Animal Adoption Agency Receives Special Use Permit to Keep its Doors Open

Smith Anderson client Saving Grace Animals for Adoption, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal adoption agency, received unanimous approval from the Wake County Board of Adjustment for a special use permit allowing it to continue operations on its property in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

Since 2004, Saving Grace has rescued and coordinated the adoptions of over 14,000 dogs. Founder and president, Molly Goldston, travels to animal shelters throughout our community, particularly focusing on rural shelters that do not have the resources to fund adoption programs and selects dogs that would be excellent candidates for adoption. Following this selection, the dogs are given robust medical treatment, personality assessments, and behavior training before being made available for adoption. 

Saving Grace and its extensive network of volunteers (including 150 weekly volunteers) provides numerous benefits to its surrounding communities. Not only does the organization coordinate adoptions, but it is the primary resource of the clinical program at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, assists in housing dogs during natural disasters (like Hurricane Matthew), and following animal cruelty cases, and provides training for other non-profit animal adoption agencies.

Saving Grace was not aware that a special use permit was required for its operation.  The coordination of the special use permit application and hearing, and future site plan was a group effort amongst various experts. Smith Anderson’s Land Use & Zoning attorneys Wayne Maiorano and Eva Frongello, worked with the Wake County Planning Staff, engineers with WithersRavenel, a soil scientist, a clinical professor at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, and an appraiser with Worthy & Wachtel. Through this group’s combined efforts, Saving Grace received approval of its Special Use Permit allowing it to continue operations for the foreseeable future. Smith Anderson was privileged to be a part of this team and proud of the work done on behalf of an organization that provides so much to our community.