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.
Sign for Burke County
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Share this page with two friends in the county, then email your state legislators. It takes about three minutes.
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.
- 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 (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 · Search by ZIP code
- REASON Inc Assistance Income-based (828) 403-3675 Reduce Euthanasia and Spay or Neuter; income-based with copay; Burke County
- Burke County Animal Services TNR program Assistance (828) 764-9588 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). 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 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
NC Senate
Burke County in the news
- Burke County animal shelter to pause intakes ahead of move to new facility
The shelter stopped non-essential intake and waived adoption fees to place animals before moving to its new Kirksey Drive building.
- New Burke County animal shelter set to open next spring
Burke County's replacement shelter, roughly double the size of the old one, was on track to open in early 2026.
- Burke County releases new tool to connect lost pets with families
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.
- Bigger shelter, courthouse fixes part of County upgrades
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 championWhere 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 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.
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 Burke 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.
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 with a ready-to-edit letter.