Mission
The mission of Chatham Animal Rescue & Education (CARE) is to promote the health and safety of all dogs and cats in Chatham County, NC. CARE foster caregivers provide loving, stable homes to homeless cats and dogs, helping them become the best possible pets for their future forever families. CARE works with the Chatham County Animal Resources Center to save the lives of unwanted cats and dogs, manages feral cat colonies, and serves as an educational resource. CARE’s Lillie’s Fund is a targeted spay/neuter program, subsidizing sterilization surgeries for pets owned by lower income families in Chatham County. CARE is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that has served the community since 1975 and relies on individual and corporate donors for support.
Our Vision is to end euthanasia and homelessness and ensure the well-being of all dogs and cats in Chatham County.
Our Values: Teamwork/Compassion/Integrity/Collaboration & Community
As a volunteer-based organization, we are completely reliant on the dedication of our wonderful volunteers to support our mission. Won’t you join us?
Board of Directors, 2024
- Ginny Brown
- Karen Womble Bruschke
- Chris Bush
- Heather Connors, Secretary
- Joan Cunningham, Board Chair
- Annette Dettmann
- Joy Duquette
- Kimberly Sinnott, Vice Chair
- Elizabeth Thomas
- Leslie Walden
- Kelli Tesh Maturano
History and Programs
1975-1990
Chatham Animal Rescue & Education, Inc. was incorporated in 1975 with the name Chatham Humane Society by a group of citizens in Siler City, North Carolina. There was minimal activity until the mid 1980s when Valerie Broadway gathered a group of interested citizens to revitalize the organization.
At the time there were two “dog wardens” who worked under the supervision of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department. The only shelter for stray and abandoned dogs and cats was a small cinderblock building with a concrete slab and a roof. It was exposed to the elements, no dog houses or bedding were provided, and the building had no electricity or telephone. If you lost or found a pet, it was impossible to know where to look for it or how to return a found pet to its home. Cats were euthanized on arrival. There were no adoptions.
A small core of dedicated Chatham Humane Society volunteers met regularly with county officials lobbying for improvements to the responsiveness of the officers and to the shelter facility. They were successful in getting the animal control program transferred to the Health Department. During this period this small group also provided foster care to a small number of dogs and cats in the county.
1990-2019
In the early nineties, Humane Society members were instrumental in convincing the Board of County Commissioners to establish an Animal Control Advisory Committee to work with the Health Department to standardize protocols and design a new sheltering facility.
An animal shelter was completed in the mid-nineties and provided space for both cats and dogs and quarantine area for screening animals before putting them up for adoption. Chatham Humane Society developed policies and procedures for the new shelter and provided volunteers as well.
In 2002, Chatham Humane Society changed its name to Chatham Animal Rescue & Education and adopted the acronym CARE. CARE created a website and began expanding its foster programs. Adoptions increased substantially as a result of the increased exposure.
Pet Adoption Events
Beginning in the 2000s, CARE began to partner with PetSmart for dog and cat adoption events, first in Cary and later in Apex, NC. This partnership resulted in the adoption of hundreds of shelter cats and CARE foster cats. Unfortunately, access was limited during the Covid -19 pandemic and CARE has not returned to the Adoption Center.
We are currently seeking new adoption event venues for dogs.
Lillie’s Fund
In 2005, CARE created Lillie’s Fund, CARE’s targeted spay/neuter assistance program for qualifying Chatham County, NC residents. This program was named for Lillie Cameron who was CARE’s first foster caregiver and who advocated strongly for providing financial assistance to low income residents to spay and neuter their pets. To date, Lillie’s Fund has provided spay/neuter services to thousands of dogs and cats in Chatham County.
Thanks to a generous donation from Margaret Petrie in 2014, funds from the annual State Employees Combined Campaign, and grants and donations from hundreds of individuals, CARE continues to provide low cost or free spay/neuter vouchers to low income residents for their owned pets and to residents, regardless of income level, who take in and care for stray, abandoned dogs and community cats until they can be placed in forever homes.
Pet Responsibility Education Program (PREP)
CARE has developed and expanded its education efforts through our Pet Responsibility Education Program (PREP) that targets 4th graders with a comprehensive 6-week program that covers pet owner responsibility as well as animal advocacy. This program has been modified to provide educational opportunities for 4H campers, YMCA after school programs and new homeowners through Habitat for Humanity. PREP is on hiatus since the pandemic but we are currently seeking educators to activate the program again.
Fundraising Events
CARE has managed a number of fundraising and social events in a variety of venues. For over 10 years CARE sponsored Yappy Hour, first at the Chatham Marketplace and then in partnership with Carolina Brewery in Pittsboro. While the pandemic saw the end of Yappy Hour CARE continues to partner with Carolina Brewery with Dining for Dollars, a monthly fundraiser where CARE receives a portion of the proceeds for all sales that day. CARE also partners with Breakaway Cafe who features a menu item whose sales support CARE. The Beagle in Pittsboro donates a portion of proceeds to CARE every first Wednesday. bmc brewery created a special beer for CARE in 2022. Peace Love Paws, a blond ale.
In the mid-2000s, CARE partnered with the General Store Café for a series of Burrito Bashes featuring entertainment, a silent auction and burritos. In 2015, CARE celebrated its 40th birthday with the first showing in North Carolina of the Walker Art Museum’s famous Cat Video Festival. We celebrated at the Pittsboro Roadhouse with dinner, the Cat Video Festival, a cupcake contest and raffles of many wonderful and varied donated items. CARE enjoyed the largest crowd ever hosted at a CARE fundraising event and a grand time was had by all.
From 2001-2011, CARE hosted the Woof-A-Palooza dog walk every September, a tradition that was enjoyed by our adopters, donors, and volunteers alike. In 2019, CARE brought back Woof-A-Palooza, raising more than $40,000. We took a pause from Woof-A-Palooza due to the pandemic, but we hope to revisit this fun event in the future.
CARE, Chatham County Animal Services and the Chatham County Animal Resources Center
CARE has nurtured a collaborative relationship with Chatham County Animal Services and the Chatham County Animal Resources Center. From the early-2000s to the pandemic, CARE hosted Chatham County Animal Resources Center cats at PetSmart, resulting in hundreds of shelter cats being adopted. Both CARE dog and cat foster caregivers obtain a majority of the animals in foster care from the shelter which is currently part of the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department.
Non-Discrimination Policy
CARE is an equal opportunity rescue group CARE does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, or marital status.
CARE Mailing Address & Phone Number
P.O. Box 610, Pittsboro, NC 27312
919.542.5757