About Us
Friends for Animals Humane Society of Burke County began in the backyard of its founders, Toni and Ed Davis, in 1997. It then developed into a local organization of concerned citizens that shared the dream of finding homes for stray, neglected, and abused animals.
Throughout its inception, and prevalent today, Toni and Ed Davis had two goals in mind when they began their efforts:
1) to establish a shelter that would save the lives of adoptable animals by providing care, housing, and placement services for the homeless, neglected, or abused animals of Burke County.
2) to provide humane education to the residents of Burke County, particularly the importance of spaying and neutering to decrease the population of unwanted animals.
After much planning and hard work by many dedicated volunteers and generous benefactors, the Adoption Center, appropriately named Friends for Animals, became a reality in November of 2003.
All animals are cared for in the adoption facility at 417 Kirksey Drive (between the National Guard Armory and the Burke County Animal Control office). The facility has grown into the largest no-kill animal shelter in Western North Carolina!
Over ten thousand animals have been adopted through Friends for Animals since 1997 and the organization has provided homes to a steady stream of animals that have been saved from lethal injection. Adoption numbers continue to grow.
The Adoption Center management team works closely with Burke County Animal Control to save as many animals the shelter can safely and adequately hold, and to investigate matters of animal cruelty.
Friends for Animals makes a lifetime commitment to each animal accepted into its care and no animal is euthanized except for health or safety reasons.
Buster's Bus was donated by the Bush Foundation and is used to transport animals from the Burke County Animal Control building to the Adoption Center where they are examined by a veterinarian, spayed or neutered prior to adoption and given needed vaccinations. The vehicle can also be seen parked in front of PetSmart or Petco on weekends where adoptions take place.
Sadly, Edward Davis, 59, of Pete Brittain Road, Morganton, passed away Monday, Feb. 16, 2009, at Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory.
We are a 501c3 tax exempt organization