Author Archives: Angel Hartline

2023, shelter construction

PAWS Building at ACAS
Animal Shelter’s New Building

Posted on by Angel Hartline

By Pam Gleason, The Aiken Horse

The Aiken County Animal Shelter will soon have a new building devoted to adoption, humane education and dog socialization. The new PAWS building (“Primary learning, Adoption Wellness and Socialization”) is under construction now and is expected to be completed sometime in January. The project was initiated by Friends of the Animal Shelter Aiken (FOTAS) which raised the majority of the funds for the building. In addition to rooms for meet and greets, education, dog training and indoor activities, the PAWS building will also house a cat colony room with an attached outdoor “catio.”

“This building is something that we have wanted since day one, but when the shelter was built, we did not have the money to do it,” said Jennifer Miller, who is the founder and president of FOTAS. FOTAS works together with the Aiken County Animal Shelter in a public/private partnership that has gained national recognition as a model for how open admission shelters in high intake areas can save lives and improve animal welfare. FOTAS was founded in 2009 and its efforts have been multi-pronged. They have included fundraising to construct a new shelter, supplementing local adoptions and organizing and implementing a transport program to allow Aiken County animals to be adopted in other parts of the country. They also promote and fund spay and neuter, heartworm treatment and much more. FOTAS’s efforts have been successful, taking the shelter’s euthanasia rate of over 90% in 2008 to a save rate of over 90% today. In fact, at the end of its first ten years, FOTAS accomplished its original mission: never again having to euthanize an adoptable cat or dog for space.

New PAWS building nears completion

These days, FOTAS has expanded its mission: the goal now is to make the shelter a resource, rather than a destination. The idea is that the shelter will be able to provide the tools necessary to ensure that animals that have homes can stay in them; that those that need new homes can find them; and that affordable and accessible spay and neuter services will bring a halt to the longstanding pet overpopulation problem in the county and beyond.

According to Jennifer Miller, the new building will be a valuable asset to accomplish that mission. One major thing that it will do is to provide a quiet and private place for prospective adopters to meet an animal that they are interested in.

“Say Mrs. Jones sees a dog she wants to adopt,” said Jennifer. “If we take that dog out to the play yard, the dog is going to be excited, it’s going to be running around, sniffing the grass, and Mrs. Jones is going to think ‘that dog doesn’t like me,’ and the adoption isn’t going to happen.” The new building will have two comfortable rooms with furnishings provided by Folly, a shop in downtown Aiken, where adopters can get to know dogs in a home-like setting without noise and distractions.

The main part of the PAWS building will consist of a large open room that can be used for dog socialization and training sessions which are an important enrichment activity for shelter animals, as well as a way to make them more adoptable.

“The more skill sets the dogs have, the easier they are to find homes for,” said Jennifer, noting that everything they do is geared toward reducing an animal’s length of stay at the shelter. The big room will also be used for indoor play groups during inclement weather, and it has been designed to facilitate meet and greets between a prospective adopter’s resident dog and a shelter dog to make sure that the animals get along before an adoption takes place.

Perhaps most important, the new building will provide a convenient place for humane education and for the Junior FOTAS program, which has grown immensely in the past few years. “We are doing something with the schools every week,” said Jennifer. “We teach them about heartworm prevention, spay neuter, humane care. We have the Dog Ears Reading program, where the kids read to the dogs in their kennels. But until now, we haven’t had a place to run other programs in the shelter. So this new building will be a learning center.

“At the shelter, it can seem like taking a broom and sweeping back the ocean,” continued Jennifer. “We had over 4,700 animals come in here last year. That’s down from about 6,000 years ago, but it’s still too much. And we ask, how do we prevent animals from having to come in here? So we have spay and neuter and TNR [trap-neuter-return] for cats. We help low income people keep their pets with a monthly community pet food drive. We work with animal control to get animals in the county off chains. And when we talk about the shelter becoming a resource and not a destination, that’s out future. And the way we are going to get there is with the kids, so the junior programs are really important.”

Seed money for the new PAWS building came from two major legacy gifts, with additional donations from members of the community and a commitment from the county. Most of the money that FOTAS raises goes towards its programs – transfer, heartworm treatment and prevention, spay and neuter and so on. Donations are always appreciated. The other major need for FOTAS is always more volunteers and fosters.

