Buncombe County animal shelters and spay/neuter
Where Buncombe County stands on the petition, what its shelters reported for 2025, who represents it in the NC General Assembly and where to find low-cost spay/neuter.
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Buncombe County's shelter picture
What Buncombe County's reporting shelters told the state about dogs and cats in 2025. Compare Buncombe with the other reporting counties.
- 3,181
- Dogs and cats taken in
- 2,278
- Adopted out
- 784
- Returned to owners
- 309
- Euthanized
- 9.7%
- Euthanized, share of intake (statewide 26.0%)
Source: NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2025 CY Public Animal Shelter Report (file replaced October 12, 2026). Dogs and cats, all reporting shelters combined.
Low-cost spay/neuter in Buncombe County
Buncombe County on the coverage map · Search by ZIP code
- ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance (ASNA) Clinic From $35 Dog $65, cat spay $50, cat neuter $35, rabies free. Appointments are booked online only and demand is far above capacity. Outdoor community cats go through a separate waitlist, usually 1 to 2 months (ASPCA, October 2026)
- Friends2Ferals Clinic Free (828) 505-6737 FREE trap-neuter-return for community cats (site, October 2026)
Checked October 2026. Call before you go.
What the petition asks for
In 2025, North Carolina's reporting public shelters euthanized 39,202 dogs and cats, 26.0% of the animals they took in (NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services). The state spay/neuter program paid $250,954 against $659,626 in eligible county requests. The petition calls on the North Carolina General Assembly to:
- Create a dedicated, self-sustaining spay/neuter fund, similar to Maryland's pet food registration fee, which pet food companies pay for each dog and cat food product registered in the state.
- Increase the state appropriation to the Spay/Neuter Account so it can meet county demand.
- Enforce shelter reporting under G.S. 19A-65 so every county files a complete report on time.
- Strengthen breeder oversight. Today North Carolina licenses only dealers who sell to pet shops, other dealers or research facilities. Breeders who sell directly to the public currently need no license at all.
Who represents Buncombe County
3 NC House members and 2 state senators have districts that include all or part of Buncombe County. You have one of each: enter your address to find yours and send a ready-to-edit letter.
NC Senate
Buncombe County in the news
- Asheville Humane Society's new schedule to boost adoptions amid rising pet surrenders
The nonprofit that runs the county shelter opened its adoption center seven days a week to keep up with growing owner surrenders.
- Brother Wolf celebrates hundreds of adoptions despite losing building to Helene
Brother Wolf has adopted out more than 450 pets in 2025 while running as a foster network after Helene flooding wiped out its adoption center.
Buncombe County champions
Help Buncombe climb the board: become its county champion. Champions share the page, bring in signers and keep their county's numbers moving.
Become Buncombe's championWhere to share it in Buncombe
Every group has its own rules. Read them before posting, and share the county numbers, not just a link. Some groups do not allow petition or survey posts.
- Asheville Humane Society Linked from ashevillehumane.org.
- Brother Wolf Animal Rescue Asheville rescue. Linked from bwar.org.
- r/asheville
Buncombe County share kit
For shelters, rescues, clinics and anyone posting about Buncombe County. The images show Buncombe's place on the board right now, so download fresh ones before each post. The website version updates by itself.
Questions
Every signature counts for the county the signer chooses on the form, or the county of their ZIP code if they leave it blank. The board ranks counties two ways: by total signatures, and by signatures per 10,000 residents (US Census estimates, 2024), so a small county can lead too. Ties on one measure are broken by the other. The numbers on this page come from the same live count as the leaderboard.
Pick the county you live in. The form starts on Buncombe County, and if your ZIP code belongs to another county it offers to switch, so your signature counts where you live.
From the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 2025 Public Animal Shelter Report (the version the state posted on October 12, 2026, which its page still labels "As of 7.27.26"), which counties file under G.S. 19A-65. They cover dogs and cats only, with every reporting shelter in the county added together. The county shelter report explains the data and its gaps.
No. The list is every NC House member and state senator whose district includes all or part of Buncombe County, from the NC General Assembly's county representation list. You have one of each. Enter your address to find yours and send them a ready-to-edit letter.