MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — True Rescue lost around $15,000 in damaged goods after floodwaters filled the facility last week, but a Facebook post brought in more than $50,000 in donations and supplies.
True Rescue cat shelter in Mt. Juliet has helped nearly 8,000 cats and kittens find homes.
Their building frequently has flooding issues during heavy rains.
Last week, up to 5 inches of floodwater entered the building.
The cats were able to climb to higher ground and were not harmed, but nearly 30 cat towers and other floor-level items were waterlogged and had to be thrown away.
"All this was underwater," said adoption counselor Mandy Mann. "Anything that is touching the floor was water damaged."
The shelter estimates the flooding caused significant financial damage.
“We probably lost between $10,000 and $15,000 worth of merchandise,” said True Rescue executive director Amy Simcik.
True Rescue turned to Facebook hoping for help replacing what was lost.
The response far exceeded expectations, bringing in more than $50,000 in donations and goods, with more still coming in.
Cat towers are now piled high at the shelter, along with kitten food, supplies and more.
True Rescue's executive director said the outpouring of support was beyond what they expected.
"We have a great following but there is just no way we expected this kind of outpouring. We were just absolutely blown away," Simcik said.
The shelter plans to use much of the money to waterproof the building and replace its leaky roof to prevent future flooding.
There are also plans to use some of the donations to give back to the community through a low-cost veterinary clinic.
Click here for information on how to donate items, money or time to True Rescue.
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