WILLIAMSON ANIMAL CENTER TO OFFER NEW DOG TRAINING, HOPES TO STOP SURRENDERS IN 3 COUNTIES

The Williamson County Animal Center has been awarded a $50,000 grant to launch a new canine behavior training program aimed at reducing pet surrenders across three Middle Tennessee counties.

The grant, provided by the PEDIGREE Foundation, was recently announced by the Friends of the Williamson County Animal Center (WCAC). The initiative will involve a collaboration between the WCAC, Cheatham County Animal Control, Maury County Animal Shelter, and Snooty Giggles Dog Rescue, with the goal of providing training to 400 at-risk dogs in Williamson, Cheatham, and Maury Counties.

“Nearly a quarter of the dogs surrendered to us in 2023 cited behavioral issues or other concerns that could have been addressed with proper training,” said WCAC Director Ondrea Johnson. This new initiative will focus on retraining dogs in an effort to prevent owners from surrendering them.

Johnson’s group is a regular donor to the animal shelter, providing support for programs, adoptions, and medical services. However, shelters like the one in Williamson County continue to see increasing pet populations.

Nonprofit leaders, including Johnson, point out that shelters and rescues across the U.S. are facing overcrowding and longer stays due to low adoption rates. As a result, there is a growing emphasis on investing in resources that help prevent animals from being surrendered in the first place.

The new grant will fund both group classes and one-on-one sessions. However, these sessions won’t be open for public registration. Instead, participating shelters and organizations in each county will reach out to select pet owners based on their interactions with families considering surrendering their pets.

The Maury County Animal Shelter recently shared more information about the selection process on social media. “If you’re on our waitlist and your reason for surrender is behavior-related, or you’re planning to surrender for a behavior issue, please email us with details,” the post read. It also clarified that the program is open to all dogs in the county, regardless of whether they were adopted from the shelter.

“This is not basic obedience training but rather an option to work with you and your dog on specific behaviors that will keep your pet in your home. Please share this important new option available to Maury County residents and their dogs.”

More information about the program can be found at FriendsofWCAC.org.

The Williamson County shelter, 1006 Grigsby Hayes Court in Franklin, is open to the public from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and closed on Sunday.