FAQ

    72 Lee's Creek Rd.

    Asheville, NC 28806

    55 Shiloh Rd, Suite 6

    Asheville, NC 28803

    Shelter Hours:
    Monday-Saturday: 8:30am - 5:00pm
    Wednesdays 8:30am – 11:00am, 12:00pm – 7:00pm
    Sunday: CLOSED
   
    Adoption Hours:
    Monday-Saturday: 11:00am - 5:00pm
    Wednesdays 12:00pm – 7:00pm
   
    Administrative Hours:
    Monday-Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pm

    Shelter: 828-253-6807
    Administrative: Phone: 828-236-3885

Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard and Discover (both credit & debit)

There will be two phases in the move. The Buncombe County Animal Shelter building, will be ready for occupancy in March 2010. We will move all animal and shelter operations into the County Shelter at this time and permanently close the old shelter located on 72 Lee’s Creek Rd. We will continue to operate out of the new shelter until the second building, the Adoption and Education Center, is completed in August 2010. At that time, we will re-locate the adoption function to the second building; animal relinquishment and lost and found will remain at the first building.

Adoptions take place at our shelter on 72 Lee’s Creek Rd. Our adoption fee for cats and dogs ranges from $125 to $150. This fee includes spaying or neutering, initial vaccines and flea treatment, a microchip, a free initial appointment from a Buncombe County veterinarian after adoption and one month of free veterinary health insurance. We will also provide a starter bag of Science Diet pet food, cardboard carrying case for cat adopters and informative literature and DVD to help make the adoption a success. All animals are spayed or neutered before leaving the shelter. 

When you arrive at the shelter you will be asked to complete an adoption survey.  This survey is a tool used to help match you with a compatible animal for your household. Once completed you may view the animals available for adoption.  After you have selected an animal, or animals, that you would like to visit with, an adoption counselor will meet with you during the interaction. Once you have decided on adopting, if the animal is already spayed/neutered then after some brief paperwork and payment you will be on your way with your new companion.  If the animal still needs to be spayed/neutered, he or she will stay for surgery and be ready for pick up in 2-3 days at which time the paperwork and payment will take place.

Before you adopt a dog or cat from the animal shelter, it is a good idea to outfit your home with certain necessities and to be prepared to provide veterinarian care for the animal. There will be an opportunity to purchase leashes, collars and other training equipment during the adoption.

If you are adopting a dog, you should purchase:
•    Dog food (at the shelter, we feed the dogs Science Diet; if you plan to switch to a       different brand, we strongly recommend mixing the new brand with Science Diet food for a few days in order to ease the transition and lessen stomach upset for your new pet)
•    Food and water bowls
•    Crate or baby gate to facilitate house-training
•    Pick-up bags or "pooper scooper"
•    Emergency fund - money set aside for future health problems
•    Optional but wonderful: dog bed, chew toys (ask us about Kongs!), treats, and interactive toys such as frisbees, tennis balls, etc.

If you are adopting a cat, you should purchase:
•    Kitty litter pan and scoop
•    Kitty litter (we recommend starting with ordinary clay litter, as this is what we use at shelter; you may switch gradually to your preferred type if desired)
•    Cat food (at the shelter, we feed the cats Science Diet; if you plan to switch to a different brand, we strongly recommend mixing the new brand with Science Diet food for a few days in order to ease the transition and lessen stomach upset)
•    Food and water bowls
•    Emergency fund
•    Optional but wonderful: canned food, cat treats, interactive toys (feathered wands, etc.)

Dogs and puppies are given a distemper-parvo combination vaccine, an intra-nasal Kennel Cough vaccine, and a general de-worming.

Cats and kittens are given a Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis-Panleukopenia combination vaccine and a general de-worming.

All animals older than four months receive a rabies vaccination.

All animals are evaluated for and receive necessary flea treatment on entering the shelter.

