In 2008 a small group of animal lovers met and started a group to be named Safe Haven Animal Rescue Program (SHARP). These animal lovers personally saw the effects of a rural county with no animal shelters. Polk County is in the far South-eastern corner of Tennessee. It is a very rural county with most of its 442 sq. miles belonging to the Cherokee National Forest. Unfortunately, the beauty of the mountains and forest has drawn people to drop family pets off to survive on their own. SHARP’s dedicated members knew becoming a 501(c)3 would help with fund raising and achieve long term goals. With our new status achieved, SHARP put together a new mission statement and strategic plan to guide the group forward. Our group consists of hard working everyday people with the passion to give time and love to every dog or cat taken in. Currently we use a foster based program to house our dogs and cats. Each dog or cat taken in is given all shots, heartworm checked and spayed or neutered before being offered for adoption. SHARP dogs and cats are kept with their foster parent and treated like a member of their own family. The foster based system allows us to give great detail to potential families about each dog’s and cat's characteristics and needs. Of course the tears flow when it is time to hand a dog or cat over to a new family, but the tears are always followed up with a smile knowing one more dog has a forever home. In 2016 over 100 dogs and cats from Polk County were adopted to a new forever home through SHARP. We know every year the number of dogs and cats needing help is growing. Each dog and cat relies not only on their new foster mom for encouragement and love, but donations from every source possible.
1. Fill out an Adoption Application. 2. A SHARP representative will contact you to review the form. 3. If applicable, we'll call your veterinarian to ask for references. 4. For renters, we'll check with your landlord to ensure that dogs are permitted and that the dog that you're adopting wouldn't violate any size or breed restrictions. 5. Lastly, we'll visit your home to see the environment where the dog will live and answer your questions. This is a great opportunity for you to get valuable input on how to integrate your new pet into your home.
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