works around the clock caring for every animal that enters our system with not only housing, feeding, cleaning, and vetting; but with training, love, and socialization. Anything and everything needed to get these forgotten and abandoned animals ready for their forever home. Due to efforts like these our community has proudly maintained a 95% or better save rate for over 5 years. However the need never stops, companion animals don’t know about pandemics or job loss, they just know they need our help to survive. Your gift of $9.70 provides a full day of care to one of these deserving animals.