We have all types of dogs and cats and our population changes daily. A dog or cat can come into our shelter and be adopted in a matter of hours. It is best for you to come visit us in person and see the different pets available. 

Some of our dogs are already housetrained and others are not. You should be prepared to train your dog upon leaving the shelter. All pets require some work and training. 

Please understand that you are not purchasing an animal from us: you are adopting a lifelong companion. If you are not sure that your new companion will "work out" for any reason, please inform an adoption counselor and consider your decision to adopt very carefully. The adoption fee helps to cover our costs associated with the adoption process, including spay/neuter, vaccinations, medical tests, microchipping and caring for the animal during its stay. We are unable to return your adoption fee in the event that you change your mind about an animal; nor can we "exchange" an animal. We will however take the animal back.  

Although we take every precaution to ensure that your new companion will be healthy, some animals come into the shelter with an incubating disease; and there is always some risk of disease transmission when unrelated animals are housed under one roof. We try not to offer sick animals for adoption, and we test for diseases when feasible. If during the adoption process signs of illness arise and adoption counselor will discuss this with you.  We cannot guarantee that your pet will be disease-free. For this reason, we cannot pay vet fees associated with a sick animal or refund your adoption fee if your animal is sick.

Every day the shelter has a variety of animals to choose from and we often have animals that are less allergenic than others.  It is true that these animals are in high demand and oftentimes are adopted very quickly, however do not give up hope of finding a low allergenic animal at the shelter.  Our best advice would be to visit the shelter often and meet with our wonderful animals to see first hand if there is an animal here for you.  Also, there are many ways to reduce the affects of allergies to animals which your physician should be able to share with you.

Yes, however the best companion animal relationships made are typically those which start off with the primary caretaker selecting the animal themselves. Although we oftentimes believe we know exactly what the other is looking for, we are often surprised at the little things we may not know or remember. Have you ever purchased a gift for someone only to realize later you picked it because it was really what you wanted? Bonding with an animal is a special process and we encourage you to have the caretaker be a part of this decision. The best way to do this is surprise them with an invitation to visit the shelter to adopt, gifts of supplies the animal will need when coming home and of course we will accept the adoption fee from you as well.  A gift certificate can also be purchased at the shelter. However, if you still would like to adopt as a gift we can provide you with assistance in selecting the most appropriate animal for your loved one.  Please consult our adoption counselor staff when you arrive at the shelter. 

We can’t hold animals. When an animal is adopted we need the available space for another waiting to be adopted. 

Unfortunately we do not have the resources to keep a waiting list. We ask that you check our website frequently as it is updated real time and come visit us as much as possible because we have new animals being made available for adoption every day.

The adoptable animals come from two sources: owners who can no longer care for their pets, and stray animals. Animals are brought to the shelter by either Animal Control or individuals. Stray animals are moved straight into our stray room. They are held for at least 72 hours while we try to find the owner. During that time, the public may not view the animals. Only people who are missing pets and who file a lost pet report are allowed in the stray room. After 72 hours, if the animal is not claimed, then it is evaluated for adoptions. Owner-relinquished animals are evaluated for adoptions as soon as they are brought in. 

The adoptable animals come from two sources: owners who can no longer care for their pets, and stray animals. Animals are brought to the shelter by either Animal Control or individuals. Stray animals are moved straight into our stray room. They are held for 72 hours while we try to find the owners. During that time, the public may not view the animals. Only people who are missing pets and who file a lost pet report are allowed in the stray room. After 72 hours, if the animal is not claimed, we become legal custodian according to state law. We become legal custodian of owner-relinquished pets as soon as the owner signs the relinquishment paperwork. Once an animal is under our care, it is evaluated for adoption.

Animals are evaluated in the following three areas:

Health

Although we provide some medical treatment for animals in our custody, we do not have the resources to treat costly or chronic conditions. Animals with minor health problems are treated when resources allow before being placed for adoption; animals with more serious problems may not be placed for adoption.