“We are so appreciative of our volunteers. We couldn’t do any of this without them,” said Jennifer. “We are just so lucky to have them. But we could always use more volunteers and fosters. If you take a dog in foster I always say you are saving two lives: the one you are fostering and another one at the shelter who gets to move onto the adoption floor. If you want to come to walk a shelter dog, there are no barriers – you have an orientation and then you can come whenever you like. Animals live in the present. If you can make one dog’s present happy for 15 minutes, that’s a good thing.”

For more information on FOTAS or to volunteer, foster or adopt, visit fotasaiken.org.

2018, animal abuse, Chained dogs, County Animal Control, County tethering ordinance, Dogs, essay, FOTAS, News

County and FOTAS Work Together to Keep Dogs Off Chains

Posted on by Angel Hartline
02
Sep

The County, FOTAS and other concerned citizens worked together for months to pass a tethering ordinance. Many animal cruelty and neglect cases include dogs permanently attached to heavy chains that limit their mobility and access to food, water and shade or escape from their own waste. But little could be done to prevent people from treating their animals this way without an enforceable regulation against such conditions.

County Animal Control Supervising Officer Patrick Miller with Igloo dog houses donated by generous citizens.

Then last year, after many people – including County Animal Shelter Manager and Chief Enforcement Officer Bobby Arthurs – testified to the Aiken County Council, the ordinance was finalized and passed. Arthurs worked with County Code Enforcement Director Paige Bayne and County Attorney Jim Holly on the original draft of the ordinance.

Passed on March 21, the tethering ordinance ensures people treat their dogs more humanely by making it unlawful for a person to tether, fasten, chain, tie or restrain a dog to a house, tree, fence, or any stationary object except for a brief period necessary to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be restrained. That period cannot exceed four hours and the animal must have free access to water, food and shelter during this time.

If a tethering system is used, it must be connected to a single stake with a swivel on top, be at least 15 feet long and allow the dog to have as close to 360 degrees circular movement as practicable.  If a runner or trolley system is used, it must be at least 20 feet long and allow the dog to move freely along the length of the trolley runner line without being entangled.

“The word is definitely getting out there and it’s already made a difference,” said County Animal Control Officer Brandon Creel. “The number of animals we see on chains has dipped significantly.”

In the past six months, FOTAS has purchased and supplied 75 humane runners and swivels/stakes to help such canines.

County Animal Control Officers Larry Callahan (left) and Daniel Godwin holding swivel systems that ensure dogs are tied in compliance with Aiken County’s tethering ordinance.

It should be noted that the new tethering law gives officers a big stick to punish animal cruelty and prevent cases of neglect, but not all animals tied outside are treated poorly. Certain citizens love their dogs but can’t afford to put up a fence or a runner.

“Some of these people will feed their dog before themselves, that’s how much they care about them,” said County Animal Control Officer Larry Callahan. “But it’s a different lifestyle where dogs are kept outside.”

When these families need help, the officers let FOTAS Programs Director Kathy Jacobs know, and she provides the materials they need.

“We have to look at the big picture,” Creel said. “If the owner’s heart is in the right place but they just can’t afford the runner or swivel system, we see if FOTAS can help. We try to assist people when we can. After all, helping them out also helps their dogs.”

If you can donate funds to help purchase runners or swivel systems for dogs, or can donate dog houses, new or used and in good condition, it would be most appreciated.  Please bring your donations to the County Shelter, 333 Wire Road in Aiken.

Their lives are in our hands.

 – By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

 

Pets of the Week

CHARLIE
Shepherd mix, male, 6 years old, special needs dog (front left leg amputated), 72 pounds – $35

 

JASMINE
Siamese mix cat, female, 1 year old, 6 pounds – $10

2018, Adoption, awards, Dogs, essay, FOTAS, News, Service Dogs, Therapy dog certification, Therapy Dogs

Abandoned Shelter Dog Now Comforts People in Need

Posted on by Angel Hartline
26
Aug

Beth and Gary Bode adopted Buck, a two-year-old Retriever mix, from the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) nine months ago on Halloween. They had lost both of their chocolate Labs to age-related maladies in 2015 and weren’t sure they were ready to go through the pain of loss again.

But there was something special about Buck.

Beth Bode proudly displays Buck’s American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen ribbon.

When he was picked up as a stray and brought to the shelter, Beth was volunteering for FOTAS as a dog walker. She had already mentioned to the shelter staff and FOTAS team that she was thinking about adopting a pet who could be certified as a therapy dog to visit schools, hospitals, senior living centers and other institutions. Despite his initial shyness and difficult past, Buck had an especially gentle demeanor, so FOTAS Programs Director Kathy Jacobs introduced him to the Bodes.

