Category Archives: 2018

Volunteering at the Animal Shelter: What’s in it for You?

Rain or shine, hot or cold, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year! In some way, shape or form, FOTAS volunteers are helping to find homes for the more than 5,000 animals taken in annually by the Aiken County Animal Shelter! Let me count the ways you can help at […]

The Christmas Spirit of Gratitude and Charity

The Christmas season is upon us. It’s a time of festivity, bright lights, family, goodwill, and faith. It’s also a time to count our blessings. As we at FOTAS look back over the past nine years, it’s also a time to reflect upon our profound gratitude for our friends and supporters in the Aiken community. […]

Surrendered Pets Desperately Want to Be Home for Christmas

With more than 1,000 strays and surrendered pets arriving at the shelter over the last two and a half months, there are going to be adoptable animals who get lost in the crowd and take longer to find their forever homes. But here are three hidden gems who will make wonderful companions for you and […]

Reunited by a Microchip — Eight Years Later!

This is a story with a happy ending, one that spans eight years, six states, and a dog named Beanie. In 2010, the Wilson* family found a hungry and scared shepherd puppy on the side of the road. They took her home, fed her, and cleaned her up. They actively searched for her owners, but […]

The County Shelter’s Community Cat Program Works!

In 2016, Aiken County passed a resolution to implement a return-to-field program at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. Community cat diversion programs (or TNR — trap/neuter/return-to-field) like the county’s program have been hugely successful all over the country. TNR programs are a humane way to reduce overpopulation of homeless cats in the community and public […]

Giving Thanks at the Aiken County Animal Shelter

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection for those of us at FOTAS — a time to take stock of our blessings; to consider the remarkable progress we and the County have made in making the world a better place for Aiken County’s homeless, abandoned and abused animals; and in particular, to celebrate the many people […]

Doggy Treadmill Works Wonders at the County Shelter

When someone suggested to FOTAS a few months ago that using a doggy treadmill at the Aiken County Animal Shelter would help our shy, scared dogs and overly-energetic dogs to adapt faster, I was skeptical. But when I spoke with Susi Cohen, an amazing dog trainer who helps us with behavioral issues, she was all […]

The Animals Just Keep Coming into the County Shelter

“A record number of animals surrendered to the Aiken County Animal Shelter this month.” We see this headline way too much. The story goes on and on. The shelter staff works tirelessly at warp speed to feed, care for, provide medical attention, and everything else necessary to keep the conveyor belt of overcrowding moving. The […]

Please, Please, Spay or Neuter Your Pet!

Last month, 512 animals were taken in to the Aiken County Animal Shelter. More than 500 strays and surrendered pets in October! It never happens this time of year. We can’t explain it. To tell you the truth, it blows our minds and keeps us up at night. But there it is: after a summer […]

Sweet Rosetta and Polo Deserve Loving Homes of their Own

Rosetta is on a couch, stretched out on her back with her eyes closed as FOTAS Volunteer John Berk simultaneously texts on his phone and rubs her chest. She opens her eyes briefly to gaze up at him, clearly appreciative of the special attention. “You’re a good girl,” Berk says quietly. Rosetta shuts her eyes […]