Temperament

We do not place any animal for adoption that has shown signs of aggression or has an aggressive history. Similarly, animals that are not socialized to people and who might bite humans in fear are not considered adoptable. Finally, animals relinquished for severe and chronic behavior problems are not adopted.

Available Space

Because we accept any and all animals from Buncombe County and never turn an animal away, space to house them is limited. Unfortunately there are times when there are more animals entering the shelter than available cages and homes for them.  When this situation arises very difficult decisions must be made and only the highly adoptable animals will remain or be placed up for adoption.  Many factors are taken into consideration when this occurs and much effort is made to avoid euthanizing animals for space alone.

The number varies, however last year we received 7,348 animals at our shelter with 3588 were dogs and 3492 were cats. This includes stray animals picked up by Animal Control officers, litters of young animals turned in by overwhelmed owners of fertile animals, animals turned in by owners who are moving or who for other reasons have decided to end their pet ownership,  wild animals, and animals seized in cruelty cases, brought in by owners for euthanasia, and other reasons.

Again, the number may vary year to year; last year, 1,786 animals left our shelter for new homes, and another 444 left our shelter for placement through other animal organizations.

In addition, 688 animals were reclaimed from the shelter by their owners. This figure does not include animals we were able to reunite with their owners through our lost and found program prior to the animals entering the shelter.

Sadly, the math is unalterable: if we take in 7,348 stray or abandoned animals each year, and we're able to find homes for only 2,918 of these animals, that means that 4,342 animals have nowhere to go.

Pet overpopulation is a community problem that will only be solved if all organizations and the people of Buncombe County work together. Working as a community is the only way to decrease euthanasia, increase adoptions and increase the number of animals that are spayed and neutered. 

Please encourage your friends, neighbors and relatives to adopt a homeless animal from a shelter or rescue group rather than purchasing a pet.

There is no fee required to admit a pet into our custody; however, since we are a nonprofit organization that relies on donations to care for these animals, we do encourage donations.

Since we can only receive animals from within Buncombe County and its municipalities you will need a photo ID with proof of a current Buncombe County residence, unless however you have found a stray within Buncombe County then a photo ID and current address as well as the specific location of pick up within Buncombe County.   There is no fee to bring animals into the shelter; however any support you can provide through monetary donation is greatly appreciated and needed.  Providing a medical and behavior history is vitally important to the adoption evaluation, so veterinarian records or personal write ups are beneficial.  Even for stray animals the information you can provide on how the animal behaved in your care is important as well as your previous efforts to locate the owner. 

Most animals leave our shelter through one of three means: they are returned to their owners, they are adopted by new owners, or they are euthanized. Remaining cases (e.g., animals that are transferred to rescue groups) account for less than two percent of our animals.

A large part of our mission is to operate the County shelter where no animal from Buncombe County is turned away. The math is unalterable. We received 7,348 animals last year; we adopted, transferred, or returned to their original owners 2,918 animals.  Last year, we euthanized 4,342 animals.

But there is good news: due to the efforts of animal control, our shelter staff and volunteers, Humane Alliance, and other animal advocates in our community, the euthanasia rate is steadily dropping. With everyone's continued work, we will one day achieve our goal of becoming a community in which no healthy animal is euthanized due to a lack of a loving home. 

Yes, we are an open admission shelter. There are often more animals admitted  to our shelter than there are people who come to adopt. Tragically, we must sometimes euthanize.

It is a very peaceful process for the animal. We euthanize animals by injection with a substance called sodium pentobarbital. Essentially, the animal falls asleep within a few minutes.

Buncombe County Animal Control – 828-253-1195
Asheville City Animal Control – 828-252-1110

We do not pick up wildlife. Please contact animal control who may pick up the animal depending on the circumstances. 

Buncombe County Animal Control – 828-253-1195
Asheville City Animal Control – 828-252-1110

As long as there are more abandoned animals in our community than there are homes for them, we will have an overpopulation problem. Because we are charged by the community with managing this problem, we are perhaps more aware of the crisis than most.

