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Mitchell Animal Shelter

Is Your Pet the Cutest?

Does your pet have what it takes to win this year’s Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest, presented by VISA and Zazzle? Enter now to find out! www.humanesociety.org/photocontest

When you enter, you will be asked to select which organization(s) you would like to benefit from your photo. Please choose Mitchell County Animal Rescue to benefit from your pet’s votes. Each vote your pet receives translates into a $1 donation to our organization, to help us spay or neuter even more pets after Spay Day (February 23, 2010) is over. After you enter, please take advantage of the photo contest’s easy features to share your pet's photo and story with your friends and family, and ask them to vote for your pet!

More than 600 pets with the most votes will win stellar prizes. And the photo contest’s judges--which include Nigel Barker from “America’s Next Top Model”--will award prizes to their favorite 36 entries.

The earlier you enter the more time you’ll have to get votes and raise critical spay/neuter funds for our organization. Please upload a photo of your pet now at www.humanesociety.org/photocontest to get started!

Thanks for your support!

Amber
Volunteer Coordinator
MCAR

P.S. Don’t want to enter your pet’s photo (or don’t have a pet)? Please vote for one of the pets benefiting our organization! Visit www.humanesociety.org/photocontest

and then:
· Click on the “Search Pets” tab
· Click on “Filter by: Local Organizations”
· Click on our organization’s name. A vote for any of the pet photos shown in this view benefits us!

Patricia Beam, Executive Director of Mitchell County Animal Rescue, talks with Spruce Pine Fire Department members about evacuation at Shelte

Preparing for an Emergency

Monday night the Spruce Pine and Parkway Fire Dept. members came to Mitchell County Animal Rescue to tour the shelter to become familiar with the facility in case of fire or carbon monoxide leak. Alarm systems have recently been installed after a carbon monoxide leak in the cat room. Members and staff discussed evacuation routes and methods plus animal behavior in case of fire. Prepared emergency kits are in place with leashes and zippered bags for the small animals to be removed.

The CAMET (Companion Animal Mobile Equipment Trailer) was on site. This trailer contains necessary equipment and supplies for caring for pets during natural and man made disasters in our region. The unit was deployed during the Unimin fire in Mitchell County and has been used in other counties in western NC.

We also learned that there is not enough lighting at the back of the shelter building for safety of responders and the animals.

MCAR and local fire and rescue departments have often joined forces in our community to provide life saving services such as rabies clinics, and helping pets and owners in need. We would like to thank the Spruce Pine and Parkway Departments for helping us be more prepared.

Mitchell Co. Animal Rescue could use your help! Check out the following information courtesy of:
Acme K9 Services: Items needed by local animal shelters.

Animal shelters all over the country are, and sad to say almost always, at full capacity. Most are running on a limited budget and rely heavily on donations. If you take the time to make a visit to a shelter you can't help but want to do something to help those animals in need. Some shelter needs are obvious, some are not. Helping may not be as hard as you think.

1. Old blankets. They can be cut up to use in cages with smaller animals or left whole for the larger animals. All dogs and cats love things to lie on. People often throw these away, but shelters love them. Check yard sales, too. Often, people sell them very cheap.

2. Food. Dog food, cat food, or any other kind of animal food for the type of animals your shelter takes in. When the budget is stretched food is needed badly. Both dry and canned food can be used. When a dog or cat is full it helps them get through a scary situation. Mother's milk replacements are available in many pet stores.

3. Treats. Dogs and cats love to get a treat but often these items are cut back when the budget at shelters is tight, and that is almost all the time. Treats are often on sale at stores and can be purchased at a very reasonable price. All kinds are appreciated. Rawhides are a great treat for dogs!

4. Towels. When towels wear out give them a new life at your animal shelter. They love to get clean towels and the animals don’t care if they are worn or have holes in them! Animals are often brought in cold and wet and towels are needed. Sometimes, they just want something to lie on. Towels are very versatile. They can be used as blankets, be used to dry a wet animal, or be used to clean messes the animals make at the shelter.

5. Placemats. Tired of your placemats? Cats love to lay on them and the vinyl ones can be used under food dishes. Cloth ones can be used as small bedding. They don't care if they are worn or stained.

6. Toys. Often animals alone in a cage want something to play with. Who wouldn’t? Check with your shelter and see what kind they are in need of. Most shelters take toys but some do not. Toys wear out very fast and need to be replaced often. Again, as with treats, toys are one of the first items to be cut when money is tight. Squeaky toys, stuffed animals and even balls are favorites.

7. Food dishes. Animal shelters go through many dishes on a regular basis. They get worn out, pushed around, and broken. New ones are also something that isn't expensive to give.

8. Litter and Litter Boxes. Most shelters have lots of cats and change litter often. They can always use more litter. Litter boxes are useful because they are always getting in more cats and kittens.

