Lee County North Carolina's animal shelter is underfunded, understaffed, and cut off from the rescue partners who could be saving more lives. Help us fix that.

This petition is not about blaming frontline employees. We believe shelter staff deserve the support, policies, and resources necessary to successfully carry out the shelter's mission of helping animals through adoption and rescue transfers.

Lee County Animal Shelter staff work hard every day to care for homeless animals — but the numbers show they're doing it with less, not more. Total funding for Lee County Animal Services actually fell 5% last year (from $947,532 to $900,033), even as the County's overall budget grew nearly 6% and Human Services spending grew over 8%. Meanwhile, Lee County NC's population has grown more than 21% since 2010 and keeps growing about 2% a year — one of the fastest-growing counties in the region.

As Lee County continues to grow, we are asking County leadership to invest in practical solutions that improve outcomes for animals, support shelter staff, and strengthen partnerships with rescue organizations.

Our Concerns

1. Rescue Communication and Staffing
Rescue organizations report difficulty obtaining timely information about animals that may need placement, medical support, fostering, or transfer to rescue. When communication is delayed, opportunities to save animals can be lost.  We are asking Lee County decision makers to establish clear communication procedures so rescue partners can have direct lines of communications with shelter staff in order to receive timely information about animals in need. 

2. Spay/Neuter Resources
Reducing pet overpopulation requires proactive spay/neuter programs.  Currently Lee County NC shelter does not spay or neuter animals before they're adopted — the shelter simply doesn't have the funding or means to do it. Instead, the adoption contract puts that responsibility entirely on the adopter: it requires them to get the procedure done on their own and return proof within a set timeframe, at their own expense. That's an unfunded mandate, and cost is one of the most common reasons adopters nationally don't follow through.  Lee County NC runs no low-cost spay/neuter program of its own and has not enrolled in North Carolina's existing state Spay/Neuter reimbursement (vouchers) program — a program other NC counties already use to help cover the cost of care for lower-income residents. We encourage Lee County leadership to expand access to affordable spay/neuter services, pursue available state resources, and develop partnerships that help prevent unwanted litters before animals enter the shelter system.

3. Shelter Capacity and Adoption Access
As the county's population grows, shelter resources must keep pace. The shelter currently has just 17 dog kennels (and some emergency, case-by-case kennels) — roughly one for every 4,000+ residents — and adoption access limited to weekdays, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m., by appointment only, plus one Saturday open house a month. We ask Lee County leaders to evaluate shelter capacity, including kennel space, and expand adoption opportunities with hiring additional staffing to include potential regular evening, weekend, and community adoption events so more families can meet animals who need homes.  The county had shelter expansion in their Capital Improvement plan previously.  Delayed once (2022→2026), formally re-committed to FY2026 in 2023, then dropped entirely without explanation in the exact year it was due to start.

4. Transparency and Public Accountability
Residents and rescue partners should have access to clear information about shelter operations and animal outcomes. Lee County NC currently has no citizen advisory body and no regular public reporting on shelter statistics. We support increased transparency, regular public reporting of shelter data, and the creation of a citizen Animal Advisory Committee — including a licensed veterinarian — to help ensure ongoing community engagement and accountability.

What We Are Asking Lee County NC To Do

We respectfully request that the Lee County Board of Commissioners and County Manager:

* Establish clear policies for communication with rescue partners.

* Provide meaningful opportunities such as opportunity for presentation at BOC meetings for residents, rescue groups, and advocates to be heard.

* Expand affordable spay/neuter resources and enroll in existing state assistance programs.

* Add shelter staffing to support shelter staff in communicating urgent needs, rescue coordination and increased adoption opportunities.

* Evaluate and increase shelter capacity where needed.

* Improve adoption accessibility through expanded hours and events.

* Increase transparency regarding shelter operations and animal outcomes.

* Create a public Animal Advisory Committee with relevant community expertise.

Every Animal Deserves a Chance

A rescue group cannot help an animal if it does not know help is needed.  A family cannot adopt an animal if they cannot access the shelter.  Shelter staff cannot do everything without adequate resources.

We believe Lee County NC can build a stronger, more transparent, and more effective shelter system that supports staff, strengthens rescue partnerships, and gives every adoptable and rescuable animal the best possible chance to find a home.

**Please sign and share this petition** and ask Lee County NC leaders to invest in solutions that support its staff, provide resources to their community pet owners in need, and give shelter animals a fair chance.