Misfit Hounds raises money for paw-sitive organization

Based in Elizabethton, Tennessee, Misfit Hounds focuses on the different breeds of hounds that need rescuing in East Tennessee. To help bring awareness to the organization, one volunteer decided to host an auction.

“I had noticed a post about how they were looking to expand their rescue,” organizer Ashley Vaughn West said. “In order to help with their expansion, I just thought about doing an auction.”

Vaughn West said that ETSU had helped with the event by donating the space in the Millennium Center to use. She also said that they have received a little over $6,000 in donations for the auction, including a University of Tennessee football autographed by Phillip Fulmer and a Tennessee Titans fan pack. One-hundred percent of the proceeds go back to Misfit Hounds.

Attendee Kim Barrett said she came to support the auction and to help support the organization because of a love of animals.

“Auctions are just plain fun,” Barrett said. “If you’re coming out, you’re coming out to have fun and to support a really good organization.”

Along with the auction, Misfit Hounds brought two dogs up for adoption for attendees to get to know better and hopefully adopt.

Misfit Hounds is run by Brad Marlow. Marlow said he started the organization to help bring awareness to hound dogs in need of rescue.

“There’s not a lot of hound, coon hound, beagle and foxhound dedicated rescues,” Marlow said “There’s just a need, and I saw that and realized that need.”

He said that Misfit Hounds became an official organization in May, but they have been rescuing dogs since 2015. Over the past four years, Misfit Hounds has helped saved over 100 dogs, adopting them out to families both in the area and across the country as well. Marlow said that the adoptable dogs are often pulled from kill shelters, and they rehab and spay or neuter the dogs.

“I would say you would need a sense of humor to have one of these dogs and a good fence,” Marlow said. “And a lot of patience. … They’re a little bit more stubborn than most breeds, but they are real people pleasers, very affectionate, very loving dogs and very intuitive. I love them.”

Marlow said that he runs Misfit Hounds out of his home and that the goal of the fundraiser is to move Misfit Hounds into a 3,200 square foot building.

At the end of the night, Misfit Hounds ended up raising $6,000 to go back to the organization. Marlow said that he’s been blown away by the amount of community support for the organization.

“We’ve gotten over 100 donations from all over the southeast,” Marlow said. “It’s really great, the community support that this event has gathered.”