9. Cat or Dog beds. If you have them, if you see them on sale, or if you know someone getting rid of theirs the shelter desperately needs them. Comfort of the animals is important. They provide a warm, soft place to sleep and relax.

10. Leashes and Collars. Shelters use them to walk animals, and sometimes give them away with adoptions. They aren't very expensive, but when you go through so many, the cost adds up for the shelters. All sizes are needed and used.

11. Laundry detergent. Towels, blankets, and other items need to be washed. Laundry detergent comes out of the shelter's budget. Fabric softener is also welcome!

12. Grooming items. Animals need to be bathed, brushed, and taken care of. Items to help groom them are needed. Brushes, combs, shampoos, even animal nail clippers are useful items.

13. Newspaper. Newspapers can line the bottoms of cages for puppies and kittens. Just save your papers and drop them off at your local shelter.

14. Time. Do you have some spare time that you can donate to go and walk animals, or play with them? Can you help care for, or feed them. You can also volunteer to foster an animal that desperately needs it. Shelters are overcrowded and the staff is in need of help. Most shelters love to have volunteers. When the staff is busy running the shelter the animals may go without the attention they need and want. If you have the time you can make a big difference for the improvement in the quality of a cat or dogs life. Even a few hours a week can be a big help to your local shelter. We all wonder how we can make a positive difference in this world. Here is your opportunity. The shelter and the animals will be grateful.

15. Cash. Every shelter could use cash donations. Every single dollar helps. They help stretch the shelter's budget. In most situations, these donations are tax deductible.

Contact your local shelter. They may need things that aren't listed here. Shelters that take in other animals may have special needs that you maybe able to help out with. Your local shelter will be happy to let you know what they need. It takes very little to make a difference in the lives of animals. It also just might make a difference in yours!

Thanks so Much! MCAR PO Box 308, Spruce Pine, NC 28777

Twenty Five Years

Mitchell County Animal Rescue, Inc. is twenty-five years old (that's one hundred seventy in dogs years to you and me). The Animal Shelter opened fifteen years ago also. We are celebrating twenty- five years of caring and sheltering for the animals of our county. Now through the rest of the year all dog and cat adoptions fees are only $25. All pets are spayed or neutered before going home. Adoption fee includes micro chip permanent ID, vaccinations, de-worming, adult dogs are tested negative for heart worm and cats are negative for feline leukemia. Plus each pet goes home with a bag of Hill's Science Diet. Our goal is every homeless pet in Mitchell County is home for the holidays.

Another way we are celebrating is half-price spay or neuter for the pets of Mitchell County residents for only $25. Pets must be current on rabies and distemper vaccinations. Total vaccination fee is $18 if your pet needs vaccinations. Prevention is the only solution for unwanted litters.

Mitchell County Animal Rescue understands that there are some pets in our area that were adopted before the shelter was built. If you have a pet that was adopted at the old drive in threater building on an adoption day please let us know. We would love to have a photo of your pet and hear your story. We have a special treat for your senior citizen pet.

Shelter hours are Tuesday through Friday 10:30am to 4:30pm, Saturdays 10am to 3pm. Our phone number is 765-6952. You are welcome to stop by anytime and visit. We are making a difference everyday.

Chuck

Brianca

Spay/Neuter Program

Mitchell County Animal Rescue is proud to announce that in 2008 a total of 471 pets were spayed or neutered through our low cost, high quality monthly clinics through The Humane Alliance of Asheville. Local vets also participated in Spay Day USA. This is an increase of twenty-one pets altered in 2007. None of these figures include shelter pets, which are spayed or neutered before adoption.

Kathy Barrows, MCAR President says "Hundreds, if not thousands of unwanted litters were prevented from being born without a home or someone who can care for them. We are so proud of all the pet owners who stepped up and became responsible for preventing their pets from reproducing and adding to the pet over population in our area."

Through no fault of their own, many adorable puppies and kittens and grown pets also wind up in Mitchell County Animal Shelter needing and deserving a good home. In 2007 over 1100 pets were surrendered by Mitchell County residents. Attached is a photo of Poe, an American Bulldog and Lab mix puppy who is in the shelter today.

To sign up your pet for next month's clinic low cost clinic, just stop by the shelter Tuesday through Friday 10:30am to 4:30pm, or Saturday 10am to 3 pm. Cost is $35 for male cats, and $50 for female cats and all dogs. If your pet is current on rabies vaccinations, just bring your certificate for us to copy. Rabies shots are $6, and also $6 for distemper shots. Your pet's appointment will be another day on a Monday. Shelter staff will be glad to assist you.

--
Patricia Beam
Executive Director
Mitchell County Animal Rescue, Inc.

P.O. Box 308
Spruce Pine, NC 28777
828-766-7348
Shelter 828-765-6952
fax 828-765-6765
Our pets are on-line
www.mcar.petfinder.com