---
title: "Union County Animal Shelter Numbers and Spay/Neuter Help"
description: "Union County shelters took in 3,506 dogs and cats in 2025 and euthanized 31.3%. Find low-cost spay/neuter, your legislators and the petition."
url: https://ncpetproject.org/counties/union/
---

![A brick downtown and courthouse clock tower lit up at dusk among trees](https://ncpetproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/nc-region-piedmont.webp)

# Union County animal shelters and spay/neuter

Where Union 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 Union County](#sign)

## Sign for Union County

Your signature counts for Union 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 Union climb.

Share this page with two friends in the county, then [email your state legislators](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Union). It takes about three minutes.

## Share Union's page

Every signer you bring in moves Union up the board.

Share Union's page

Or share on

-   [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fncpetproject.org%2Fcounties%2Funion%2F%3Fref%3Dfb%26utm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3Dshare)
-   [X](https://x.com/intent/post?text=Union%20County%20shelters%20took%20in%203%2C506%20dogs%20and%20cats%20in%202025%20and%20euthanized%2031.3%25%20of%20them.%20Sign%20the%20NC%20spay%2Fneuter%20petition%20for%20Union%20and%20help%20it%20climb%20the%20county%20leaderboard.%20It%20takes%2030%20seconds%3A&url=https%3A%2F%2Fncpetproject.org%2Fcounties%2Funion%2F%3Fref%3Dx%26utm_source%3Dx%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3Dshare)
-   [Nextdoor](https://nextdoor.com/sharekit/?source=ncpetproject&body=Union%20County%20shelters%20took%20in%203%2C506%20dogs%20and%20cats%20in%202025%20and%20euthanized%2031.3%25%20of%20them.%20Sign%20the%20NC%20spay%2Fneuter%20petition%20for%20Union%20and%20help%20it%20climb%20the%20county%20leaderboard.%20It%20takes%2030%20seconds%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fncpetproject.org%2Fcounties%2Funion%2F%3Fref%3Dnextdoor%26utm_source%3Dnextdoor%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3Dshare)
-   [Email](mailto:?subject=Sign%20for%20Union%20County%3A%20NC%20spay%2Fneuter%20petition&body=Union%20County%20shelters%20took%20in%203%2C506%20dogs%20and%20cats%20in%202025%20and%20euthanized%2031.3%25%20of%20them.%20Sign%20the%20NC%20spay%2Fneuter%20petition%20for%20Union%20and%20help%20it%20climb%20the%20county%20leaderboard.%20It%20takes%2030%20seconds%3A%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fncpetproject.org%2Fcounties%2Funion%2F%3Fref%3Dinvite%26utm_source%3Demail%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3Dshare)
-   Copy link
-   More

## Union County's shelter picture

What Union County's reporting shelters told the state about dogs and cats in 2025. [Compare Union with the other reporting counties](https://ncpetproject.org/nc-county-shelter-report/#the-full-county-table-all-65-reporting-counties).

3,506

Dogs and cats taken in

1,205

Adopted out

285

Returned to owners

1,099

Euthanized

31.3%

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 Union County

[Union County on the coverage map](https://ncpetproject.org/nc-spay-neuter-coverage/#county-union) · [Search by ZIP code](https://ncpetproject.org/get-help/)

-   [Monroe Low Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic](https://hsuc.org/) Clinic [(704) 292-7729](tel:+17042927729)

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 Union County](#sign)

## Who represents Union County

3 NC House members and 2 state senators have districts that include all or part of Union County. You have one of each: [enter your address](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Union) to find yours and send a ready-to-edit letter.

### NC House

-   [Rep. Dean Arp](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/640) Republican · District 69
-   [Rep. Mark Brody](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/663) Republican · District 55
-   [Rep. David Willis](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/779) Republican · District 68

### NC Senate

-   [Sen. David W. Craven, Jr.](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/423) Republican · District 29
-   [Sen. Todd Johnson](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/406) Republican · District 35

[Email your legislators](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Union)

## Union County in the news

-   WSOC-TV · May 1, 2026
    
    [Deputies investigate hoarding of dozens of dogs in Union County home](https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/deputies-investigate-hoarding-dozens-dogs-union-county-home/ATGJKM4GE5A3FEUHYXCHQFTE44/)
    
    About 50 to 60 dogs were found at one home; 21 surrendered dogs filled the Union County shelter to capacity.
    

## Union County champions

**Help Union climb the board: become its county champion.** Champions share the page, bring in signers and keep their county's numbers moving.

[Become Union's champion](https://ncpetproject.org/volunteer/?county=Union&role=champion)

## Where to share it in Union

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.

-   [Humane Society of Union County](https://www.facebook.com/humanesocietyofunioncounty/) Pets and animals Linked from hsuc.org.

## Union County share kit

For shelters, rescues, clinics and anyone posting about Union County. The images show Union's place on the board right now, so download fresh ones before each post. The website version updates by itself.

![Union County's live place on the NC spay/neuter petition leaderboard. Sign for Union County at ncpetproject.org.](https://ncpetproject.org/share/card.php/union-square.png)

**Facebook and Instagram post**Square image, 1080 by 1080. [Download image](https://ncpetproject.org/share/card.php/union-square.png?download=1)

![Union County's live place on the NC spay/neuter petition leaderboard. Sign for Union County at ncpetproject.org.](https://ncpetproject.org/share/card.php/union-wide.png)

**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/union-wide.png?download=1)

**Put it on your website**Paste this into any page. It shows Union'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.

![Union County's live place on the NC spay/neuter petition leaderboard. Sign for Union County at ncpetproject.org.](https://ncpetproject.org/share/card.php/union-wide.png)

<div class="ncpet-county" data-county="union"><a href="https://ncpetproject.org/counties/union/?utm\_source=embed&utm\_medium=county-card" target="\_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://ncpetproject.org/share/card.php/union-wide.png" alt="Union County's live place on the NC spay/neuter petition leaderboard. Sign for Union County at ncpetproject.org." width="600" height="315" style="max-width:100%;height:auto;border:0"></a></div> <script src="https://ncpetproject.org/embed/county-widget.js" async></script> Copy code

**Post text**Ready to paste with either image. Edit it to sound like you. Union County shelters took in 3,506 dogs and cats in 2025 and euthanized 31.3% of them. Sign the NC spay/neuter petition for Union and help it climb the county leaderboard. It takes 30 seconds: https://ncpetproject.org/counties/union/ Copy text

## Neighboring counties

-   [Anson County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/anson/)
-   [Cabarrus County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/cabarrus/)
-   [Mecklenburg County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/mecklenburg/)
-   [Stanly County](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/stanly/)

[All 100 counties on the leaderboard](https://ncpetproject.org/counties/)

## Questions

### How is Union 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 Union County line. Which county should I pick?

Pick the county you live in. The form starts on Union 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 Union County legislators listed here all represent me?

No. The list is every NC House member and state senator whose district includes all or part of Union County, from the NC General Assembly's county representation list. You have one of each. [Enter your address](https://ncpetproject.org/email-your-legislators/?county=Union) to find yours and send them a ready-to-edit letter.

---

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
