How the Wake County Animal Center makes a difference in the lives of pets

When most people think of the Wake County Animal Center, they think of a place to take their pet when they can no longer care for it. However, the Wake County Animal Center is much more than that–offering a variety of services that include pet adoption, animal control, pet identification, and more. Jennifer Federico, Director of Animal Services for Wake County, said: "We partner with all of the animal control units in the county so any animals coming in as strays, cruelty cases, abandonment animals, sick and injured, or anything like that, we are the only place they come to. We fulfill that entire need for our growing county."

One of the most pressing issues is the growing stray and feral cat population within the county, which introduces more animals that may require medical attention. "Spaying and neutering are always important, especially with cats, so Wake County does not continue to get overwhelmed with that pet population. Cats and kittens are really the biggest issue in the county and being responsible, especially with outdoor cats, is very important." As the county continues to evolve from rural to urban, the cats are becoming more visible. Getting cats spayed and neutered can limit the problems of this issue. As this population grows, it can place a strain on the organization. "We are different in that we are open admission and we will take in every animal that comes to us and will take on cases that others will not. On top of animals that the public brings to us, we have all the animals that are coming to us from animal control, which is exclusive to us in our community," said Federico.

Fortunately, there are so many ways to help the Wake County Animal Center. If you are looking for a pet, then adopt. If you can foster or volunteer then that is great, but many people think that if they don't have the time and space for those things, there is nothing they can do. Even something as simple as taking a lost pet and scanning its chip and trying to find its owner before taking the pet to the Animal Center, sharing posts about someone trying to rehome a pet, or even just getting to know the pets in your neighborhood. All these things make a difference for the animal center.

When asked why Whitley Law Firm chooses to support the animal center, Ben Whitley said: “Everyone in the firm is a big animal lover, and we have dogs that come into the office for the day. We like to remember our furry friends too and we have found that supporting organizations like Wake County Animal Center has done amazing things in our community for animals and pets. It just feels good to help find homes and support organizations that do these things.” "With organizations like Whitley Law Firm out there promoting us it really helps, because there are still people out there who do not know we exist, and it is really hard and we need community groups to help us and we know we can't do this alone," added Federico when talking about the law firm’s support of the Animal Center.