Without any government funding, the Pet Placement Center has to work tirelessly to keep its coffers full so the nonprofit no-kill shelter can keep rescuing animals that were abandoned or saved from abusive situations.
Fundraising is supposed to be fun, though, said volunteer Glenn McFeeters - which is why the nonprofit is organizing its first-ever Wags 'N Wheels, a car show being held Saturday, Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Chickamauga Dam.
McFeeters, a board member of the Tennessee Humane Animal League, which runs the Pet Placement Center, said he and his fellow organizers are aiming for at least 200 cars to attend.
"It's our inaugural event, of course, so we don't know exactly how it's going to go. Our fingers are crossed," McFeeters said.
Door prizes and trophies will be handed out for best in show as well as the top 40 cars in various categories as rated by the show's four judges. In addition, events such as a K-9 demonstration from the Chattanooga Police Department and a car demolition featuring the Chattanooga Fire Department's hydraulic rescue tools, otherwise known as the Jaws of Life, will be featured throughout the day.
The fundraiser is free to attend, though registration for the car show costs $20 in advance and $25 at the gate.
For a few dollars each, guests can also participate in small fundraisers, like a kissing booth featuring adoptable pooches rather than people, races on the boards used by mechanics to easily slide under cars, and the opportunity to take a sledgehammer to the car the fire department will be tearing apart. Local food and beverage trucks will be on-site offering refreshments for purchase.
McFeeters hopes the funds raised can purchase an official car for the Pet Placement Center so that more animals can be rescued, though the board still has to determine exactly how the resultant funds will be used, he said.
"Right now we don't have a vehicle to transport homeless animals to our shelter," said McFeeters. "Our director [Kristin Stanford] uses her personal vehicle, as do a few other employees. If we had our own van, we could advertise more and outfit it to make it appropriate for animal transport."
While the Pet Placement Center does not offer same-day adoptions, information about adoptable animals will be available at the event.
For more information, visit petplacementcenter.com/events.html.