Classic cars and shelter pets are sharing the spotlight at Melton Lake Park this Saturday, August 22, when the 7th annual Cars for Canines event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The free community gathering pairs a juried car show with pet adoptions, low-cost veterinary services, live music, and food trucks, all in support of local animal welfare groups.
The event is organized by City of Oak Ridge Government, which has been posted on Facebook promoting this year's lineup at 697 Melton Lake Drive. According to Explore Oak Ridge, the tourism agency has sponsored Cars for Canines every year since its August 2020 launch, when the gathering served as one of Oak Ridge's first major public outdoor events following early pandemic restrictions. Melton Lake Park itself has become the city's go-to waterfront venue for large community gatherings, also hosting rowing regattas and greenway visitors year-round, according to the City of Oak Ridge.
A Car Show With Cash Prizes and Pet Perks
Summer Knight Cruisers will present the car show portion of the event, with owners paying a $20 day-of cash registration fee for a shot at awards handed out to the top 25 vehicles, per event details posted by the City of Oak Ridge. The club, founded in 2009, organizes cruise-ins and charitable shows across Knox and Anderson counties, according to a listing on Oldride.com. Beyond the vehicles on display, attendees can expect live music, door prizes, and free face painting for kids, rounding out a family-friendly atmosphere alongside the animal-focused programming.
Food and drink vendors on site include Shirley Boys Country Cooking, Rhyno's Roadside BBQ, Hops and Hounds, Boujee Mornings, and Sno Biz, giving visitors plenty of options while they browse the cars and meet adoptable pets.
Low-Cost Vet Care and Pets Looking for Homes
On-site veterinarian Dr. Matt Jinks, who runs a regional house-call practice based in East Tennessee, will offer pet microchipping for $20 and rabies vaccinations for $10 during the event, according to a post shared in a local Facebook group. His mobile service is designed to make basic preventative care accessible without a trip to a clinic, per his practice's own site, Jinks Vet Services.
The Anderson County Humane Society and the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter will both bring adoptable pets in search of forever homes, with Knox Vintage Pet Project joining the 2026 lineup to host an informational booth and present additional adoptable rescues, according to a post from Knox Vintage Pet Project. Standard adoption fees at the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter run $110 for dogs and cats, a cost that covers a full wellness check, spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, rabies shots, microchipping, and city registration tagging, according to the shelter's Facebook page.
Where the Proceeds Go
Proceeds from Cars for Canines support both the Anderson County Humane Society and Friends of Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, known as FORAS. FORAS operates as a dedicated 501(c)(3) volunteer organization that funds medical care, foster placement, and adoption advocacy for animals at the city shelter, according to Jackson Square Animal Clinic, filling in gaps that municipal budgets alone can't always cover.
The Anderson County Humane Society's own low-cost spay and neuter clinic performs roughly 100 surgeries a week and has completed more than 40,000 pet sterilizations for income-eligible East Tennessee residents, according to the Anderson County Humane Society. That volume underscores why events like Cars for Canines matter beyond a single Saturday morning — the fundraising directly sustains a program that has become a long-running fixture of regional animal care.
Corporate sponsorship for this year's event ranges from a $250 Yorkie Level up to a $1,000 Great Dane Level, with backing from regional businesses including Lokar, K9SOS, Noble Metals, and Fox Toyota, according to Explore Oak Ridge. The tiered structure gives local businesses a way to buy into the cause while the car show and adoption booths draw in the crowds that make the fundraising possible.
Cars for Canines arrives less than a week after Oak Ridge's dragon boat fundraiser sold out at the same waterfront park, adding another chapter to Melton Lake Park's busy summer of community fundraising events.
