Message from the President/CEO

Dear Friends & Fellow Animal Lovers,

When it was officially announced that the Board of Directors elected me to serve as President/CEO for Asheville Humane Society, I received several congratulatory notes and welcoming words from many supporters. It was humbling to recieve these kind missives knowing that no one person, or organization, will ever eradicate animal homelessness alone. We must work together as a community to stem animal overpopulation.

In Buncombe County, we are fortunate to have a supportive government that values humane treatment of animals and evidenced their commitment through construction of the new Buncombe County Animal Shelter. We are luckier still to have the Humane Alliance of WNC, the international training center for high-quality, low-cost, high-volume spay/neuter surgeries. Thanks to the generosity of donors and supporters like YOU, we have a new, state-of-the-art, life-saving Adoption & Education Center to share with the community. In 2009, Buncombe County was named as an ASPCA Community Partner, one of only 10 communities in the nation! This partnership with the ASPCA enables us to focus on increasing the number of animal lives saved through two approaches: 1)  increasing the number of animals adopted, transferred or reunited with their owners; and, 2) lowering the number of animals entering the Buncombe County Animal Shelter through targeted spay/neuter initiatives.

But perhaps what is most exciting was the establishment of the Animal Coalition of Buncombe County in 2010. This is a dedicated network of life-saving partners who are collaborating and maximizing resources to save additional lives from the Buncombe County Animal Shelter. I wish to congratulate and thank my colleagues and our partners for their determination and decision to work collaboratively for the betterment of animals here in Buncombe County. Thank YOU to our life-saving partners in the Animal Coalition of Buncombe County: Buncombe County Animal Services; City of Asheville Animal Services; Humane Alliance of WNC; Animal Compassion Network; and, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. I'm excited to see what we'll be able to accomplish for the animals by working together in the coming years. 

For those of you who wish to join our life-saving mission, there are three easy ways you can help: Adopt, Donate, or Volunteer.

Additionally, you're invited to join me in my journey as President/CEO for Asheville Humane Society. By establishing a dedicated Twitter account and Facebook page, I'm now able to share behind-the-scenes and up-to-the-minute details of the lifesaving work we do here at Asheville Humane Society. I want to share our important work with YOU, our dedicated supporters. I want YOU to be the first to know how your donations are helping save lives. Let's share these moments together: join me on Facebook and Twitter.

For the Animals,

Katherine McGowan Shenar
President/CEO
Asheville Humane Society