Tales for tails at the animal shelter
Plus: Home sales fall 14% in February; Toppman reviews Mint Museum's 'Coined in the South'; Join us for workplace webinar; TSA to open new checkpoint at CLT
Good morning! Today is Monday, March 24, 2025. You’re reading The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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Today’s Charlotte Ledger is sponsored by T.R. Lawing Realty:
With hundreds of dogs across Charlotte in need of homes, the Humane Society of Charlotte gets creative with programs like the monthly ‘Barkin’ Book Club’
The Barkin’ Book Club convenes every month at the Humane Society of Charlotte. Volunteers pay $10 to read to the adoptable dogs at the shelter, and they spend the last 15 minutes playing with a dog or two that need extra socialization.
by Lindsey Banks
One Thursday afternoon earlier this month, Charlotte resident Matthew Fisher sat down on one side of a glass door, criss-cross applesauce on a blue cushion, and read a chapter of “Because of Winn-Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo out loud.
A 1-year-old husky mix named Chelsea listened intently and eventually dozed off on a blanket inside her kennel at the Humane Society of Charlotte. Chelsea had undergone her spay surgery early that day, so she wore a cone around her neck and seemed lethargic. Still, she welcomed with open (and pointed) ears the eight humans who stopped by that day.
It was Fisher’s second visit to the Humane Society’s Barkin’ Book Club, a monthly volunteer session that invites adults into the shelter’s adoption kennels to socialize and read to the dogs. The club started two years ago and can draw anywhere from two to 20 volunteers. Readers are asked to make a $10 donation to participate.
Animal shelters are finding new ways to fetch would-be pet owners with unique programming designed to bring the public through their doors, with the hopes of boosting adoptions. Some invite people to take dogs out for day dates or weekend stays, or hold themed adoption events, like CMPD Animal Care & Control’s “Pooch Party” this Saturday, at which pet-owners are welcome to take their dogs to a Charlotte Checkers hockey game at Bojangles Coliseum or adopt a foster pup that will be there.
Fisher, who adopted a dog two years ago and isn’t looking for another pet, decided to attend the Barkin’ Book Club because he was looking for a way to get involved in the community. But he also just loves dogs, he said.
“Seeing all their personalities and their reactions to how you read to them — I think that’s what I enjoy the most,” Fisher said.
The Humane Society of Charlotte is a nonprofit animal care and adoption facility located in west Charlotte that cares for animals surrendered by their owners or rescued from puppy mills. The organization doesn’t directly take in stray dogs, but it works with other shelters like CMPD Animal Care & Control to bring in dogs and cats who are ready to be adopted. Last year, 3,671 dogs and cats were adopted from the Humane Society, and 1,526 animals were fostered, according to shelter data.
The organization also offers low-cost spay and neuter services, as well as vaccines, dog training and a pet food bank.
On Barkin’ Book Club days, shelter workers wheel out a book cart (similar to ones at a school library) full of children’s picture books, like “Before You Were Mine” by Maribeth Boelts and “The Very Sleepy Sloth” by Andrew Murray. For pups interested in a more challenging story, chapter books like “A Dog’s Journey,” “Ella Enchanted” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” are also on the cart.
Some volunteers opt to bring their own books. On a recent afternoon, one volunteer sat in between two kennels and read a murder mystery from her Kindle to two anxious dogs. Both pups started out in the back corner of their kennels, but by the end of the book club session, they had ventured closer to the door.
For about 45 minutes, volunteers walked around the 24 kennels occupied by adoptable dogs and read to them. Most of the dogs sat or laid down quietly listening, while a few of the younger pups pressed up against the glass and nibbled on pieces of kibble slid underneath the door. (The dogs stay in their kennels to keep the pups and volunteers safe and comfortable.)
“It’s so beneficial for the dogs to get some positive enrichment,” said Emily Strongin, director of education for the Humane Society of Charlotte.
The Humane Society also hopes the book club will help get the pups adopted. The book club meets after hours, so although volunteers can’t adopt dogs after the meeting, Strongin said that a few pups have been adopted the morning after.
