Smokey’s Paws and Claws (Smokey’s P.A.C.) is a student organization dedicated to giving students the chance to work with small pets and exotic animals.

The club was founded in 2017 by former student Brianna Kurth during her first semester at UT. Kurth wanted a club devoted to small animals, when she saw a majority of the animal-centered clubs were focused on large animals; however, the club did not become official until spring 2018.

Smokey’s P.A.C. organizes trips to the Knoxville Zoo and animal organizations to learn more about wildlife, zoo animals and household pets, tailoring each meeting to focus on specific animal types.

“Sometimes our other members will bring in their own animals that pertain to that day, and we will get to handle them and of course play with them,” Shane Hardin, president of the club and junior in wildlife and fisheries, said.

Last year, the club visited the Knoxville Zoo and fed an elephant named Tonka, which is the largest African bull elephant in the United States. According to Hayley Phillips, a sophomore in Wildlife and Fisheries and the club’s events coordinator, the club plans to get a behind the scenes trip to Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies and Little Ponderosa Zoo and Rescue. The club also plans to volunteer at “Boo! at the Zoo” on Oct. 22.

“My favorite club moment was when we brought in reptiles,” Phillips said. “They brought in two snakes and a bearded dragon, and we got hands-on experience to see the things we were talking about.”

The club meetings focus on both the technical and academic side of learning about small and exotic pets, and the meetings also include tips on pet care. Often times, club officers will bring in their own pets to showcase for the meetings, since most clinics and organizations require some level of training to deal with the animals.

“For [the meeting about] cats, we covered a lot on veterinary procedures, how to properly restrain them and how to properly use needles on them,” said Kaitlyn Byar, a junior in Wildlife and Fisheries and the club’s treasurer. “But, with the meeting on snakes and the bearded dragon, it [focused] more on caring for them.”

According to Hardin, the club has an animal day centered around canine first aid and care planned for an upcoming meeting. The club also hopes to partner up with organizations like Young Williams Animal Center and the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley to gain hands-on training and tips for care.

The club’s officers have two universal tips for students hoping to join the club to learn more about caring for small or exotic animals: do your research, and don’t get an animal just because it is cute. Make sure you will have the ability to give the animal proper care.

“I have two guinea pigs, so I’m part of several Facebook pages where people share dos and don’ts,” Byar said. “On the internet there is a lot of information out there, so always double check your sources.”

Smokey’s P.A.C. meets every first and third Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in room 142 of the Brehm Animal Science building. The group also has a Facebook page and Instagram under Smokey’s P.A.C. The club is open to people of all skill levels and majors, with the only requirement being to have an interest and love for animals.

“Don’t think that just because you aren’t a wildlife or animal science student that the club doesn’t have anything for you,” Phillips said. “You still can learn some pretty neat facts and tips.”