2024 ANNUAL REPORT

As 2024 came to a close, we asked ourselves where our “We Survived 2024!” tee shirts were. Although in recent months it felt as if we were simply surviving the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in truly reflecting upon the year we had… we not only survived but with community support, we THRIVED! Our community cheered us on all year long with words of encouragement, financial support and when supplies ran short, help arrived from all over the United States.

In 2024 our shelter had an increase in animal intakes: 1163 pets were surrendered into our care (204 more than in 2023) making this past year the highest volume intake year since 2008. When the economy and political climate are uncertain, it seems the animals always suffer. While more animals were finding refuge at MCAR, fewer animals were being adopted. We relied heavily on partnerships with other reputable organizations like Bissell Pet Foundation and the Shelter Dog Transport Alliance to transfer pets from MCAR to receiving rescues along the East Coast.

Our outreach programs continued to grow as community needs increased. Our already busy pet food pantry grew so much after the disaster, that a donor loaned us a 40 ft. trailer to house the supplies. With the exception of October, we offered free spay/neuters for family pets all year long. Certified Rabies Vaccinators on our staff offered low cost rabies vaccines both at our facility and at a rabies clinic this spring. Our Veterinary Care Assistance Program, funded by grant money, helped family pets receive veterinary care. These programs allowed us to focus on the goal to keep families and their beloved pets together therefore decreasing the number of pets that could have been surrendered in this most difficult year.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2024

• We kicked off our fundraising season with a month long partnership with the MICA gallery in Bakersville, NC. The first annual “Art for the Animals” event in February raised $2,745 of the nearly $30,000 total event income in 2024. Other awesome events included Valentine’s Surf and Turf, Spayghetti, and the always fun Paws in the Park.

• MCAR participated in the Alien Expo, the Rhododendron Festival, the Ramp Festival and Penland School’s 4th of July event, fundraising while raising awareness about our work and pets available for adoption.

• We invited students from the Spruce Pine Montessori School, Penland Summer Camp, and various after school groups to the shelter for volunteering and educational opportunities. We partnered with Penland Summer Camps, hosting students as they met shelter pets who would later inspire 2D wooden sculptures. The artwork was put on display at local businesses and now resides at the shelter. Students also wrote creative pet bios to help the pets get adopted. Each pet chosen for the project did indeed find a forever home!

• MCAR was a proud cohost of a Cruelty Investigators Training class taught by experts from the Humane Society of the United States at Mayland Community College. Law enforcement officers and animal welfare professionals from all over Western NC attended. MCAR staff members Amber, Dylan and Tamara attended and received certificates in Animal Cruelty Investigations.

• Community members joined together to raise money for the purchase of an incubator. This incubator will continue to save the lives of the most fragile of our population, neonatal kittens and puppies.

• MCAR staff and the staff from Avery Humane joined together for a Compassion Fatigue learning session and meal. MCAR put in a plan of action shortly thereafter to provide counseling for staff members as they deal with the effects of compassion fatigue.

• We continued to work with both Mitchell County and Avery County Sheriff’s Offices during animal cruelty investigations, offering in-the-field assistance and housing for animals seized or surrendered during investigations.

• MCAR participated in the National Clear the Shelters Event in the month of August by offering free and reduced fee adoptions. We held an adoption event with Bakersville Fire Department. During the month, we adopted out 80 animals!

• Staff members answered calls for help in the community before and after Hurricane Helene completing 78 service intakes (intakes that happen after staff members go out in the community and safely capture or pick up at-risk pets).

• MCAR sprang into action after Hurricane Helene by arranging for the transport of 72 shelter pets to the Richmond, VA SPCA just days after the storm, a major accomplishment considering the lack of phone and internet service. By making space in our shelter, we were able to house displaced pets from the storm for an extended 30-day hold time. We also delivered both human and pet supplies to hard hit areas, and began accepting donations from all over the United States. Staff members worked from daylight until after 7pm most nights organizing and handing out supplies. We worked with the National Guard to rescue animals left behind during the flooding. MCAR also assisted with Companion Animal Shelter Trailers set up at shelters through the Department of Agriculture for pets to stay on site with their displaced owners. Volunteer Animal Control Officers from Charlotte, Gaston County, and Guilford Counties helped man the Companion Animals Shelter Trailer (CAST) units. MCAR also temporarily housed pets for families who lost their homes while they found suitable living arrangements.

• MCAR partnered with DEGA Mobile Veterinary Unit to bring two urgent and emergency veterinary care clinics to Mitchell County after the storm. Volunteer veterinarians cared for many animals in need of help including dogs, cats, bunnies, a horse, a goat and even a pit viper snake at no charge. They also donated warm clothes, blankets, pet food and flea and tick meds. It was a wonderful experience to work with them.

• We partnered with Petco Love, PetSmart Charites, ASPCA, The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina-The Fund for Mitchell County, Windgate Foundation, Walmart Sparks Good, and the High Country Charitable Foundation as well as several family foundations this year. MCAR was awarded a total of $74,143 in grant money from these organizations.

• A new septic system was installed at the shelter paid for by a private donor.

STATS

On January 1, 2024 we had 83 animals in our care. We had a total of 1138 pets surrendered, making the total number of animals cared for in 2024: 1,221.

• 141 pets were fostered in 2024.

• 245 family owned pets received low cost or no cost spay/neuters.

• 513 shelter pets were spayed or neutered through the Asheville Spay Neuter Alliance, The Doug and Judy Lowery Spay Neuter Clinic, Brother Wolf Spay Neuter mobile unit, Appalachian Animal Hospital, Stewart’s Mountain View Animal Hospital, Mitchell Veterinary Hospital, Cane River Veterinary Wellness Clinic, and the Animal Hospital of Marion. Thank you Veterinary Partners!!

• Certified Rabies Vaccinators administered 147 rabies vaccines at low cost to owned pets.

• Staff members did low cost nail trims for 65 pets in 2024.

• MCAR’s certified euthanasia techs provided end of life care for 39 owned pets whose owners could not have afforded euthanasia otherwise.

• 428 shelter pets were adopted.

• 454 shelter pets were transferred to partner rescues. This is nearly double the amount of transfers we had in 2023!

• 67 pets were returned home after being lost.

• Only 15 pets that were adopted out were returned to the shelter.

• 138 shelter pets were euthanized due to extreme illness, injury, or aggression. No animals were euthanized for space or time restrictions.

Despite the challenges we faced in 2024, our Live Release Rate (Save Rate) increased by 1% this year to 84%!