Watauga Humane Society COVID-19 Update
As soon as the order of shelter-at-home was announced, we changed our operations. First, any visits by the public to the shelter are by appointment only and those appointments have to be only for potential adoptions, fostering, or surrenders. By doing this, we are able to control the number of people in the building at any one time. The public has been very understanding about this, and we have been pleased at the response.
Since the state order, we have been able to complete 64 adoptions and 32 fosters. We are especially appreciative of the fosters because this means that many of our animals do not have to be in kennels for extended periods of time but can be in loving homes where they can experience what life could be for them. If you happen to be one of those fosters or adopters, our sincere thanks to you for making room for animals in your lives.
Changes have been made to protect our staff; we have established schedules for staff members that limit the amount of interaction among staff but still permit us to complete the necessary tasks on a daily basis. Our staff remain very positive and are working diligently to ensure that a safe and clean environment is available for both animals and humans in the building.
To fill out our Foster Application, click here https://bit.ly/3b1mxFI
To fill out our Adoption Application, click here https://bit.ly/2TW7gju
As part of the state and local orders, we have unfortunately closed the Arko Dog Park until further notice. We hope to reopen when the shelter in place order is lifted, and will keep you updated as things develop.
County Animal Control is responding only to emergencies until further notice as well.
Our spay/neuter operations have been suspended because the ASPCA in Asheville that provided that service has ceased to do so. Local veterinarians have also had to curtail such operations and most are handling only emergency situations. Consequently, if an animal from the shelter is to be adopted, we are proceeding with such adoptions with the agreement from the new owners that a deposit of $100 is required as a part of the adoption fee; this amount will be returned when the owner can provide verification of the operation either through us or a veterinarian.
All live fundraising events have been suspended until further notice. Since almost 85% of our operating funds come from such sources as well as donations, we are, of course, concerned about our ability to keep the shelter operating in the future. We are watching our operational costs closely and making every effort to keep our expenditures as low as possible and still meet the needs of our animals.
Thank you for your support of WHS during this difficult time. We wish you to be as safe and healthy as possible as we look forward to a time when we might resume full operations. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact our main number 828-264-7865.