Paws & Claws Resale Store Promises To Be Treasure Hunter’s Delight

Pete Brown and Gary Fox of Dianne Davant & Associates Interior Design unloaded trucks full of high-end inventory that has been donated by homeowners and decorators from across the south to be sold at the new Paws & Claws Resale Store in Newland. All proceeds will be used toward the operations of the Avery Humane Society Shelter.

Truckloads of designer goods of all kinds are headed for Newland where they will go on sale at the Avery Humane Society’s new Paws & Claws Resale Store. Merchandise ranging from appliances to zoological prints—with inventory encompassing every imaginable noun in between—will be available to the public beginning Saturday, June 13, at the little red brick house on Vale Road behind Ingles in Newland.

The story of the Avery Humane Society’s Paws & Claws Resale Store began almost two years ago when Rachel Deal of Crossnore and Ann Thompson of Vero Beach and Linville went to the Avery County Commission asking for help in locating a property suitable as the site for a new animal shelter. The county was willing to consider leasing the Humane Society four acres on Vale Road outside Newland if the group could obtain adjoining property to fill out the acreage required to accommodate the shelter and grounds.

Joanne Becker of Vero Beach and Linville stepped in to purchase 2.5 acres across from the proposed shelter site, including a three-bedroom house that sat on the property. Becker donated the property to the Avery Humane Society, completing the circle that made it possible for the Humane Society to get a 99-year lease from the county on the desired shelter property.

Discussions about the fate of the little brick house on Vale Road led to the decision to repurpose the structure as a retail store. Marti Huizenga of Ft. Lauderdale and Linville then stepped up and arranged for the house to be renovated to meet the codes for a retail space.

And as soon as the word went out that the Avery Humane Society planned to open a resale store for new and lightly used goods, donations began pouring in from supportive homeowners and interior designers alike.

Store Manager Caroline Fischer of Beech Mountain is busy taking stock of and pricing the varied inventory. Fischer developed her knack for retail during 12 years in the furniture business and two more working with an interior designer. She plans to test demand for the Paws & Claws product line with limited hours; the store will be open Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“Going through all this merchandise is like Christmas,” said Fischer. “I never know what I am going to find next.

“So far I’ve come across chairs, side tables, lamps, linens, designer bedding, draperies, books, DVDs, a chandelier that has never been out of its box, wall sconces that have never been hung, a blender, a pressure cooker, a crock pot, pots and pans, clothing, nick knacks, gifty-nifty things, artwork, frames, a washer dryer and lots of television sets. I have not even seen the storage building with all the big furniture, but if the quality is anything like what I have seen so far, our customers are going to be amazed at the bargains they will find.”

Shoppers can expect the prices to vary with the amount of use each item has seen, but even new-out-of-the-box items will be priced far below retail.

“We want to move things out quickly so we can make room for new items,” said Fischer. “This will be the kind of place the discriminating sale shopper will want to visit regularly. Each week will be a new game of hide-and-go-seek, and the gamblers will enjoy holding out to see if their favorite pieces stay around long enough to be marked down.”

Although the hope is that every shopper will walk away feeling like they got the best end of the deal, the overriding mission is to raise funds to operate the Avery County Animal Shelter. The Avery Humane Society has a remarkable record of finding forever homes for the county’s unwanted animals. The shelter adopted 66 animals during the month of May alone. Proceeds from the resale store will make it possible for the organization to continue rescuing and finding devoted families for Avery’s homeless animals.

The grand opening of the Paws & Claws Resale Store is set for 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 13. The store is located on Vale Road off Highway 194 in Newland, behind Ingles. To learn more about the efforts of the Avery Humane Society or to see photos of the pets currently available for adoption, call 828-733-6312 or click to www.averyhumane.org.