2025 ANNUAL REPORT

A Year of Compassion, Care, and Community

Mitchell County Animal Rescue (MCAR) exists to protect animals, support pet owners, and strengthen our community through lifesaving programs and humane services. Since 1984, MCAR has been a trusted safety net for animals in crisis and the people who love them. In 2025, our work continued to grow in both scale and impact as we responded to increasing need while remaining steadfast in our commitment to compassionate, responsible care.

This annual report reflects the animals we served, the outcomes we achieved, and the community partnerships that made our work possible.

 

By the Numbers: 2025 Impact

Animal Intake

  • Total animals taken into care: 1,129

Animal Outcomes

  • Adoptions: 393

  • Transfers to partner rescue organizations: 451

  • Returned to owner (reunited with families): 58

Euthanasia (No animals were euthanized for space)

  • Shelter pets (severely ill, dangerous, or gravely injured): 185

  • Owner-requested humane euthanasia (low-cost end-of-life option): 28

Save Rate (2025): 84%

This save rate reflects our commitment to lifesaving whenever possible, balanced with humane decision-making for animals suffering beyond recovery.

Preventing Future Homelessness: Spay & Neuter

Spay and neuter services remain one of the most effective tools in reducing animal overpopulation and shelter intake. In 2025, MCAR significantly expanded access to these critical services.

  • Shelter animals spayed/neutered: 409

  • Free spay/neuter surgeries for the public: 159

  • Low-cost spay/neuter surgeries for the public: 149

In addition, MCAR provided $7,345 in financial assistance to support low-cost spay and neuter services for pets in our community, ensuring that cost was not a barrier to responsible pet ownership.

Through these programs, hundreds of unwanted litters were prevented, easing strain on families, shelters, and the community as a whole.

Community Health & Outreach

MCAR continued to meet pets where they are by providing affordable and lifesaving veterinary support for local families.

  • Low-cost vaccination clinics: Total animals served — data still being compiled

Our free rabies clinic offered free rabies vaccinations, microchipping, and low-cost de-wormer to the public, improving both animal welfare and community public health.

In 2025, MCAR also supported low-income households with $8,379 in lifesaving veterinary care, helping pets receive urgent medical treatment while keeping families together.

Beyond the Shelter Walls

MCAR’s impact extends far beyond the animals housed within our shelter.

Pet Food Bank & Emergency Support
Our Pet Food Bank distributed thousands of pounds of pet food to families in need, helping pets stay with the people who love them during times of financial hardship. During extreme cold weather, we also provided straw for outdoor animal bedding, ensuring pets and livestock had warmer, safer shelter.

Education & Community Engagement
We hosted multiple educational visits with students from local public and private schools, teaching responsible pet care, compassion, and the importance of animal welfare. These visits help shape the next generation of humane advocates.

Not every animal’s journey ends at MCAR—and that’s a good thing. Transfers to trusted rescue partners allowed animals with specialized medical or behavioral needs to receive the care and placement best suited for them. Reunifications returned beloved pets to their families, and end-of-life services provided dignity and compassion during some of life’s hardest moments.

Our work also extended to supporting pet owners in crisis, assisting law enforcement and animal control, and responding to emergencies and extreme weather events throughout the year.

Investing in Our Shelter

Built in 1994, the MCAR facility required significant upgrades in 2025 to ensure a safe, healthy, and code-compliant environment for the animals in our care.

  • Installation of a much-needed new roof and gutters

  • Complete renovation of kennel floors, walls, and doors in December

These improvements protect animal health, support staff efficiency, and extend the life of our shelter for years to come.

Financial Support & Stewardship

MCAR is deeply grateful for the diverse funding streams that made our work possible in 2025.

Individual & Corporate Donations: $140,812
Special Events Revenue: $37,327

  • Including $4,900 raised by MICA Gallery alone

Grant Funding (Total: $83,204)

  • ASPCA

  • High Country Charitable Trust

  • Community Foundation of Western North Carolina

  • Petco

  • The Windgate Foundation

Government Funding (Total: $144,704)

  • Mitchell County

  • Avery County

  • Town of Bakersville

  • Town of Spruce Pine

We also received generous in-kind support from the Shelter Dog Transport Alliance, strengthening our ability to move animals safely into rescue and adoption pathways.

Gratitude to Our Supporters

None of this work happens alone. MCAR’s impact is powered by:

  • Dedicated staff and volunteers

  • Rescue and veterinary partners

  • Donors, sponsors, and grant funders

  • Community members who advocate for animals every day

Your support ensures that Mitchell County remains a place where animals are treated with dignity, compassion, and care.

Looking Ahead

As community needs continue to grow, MCAR is committed to expanding lifesaving capacity, strengthening preventive programs, and building sustainable resources for the future. Together, we are not only responding to crisis—we are working to prevent it.

Thank you for standing with Mitchell County Animal Rescue and the animals who depend on us.

Mitchell County Animal Rescue
Serving our community since 1984

 
 

Data compiled by Mitchell County Animal Rescue, Inc.