About Us

Why we do what we do

The following simple story speaks to why we do what we do.

A sparrow was seen on the ground with its legs in the air. When asked what he was doing he said, “I heard the sky is falling so I have come to help.” The visitor laughed saying, “You can’t stop the sky from falling with those scrawny legs!” The sparrow replied, “One does what one can.”

Our efforts to reduce the number of pets in need is a small number compared to the vastness of the issue, but even in small numbers a difference is being made, especially to each animal in our care!

Our primary purpose is to help animals in our care learn to trust and live happy, healthy lives for the rest of their lives.

Our secondary purpose is reducing the need for pets to go into a rescue or shelter

As a society we can continue to care for homeless, abused, and surrendered pets, but if we don’t look at the underlying causes, the number of animals will continue to grow. For this reason our secondary purpose is to provide community outreach and support.

We do this in the following ways:

1. By offering sanctuary to surrendered, abandoned, and abused pets we reduce the number entering the overburdened shelter system. 
2. We provide pet owners with resource alignment connecting them with agencies that can help with their unique situation. We also provide supplies through Buddy’s Bowl, our pet food pantry and spay/neuter grants when we have funding. This helps equip pet owners with the tools and resources they need so more pets stay in the home.

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We believe it’s important to measure our impact. We do this through statistics, surveys, and video stories about our rescues.  

The image below shows a snapshot of our 2021 intake. These data are recorded in the Shelter Animals Count.

Since we began our work, we have had the following successes:

• 125 pets were kept out of the shelter system
• 129 received vaccinations and medical care
• 129 were provided spay/ neuter surgeries
• 5 were reunited with their owner through a partnership with the Benton Co Animal Shelter
• 2 were transferred to other rescues
• 1 severely neglected dog was rescued through our community outreach program
• 6 felines were saved from euthanasia
• 10 were given love and proper burial at the end of their life when they would have otherwise died on the streets
• 15 were rescued from a homeless colony and adopted into loving homes
• 4 were TNR (trapped – neuter/spay – released)

All data is generated from intake and individual care records.

We have a 0% euthanasia rate   

We are a no-kill rescue and do not euthanize when we are overcapacity. On occasion and under veterinary recommendation, we have used euthanasia when an animal has a serious injury or illness and the most humane thing to do is to ease their suffering. Since July 2018 we have used euthanasia in five cases due to repercussions of serious illness. Rest in peace Duke, Buddy, Princess, Kiki, and Roscoe. Angel, Baby Luna, Autumn Rose, and River, died of natural causes. All were buried with dignity and love and are laid to rest on our sanctuary grounds.

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The Revelation Gardens 2022 Board of Directors

DAWN HARRIS, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

Dawn is passionate about creating a safe world for companion animals. Her background in grief and loss, psychology, and education provides the foundation for Revelation Gardens’ home-like environment which is so instrumental in helping cats and dogs heal and thrive. Dawn earned a Master of Education from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Art in Psychology with a focus on grief and loss from the University of Nevada, Reno. She has 38 years experience in administration, creative design, program development, website management, and budgeting and has rescued animals since she was 3 years old. Dawn provides the knowledge, experience and passion needed to lead Revelation Gardens. She lives in West Tennessee with her husband and cares for the 64 rescued cats and dogs of Revelation Gardens.

CARL HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT

Carl is a licensed electrician working as a Superintendent II for a large electrical contractor in Nashville. He brings a strong work ethic to the table and a male perspective to balance the Board’s decision making and goal setting activities. Carl has a conservative perspective, friendly demeanor, and love for animals and is happy to contribute to the wellbeing of Revelation Gardens. He enjoys sports and leisure activities on his days off.

JENNIFER PERDUE, TREASURER

Jennifer works as a Paralegal, a field she’s been in for over fifteen years. She and her husband live in East Tennessee with a household of cats and one dog. She loves traveling, yoga, and, of course, cats. She was involved with many rescues when she lived in Maryland, including a TNR monthly clinic to get feral cats spayed and neutered. Her first cat was at the age of four and animals are still very dear to her heart and an important part of her life.

ANGIE TUCKER, SECRETARY

Angie Tucker is the librarian at Camden Junior High and is a member of First Baptist Church in Camden. She has fostered dogs for Memphis Pug Rescue, Middle TN Pug Rescue, and West Tennessee Animal Rescue and performed for 7 years in plays produced by West TN Animal Rescue for their Spay and Neuter Fund. Angie enjoys writing, reading, acting, and playing with her pets and animals at the Revelation Garden adoption center. She is married to Chris Tucker and enjoys traveling to Durham, North Carolina to visit her niece and nephew, Mary Katherine and Daniel Watson.

ANN JORDAN, BOARD MEMBER

Ann is a realtor with Landmark Realty and Auction in Camden. She acquired her real estate license April 2005. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Union University, graduated Alpha Sigma Lambda, and Associate of Science in Business Administration from Jackson State Community College, graduated Cum Laude. Alumni of Holladay High School Holladay, TN. Her past achievements include: NAHAM Certification (National Association of Healthcare Access Management). Relay for Life, Baptist Memorial Hospital Team, where she served as Team Captain 2006, was awarded the Relay for Life “Wind Beneath My Wings Award” for the Carroll County South Division in 2007. Served as board member for her local real estate association, Tennessee Valley Association of Realtors. Ann and her husband Don are both Licensed FAA private pilots and until they sold their Piper 180 airplane, enjoyed the adventures of flying. Active member of the Camden Lions Club and serves as a board member and club treasurer. Ann attends Grace Baptist Church in Camden and loves her church family and helping others. Her motto, “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Others Do Unto You,” Matthew 7:12.

ANNABEL JENKINS, BOARD MEMBER

Annabel grew up in Camden and is the daughter of Newt and Okie Jenkins, who opened the Sonic Drive In of Camden in 1978. Annabel graduated from Camden Central High School in 1991, attended UT Martin, the University of Memphis, and the University of Oklahoma. She received both her bachelor’s degree in English and her master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Oklahoma. Annabel has lived in Hawaii, Oklahoma, and East Tennessee before finally moving home to help run the family business. She has two sons, Jorik Brumley, who lives in Oregon, and Finn Jenkins Moore, who lives in Camden and attends Camden Central High School. Annabel lives near Kentucky Lake with her partner, Winkey Hodge, her son Finn, and their four dogs.

DAVID A. ROSENTHAL, Ph.D., M.P.A., BOARD MEMBER

Dr. David Rosenthal is the Deputy Chief Information
Officer at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis, TN. He has over 20 years of healthcare industry experience in both academic and practitioner settings, having served in roles specific to health information technology leadership, multispecialty practice administration, and healthcare project management in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Dr. Rosenthal is also an ordained Permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church, and he and his wife Allyson live in Oakland, TN, with their two adopted cats from Revelation Gardens, Sophie and Bella.

SUE ROTH, BOARD MEMBER AND VOLUNTEER OPERATIONS ASSISTANT

Sue Roth is an avid golfer and a member of the Magic Valley Golf Club. She enjoys spending her retirement years golfing, volunteering at Revelation Gardens and caring for her 7 rescue kitties. She and her husband Vince have been married for 41 years and Benton County residents for 34 years. Sue believes it is important to give back to one’s community and prior to being a volunteer for Revelation Gardens, served on the Election Commission for 10 years.

Contact us if you have questions or would like more information

P.O. BOX 712, CAMDEN TN 38320 | 731441-2221 | REVELATION.GARDENS@GMAIL.COM