About the Foundation
Jesse C. Beesley, a local noted sculptor, was instrumental in forming the first humane society in Rutherford County in 1976. He inspired the formation of the spay/neuter clinic in 1992.
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Beesley is especially proud it was instrumental in establishing the requirement that all adopted animals be spayed/neutered, and in support of that requirement we operate an affordable spay/neuter clinic where approximately 250 surgeries (both shelter adoptions and public pets) are performed each month.
Since the opening of our clinic in May 1992, Beesley Animal Clinic has performed over 70,000 Spay/Neuter surgeries. Today the Beesley Animal Foundation operates Beesley Animal Clinic and is dedicated to decreasing the suffering caused by pet overpopulation. In addition to the Beesley Animal Clinic, four other programs fall under the Beesley Animal Foundation (BAF) umbrella to support community pets and pet owners.
Educate - BAF strives to educate the community about responsible pet care including how spay/neuter and pet wellness are necessary in making sure pets remain healthy. Healthy pets are Happy pets!!
Assist Financially - BAF offers financial assistance to those underserved including low-income individuals, senior citizens, and those facing homelessness. Qualified individuals receive assistance to spay/neuter their cat or dog and sometimes vaccinations.
Community Outreach - Through this program BAF partners with various organizations in Rutherford and Cannon counties to distribute cat and dog food with their human food drives. We are also excited to once again go out into our community to senior centers and other places to give vaccinations to the cats and dogs of the homeless, underserved, and seniors.
Oliver Pet Assistance Fund- Through this program, owned cats and dogs in Rutherford and Cannon Counties can request assistance for urgent-nonemergent care thanks to partnerships with local veterinarians.
Mission
Beesley promotes responsible pet care through community awareness, outreach and education and along with providing affordable health services for cats and dogs.
Education
Beesley Animal Foundation offers several education programs to the public. The programs offered vary in length and include but are not limited to:
• Avoiding animal bites
• Kindness to animals
• Responsible pet ownership
• Importance of rabies shots
• Proper vet care
• Leash laws
• Importance of population control
The sessions vary from 15 minutes for preschool to 30-45 minutes for older students and include handouts. They are fun as well as informative and if you are interested in bringing an educational program to your school or organization, contact the Beesley Animal Foundation at (615) 217-1030 or send us an email: beesley.director@gmail.com.
