Murphy Logan’s Run Rescue is celebrating 10 years of being a primary source for animal aid in Cherokee and surrounding counties.
“Our goals for the last 10 years have been to move the needle back on the root causes of rural animal suffering – too many animals and not enough homes – and make vet care more affordable,” said Mark Lyden, co-director of Logan’s Run.
This remains the main goal of the organization. Originally, Logan’s Run opened the Tri-State Spay/Neuter Clinic to address the issues of unfixed stray animals that led to the number of suffering animals to increase.
However, as they brought animals in, many were sick and needed care before they could be spayed or neutered. This is what led to the opening of the Tri-State Veterinary Clinic.
Each day, the clinic sees 25-30 patients. This side focuses on vaccines and routine appointments.
All sides of operation
In honor of its 10th anniversary, Logan’s Run is offering deals on veterinary services through Dec. 31.
Annual visits and vaccines are $129, puppy/kitten visits and vaccines are $49 for up to four visits, and a prevention package special for flea, tick and heart-worm prevention for $40. If you book a dental visit within 45 days of a dental evaluation, you will receive 15% off the total cost.
The veterinary side has provided care to more than 25,000 animals in 10 years. The surgery side typically performs 30-40 operations per day.
“A typical vet has a formula where they do 6-8 surgeries in the morning and see their appointments in the afternoon. But we have to do more to keep the prices affordable and to make as large a dent in animal suffering in this area that we can,” Lyden said. Logan’s Run partners with the Cherokee and Clay county boards of commissioners to offer the Spay/Neuter Assistance Program, which provides $25 spay/neuter for cats and $50 spay/neuter for dogs to members of the community who receive Medicaid, eBT, etc.; signups can be done at the Logan’s Run Thrift Store. More than 41,000 spay and neuter surgeries have been performed over the last decade, helping get over 5,000 animals adopted to forever families.
Above and beyond
Logan’s Run is committed to going above and beyond to help as many animals as they can. Even though the clinic isn’t meant to be an emergency veterinary hospital, they recognize this is an area of care that is unaffordable for many people in this area.
“We’re not an emergency clinic, but we’ve had people bring in animals that wouldn’t make it anywhere else, and our vets do what they can to help these urgent cases,” Lyden said.
“The community knows we do what we can to help people afford care for their animals. When others can’t or won’t step up, we step in whenever we can.”
Logan’s Run has worked with 17 different animal shelters across 33 counties and five states to help get animals spayed, neutered and healthy to increase the number of adoptable animals in shelters. This is a root cause for why animal shelters are consistently at capacity.
After Hurricane Helene hit in 2024, Logan’s Run stepped up and partnered with the ASPCA in Asheville to help relocate and provide care to affected animals. They also have a Trap-Neuter-Return Program to help combat the number of stray cats reproducing in the area and ensure they have rabies vaccines for little to no cost.
Rabies vaccine
While Logan’s Run is most widely known for its contributions to increasing accessibility for spaying and neutering pets, they have a wide variety of programs dedicated to solving problems facing animals. The clinic has provided more than 60,000 rabies vaccines over the last 10 years.
“Rabies isn’t just an animal issue because it’s transferable to humans. By creating affordable opportunities for the community to get their pets vaccinated for rabies, we’re contributing to overall public health,” Lyden said.
In honor of their 10th anniversary, Logan’s Run is launching a new “You’re One of Us” program, which is focused on helping those who work and volunteer to help with animals be able to afford vet care to ensure their own pets are protected.
“It’s a quiet crisis. We have people dedicating their lives to helping animals as vets, technicians, shelter workers and volunteers, and they can’t afford vet care,” Lyden said.
“Every day, they’re potentially exposed to illnesses that they can bring home to their pets, which puts them in jeopardy. These are our people, and they have a passion for helping animals, so they deserve to have peace of mind for their own pets.”
Animal education
Another way Logan’s Run is working to improve the lives of animals is through education. They offer free training to those who work in and volunteer for shelters to learn veterinary fundamentals so they can more efficiently identify illnesses and get animals the care they need faster.
“In one to two days of training, they can learn how to assess the well being of animals in about five minutes,” Lyden said.
Logan’s Run also offers an apprenticeship program that they typically open up twice a year. Any openings for the program will be announced on Facebook. Over the last 10 years, Logan’s Run has trained more than 100 veterinarians and technicians in its apprenticeship program.
“Our main critique is that we push really hard for the progression in the program. Only one in five typically make it past the 90 days because you have to be dedicated, want to learn and have the vision needed to care for animals,” Lyden said.
While the apprenticeship begins at $10 per hour, there are opportunities for growth and raises as someone works through the program. He encourages those interested to view this as a form of education with pay similar to paying for college.
The program involves hands-on experience, cross-training between veterinary services and surgical services. There are even opportunities for paid education after completing the apprenticeship program and continuing to work with Logan’s Run.
“We work hard to create a positive work environment. We make sure we’re overstaffed each day by two people, so we rarely deal with shortages,” Lyden said.
“We keep food, snacks and drinks stocked so that when our workers get a chance to eat during the day; they know they have food. Employees are guaranteed to have Saturday through Monday off so they can maintain their work-life balance, and we strive to be flexible for those who have scheduling conflicts.”
With about 35 employees and more than 50 volunteers, Logan’s Run strives to put those who actively support them first.
Seeking volunteers
Logan’s Run always needs volunteers, especially in the thrift store and the warehouse. Those who choose to volunteer can earn up to $500 a year to put toward veterinary care for their animals.
If someone were to volunteer 25 hours per month for three months, they would earn $250 toward any veterinary service through Tri-State. By working 20-40 hours, a volunteer can pay for spaying/neutering for cats or dogs plus a rabies vaccine.
“Our volunteering opportunities have provided a healing opportunity for those who are lonely, experiencing grief, or single parents. It’s a way to give back, take care of your animals at no cost and engage with others in the community,” Lyden said.
They look for volunteers in the thrift store willing to wash, sort, tag and set up, and in the warehouse, they are looking for people who are able to lift and move heavier items. They offer free furniture and appliance pick up for donations, and the thrift store is accepting donations of clothes, shoes, toys and more.
“While this is rescue work, there’s still a function of money. The thrift store and warehouse help to offset that cost, but what we really need is a big donor that believes in what we’re doing. With more money, we could do even more to help more animals,” Lyden said.
The community has always supported Logan’s Run and their efforts, but they can continue to do so by volunteering, donating to the stores, shopping at the stores and donating money when they are able.
“We always want to be here to help. If there’s a problem animals face, we will think of ways that are clever ways to solve that problem and overcome the costs,” Lyden said.
Details: Information about Logan’s Run Rescue can be found at logansrunrescue.com; Tri-State Spay/Neuter & Veterinary Clinic can be found at tristatespayneuterclinic.com.