“We took him for a ‘Doggie Day Out’ and knew within the first hour that he was meant to be ours!” Beth said. Buck hopped up on their bed and cuddled with the couple during his first night as their adopted dog, but it took months for him to fully trust that he had a home for life. The Bodes took advantage of the free training session included with every ACAS adoption and said it helped them understand how to help Buck adjust to his new home.

Once Buck started feeling more confident, Beth researched how to get him certified as a therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD), a group active in the Aiken/Augusta area. She enrolled Buck in a six-week course and he passed the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen test. She also completed the required police background check on the therapy dogs website and filled-out the application paperwork. Then, she took Buck to take the Alliance of Therapy Dogs test, and he passed that too!  After three supervised therapy visits, Beth mailed the completed paperwork and certification fees to ATD and soon received a welcome packet containing Buck’s official ATC certificate, member handbook, ID card, and dog tag.

Now, Buck goes on frequent therapy visits with the Aiken/August ATD group or the Aiken group, “Love on Leashes”. He is learning from the other therapy dogs and enjoying his interactions with strangers in need.

Buck with his Therapy Dog certificate and identification tag.

“We had a wonderful visit last week at HarborChase (an assisted living and memory care center in Aiken), where he comforted a man who had to put his dog to sleep the previous day,” Beth said. “He made an immediate connection, climbed next to him and put his head in the man’s lap. It was amazing!” Incredibly, the man’s deceased dog was also named “Buck”.

Buck has come a long way from the scared, wary stray that arrived at the County Shelter nine months ago. Now he’s a happy and confident canine who contributes to society.

“We feel very blessed to have Buck in our lives,” Beth said. “We thank FOTAS and the Aiken Animal Shelter for all they do to save and rehome the many wonderful animals that end-up in their care.”

Their lives are in our hands

 – By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

By the Numbers

From Aug. 1 to 22, the ACAS received 385 strays and surrendered pets. During last weekend’s Clear the Shelters event, 75 animals were adopted.


Pets of the Week

CARTER
Shepherd mix, male, 2 years old, 61 pounds

LANDRY
Domestic medium-hair kitten, male, 5 months old, 6 pounds

2018, Adoption, Cats, essay, FIV positive felines, kittens, News

Feline FIV is a Virus, Not a Death Sentence

Posted on by Angel Hartline
20
Aug

Each day as I finish my rounds at the shelter, I leave a list of things to be done for our team of veterinary assistants (three of the hardest workers on the planet!) that includes testing our newest cat residents for Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).  When I come in the next morning, my heart would sink if they told me that anyone tested positive for either disease.  This had always meant euthanasia since these cats were considered unadoptable.  But over the last several years, that opinion has changed.

Becky was the first FIV positive kitten adopted under the Shelter’s new FIV adoption program.

FIV infection is transmitted primarily by bite wounds.  It is not transmitted sexually or through casual contact.  Infected cats may live a completely normal and long life. Or they may at some point succumb to the virus, which attacks the immune system and allows the cat to become vulnerable to other infections such as respiratory, mouth, bladder, skin, and eye infections.  Once the cat develops recurring infections, the disease is inevitably fatal. What allows some cats to live with the virus and develop no symptoms and some cats to become ill is unknown and therefore unpredictable.

Kittens may test positive if born to an FIV positive mother but that is most likely due to transfer of antibodies and most of these kittens will test negative within six months.  True FIV infections in kittens are possible but not common.  Because of this, the Aiken County Animal Shelter has decided to adopt out FIV positive kittens.  We will retest these kittens in six months at no charge.  The adopter must understand that we can in no way guarantee these kittens will test negative, although statistics show that most kittens will become negative.

In the case of adult cats, things are a little trickier.  We have no way to predict the outcome for these cats.  We recently adopted out our first two FIV positive cats, Rowan and Martin.  They were adopted by someone who already has an FIV positive cat, so they posed no threat to spread the virus – an ideal placement.  Any home with no other cats would also be a great option.

Adoptable FIV positive kittens are now available at the County Shelter for just $10 each, including (left to right): Becky, Analeese and Tillie.

We are often asked if this infection is contagious to people or dogs, and the simple answer is no.  But if any member of the family is immunocompromised or on immunosuppressant drugs, to be safe we don’t recommend exposure to these cats.

All FIV positive cats should be kept indoors to prevent the cat from being exposed to other diseases.  They should also be kept inside to prevent the possibility of exposing other neighborhood cats to the infection through “cat fights” as we know cats are fiercely territorial.