Overpopulation causes a host of problems: feral dogs can endanger the health and even the safety of people, domestic animals and native wildlife. Equally important, they live in an unaccommodating habitat, with harsh winters, speeding cars, disease, and insufficient food. Feral animals reproduce at a rate greater than domesticated animals, making the problem even worse. Our tax dollars must pay to cope with these problems as long as overpopulation plagues us. And the only realistic short-term solution to overpopulation -- euthanasia of excess animals -- is an intolerable long-term solution.

There is only one acceptable long-term solution to overpopulation: we must, as a community, lower the birthrate of companion animals by spaying and neutering our pets.

We understand the desire to let your pet become a parent. Some people want their children to learn about the miracle of birth by watching the family pet have a litter. Baby animals are also adorable, of course, and many people even believe that an animal must become a parent in order to mature properly. While this belief is completely untrue (in fact, many animals develop neuroses when their children are taken from them), we understand and appreciate the sentiment behind it.

It is our affection for young animals, in fact, that makes us so passionately opposed to pet owners allowing their companions to have "just one litter." Because of overpopulation, we are forced to euthanize many wonderful puppies and kittens, and we hate doing it.

We often must euthanize entire litters whose owners were trying to teach children about birth, or who were trying to give their pets a "natural" life. These owners have not considered what their abandonment of the puppies or kittens will teach their children about the value of living beings, or how the abrupt loss of her young will affect the mother. And even when owners are able to find homes for an entire litter, these are homes that might otherwise have been available to the animals at the shelter.

We cannot escape the math. Each extra pet brought into the world will, as long as we have a pet overpopulation problem, represent one animal that will be euthanized. Please have your pets sterilized today.

Finally, note that in Asheville and most other areas of Buncombe County, pet owners are required by law either to have their animals altered by the age of six months or to obtain an unaltered animal permit for each animal they do not have spayed or neutered. These permits cost $100 per animal, and help defray the cost of animal control services.

One of our most important goals is to reduce pet overpopulation. If we let you adopt an animal that isn't sterilized, we would be working against that goal, encouraging rather than discouraging pet breeding. Our policy -- that all adopted animals must be sterilized -- has no exceptions.

There are several community resources that may be able to help you:
•    Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic operates a low-cost spay-neuter clinic. You may reach them by calling (828) 252-2079.
•    Animal Compassion Network offers assistance to low-income pet-owners at their adoption days and through the mail. You may contact them at (828) 258-4820.
•    Asheville Kennel Club has limited spay/neuter funds for dogs only. You may reach their answering service at (828) 258-4833.

Asheville Humane Society sometimes has a limited amount of spay/neuter assistance available, primarily for cats. If you are unsuccessful with the above options, please call us at (828) 236-3885.

Absolutely, and we strongly encourage you to do so. We are one of the only animal shelters in the country to make tags available at no charge to the community (although we appreciate a small donation to offset our costs associated with the tag). These tags obtained from us contain a unique animal number, which we enter into our computer system. Whenever animal control officers pick up an animal with one of these tags, we will attempt to contact the owner.

We also sell customizable tags at the shelter: for the low cost of $5.00, you may have a tag printed with your name, address, telephone number, and other information.

which offers original art designs available from an Asheville-based company. Buy a cool tag from Dog Tag Art and a donation will automatically be made to AHS for every tag! Simply enter the coupon code AHS09 when you place your online order.

Less than 3% of the cats that come into our shelter without tags are ever reunited with their owners; less than 15% of dogs without tags are reunited with their owners. Almost 100% of animals with current tags are reunited with their owners.

If you love your pet, tag ‘em!

Although we strongly encourage every pet owner to obtain a tag for their pet, we recognize that collars can come loose and tags can break off. We therefore provide a microchip for all adoptable animals. Microchips are an effective means to providing identification for your pet and assisting in locating a lost pet. It is best that your pet is both microchipped and wears a collar with a tag. The most common failure of microchips is that the information on file is not correct.  It is extremely important to maintain accurate contact information with both the shelter and the microchip company. 

