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Avery County Humane Society Hosts Celebration Event, Unveils New Name and Logo

Avery Humane Society’s new logo

On June 19, 2021, the Avery County Humane Society will host a celebration event at its adoption center located at 279 New Vale Road and will unveil the organization’s new name, logo and sign; the unveiling will occur at noon.

Guests are welcome to drop by anytime between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm on Saturday. Many lovable dogs, puppies and cats and kittens will be available for adoption and anyone wanting to adopt can participate in the Luck of the Draw to win an adoption discount. There will also be a wide range of discounts on boutique items families may need for their pets.

Stonewalls Restaurant’s “What the Cluck” food truck and beverages from the Banner Elk Winery will be on site. Entertainment will be provided by well known area magician, Michael McLendon, and guests can visit the kissing booth to smooch their favorite pooch.

“This party is an opportunity to celebrate our community, to share our new name and logo, and to help shelter animals find homes with loving families,” said Gwynne Dyer, Avery Humane Executive Director. “Sometimes our name has caused confusion and we are often asked if we are a county agency or provide animal control services. As the Avery Humane Society, and with our new logo of a cat and dog in front of a mountain silhouette, we hope to clear up the confusion and have our mission front and center in the way the organization is represented.”

This time of year is often referred to by organizations like the Avery Humane Society as “kitten season” because it’s a time when many kittens are born and abandoned. The shelter has experienced a recent influx of kittens, in addition to the dogs and cats that are already cared for at the shelter, and is hosting the event, in part, to help support adoptions and to create space for other animals in need. 

“Just last Friday staff members arrived at the shelter to find 5 pointer mix puppies that were about 6 weeks old and had been abandoned at the door,” says long-time Board member and shelter advocate, Regina Hoilman. “Because the community supports us and we have an amazing staff and facility, instead of suffering and probably dying, the puppies have a chance to be adopted by a loving family. We think that’s something to celebrate.”

Avery Humane Society’s Annual Impact:

  • Help house, feed and care for more than 600 animals.
  • Provide low cost or free spay and neuter services to the public, reaching approximately 500 animals and spaying or neutering an additional 420+ animals at the shelter. 
  • Care for 350 stray animals, reuniting them with their families or finding them a new forever family.
  • Save the lives of at least 50 animals who are transferred from nearby shelters where they would be euthanized within days due to space limitations.
  • Support our partnership with Mountain View Correctional Institution through New Leash on Life, a 10-week program that engages eight inmates to train more than 20 dogs each year. 

Important facts about the shelter:

  • We have a 94% adoption rate—one of the highest in the state.
  • We never euthanize a healthy animal and animals stay with us until they are placed with a forever family.
  • We are the only organization in the county that offers services for homeless animals.  At this time, Avery County government does not provide animal control services or funding for our shelter.
  • We rely solely on private donations, foundation grants and limited earned income to fund our work.

The mission of the Avery County Humane Society is to respond humanely to the needs of animals in Avery County by providing the following: shelter, food, exercise, and love; spay and neuter services; medical and behavioral care; adoption promotion and networking; community education and outreach; and special programs including New Leash on Life, which is a long-term partnership with the Mountain View Correctional Institution.

For more information about Avery County Humane Society, visit www.averyhumane.org.