I know that we are asking a lot of someone to adopt a cat that may have a shorter than normal life span.  But the way I look at it is that God made the majority of “pet species” with shorter life spans than ours.  So, we will inevitably experience the heartbreak when we lose them after 10-15 years.  These cats develop FIV through no fault of their own, but just by acting in the true nature of a cat.  Does this mean they shouldn’t experience a loving home for the time they do have on this earth? 

We always end this column with the words, “Their lives are in our hands,” and never has this been more true.  If you are selfless enough to consider adopting one of these cats, please let us know so we can contact you the next time we see that dreaded positive result on a test.

— By Dr. Lisa Levy, Aiken County Animal Shelter Veterinarian

2018, essay, FOTAS, News, Spay/Neuter, surrendered pets

Why You Should Spay or Neuter Your Pet

Posted on by Angel Hartline
13
Aug

On Wednesday, July 31, 44 animals were surrendered to the Aiken County Animal Shelter between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., the shelter’s posted intake hours. Forty-four animals in four hours on one day! Do the math, that’s an average of 11 animals per hour for four hours!

Shocking. Distressing. Heartbreaking!

The vast majority of these animals did nothing wrong. They were victims of owners who brought them into this world and then washed their hands of them, leaving the rest of us to pay for their neglect.

It’s been a horrible summer for animal intake at the shelter. The number of animals coming into the shelter May through July (that is, 1,618) was double the amount of intake for January through March (827).

Discouraging. Mind-blowing. Sad.

The only way to reduce the shockingly high number of homeless and abandoned animals is for every Aiken County pet owner to spay and neuter their pets. Fixing your pet is good for them, for you, and for the community. Here’s why:

Spaying and neutering is affordable through the Aiken County voucher program. Fixing animals prevents huge litters of unwanted puppies like this one.

Your pet will live longer. Spayed and neutered animals have significantly less health problems than their unfixed counterparts. By the way, it is not true that pets get fat and lazy as a result of spaying and neutering—only a bad diet and lack of exercise will do that.

Spayed and neutered animals are less likely to roam. That means they are less likely to catch diseases from other animals, get lost, fight with other dogs, or get hit by a car (85% of dogs hit by cars are unaltered).

No more dogs in messy heat. Spaying your female before she is 6 months old means you can avoid the messy, noisy heat cycles that typically occur twice a year. It also means you can avoid the messy, noisy, smelly crowd of male dogs or cats hanging out in your yard while your pet is in heat.

Fixed animals are less aggressive. Neutering your dog decreases potentially aggressive behavior to other animals and people. Particularly children, who are by far the most frequent victims of dog bites.

Your cat or dog will be a better pet. Fixing your pet eliminates unpleasant spraying and marking in your yard, on your rug, on your furniture.

Fixing your dog will not make him less protective. Dogs are naturally protective by nature, particularly if you love and feed them.

The number of animals coming into the shelter May through July (1,618) was double the amount of intake for January through March (827).

Fixing your pet is cheaper for the community as a whole. Public shelters are funded by taxpayer dollars. If everyone fixes their pets, the number of homeless and abandoned animals at the shelter will be dramatically reduced, as will the amount of public funds needed to care for those animals.

Moreover, the cost to spay or neuter your pet has never been more affordable. Aiken County has a voucher program, supplemented by FOTAS, to provide low-cost spay/neuter services to residents who need financial assistance. The vouchers are distributed at the County Shelter at 333 Wire Road. Make arrangements to spay or neuter your animal today. Convince your neighbors, friends and family to spay and neuter their pets, too.

There are so many loving, deserving animals in the Shelter that need a home – why bring more animals into a world where their safety and care is so uncertain?

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Joanna D. Samson, Vice-President, FOTAS

 

By the Numbers
In just the first week of August, the Aiken County Shelter received 130 strays and surrendered pets.

 

Pets of the Week

DUNCAN: Boxer mix, male, 4-1/2 years old, brindle & white, 61 pounds – $35

 

FRANKIE: Domestic Shorthair, male, 2 months old, black & white, 2 pounds – $10

2018, Adoption, barn cats, Cats, essay, FOTAS, kittens, News

Tips for Choosing the Purr-fect Shelter Feline

Posted on by Angel Hartline
06
Aug

Adding a cat to your home can be one of life’s most rewarding experiences. They are terrific companions and easier to care for than dogs. Plus, most felines are great cuddlers, playmates and entertainers (there’s a reason cat videos dominate the Internet). Studies have even shown their purrs can improve your health and lower your risk of a heart attack.