The microchips we use are made by the 24hrPetWatch company and are smaller than a grain of rice. They are totally inert, and completely harmless. A shelter technician injects the microchip just beneath the animal's skin between the shoulderblades, where it will remain for the life of the animal.

Shelter staff scans every animal that comes through our doors. Each animal is scanned at least twice before it is euthanized or made available for adoption. If a microchip is detected, we will attempt to reunite the animal with its owner.  Once we even returned a cat to its owner in South Dakota, based on the presence of a microchip!

We can provide a microchip for your own animals during most business hours, at a cost of $10.00.

Residents of the City of Asheville must obtain a license annually for their dogs who are 6 months or older. The fee for a license is $10.00. You may obtain a license registration/renewal form at City Hall. If you reside in Buncombe County but not in the Asheville City Limits, you do not need a pet license, although we do encourage you to obtain an ID tag.

Absolutely, and we strongly encourage you to do so. We are one of the only animal shelters in the country to make tags available at no charge to the community (although we appreciate a small donation to offset our costs associated with the tag). These tags obtained from us contain a unique animal number, which we enter into our computer system. Whenever animal control officers pick up an animal with one of these tags, we will attempt to contact the owner.

We also sell customizable tags at the shelter: for the low cost of $5.00, you may have a tag printed with your name, address, telephone number, and other information.

For those of you interested in outfitting your pet with a more artistic tag, consider creating an identification tag through www.dogtagart.com which offers original art designs available from an Asheville-based company. Buy a cool tag from Dog Tag Art and a donation will automatically be made to AHS for every tag! Simply enter the coupon code AHS09 when you place your online order.

Since space is limited at the shelter and must accommodate all of the animals     being brought to us we are unable to board animals.  You can check the phone     book or online for area boarding facilities.

Unfortunately we can’t guarantee placement of animals that come to us. Although we try our best, not all animals fair well in the shelter environment, or we simply run out of space. We suggest that you exhaust all other options first. 

Ask friends/family if they can keep your pet. 

If it is due to a landlord issue, try to find pet friendly housing immediately.

If you think your pet needs more attention, you're wrong. Dogs and cats don’t mind being left alone in a home. They’re just glad they have a home.

If you can’t afford food, see our free pet food locations. On most days have free pet food available to the public.

There are several community resources that may be able to help you:
•    Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic operates a low-cost spay-neuter clinic. You may reach them by calling (828) 252-2079.
•    Animal Compassion Network offers assistance to low-income pet-owners at their adoption days and through the mail. You may contact them at (828) 258-4820.
•    Asheville Kennel Club has limited spay/neuter funds for dogs only. You may reach their answering service at (828) 258-4833.

Asheville Humane Society sometimes has a limited amount of spay/neuter assistance available, primarily for cats. If you are unsuccessful with the above options, please call us at (828) 236-3885.

Click HERE to access organizations that may be able to help you.

Unfortunately, if we have open foster homes we fill them quickly with needy     animals here at the shelter, that have no alternative. Try asking friends/family to keep your pets for you. 

At this time we do not offer rabies vaccination clinics, but Buncombe County Animal Services does. You can contact them at 828- 253-1195. Or click HERE for additional information on the clinics.

Asheville Humane Society depends on the support of our community. Each year, hundreds of our neighbors donate time, goods, and money to help us help animals.

We encourage you to get involved! Contact Jim Fulton at volunteer@ashevillehumane.org in order to begin the volunteer process.

We do require you to come in and fill out a lost report at the shelter. This also gives you the opportunity to look at the animals we have here so that there are no mistakes. You know your pet better than we do.  Bring a picture if you have one. Also, check Craig’s list and the local papers. 

If you have found a dog or cat please CALL US. We may be able to match you up     with a lost report.