When the new Limestone County Animal Care and Control facility opened its doors to the public last month, they not only welcomed local residents to meet their furry friends — but they also welcomed local artists to fill up their shelter with as much artwork as possible.

According to LCACC Director Christy Perry, they painted the walls in their two-building facility white so artists could come in and paint murals or hang up their artwork for free. Over the past two months, several local artists have taken her up on her offer — but recently one gifted young savant has left her in awe.

On Monday, Nov. 25, 9-year-old artist Tinley Grimme donated a vibrant multi-colored painting of a cat’s face to the facility — which was immediately hung up in the shelter’s front lobby located at 521 U.S. 72 in Athens.

“This is just amazing to me, it’s almost too perfect,” Perry said after she saw the completed masterpiece. “This will bring so many smiles to so many people’s faces when they walk in here. The sky’s truly the limit for Tinley (Grimme). This is going to be a statement piece for us for a very long time, and it’s really something that will make our staff very happy when they come in everyday.”

Grimme’s innate passion for the arts and her immense love for cats is more than just a passing fancy. That is why when she learned about the opportunity to create art for the animal shelter from her mother, Felicia Grimmie, she knew it was too good to pass up.

“I was really excited to do this because I wanted to see the kitties a lot more,” Grimme told The News Courier. “I’ve been doing this for like nine years, and when people ask me to do art I want to make money for it.”

As a token of their appreciation for her artwork, Perry and the Limestone County Animal Care and Control staff awarded Grimme a “platinum level membership” to the shelter which grants her unlimited access to play with the cats whenever she wants.

“I’ve always hoped I could fill this place up with color, and this is exactly what I imagined,” Perry said. “I’d love to see her when she’s a senior, because she’s already so talented, and we can say we saw it first. She can visit us whenever she pleases.”

Limestone County Commissioner Collin Daly, who was present when Grimme and her family delivered the art to the shelter, was so impressed by the artwork he presented her with a special challenge coin as a symbol of his appreciation.

“It’s always great when young people do things like this,” Daly said. “This piece really brightens up and adds life to our animal shelter. It’s good to get young people involved in our community, because they are the future of our community. I’d say with artists like Tinley (Grimme) Limestone County clearly has a very bright future ahead of us.”