Tag Archives: Trap Neuter Return

FOTAS and 11 Years of Progress at the Aiken County Animal Shelter

On July 29, 2009, the South Carolina Secretary of State officially approved FOTAS as a charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to the care of the homeless, abandoned, and abused animals consigned to the County Shelter, kicking off the beginning of an extraordinary public/private partnership with the county and a new, comprehensive approach to caring for homeless […]

Here’s What to Do if You Find a Litter of Kittens

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director Spring is here and with the warmer weather comes lots of newborn kittens. “We’re already seeing a number of pregnant cats arrive at the shelter and kitten season should be hitting any time now,” said Aiken County Animal Shelter Adoption Coordinator Hillary Clark-Kulis. “Once it does, we likely won’t […]

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. […]

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 […]

Free TNR Program Saved Community Cats and Made Life Better

It started when a good neighbor needed to move. He left his feral cat colony, so my husband began feeding them. But years later, we found ourselves with more than 30 cats in two colonies. We knew we had to do something soon! Last fall, a viral infection or inbreeding caused uncountable and horrible kitten […]

Resolving to do better by our animals

It’s that time again—the end of one year and the promise of a new one. Most of us (myself included) resolve to be better—to exercise more, lose weight, spend less time on our cell phones—and although our resolve is genuine, our willpower and attention span are, shall we say, less than perfect. My own New […]

Feral kittens and the Good Samaritan

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Vice President One morning, you come downstairs to the kitchen, turn on the coffee maker, and open the back door to check the weather. Then you hear it: faint, pitiful mewing sounds coming from the crawl space under the porch. You grab a flashlight and go out to investigate. What […]

FOTAS: Going the extra mile

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President Did you ever wonder where every homeless, injured, stray or abused animal picked up in the County (outside of the City) goes? Or where a homeless animal goes if the “no-kill” shelter is full? Or where an irresponsible County resident takes their bewildered pet when they decide that […]

FOTAS needs your Christmas spirit

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice-President “Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven.” Henry Ward Beecher It’s the time of year when the spirit of Christmas thrives. It’s a time of gratitude for our family and friends. It’s a time to rejoice our faith. It’s a time for love. It is also a […]

Tiffany’s story

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President My early days are kind of fuzzy—some time on a chain and lots of time fending for myself, raiding trashcans and laying low. But I’m not one to dwell on the past. What’s the point? Then these nice people took me in, fed me and tried to find […]