---
title: "Burke County Animal Shelter Numbers and Spay/Neuter Help"
description: "Burke County shelters took in 2,117 dogs and cats in 2025 and euthanized 13.6%. Find low-cost spay/neuter, your legislators and the petition."
url: https://ncpetproject.org/counties/burke/
---
# Burke County animal shelters and spay/neuter
Where Burke 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.
By signatures
#
Per 10,000 residents
#
Signatures
[See the full leaderboard](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/#county-leaderboard)
[Sign for Burke County](#sign)
## Sign for Burke County
Your signature counts for Burke on the county leaderboard.
Form fields: Full name; Email; ZIP code; County (optional); Leave this empty. Submit it on the web page.
### Thank you. Now help Burke climb.
Share this page with two friends in the county, then [email your state legislators](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Burke). It takes about three minutes.
## Share Burke's page
Every signer you bring in moves Burke up the board.
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## Burke County's shelter picture
What Burke County's reporting shelters told the state about dogs and cats in 2025. [Compare Burke with the other reporting counties](https://ncpetproject.org/nc-county-shelter-report/#the-full-county-table-all-65-reporting-counties).
2,117
Dogs and cats taken in
1,696
Adopted out
150
Returned to owners
287
Euthanized
13.6%
Euthanized, share of intake (statewide 26.0%)
Source: [NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2025 CY Public Animal Shelter Report](https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/aws/Fix/reports) (file replaced October 12, 2026). Dogs and cats, all reporting shelters combined.
## Low-cost spay/neuter in Burke County
[Burke County on the coverage map](https://ncpetproject.org/nc-spay-neuter-coverage/#county-burke) · [Search by ZIP code](https://ncpetproject.org/get-help/)
- [REASON Inc](https://www.reason-burkenc.org/) Assistance Income-based [(828) 403-3675](tel:+18284033675) Reduce Euthanasia and Spay or Neuter; income-based with copay; Burke County
- [Burke County Animal Services TNR program](https://www.burkenc.org/DocumentCenter/View/3420/2024-TNR-Release-V4) Assistance [(828) 764-9588](tel:+18287649588) Trap-neuter-return for outdoor and feral cats, funded by donations through the Animal Services Foundation; about 8 cats a week, prioritizing high-complaint areas; call the Burke Animal Resource Center to request
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](https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/aws/Fix/reports)). 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:
1. 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.
2. Increase the state appropriation to the Spay/Neuter Account so it can meet county demand.
3. Enforce shelter reporting under G.S. 19A-65 so every county files a complete report on time.
4. 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.
[Sign for Burke County](#sign)
## Who represents Burke County
All of Burke County is in one NC House district and one state Senate district, so these two legislators represent everyone in the county. The button below loads them both with a ready-to-edit letter.
### NC House
- [Rep. Hugh Blackwell](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/580) Republican · District 86
### NC Senate
- [Sen. Warren Daniel](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/295) Republican · District 46
[Email your legislators](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Burke)
## Burke County in the news
- WSOC-TV · March 11, 2026
[Burke County animal shelter to pause intakes ahead of move to new facility](https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/burke-county-animal-shelter-pause-intakes-ahead-move-new-facility/ULAELNZSJBA2JHAZDLSO7E5MJQ)
The shelter stopped non-essential intake and waived adoption fees to place animals before moving to its new Kirksey Drive building.
- WSOC-TV · November 6, 2025
[New Burke County animal shelter set to open next spring](https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/new-burke-county-animal-shelter-set-open-next-spring/7XUV45MUKRGYZBHSUY64BJYLOU)
Burke County's replacement shelter, roughly double the size of the old one, was on track to open in early 2026.
- WSOC-TV · October 24, 2025
[Burke County releases new tool to connect lost pets with families](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/burke-county-releases-tool-connect-195636310.html)
The county animal resource center launched an online map of lost and found pets to get strays home and keep them out of the shelter.
- The Paper (Burke County) · August 30, 2025
[Bigger shelter, courthouse fixes part of County upgrades](https://www.thepaper.media/news/burke_county/bigger-shelter-courthouse-fixes-part-of-county-upgrades/article_f0ecefdf-a18e-465d-8584-86050bee682d.html)
The county's grant-funded 16,000 square foot animal shelter was about three quarters built as of late summer 2025.
## Burke County champions
**Help Burke climb the board: become its county champion.** Champions share the page, bring in signers and keep their county's numbers moving.
[Become Burke's champion](https://ncpetproject.org/volunteer/?county=Burke&role=champion)
## Where to share it in Burke
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.
- [Burke County Government](https://www.facebook.com/BurkeCountyNC/) Local Official county government page, linked from burkenc.org. General county news, not shelter specific.
## Burke County share kit
For shelters, rescues, clinics and anyone posting about Burke County. The images show Burke's place on the board right now, so download fresh ones before each post. The website version updates by itself.
**Facebook and Instagram post**Square image, 1080 by 1080. [Download image](https://ncpetproject.org/share/card.php/burke-square.png?download=1)
**Link preview and website**Wide image, 1200 by 630. It is also what shows when this page's link is shared. [Download image](https://ncpetproject.org/share/card.php/burke-wide.png?download=1)
**Put it on your website**Paste this into any page. It shows Burke's live place on the board with a sign button, updated every time the page loads. Sites that block scripts show the live image instead.
Copy code
**Post text**Ready to paste with either image. Edit it to sound like you. Burke County shelters took in 2,117 dogs and cats in 2025 and euthanized 13.6% of them. Sign the NC spay/neuter petition for Burke and help it climb the county leaderboard. It takes 30 seconds: https://ncpetproject.org/counties/burke/ Copy text
## Neighboring counties
- [Avery County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/avery/)
- [Caldwell County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/caldwell/)
- [Catawba County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/catawba/)
- [Cleveland County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/cleveland/)
- [Lincoln County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/lincoln/)
- [McDowell County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/mcdowell/)
- [Rutherford County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/rutherford/)
[All 100 counties on the leaderboard](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/)
## Questions
### How is Burke County's rank worked out?
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](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/#county-leaderboard).
### I live near the Burke County line. Which county should I pick?
Pick the county you live in. The form starts on Burke County, and if your ZIP code belongs to another county it offers to switch, so your signature counts where you live.
### Where do the shelter numbers come from?
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](https://ncpetproject.org/nc-county-shelter-report/) explains the data and its gaps.
### Do the Burke County legislators listed here all represent me?
Yes, if you live in Burke County. The whole county is in one NC House district and one state Senate district, so the two legislators listed here represent everyone in it, from the NC General Assembly's county representation list. [Email them both](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Burke) with a ready-to-edit letter.
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NC Pet Project works to end pet overpopulation in North Carolina through better laws and low-cost spay/neuter access. Low-cost help by ZIP code: https://ncpetproject.org/get-help/ . Contact: info@ncpetproject.org
