Young-Williams Animal Center will host a special adoption event on Saturday, Sept. 27, at PetSmart Turkey Creek to help find loving homes at a time when the shelter is well beyond its intended capacity.

The event, which will be held from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at 11134 Parkside Drive, comes at a critical time, and the shelter is asking the community to step up and make a difference.

“We’re seeing more animals than ever come through our doors, and right now we’re caring for more than 180 dogs – nearly twice what’s ideal for their comfort and for our team,” Young-Williams Animal Center CEO Janet Testerman says. “We know our community cares deeply, and this is a great time to consider adoption or fostering. Even short-term fosters make a big impact, and we provide all the food and supplies. Together, we can give these animals the space, care and love they deserve.”

The shelter also is housing more than 130 cats with 246 in foster care, and Testerman encouraged the community to use the Friendly Finders Program to help ease capacity.  Information about the program is available at young-williams.org/lost-found.

 “If you’ve found a contained, non-aggressive stray, consider caring for the animal temporarily during their five-day stray hold,” Testerman says. “It keeps pets out of the shelter, reduces stress on the animal and gives us more space for urgent cases. It’s a small act that can make a big difference.”

Most lost pets are found within a one-mile radius of their home and/or owners and removing the animal from that vicinity makes it substantially less likely the pet will get home.

The vision of Young-Williams Animal Center is “a home for every pet.” It is the municipal shelter of the City of Knoxville and Knox County, and each year takes in more than 11,000 animals.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Young-Williams Animal Center serves the needs of lost, unwanted, abandoned and neglected animals. The center’s mission is to lead the community to end pet homelessness, promote animal welfare and enhance the human-animal bond through the shelter and placement of animals, spay/neuter initiatives and public education of companion animal issues. Young-Williams Animal Center reminds pet owners to spay and neuter their pets.

Young-Williams Animal Center’s main facility is located off Sutherland Avenue at 3201 Division Street. Young-Williams Animal Village satellite adoption location and public spay/neuter program is located at 6400 Kingston Pike.

Both locations are open seven days a week from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The shelter closes from 1-2 p.m. for an hour of quiet time for the animals. For more information about Young-Williams Animal Center, call 865-433-9922 or visit https://www.young-williams.org/.