NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — When a group called out for help during this overwhelming heat, middle Tennessee answered.
It was in one of those true go-times, I met Heather Hixson. She's with animal rescue Bonaparte's Retreat. Hixson teaches dogs to love singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris. We'll get back to that in a minute.
"I say this all the time, but we're all in this together!" Hixson said.
Hixson talked to me, standing in a line outside Metro Animal Care and Control. The crowd had in mind these triple digit temperature days.
Matthew Peters of Metro Animal Care and Control explained a power issue Thursday knocked out the air conditioning in one of the rooms. Work's underway to get it back.
"We've got some back-up air conditioners in, some emergency air conditioners in," Peters said. "No animals are in danger, but we don't know how long that's going to last, and we don't want to rely on emergency air conditioning units indefinitely."
Metro Animal Care and Control made a push for people to come in and foster about 30-40 dogs while fixes are made to the air conditioning for that room.
"I saw it on their socials and thought, 'we can do this. We can do this,'" Hixson said.
Hixson brought team members and fosters to help.
Oh. Back to Emmylou Harris.
Hixson explained Bonaparte's Retreat rescue was founded by Harris.
"I'm a big fan of Emmylou Harris," Hixson nodded. "There's not anyone with a bigger heart for animals than Emmylou."
Hixson turned her attention to a dog she was about to take home to foster.
"And Carbonara is a big fan too, aren't you? You will be."
Bonaparte's Retreat is named after one of Harris' dogs.
Hixson understands animals inspiring acts of kindness.
She works in memory of her dog Sadie Hawkins.
"She was a collie, German Shepherd, and she was smarter than any human I've ever met," Hixson said. "She was a rescue. Now, that's all I can imagine adopting."
Friday was a busy afternoon at Metro Animal Care and Control. For a group of people who work there, it's been good to know, when they called out for urgent help, people with a heart for animals did respond.
"That's what makes Nashville so special," Peters said. "That's what makes our community so special. Seeing people really showing up for us when we do need them, that really touches our hearts."
"It's become my passion and my identity," Hixson said. "I can't imagine doing anything else."
She turned her attention to the dogs.
"Say I love Emmylou!"
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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