Community Outreach
Reaching Out & Giving Back
FOTAS is dedicated to reaching out to the community in many different ways:
Pet Food Assistance – FOTAS and Aiken County Animal Shelter provides pet food to citizens in need. FOTAS, through its pet food bank and monthly pet-food drive through giving events, also assists members of our community by providing food for citizens’ pets through our partnership with ACTS (Area Churches Together Serving) and Aiken Senior Life Services (Meals on Wheels).
Junior FOTAS – FOTAS’s Junior FOTAS Programs help educate children about the importance of pet responsibility, spay/neutering of our pets and the love and endearing companionship of shelter animals. FOTAS visits schools and other organizations introducing pet education programs as well as hosting numerous educational events at the shelter.
Reading Program – FOTAS partners with Aiken County Regional Library System with the shelter’s Dog Ears program, providing children with an opportunity to build their reading confidence by reading to the shelter pets under FOTAS volunteers’ supervision. A win/win for children and the shelter pets who enjoy this quiet attention.
Veteran’s Adoptions – FOTAS sponsors the adoption fees of dogs and cats from Aiken County Animal Shelter for active U.S. Military and Veterans.
Many events are hosted at Aiken County Animal Shelter so the community can see how Aiken County and FOTAS are helping to care for and find homes for the homeless animals in our county. FOTAS also “takes the show on the road” to off-site events such as FOTAS’ Woofstock Family Fun Day featuring the Doggie Derby races and Dog Contests, pet related products and services exhibitors and of course, adoptable dogs.
The FOTAS van and adoptable dogs can be seen at Aiken Fall Steeplechase, the Aiken Memorial Day Parade, and many other area events.
