NEWTON — Catawba County Animal Services will operate with reduced housing for about three months during a planned construction project, the county said Aug. 5, 2026. Non-emergency owner surrenders are suspended effective Aug. 18 until further notice.
Under normal operations, the shelter can house 150 cats and 115 dogs. The county said housing will be cut during construction to protect animals in care. Emergency surrender requests will be evaluated case by case. The office number listed is 828-466-6812. For a pet medical issue, the county told residents to contact a veterinarian first.
Phased capacity listed in the notice:
Phase One
- Cats: maximum 72 (48 percent of normal; 78 kennels unavailable)
- Dogs: maximum 79 (69 percent of normal; 36 kennels unavailable)
Phase Two
- Cats: maximum 133 (89 percent of normal; 17 kennels unavailable)
- Dogs: maximum 81 (70 percent of normal; 34 kennels unavailable)
Phase Three
- Cats: maximum 129 (86 percent of normal; 21 kennels unavailable)
- Dogs: maximum 73 (63 percent of normal; 42 kennels unavailable)
The county said it understands the change may create challenges and that staff remain committed to restoring full operations as quickly as possible while providing care for animals in the shelter.
The Aug. 5 notice does not name the contractor, a project cost, or calendar dates for each construction phase beyond the Aug. 18 surrender cutoff and the three-month overall window.
Official release from Catawba County Government, Aug. 5, 2026. https://www.catawbacountync.gov/news/temporary-suspension-of-non-emergency-owner-surrenders-effective-august-18th/
