Monthly Archives: December 2015

Strictly a labor of love, part 2: Volunteering at the shelter

By Joanna Dunn Samson, Vice President of FOTAS Caroline Simonson and Sandra Proctor walk dogs at the Aiken County Animal Shelter four times a week, as does Ellie Joos, who works with the shelter’s energetic “pibbles” and organizes FOTAS on-site programs. Karen DeCamp walks dogs every Tuesday. Jerri Wesner and Rita Tregnor walk dogs every […]

Strictly a labor of love

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Vice President Volunteering at an open admissions shelter is strictly a labor of love, particularly in a place like Aiken County where intake runs consistently between 4500 – 5000 animals every year. No one with a heart can witness the endless procession of abandoned cats and dogs without being profoundly […]

Business Community Rallies for County’s Homeless Animals

By Edie Hubler, FOTAS Director As Jeri Barrett, owner of Herbal Solutions, remembers it, a little brown and white hound dog named Mae was the spark that inspired “Hang One for the Animal Shelter”. Jeri was an exhibitor at the 2014 FOTAS Woofstock event at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. Jeri wasn’t looking for a […]

Aiken Tech Class Boosts Shelter Staff’s Value and Efficiency

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director and Volunteer,  The Aiken County Animal Shelter’s (ACAS) staff and a small group of FOTAS foster volunteers are hitting the books hard after hours. During three-hour classes held twice a week at the shelter, staff members are reviewing PowerPoint slides, engaging in discussion, observing animal behavior and practicing their […]

The numbers don’t lie: life improves for shelter animals

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President Prior to 2009, a trip to the Aiken County Animal Shelter was a death sentence for the unfortunate animals consigned to the shelter by their owners or animal control. Intake numbers often soared to 6000 or more each year, which meant that at any given time, 210 animals […]