For the last 15 minutes of Barkin’ Book Club, or what Strongin calls the “finale,” Humane Society staff chooses one or two dogs to bring into a larger play area for volunteers to meet and pet. That particular day, sibling duo Nero and Nolan were chosen for some extra play time. They enchanted the volunteers as they played with toys and play-fought like most siblings do.
After 45 minutes of reading time in their shared kennel, brothers Nero and Nolan were taken into a larger play area to get some extra attention from Barkin’ Book Club volunteers. Both dogs have since been adopted.
While the Barkin’ Book Club is limited to adults 18 and up, the Humane Society has a program called “Reading Buddies” that invites people of all ages to read to the dogs. Volunteers have to attend an orientation but can then come in and read any time the shelter is open, not just on book club days.
“The parents see the kids get attached, and we’ve had some really cute adoptions come from it,” Strongin said.
Lindsey Banks is a staff reporter for The Charlotte Ledger: lindsey@cltledger.com
🐶 The next Barkin’ Book Club meeting is on April 10. To check out volunteer opportunities with the Humane Society of Charlotte, click here. If you’re interested in adopting a dog or cat, click here.
Today’s supporting sponsor is Landon A. Dunn, attorney-at-law in Matthews:
Mecklenburg home sales plunge — most sluggish February in 5+ years; Traditionally busy spring season approaching
As Charlotte’s housing market turns toward the traditionally busy spring season, it is heading there with little momentum.
Home sales in Mecklenburg in February fell 14% compared with a year earlier, to their weakest February in at least five years, according to data from Canopy Realtor Association.
Real estate agents are characterizing the market as “seller-friendly,” because supplies of available houses have been tight compared with recent years. But a slight tick upward in new listings is providing hope that the market will become more balanced, with buyers having more options.
The median sales price in Mecklenburg last month was $437,500, a 2% increase over a year earlier.
Interest rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage were about 6.7% last week, according to Bankrate — the lowest figure in five months, but far higher than the rates from a few years ago. Some homeowners with sharply lower mortgage rates aren’t selling in part because moving somewhere else would require higher mortgage payments. —Tony Mecia
Review: Mint Museum’s ‘Coined in the South: 2024’ explores the identity and global influence of Southern art
Texas artist Eliza Au’s “Sanctuary” is a meditative space made from three large stoneware lattice screens. (Courtesy of Eliza Au)
Ledger arts critic Lawrence Toppman took in the “Coined in the South: 2024” exhibit at Mint Museum Uptown, which aims to showcase the diversity and creative spirit of the Southern arts community.
In his review for The Ledger, Toppman writes:
I realized as soon as I stepped into “Coined in the South: 2024” that even the Mint Museum wasn’t quite sure what “South” meant.
There on the wall is an 11-state map of the region that stretches up to Maryland, down to Florida and over to Mississippi. Yet it leads you into an exhibit with 49 artists who come from as far away as Louisiana and Texas.
Their art, meanwhile, invokes images from Africa, Vietnam, Taiwan, Mexico and many other places through which the artists have moved. That reveals a new reality: We’re a region of recent immigrants, like most of the United States these days. These artists all live in the South, but their art has planetary roots.
Check out Toppman’s review, which was published in the Ledger’s Toppman on the Arts newsletter:
➡️ Ledger readers can sign up to receive Toppman on the Arts on their “My Account” page.
Join us online tomorrow: Trends in the Workplace 2025 — a free webinar series from The Ledger and Catapult Employers Association
The workplace is evolving fast—are you ready for what’s next?
The Charlotte Ledger and Catapult Employers Association invite you to a FREE webinar series where top experts break down the biggest workplace trends of 2025.
This isn’t your typical lecture—it’s a real, unfiltered conversation about the future of work, from AI-powered teams to shifting employee expectations and innovative hiring strategies. Whether you lead a team, work in HR, or make key company decisions, this series is packed with actionable insights you can apply immediately.
