Our Story

AnimalKind began in 1997 with a simple, uncomfortable observation: too many animals in North Carolina were being euthanized in public shelters, and the root cause of pet overpopulation wasn’t being addressed at scale.

Founded in Raleigh by a group of marketing professionals and animal advocates, AnimalKind’s earliest work focused on public education around spaying and neutering. But awareness alone wasn’t enough. The real barrier for many families was cost, and that required a more direct solution.

In 2004, we launched THE $20 FIX program across eight counties in central North Carolina. Working through the “NC I Care” license plate fund, the program helped low-income residents get their pets spayed or neutered for $20 or less. We managed every aspect, from community outreach, applications, and vouchers to a network of participating veterinarians and state reimbursement. Over two decades, we’ve directly served more than 25,000 families.

Founded in 1997, AnimalKind grew out of a national need to address the overpopulation of adoptable cats and dogs in shelters. Each year, over one million sheltered animals are euthanized in the United States.

In 2005, we opened ReTails Thrift Store to build a sustainable, community-rooted revenue stream for our programs. In 2009, we launched the SpayNC Helpline, connecting people across the state with affordable spay/neuter options in their area.

In 2025, we began building what has always been the logical next step: a permanent community veterinary clinic open to the public, staffed by licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians, and designed to serve the pets and families who need it most. Because the need hasn’t gone away. And neither have we.

The AnimalKind Community Veterinary Clinic is our most ambitious undertaking yet, and it’s just the beginning. Our long-term vision includes expanding services, building community partnerships with organizations like Freedom Ride and Friends of Wake County Animal Center, adding transportation and mobile care options for underserved areas, and eventually opening additional locations across the Triangle.