Thousands have a ball at Young-Williams Animal Center’s 16th Annual Mardi Growl
Submitted by Allie Clouse
Published March 4, 2023

KNOXVILLE -- Downtown Knoxville streets filled with beads, boas and barks on Saturday, March 4, for Young-Williams Animal Center’s 16th annual Mardi Growl Pet Parade & Festival. The event benefits the official municipal shelter for the City of Knoxville and Knox County and the more than 11,000 animals it takes in annually.

Mardi Growl, presented by Merchants of Beer, featured a pet-friendly parade from the Old City to World’s Fair Park, where vendors, Young-Williams Animal Center’s Spay Shuttle, live music and more awaited attendees.

“There’s no other celebration like Mardi Growl in East Tennessee!” says Janet Testerman, CEO of Young-Williams Animal Center. “Not only is it fun for pets and their people, but it is also an excellent opportunity to learn more and contribute to our lifesaving efforts. We are so appreciative of the community’s continued support of Mardi Growl and our shelter, which allows us to care for the thousands of animals and individuals who need our help annually.”

Young-Williams Animal Center offered $10 rabies vaccinations and microchipping for dogs and cats. Attendees also participated in pet costume contests, enjoyed food from local trucks and browsed more than 50 booths at the festival.

Mardi Growl is Young-Williams Animal Center’s largest fundraiser and is made possible through the support of event sponsors, including: Merchants of Beer; Radio Systems Corporation; PetSafe; Invisible Fence Inc.; SportDOG, City of Knoxville; Downtown Knoxville Alliance; River Dog Bakery; Visit Knoxville; Pinnacle Financial Partners; TIS Insurance Services, Inc.; Mortgage Investors Group; All Occasions Party Rentals; LHP Capital; PetWellClinic; Rocky Top K9 and others. Media sponsors include WBIR-TV Channel 10 and Star 102.1 FM.

For more information about Mardi Growl, please visit mardigrowl.org.

About Young-Williams Animal Center
The vision of Young-Williams Animal Center is “a home for every pet.” It is the municipal shelter of the City of Knoxville and Knox County, and each year takes in more than 11,000 animals.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Young-Williams Animal Center serves the needs of lost, unwanted, abandoned and neglected animals. The center’s mission is to lead the community to end pet homelessness, promote animal welfare and enhance the human-animal bond through the shelter and placement of animals, spay/neuter initiatives and public education of companion animal issues. Young-Williams Animal Center reminds pet owners to spay and neuter their pets.

Young-Williams Animal Center’s main facility is located off Sutherland Avenue at 3201 Division Street. Young-Williams Animal Village satellite adoption location and public spay/neuter program is located at 6400 Kingston Pike.

Both locations are open seven days a week from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The shelter closes from 1-2 p.m. for an hour of quiet time for the animals. For more information about Young-Williams Animal Center, call 865-215-6599 or visit www.young-williams.org.