In an hour a day over three days, you’ll get:
✅ Expert perspectives on the top workplace trends for 2025
✅ Straight talk from industry leaders—no fluff, just facts
✅ Practical strategies to attract, retain and develop top talent
✅ A chance to network with like-minded professionals
✅ Exclusive post-webinar content + a free HR advisor session!
Join us online, March 25-27, for just one hour each day.
➡️ Sign up now to stay ahead in the changing world of work! (Registration is free to all— you’ll need to create a Catapult login)
You might be interested in these Charlotte events
Events submitted by readers to The Ledger’s events board:
TODAY: Celebrating Women in the Queen City, 6-8:30 p.m. at Lenny Boy Brewing. The third annual Celebrating Women in the Queen City event will honor women in the multifamily industry. The event will feature a live podcast with two panels of influential leaders, along with a Finishing Touches drive in partnership with Dress for Success Charlotte to support women re-entering the workforce. We will be collecting jewelry, handbags, and shoes. $10.
THURSDAY: “Sustain Charlotte Connects: Shaping the future of mobility in Mecklenburg,” 6-8 p.m., Town Brewing Co., 800 Grandin Road. Today, 29,000 Mecklenburg residents live within 1/4 mile of frequent public transit. Imagine the benefits if that number increased to 250,000. This is just one of the major improvements that we could experience from an updated CATS public transit plan! Join us for networking and discussion. Register today! $10.
APRIL 2: “Charlotte Area Chamber Business Expo 2025,” 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bojangles Coliseum. Don’t miss the chance to attend the 2025 Charlotte Area Chamber Business Expo! This event will bring together local businesses for Charlotte's Largest Area Business Tradeshow. Free to attend.
APRIL 12: Tosco Music Party, 7:30-10 p.m. at Knight Theater, 430 South Tryon St., Charlotte. Calling all music lovers! Come experience what makes Tosco Music Parties so unique, with a dozen local and regional, and national acts sharing a wide variety of music genres. Plus, singalongs throughout the night led by the TMP House Band & Singalong Choir! Price: $19.50-$49.50
➡️ List your event on the Ledger events board.
In brief:
New TSA checkpoint to open today: Charlotte’s airport is opening a new central TSA Checkpoint 2 today that will become the main screening area for TSA PreCheck. It is part of a move to replace five old checkpoints with three more efficient ones. The new checkpoint, at the center of the terminal lobby, will be fully open on Wednesday, the airport said.
New plans for Latta Plantation: Mecklenburg County leaders unveiled the design for the historic site formerly known as Latta Plantation in Huntersville. Now known as Latta Place, the project will cost about $11.2M and will have a visitor center, meeting rooms and exhibit space. Construction is expected to begin this year. (WFAE)
Former Charlotte mayor criticizes lack of transparency: Former Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts wrote in a letter to the Charlotte Observer that the City Council’s practice of meeting in small groups to discuss business before public meetings “is not in the best interests of transparency and accountability.” She was responding to an Observer article last week that reported that small groups of council members toured Bank of America Stadium ahead of a vote to help pay for renovations and were briefed on sales tax legislation for the city’s transit plan outside of the public eye. Meetings like that appear to be in a “legal gray area.”
School board expresses concern about potential education cuts: The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education released a statement expressing concern about the Trump administration’s proposed dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, saying that “any potential delays or reduction in funding will have a detrimental impact on educational outcomes and required services for students.” (WCNC)
ICE vs. sheriff dispute continues: Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden says Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have failed to pick up 163 inmates suspected of being in the country illegally since December. ICE has said the sheriff has released inmates without notifying the agency. (WSOC)
Yes, ‘Larry Sprinkle’ is his real name: WCNC weatherman Larry Sprinkle recalls that years ago, he met Carolina Panthers star Steve Smith and that Smith doubted that his real name was “Larry Sprinkle,” prompting Sprinkle to show Smith his driver’s license: “I think that is the only time that anyone has really asked for proof if that’s my real name,” Sprinkle said. The weatherman says he knows of several other weather forecasters around the country with weather-related names, including Amy Freeze, Dallas Raines and Johnny Thunder. (Observer)
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