We want to thank the group of animal supporters who become the first members of FOTAS at our membership meeting. We enjoyed some great homemade snacks and learned the latest on the new shelter from Dr. Clyde Brooks and other board members.

Attendees were encouraged to volunteer for the new roles that will be needed at the shelter when it opens this summer as well as continue to help us at events in the community. We are seeking more members to help this shelter realize its fullest potential. As a county run shelter, the involvment of volunteers is absolutely critical. Please join us. Membership is $35/individual and $60 for families.

Friends of the Animal Shelter P.O. Box 1425 Brevard, NC 28712

Make Check Payable to FOTAS and write ‘membership’ on memo line.

Work continues on the new shelter being built near Rosman and an early summer opening is likely. Once the goal of raising the $350,000 in private money for the new Shelter was met, The Friends of the Animal Shelter had to change its focus. FOTAS now has new goals which include supporting the shelter through volunteering, training, education, capital improvements and promotion of the shelter and increasing adoption rates.

To continue this work, FOTAS is starting a membership program. The cost will be $35 per year for individuals and $60 for families. Members will receive a copy of the Friends of the Animal Shelter quarterly newsletter and there will be at least 4 membership meetings per year. Tentatively, the meetings may include current animal shelter updates, opportunities to volunteer and guest speakers.

The first membership meeting will be held at the Community Services Building, 96 East Morgan Street, Brevard, N.C., on April 24th starting at 5:30 PM

Transylvania County’s long awaited new animal shelter is well on its way to a late spring opening and the Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) have just announced that their fund raising goal of $350,000 has been reached.

This group was formed in August 2011 by Dr. Clyde Brooks, DVM and Nita Hunt, owner of Pure Pets, to raise the additional funds needed to bridge the gap between the County’s budgeted amount and the estimated cost of the new shelter. Many dedicated board members and volunteers worked long hours to achieve this goal in a very tight economy.

In a statement, Dr. Brooks said, “There are a great many people who came together to make this new shelter a reality. The community has wanted this for a very long time and showed their desires by contributing a large sum of money to the shelter. Various businesses have held fund-raising events. The animal rescue groups have always been advocates for the shelter and have given their time, as volunteers on various fund raisers and have been generous with their contributions. We have a great group of County Commissioners and a County Manager who have supported the new animal shelter. We are so very fortunate to live in a community where people have a vision of what needs to be accomplished and then mount their efforts to get the job done.”

Over the course of the fund drive, over 1000 individuals contributed either by check, via fund raisers like Pawction and the Designer Showhouse, or donated on-line. Countless others tossed cash into the boxes around town.