BANDIT
MISHA
LADYBUG
Letter from our Executive Director
COMMUNITY HEARTBEAT
Dear Friends,
This past year has been unimaginable. At the end of September 2024, Hurricane Helene ripped through Western North Carolina devastating our region.
Brother Wolf’s beloved adoption center that saved the lives of over 100,000 animals was consumed by floodwaters. When everyday life is stripped away from you, the things that truly matter get real clear. And the number one thing that matters to this Brother Wolf community: working together to save animals’ lives.
The day ahead of the storm, you helped us orchestrate an emergency evacuation of 100 animals from our campus. In the aftermath, you helped us provide free veterinary care to 1,272 struggling animals. You sent us funds and supplies to get back up on our feet and the ASPCA opened their doors to give us a temporary home. Incredibly, just ten weeks after Helene, we were welcoming animals into our care again. Local homes stepped up to foster Brother Wolf animals and thanks to their open hearts, we’ve been able to orchestrate 535+ adoptions already this year! For animals in our community who continue to need a helping hand after Helene, we launched a new program called Stay Together whose heartwarming impacts you can read about on the next page.
The heartbeat of the Brother Wolf community has been a steady guide through these hard days. We’re on a strong path to rebuild on higher ground thanks to your direct care and support. We’re currently vetting land and honing in on building plans for the land with architects who specialize in building shelters. It’s a big project with a lot of moving parts yet every single day we get closer. (Exciting news coming soon!)
I’m so grateful for your support that rushed in to help and continues to uplift us. Thank you for being our heartbeat. Together we save lives!
With gratitude,
Leah Craig Chumbley, Executive Director
WHERE THERE’S LOVE, THERE’S A WAY
NEW Stay Together Program
When Hurricane Helene tore through our region, families lost so much. Homes, vehicles, stability, and in too many tragic cases, their loved ones. In the aftermath of the chaos, there was something they couldn’t bear to lose too: their animals. In the weeks that followed the storm, Brother Wolf and our incredible partners provided free emergency veterinary care to TWELVE HUNDRED animals. These were cherished pets who had survived the unimaginable, only to face urgent illness or injury. Their caretakers were heartbroken at the thought of giving up their pets simply because they couldn’t afford surgery or vet care after losing everything. Time and again, we saw the same scene unfold: a tearful reunion, a whispered thank you, and a tail wag or gentle purr that said it all.
That outpouring of love - the undeniable bond between people and their animals - is what inspired us to create our new Stay Together program. Thanks to compassionate supporters like you, that promise is still being kept today.
In recent months, this program has helped 350 animals break free from pain, illness, and from the heartbreaking fate of entering a shelter system they may not have survived. These animals are still in the arms of the people who love them and who are loved fiercely in return. Because sometimes, the most powerful rescue isn’t taking an animal out of a shelter, it’s keeping them from having to go there at all.
STICKY NOTE
FROM BITTERSWEET BEGINNINGS TO SWEETEST JOY
This chocolate-colored litter came to Brother Wolf with their mom when they were just days old…tiny, fragile, and fighting to survive. Tragically, some of their siblings passed away before they ever made it to Brother Wolf’s safety, making the bond between the surviving pups even more precious. With love and care, they grew into happy, healthy dogs and were adopted into amazing homes. Recently, they reunited for a joyful playdate - tails wagging, paws flying, hearts full. Watching them together again was a powerful reminder of what rescue makes possible thanks to people like you!
STICKY NOTE STICKS THE LANDING
Sticky Note had a rough start. After surgery complications, she needed extra time to heal—and a foster home willing to give her the kind of care and attention most kittens only dream of. Lucky for her, she got exactly that at Brother Wolf. And, when she was ready for adoption, her family appeared. They already had a cat who looked just like her, and better yet, he was ready to show Sticky Note the ropes. Today, these two are inseparable—napping together, playing chase, and sharing all the sunshine spots. For a kitten who needed a little extra help, life couldn’t be sweeter!
JANICE
TINY DOG, TREMENDOUS HEART
Janice came from an overcrowded home where care and comfort were hard to come by. She arrived at Brother Wolf a little worn down, but still full of quiet sweetness. When her adopter first saw Janice’s photo, she thought, “Maybe”. She had lost her dog 4 days after the hurricane and didn’t know if she was ready. But the moment they met, that “maybe” became certain. “She was lying there in that little bed, and I knew,” she said. Now, Janice’s days are filled with sunny naps and adoring attention thanks to caring supporters like you who make these happily-ever-afters possible.
