Non-profit celebrates 50,000 spay/neuter milestone

A local organization working to reduce unwanted pets in East Tennessee is celebrating a big milestone today.

Tuesday morning, People Promoting Animal Welfare (PPAW) neutered its 50,000th animal since opening back in 1993.

Today's lucky animal was a Persian cat named Sir Tangerine who will be up for adoption after his recovery.

The organization is non-profit, and their purpose is to provide low-cost spay and neuter services for dogs and cats. They say their work helps give more animals the opportunity for a loving home.

"Not only have we spayed 50,000 animals, we've also stopped a lot of unwanted dogs from being euthanized," said Karen Leanard with PPAW.

PPAW is located on Morganton Road in Greenback, and serves clients in more than 14 East Tennessee counties, and three other states.