Amber Lowery and McQueen say thank you to Petco Love for a recent $15,000 grant. (Submitted)
Mitchell County Animal Rescue will receive a $15,000 grant from national nonprofit Petco Love in support of lifesaving work for animals in Mitchell County.
Petco Love is a national nonprofit leading change for pets by harnessing the power of love to make communities and pet families closer, stronger and healthier. Since its founding in 1999, Petco Love has invested $350 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts.
Petco Love helps find loving homes for pets in partnership with Petco and more than 4,000 organizations— like MCAR— across North America with 6.7 million pets adopted and counting.
“Our investment in Mitchell County Animal Rescue is part of more than $15 million in investments recently announced by Petco Love to power local organizations across the country as part of our commitment to create a future in which no pet is unnecessarily euthanized,” said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. “Our local investments are only part of our strategy to empower animal lovers to drive lifesaving change right alongside us. We recently launched Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database that uses pet image technology to simplify the search for lost pets.”
Amber Lowery, MCAR executive director, said the grant will help local shelter pets become healthy and adoption ready and will also aid in community outreach to help meet the needs of pets who already have families.
“It is only through the generosity and kindness of supporters like Petco Love that we are able to offer care and support to the animals of Mitchell County,” Lowery said.
MCAR is a not-for-profit humane organization licensed through the NC Department of Agriculture and NC Department of Health and Human Services, and contracted by Mitchell County to operate the animal shelter. It receives approximately 25% of its operating budget from the county and could not exist without funds from grants, individual donations and fundraising events.
MCAR had 1,214 animals in its care in 2022. Of those, 488 were adopted, 268 were transferred to other rescues and 138 lost pets were returned home.
In partnership with local veterinarians, in 2022 MCAR provided 114 free spay/neuter procedures for pets of Mitchell County residents and spay/neuter to 393 shelter pets. Two low-cost vaccination clinics served 353 animals.
The MCAR pet food bank is used daily by those who need temporary help in feeding their animals. In partnership with local law enforcement, MCAR has rescued hundreds of animals from hoarding, neglect and abuse cases.
For more information about MCAR, visit mitchellcountyanimalrescue.org. Learn more about Petco Love at petcolove.org.