Resources and Services

The Animal Care Campus comprises two facilities: the Buncombe County Animal Shelter and the Asheville Humane Society Adoption and Education Center. These two buildings sit side-by-side in a public private partnership to help homeless animals in Buncombe County. The programs operated within these two buildings save the lives of thousands of animals each year.

Buncombe County Animal Shelter

The Buncombe County Animal Shelter is operated under contract by Asheville Humane Society in a public-private partnership. Buncombe County owns the facility but contracts with the non-profit Asheville Humane Society's experienced professionals for the animal sheltering operations. Stray, surrendered and seized animals receive the highest standard of animal welfare industry care and compassion while residing at the modern shelter. Asheville Humane Society, with a mission of promoting the compassionate treatment of animals in our community through education, sheltering and adoption, has been operating the Buncombe County Animal Shelter since 1990.

Asheville Humane Society Adoption Center

Asheville Humane Society raised private donations to design and build the Adoption and Education Center which is immediately adjacent to the Buncombe County Animal Shelter on the Animal Care Campus. Every day animals come across the short “Walk of Life” between the two buildings and take up temporary residence in the cheerful and comfortable adoption quarters while they wait for new families. Oftentimes animals matriculating through the Buncombe County Animal Shelter have medical or behavior concerns which prohibit their immediate adoption. Asheville Humane Society uses private donations to provide medical care necessary to help these animals become adoptable so they can be re-homed. Asheville Humane Society focuses exclusively on saving the lives of homeless animals from Buncombe County. All of the animals in the Adoption Center and Foster Care are from the Buncombe County Animal Shelter.

Services At the Buncombe County Animal Shelter

Pet Surrender

We recognize that pet owners often face personal life challenges that prohibit them from keeping their pet. If you are no longer able to care for your dog or cat, you may surrender ownership of your pet to the Buncombe County Animal Shelter. Upon intake, your pet will be medically evaluated, temperament tested and, if deemed adoptable, placed up for adoption either through the Asheville Humane Society Adoption Center or transferred to another placement partner like Animal Compassion Network or Brother Wolf Animal Rescue.  There is no fee to surrender your pet; however, if you request your pet be transferred to a specific placement partner, there is a non-refundable transfer fee of $45. No appointment is required but if you would like to schedule an Admitting appointment for your pet, please call (828) 250-6430 to schedule a specific time to meet with one of our Admitting Counselors. The Buncombe County Animal Shelter is open Monday – Saturday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Lost and Found

Nearly 60% of the animals coming to the Buncombe County Animal Shelter are lost. These animals arrive at the shelter either because a kindhearted citizen found the animal wandering lost or an Animal Control Officer retrieves the animal from a neighborhood for running at large. Because these animals have no medical or behavior history, they receive vaccinations, de-worming, flea treatment and prevention and are given a basic medical exam assessing the animal for signs of illness, or injury upon intake. All incoming animals are scanned for a microchip and photographed to aide in properly identify them during their stay. Photos of lost pets are uploaded to the this website so that worried pet owners can easily search photos in hopes of finding their lost pet 24 hours a day.

Spay/Neuter Assistance

If you’re interested in having your pet spayed or neutered, please contact:

Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic
25 Heritage Drive, Asheville, NC 28806
Clinic Phone (828) 252-2079
http://humanealliance.org/

Assistance For Spay/Neuter

Although the Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter clinic offers extremely affordable surgery rates, we recognize that some pet owners lack the financial means to have their pets spayed or neutered. In 2013 The Buncombe County Animal Shelter is able to provide you with a Spay/Neuter Voucher that makes the cost only $20 for a cat and $35 for a dog through the Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic. For more information on how to obtain this voucher, please call the Buncombe County Animal Shelter at (828) 250-6430.

FREE CAT/KITTEN Spay Surgeries

For a limited time, any Buncombe County resident can have their female cat or kitten spayed for FREE at the Humane Alliance of WNC courtesy of the Dudley Project. Vouchers are available at the Buncombe County Animal Shelter, Asheville Humane Society, Animal Compassion Network, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, or the Humane Alliance of WNC. To obtain a Dudley Project voucher, call the Humane Alliance at (828) 252-2079 or contact the Buncombe County Animal Shelter at (828) 250-6430.

Seeking Spay/Neuter Options Outside Buncombe County

If you are seeking low-cost spay/neuter services in your own community, please use this quick reference tool which searches by zip code to find the low cost spay/neuter clinic nearest you.



Bite Quarantine Confinement

Animals with displayed aggression toward humans resulting in a bite are kept for Rabies disease observation in a special quarantined section of the shelter in accordance with State Law. Animal Services Officers work with the Department of Public Health to ensure compliance with North Carolina Rabies and public health laws. Sometimes very calm, sociable pets will bite out of fear or being startled but must still be quarantined according to state law. No matter the reason why an animal is placed on a bite quarantine, while they reside at the shelter, they receive the same level of compassionate care from our professionally trained staff as other animals. 


Pet Identification

Nearly 60% of the animals coming to the Buncombe County Animal Shelter are strays. If a pet has appropriate identification like a collar and ID tag or a microchip, we can quickly reunite the lost pet with their worried owner. At point of intake, we scan every incoming animal for a microchip. This is why it is crucial that your contact information is current in the microchip registry. At times, we will find a microchip in an animal and our attempts to contact the owner are restricted by a disconnected phone number or change of address.

If you would like your pet microchipped, the Shelter can provide that service to you at a reasonable cost. Please call (828) 250-6430 to make an appointment for this procedure.

Additionally, in 2012 if you would like a FREE pet collar and ID tag, we will outfit your pet with a collar and tag at no charge to you as part of the ASPCA “ID Me” pet identification program. Animals who go missing with a collar and tag are more likely to be returned home quickly. Pets with microchips only, must be scanned either by an Animal Control Officer, Veterinarian or Animal Shelter thereby lessening their chances of coming home earlier.  Please call (828) 250-6430 to find out how to obtain the FREE collar and ID Tag.

Owner Requested Euthanasia

Our pets provide us with unconditional love and wonderful companionship for many years but sadly all pets eventually experience health, behavior and aging issues. Oftentimes pet owners must make the difficult decision of euthanizing (“put to sleep”) a beloved pet. As a compassionate kindness, The Buncombe County Animal Shelter can provide a humane, end of life euthanasia service for owned pets in need of this final selfless act of kindness. This respectful, private procedure is professionally administered by one of several on-staff North Carolina Certified Euthanasia Technicians who have been professionally trained and accredited in this compassionate and painless procedure. There is a $20 service fee associated with this requested procedure. Any additional donation towards the actual cost of the procedure would be welcomed. This service is available during Shelter business hours, Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. No appointment is necessary but advanced notice is preferred in order to serve you and your pet with the time you need to work through this very difficult process. Please call 828-250-6430 to notify the Shelter Staff you will need this special service and when you will arrive.

Some pet owners wish to be present with their pet during the procedure to assist them through their final moments, but that is not a service the Buncombe County Animal Shelter can offer.  If you wish to be present, we recommend that you contact your Veterinarian to schedule an appointment with them.

Pet Remains

Pet remains can be returned to a pet owner for personal burial upon request.

However, some pet owners wish to have their pet cremated and keep their pet’s remains in an urn or special keepsake. Buncombe County Animal Shelter partners with Best Friends Pet Cemetery and Crematory to fulfill this request. A variety of urns are available for purchase or you may also consult with Best Friends Pet Cemetery for burial information at the Pet Cemetery. You can contact them directly at (828) 665-4303 to learn more and plan for your pet's passing.