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Wake County's only Open-Admission Shelter: Wake County Animal Center

Wake County Animal Center will be at Spring Fling!
Wake County Animal Center will be at Spring Fling!

If you live in Wake County, you’ll want to know about our next organization! The Wake County Animal Center has been joining us for Spring Fling for years now and we are happy to have them join us again! As regulars to the event, they had this to say about it:

"Spring Fling is the biggest animal event of the year - filled with fantastic vendors, animal welfare organizations, food trucks, and more! It's a great way for shelters and rescues to market for adopters, volunteers, or foster homes while also promoting adoptable animals and other programs. Personally, I love shopping at all the local vendors that support the local animal community."

Wake County Animal Center is our open admission (the only one in Wake County), county shelter that receives all the stray and abandoned pets in Wake County. They also take owner surrendered pets and as an open admission shelter, they have to take any animal that comes through the doors. This means that sometimes they end up with animals other than dogs and cats, like chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and even birds or reptiles on occasion! They work with fosters, volunteers and rescues to re-home thousands of pets each year. They also have an adoption center, which welcomes visitors to come and look at the pets on their adoption floor (during adoption floor hours.)


wake.gov/pets

Open admission shelters, like Wake County, need so much community support. When they have to take in every animal that comes in, there’s always a risk that tough decisions have to be made because of space limitations. This is where the community can make a huge impact! Rescues can pull animals into their programs, individuals can foster for the shelter or for a partner rescue group, share adoptable animals to help them find homes, donate supplies to help care for the pets there and make their stay more comfortable, or volunteer their time to help pets in the shelter destress and get some extra attention.


You can follow them and keep up with their adoptable pets on their website, and on Facebook and Instagram!


Don't miss visiting the Wake County Animal Center team at Unleashed's 12th Annual Spring Fling Dog & Cat Fundraiser on Sunday, April 13, 2025, from 12-6 pm at Koka Booth Amphitheatre!!


Stay up to date on all things Spring Fling 2025:



 
 
 

Saving Dogs, Cats, and Exotic Pets - Rainbow Rescue and Retreat

Rainbow Rescue & Retreat Joins Unleashed's Spring Fling for 2nd Year!
Rainbow Rescue & Retreat Joins Spring Fling for a 2nd Year!

Up next we have a rescue that joined Spring Fling for the first time last year: Rainbow Rescue and Retreat. We are excited to welcome back this group, founded in 2022. When asked what they loved about Spring Fling last year, they said the community was their favorite part:

"So many wonderful people and organizations coming together to create a better space for animals in this world".

This group is out to make a big difference for all types of pets in need in Lee County. They take in a variety of animals from dogs and cats to small animals like guinea pigs and rabbits, to other exotics including reptiles and birds! They are a volunteer-run non-profit organization that has created a unique space as an all-species animal rescue and sanctuary.

Their sanctuary component is a work in progress right now, but they do have some animals that will be with them for the rest of their lives for various reasons. Once it is complete, they plan to include farm animals to the wide array of species they help.


The animals that currently call Rainbow Rescue and Retreat home have come from a variety of places, some from shelters, some from owners who could no longer care for them, and others that people took in as strays but couldn't keep. They do rely on foster homes to help them accept more pets. When a pet is unable to be adopted, for whatever reason, they will have a safe place for the rest of their life within the sanctuary where they will be given care and love and the best life they can possibly have.

Adoptable Amelia the Cockatoo

One of their current sanctuary animals is Amelia. This beautiful lady is a Moluccan Cockatoo who has not had the best life up to this point. As a result of her lack of care, she has a number of medical issues that the rescue is working to address and treat as well as working to build her an enclosure suited to her specific needs. Additionally, she isn't trusting of humans and is facing years of work to get her back to a happy and healthy life. You can read more about Amelia here.






Check out the Rainbow Rescue and Retreat website for more information about them and their mission. Make sure to follow them on their social media accounts, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to keep up with their activities and updates on adoptable pets and the antics of their sanctuary residents.


Don't miss visiting the Rainbow Rescue team, and maybe even some of their adoptable animals, at Unleashed's 12th Annual Spring Fling Dog & Cat Fundraiser on Sunday, April 13, 2025, from 12-6 pm at Koka Booth Amphitheatre!!


Stay up to date on all things Spring Fling 2025:

 
 
 

Cats of All Types are Safe at The Goathouse Refuge

Goathouse Refuge is coming to Spring Fling!
Goathouse Refuge is coming to Spring Fling!

The Goathouse Refuge is another rescue group that has been joining us at Spring Fling for several years now and we are pleased to have them attending again this year! As regular Spring Fling attendees they said,

"It is a fun and well-organized event; we get a lot of exposure to new people who don't know about us since we are located in Pittsboro. The donations that get split with the nonprofits helps greatly as well as the food and other items that we pick up after the event. I also enjoy seeing everyone's dogs at the event!!"

Though the name brings farm animals to mind, Goathouse is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill animal sanctuary that is:

"...dedicated to providing cage-free care for cats regardless of age, medical issues or disposition until a permanent loving adoptive home can be found."

For those who may not be suited to life in a typical home, whether because of medical issues or feral cats who prefer to stick to their wild ways, Goathouse is their permanent home where they can live as they please and be loved and cared for just the way they are.


Founder, Siglinda Scarpa, established The Goathouse Refuge in 2006 and continues to be an avid supporter. You can see her pottery and other work in a gallery at the refuge. Additionally, they sell coffee and all proceeds go towards care of the cats!


As of 2022, The Goathouse Refuge is shifting their focus to bring attention and aid to several groups of cats that are more underserved and traditionally overlooked; those who are older, or semi-feral, or who have special needs. These cats do get adopted but much less frequently than young cats who are "easy" to care for. As a result, this population ranks among the highest portions of euthanized cats in our nations' shelters.


"Consider the cats who have been faithful beloved companions for many years, only to be put out in the street or taken to a kill shelter when their humans can no longer care for them. Our goal will be to bring public awareness and sympathy to this group of cats, so that these animals receive the dignity and respect they have always deserved and so often have not received. We hope that this new focus as a place of last resort will change the discourse about and treatment of our elderly feline companions."

Majestic- currently available for adoption from Goathouse Refuge
Adopt Me!

Of course, all the cats that currently call Goathouse home, even outside the populations of their new focus, will continue to live there and be cared for until they find an adoptive home. So, if you are looking for a cat or two to complete your family, check out the cats at The Goathouse Refuge! You can stop by in person on Fridays by appointment, and Saturday & Sunday from 11:00am to 3:00pm.


One of their adoptable cats is Majestic, pictured here. He's a handsome teenaged guy who is said to get along with the other animals at the sanctuary and is sweet and friendly. You can view his profile page here and share it to help him find the perfect home to spend his golden years!


Learn more about Goathouse Refuge on their website, Facebook, and Instagram!


Don't miss visiting the Goathouse team, and maybe even some of their adoptable kitties, at Unleashed's 12th Annual Spring Fling Dog & Cat Fundraiser on Sunday, April 13, 2025, from 12-6 pm at Koka Booth Amphitheatre!!


Stay up to date on all things Spring Fling 2025:

 
 
 
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