Best Wishes to our Amber Lowery!
August 4, 2025, was Amber’s last day as Executive Director of MCAR. We are all incredibly sad to see her go, but we wish her well on her new endeavors and pathways through life.
Amber was more than the Executive Director for MCAR, she is a friend, a family member, an advocate, a peacemaker, and all-round champion of all things Mitchell County. In short, Amber is a Saint. “Saint Amber,” protector of all critters large and small.
Amber started her journey with MCAR over 18 years ago, cleaning kennels, feeding, and nurturing the animals in our care. As time went on, Amber demonstrated her ability to the lead staff and to advocate for the shelter’s needs. In late 2019, the Board of Directors giddily accepted her application to fill the vacant ED position. We never looked back.
It wasn’t easy. 2020 marked the start of the pandemic, with new requirements for protecting staff while still caring for animals moving through the shelter. Amber waded through hoarding cases, quarantines due to major outbreaks of disease in our over-crowded and aging shelter, changes in staff, and ultimately assisting the community in emergency management of animals and families affected by the flooding and damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024. The word “stressful” does not even begin to describe those years. But through it all, Amber persevered and has managed to leave us with a shelter that is better than when she took the ED position. Much better! And for that we thank her.
We love you, Amber! Don’t be a stranger.