News

Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue adoptions up 47%

By Lightning Reports, Published: April 21, 2016

From their humble beginnings, Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue in Fletcher has become one of the fastest growing animal rescue agencies in the area, saving 898 dogs and cats in 2015.
While that number is impressive on its own, what makes the no-kill rescue’s story so compelling is that it accomplished this with no paid professional staff and a facility that has space for just 20 dogs and 12 cats.
The nonprofit also focuses significant attention on saving dozens of dogs and cats that are not easily adoptable. Of the 898, dozens were very old, sick, pregnant or so young they needed bottle feeding.
“We owe our success to an exceptionally dedicated group of volunteers that puts in countless hours every week and to our focus on creating innovative programs to find adoptive families,” says Kim Smith, Charlie’s Angels president.
“For example, we were one of the first, if not the first, rescues in Western North Carolina to transport dogs to the Northeast where demand for adoptable animals is high,” said Smith. “Now many groups do it.”
The organization also collaborated on a unique program ongoing with boutique hotel Aloft Asheville Downtown, which has been recognized by news media worldwide, including Fox News Network, the Meredith Vieira Show, NBC Nightly News and People magazine, among many others.
The process begins with the Aloft fostering a dog from Charlie’s Angels. The dog, of course, is selected from one of our area shelters. After the requisite spay or neuter and any other necessary medical treatment, the dog takes up residence at the hotel, where it helps greet guests until it steals someone’s heart. Nearly 60 dogs have found new families through the program since it began in summer 2014.
The program has been so successful that rescues and hotels elsewhere around the country have asked Charlie’s Angels to help them replicate the concept. Similar programs have been launched elsewhere in North Carolina and in Florida, Maine, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Additional programs are under consideration in other states.
“We have no intention of resting on our laurels next year,” said Smith. “There are thousands of additional homeless animals and we want to rescue even more of them in 2016 than we did in 2015.”
Charlie’s Angels invites the public to get involved with the organization by adopting, volunteering, fostering or donating. The facility, located at 5526 Hendersonville Road., next to Smiley’s Flea Market, is open seven days a week from 10 a.m.to 6 p.m.