SUGARPLUM
A DREAM DOG NAMED SQUASH
Squash didn’t just find a home...she found her people. “I have been searching for a long time. She is seriously my dream dog. I can’t believe it!!!” The bond was instant. On her very first night, Squash curled up beside her new mom, resting her head on her arm and staying that way until morning - legs draped, heart wide open, trust instantly established. She now joins her mom visiting horse barns, where she greets everyone with gentle kindness. Whether she’s cuddling at home or tagging along on adventures, it’s clear that Squash has found her place and that her family feels just as lucky to have found her.
GRIEF MET GRACE WHEN SUGARPLUM FOUND HER PERSON
Two souls, both grieving, found each other when they needed it most. Sugarplum was found alone in a home, having endured weeks of solitude after the tragic death of her human family. At Brother Wolf, she was taken in by a foster mom who was quietly carrying a deep loss of her own, facing life without her husband who had passed away suddenly just months before.
They understood each other’s silence. They understood the ache of missing someone who isn’t coming back. In those early days, Sugarplum would wake with a flicker of fear, unsure of where she was, until she remembered…then joy would take over. Her morning zoomies around the bed became a daily celebration of safety, comfort, and the promise of love.
This match was made possible because of supporters like you. Your generosity creates space for healing— for animals, and for the people who love them. Sugarplum brings laughter where there was quiet, companionship in the loneliest moments, and a kind of comfort only two grieving hearts can offer one another.
JUBILEE’S LAST MORNING
A peaceful goodbye, a lifetime of love
“This past Thursday, Jubilee passed away. She started her morning just like always; wandering from the house to the front yard, taking in the panoramic mountains spread out before her. The grass was freshly cut, the grapevines were beginning to grow for fall wine, and the mountains were full of new spring life.
I was on the porch with my morning coffee watching her, when I sensed something was off. I walked down and sat in the grass beside her. She rested her head in my lap and fell asleep. Moments later, she took three big breaths… and she was gone. She’s now forever resting in the garden, where I can see her every day from the porch.
I adopted Jubilee from Brother Wolf in the spring of 2014, and it was the best thing I ever did. She was my best friend. Over the years, she was the reason I hiked more than 300 miles of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway. She kept me fit. We enjoyed our retirement together.
Thank you, Brother Wolf, for bringing us together.”
Jubilee’s life lives on—in the trails they walked, in the quiet mornings on the porch, and in the love that still lingers like sunlight across the mountains. What an amazing gift they gave to each other. A life of love, joy, and deep connection –the kind of life we dream of for every animal to experience.
FOSTERING: WHERE LIFESAVING MEETS FUN!
Our foster families are everyday heroes. They open their homes and hearts to animals, giving them comfort, safety, and love. For the animals, it means a peaceful home instead of a stressful kennel. For the foster, it means being part of the most rewarding chapter of an animal’s journey.
Every time a foster home opens their doors, they make room for another animal to be rescued. They bottle-feed kittens, teach shy dogs that people can be kind, and they give recovering animals the rest they need. And the best part? Fosters get to watch their animals blossom—knowing they had a hand in making that transformation possible.
“I knew I’d be helping animals, but was surprised at how much joy fostering has brought into my own life. My home feels fuller, my heart feels fuller.”
– Brother Wolf Foster
Brother Wolf provides all the food, supplies, and veterinary care; our fosters provide the love. It’s a partnership that changes lives, including your own. If you’ve ever wanted to be part of something truly special, fostering is one of the most fulfilling ways to help save lives.
WAYS TO GIVE
Your support is the reason animals in need get to heal, grow, and find their happily-ever-afters. Discover the giving option that’s right for you and be part of saving lives!
• Legacy Giving via Wills & Trusts
• IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution for ages 71+
• Gifts of Stock
• Donate your Vehicle in Any Condition
• Monthly Giving to Help Year-Round
• Give Online bwar.org
• Donate By Mail P.O. Box 8195, Asheville, NC 28814
• Every donation makes a difference! Find more details about these and other giving avenues at www.bwar.org/ways-to-give.
Every single day, we’re rescuing the vulnerable together—bringing safety, comfort, and love to animals who have nowhere else to turn. And while we dream, design, and plan for our new home, our critical lifesaving work hasn’t slowed for even a moment. Thanks to you, Brother Wolf is standing strong today and building an exciting future for decades of meaningful work together to come, saving thousands of lives, spreading hope, and making sure every animal’s tomorrow shines brighter.
Brother