This playful, wacky cat, Breezy, is ready to be adopted!
                                 Hannah Barron | Anson Record

This playful, wacky cat, Breezy, is ready to be adopted!

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>He is very excited to meet his ‘pawrents.’</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

He is very excited to meet his ‘pawrents.’

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>Butter, Pumpkin’s brother, loves to make new friends and get scratches.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

Butter, Pumpkin’s brother, loves to make new friends and get scratches.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>These kittens love exploring their new world.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

These kittens love exploring their new world.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>He loves to meet people.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

He loves to meet people.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>He proves he is a handsome little gentleman and can be the muscle of the family.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

He proves he is a handsome little gentleman and can be the muscle of the family.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>This goof is ready to give all the licks.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

This goof is ready to give all the licks.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>Mercy loves playing in the sun.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

Mercy loves playing in the sun.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>Ace was a little nervous at first, then quickly warmed up while playing outside.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

Ace was a little nervous at first, then quickly warmed up while playing outside.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>Reagan Tyner, a volunteer, face paints Paige Mercer’s face and gives Koda all the attention.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

Reagan Tyner, a volunteer, face paints Paige Mercer’s face and gives Koda all the attention.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>Fowler Farm raised money for Anson County Animal Shelter with their stickers, bracelets, and tie dye.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

Fowler Farm raised money for Anson County Animal Shelter with their stickers, bracelets, and tie dye.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>The resident office cat, Cody, likes to see all his new friends coming in and getting adopted in their ‘forever’ homes.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

The resident office cat, Cody, likes to see all his new friends coming in and getting adopted in their ‘forever’ homes.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

<p>Pumpkin, the resident office dog, loved eating her Chick-Fil-A nuggets and then extended her paw in greeting.</p>
                                 <p>Hannah Barron | Anson Record</p>

Pumpkin, the resident office dog, loved eating her Chick-Fil-A nuggets and then extended her paw in greeting.

Hannah Barron | Anson Record

POLKTON — The Anson County Animal Shelter has stopped taking in new animals and moved many others to outside rescues pending repairs to fix a build up of mold.

State inspectors found mold in a kennel in the back of the facility, so the shelter is required to repair damages and do mold remediation this week. They have suspended intakes because they cannot take in anymore animals while completing repairs. The community stepped up to raise $3,000 to send some of the animals that needed to be moved to a different rescue to a boarding facility in Indian Trail.

“This repair is critical not only for the safety and health of the animals housed at our facility, but for the staff as well,” wrote Director Maureen Lett on Facebook.

The shelter will reopen on Sept. 27 when repairs and mold remediation are completed. The shelter is still providing food and customer follow-up as needed and will continue their community spay and neutering services on Mondays during this period.

The back floors will be redone in December due to cracking, so the community can expect another closing (most likely December 13-18) during that month.

These repairs have exacerbated issues with high intake of new animals, which are felt across the country and which ebbs and flows with events like fireworks on July 4th which scare many animals away from their homes. The Anson County Animal Shelter (ACAS) is an open intake facility, but they are currently at full capacity.

“We are taking in more animals than we can adopt,” Lett said. “We had 10 new animals in just fifty-two minutes last Monday.”

She drove to Maryland recently to bring cats to a rescue, and before she hit the North Carolina border she was already getting calls for more cats coming in. They’ve also brought in animals when other shelters have been overwhelmed: two shelters in Georgia, three shelters in South Carolina, and five shelters in North Carolina in 2020.

One critical problem in North Carolina with intake is facilities can still legally euthanize animals, and many do. According to the Fayetteville Observer and Best Friends Animal Society, North Carolina is third in the country for animal shelter euthanasia: 27,031 animals were killed in the state in 2020.

“No one can find places for 50,000 animals,” Lett said.

Much effort is taken to stop euthanasia, but when intake gets too much and too few are adopted out, that becomes a more likely option. High costs of caring for animals also increases the consideration of euthanasia. According to Lett, Anson County’s budget this year is $292,856 and each animal costs $334.69, which can quickly go over budget with high intake. Nearby Ashe County has it even worse with each animal costing $520.90.

However, ACAS does everything it can to hold animals and stop euthanizing, including applying for grants to help with costs and vet bills. Lett said she does not want to euthanize any animal. The shelter is focused on saving them — every animal from heartworm-positive strays to those owners have surrendered. The ACAS has one of the lowest euthanization rates in the state at 1.37%, meaning about 98% of animals are saved — which surpasses the rate to earn “no-kill” status which Best Friends Animal Society marks at about a 90% save rate or above. Before Lett was director, the euthanization rate was at 97%, and before the ACAS there was animal control which did not offer adoptions.

The low euthanization rate is due in part to the shelter’s adoption events and other efforts to get animals adopted. On Sept. 11, they held such an event at Tractor Supply in Wadesboro. Available animals were brought out, Tractor Supply gave out $1 animal stationery and free dog washes, attendees got their faces painted, and Fowler Farm was selling handmade items like tie dye shirts, stickers, and paracord bracelets. All proceeds went to the animal shelter.

The ACAS also features many of their animals on Facebook and have a TikTok where people can see the resident office dog, Pumpkin, chow down on Chick-Fil-A nuggets. They have also helped out in the community with free spay and neuter services, read-alouds at the library, and the Peachland and Polkton Career Day where Lett teaches about the importance of spay and neutering to get intake numbers down and teach people the basics of animal care. The Petco Love Foundation recently awarded the ACAS a free animal vaccine grant. They plan on giving vaccinations to 500 dogs and 500 cats by Nov. 11. They also hope to have a fall fundraiser soon and will be at the Vineyard at the Old Place’s fest in Peachland on Oct. 16.

“We like to get our faces out in the community and let people know we are a resource,” Lett said.

For more information on resources and adoptable animals, contact Lett at mlett@ansoncountync.gov or on Facebook. When the facility reopens, visit them at 7527 US Highway 74 in Polkton.

To support the Anson Record call 704-994-5474 or visit https://www.ansonrecord.com/subscribe.

Reach Hannah Barron at 910-817-2668 or hbarron@ansonrecord.com.