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Looking for a way to pick up a few items for back to school at a discount price while helping some animals in need? The Tri City Paws Yard Sale may be just what you’re looking for, with the event aimed at fundraising for Tri City Paws, a charity organization dedicated to helping find permanent homes for many animals.

During a recent interview, Tri City Paws volunteer Tiffany Vessey shed some light on the upcoming event and the organization behind it.

“We take care of animals,” Vessey explained. “We help support fosters (people who provide foster homes for animals) when they are fostering animals, we help take care of the animals at the shelter, and we help get them to various rescues all over the country so they can find their forever homes.”

According to Vessey, the Tri City Paws Yard Sale is a two-day event.

“It’s Aug. 11 and 12,” Vessey said. “We’re going to have lots of children’s clothes, adult clothes, and a bunch of other stuff, TVs, furniture, all kinds of goodies. We just wanted to catch all the parents as they’re doing their back-to-school shopping and let them know so they can make their money go further.”

Vessey pointed out the clothing will be priced at yard sale prices.

The yard sale is going to take place at 338 Poplar Street in Benham.

“It will be from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on both days,” Vessey said. “All proceeds go to the non-profit Tri City Paws, to take care of animals.”

Vessey explained Tri City Paws has done many things to help animals in need.

“I’m actually a (animal) foster parent,” Vessey said. “I have 15 dogs at my house, eight of which are puppies who were dumped with garbage. I took them in at a week and a half to two weeks old and I’ve bottle fed them. Now, they’re healthy 4-month-old puppies that are ready to find their forever homes.”

Vessey noted Tri City Paws has rescued dogs and other animals found in all sorts of places – such as the side of the road or in the mountains – and cared for them while they located a permanent home.

“We’ve done dog shows to raise money,” Vessey said. “We’re doing a roadblock soon to fundraise. We pretty much just do whatever’s needed to take care of the strays. We even do reduced cost spay and neuter clinics.”

Participation in the clinics is easy to arrange.

“Just reach out to Tri City Paws and explain what you need, then you can get on the calendar for one of the spay and neuter clinics,” Vessey said. “They only do animals 40 pounds or less.”

Vessey noted Tri City Paws works mainly with dogs and cats and is always looking for people to foster the animals. She explained what is involved in fostering an animal.

“A foster for animals is much like a foster for children,” Vessey said. “An animal will come and stay for a short period of time.”

Vessey said the animals are with a foster anywhere from a few days to a few months.

“We are in desperate need of more fosters, people that are willing to take care of an animal in the short term while we find it a forever home,” Vessey said.

For more information on Tri City Paws or to donate to the yard sale, go to the Tri-City Paws Facebook page or contact Vessey at (606) 273-4320.