Volunteer Hannah brushes Lydia after the young cat jumps in her lap.

If you come to the Aiken County Animal Shelter, you can adopt a cat or kitten for just $10 – this fee includes their vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery and microchip. So, are you ready to adopt a cat or kitten? If so, here are some tips for choosing the best feline for your home:

Select the right cat for your lifestyle. Are you looking for a lap cat? Or is a playful, high-energy cat more your style? What about fur length? Longhair or shorthair? Do you like a chatty cat or one that’s quiet and shy? These are some of the questions you need to answer when selecting a cat. Talk to a FOTAS volunteer or staff member about the available cats. They are familiar with each cat’s traits and can help you identify the feline that best fits your personality and lifestyle.

Cats vs. kittens. Kittens are cute – that’s why they usually get adopted so quickly. But they also need extra nurturing and demand more of your time. If you do decide to adopt a kitten, consider getting two. Why? Because the little ones usually have loads of energy and need to burn it off. Their need to exercise is easily satisfied if they have a littermate to play with.

Let the cat choose you. Dogs love it when you walk up to them and immediately start petting them, but cats prefer a subtler approach. Let them come to you. Some cats will run up to you right away or

FOTAS Volunteers Jan and Jerry Tankersley come to the ACAS every Tuesday to help socialize cats and kittens.

even put their paws on your shoulders. But most will first assess whether they trust and like you before approaching. To greet a cat, stick your hand out, palm down, about a foot away from his face and let him sniff it. He will usually step forward and “butt” your hand, which is his way of saying, “Hello,” and marking you with his scent. This is the cat’s way of telling you he trusts and likes you — and you can now pet him and rub under his neck. 

Spend time with the cat before making your final decision. Once you find a cat you like, and who likes you, spend some time with him. Ask to take the cat to an adoption room, where you can further study his personality and confirm you have a bond with the kitty.

Keep the cat indoors. If you adopt a cat, please keep him inside. The average lifespan of an indoor cat is 18 to 20 years, while an outdoor cat’s usual lifespan is just 5 years. If you must have your pet outdoors, the Shelter often has barn cats to adopt. These are cats that have lived outside most of their lives and can’t be happy as housecats.

There are so many cats at the shelter looking for homes right now. Please stop by and find “the one” for you.

Their lives are in our hands.

— by Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications

By the Numbers
In July, the County Animal Shelter received 554 stray animals and surrendered pets.

 

 

Pets of the WeekLARISSA: Retriever mix, female, 1-1/2 years old, tan & black, 59 pounds – $35

 

MISTY: Domestic Shorthair, female, 3 years old, black & tan Tabby, 10 pounds – $10

2018, Adoption, animal abuse, essay, Foster, FOTAS, injured animals, News, Pibbles, surrendered pets

So Many Abandoned, Neglected Animals

Posted on by Angel Hartline
30
Jul

Last Monday, I returned to the Aiken County Animal Shelter after my one-week summer vacation and was stunned and dismayed at the number of animals that had been taken in by the shelter in just seven days. Summers are always a crowded time at the County Shelter, but this was something else altogether. Even more heartbreaking was the condition of these poor animals.

Two surrendered dogs are terrified when they first arrive and are housed in a Shelter kennel.

I am an optimist by heart, but my heart tells me that no animal deserves the kind of abuse or neglect that these animals have suffered. 

I knew that on Friday, two mother dogs, each with large litters of puppies, had been brought in after being abandoned. I hadn’t been at the shelter two hours on Monday before an animal control officer picked up four beautiful Retriever-mix pups found wandering in the street—two of those puppies’ ears had been hacked off before they were dumped on the street. They were shaking and cowering, afraid to be touched at first. But like all puppies, they responded quickly with a little kindness and soft touches.

A scared puppy dumped in a park like trash.

Dogs are so much more forgiving than people, aren’t they? 

Later in the day, a man surrendered five dogs to the shelter and informed the intake receptionist he was bringing in five more the next day! Our intake was full, so the staff had to ‘double up’ the kennels. One of the dogs was so scared, it could not stop vomiting while two younger ones huddled in a corner, shaking and terrified, trying to disappear. We gave them all a toy, a meal and lots of fresh water. Staff and volunteers tried to comfort them, calm them down, but there was only so much they could do before moving on to take care of all the other animals in the shelter.

While we were caring for those animals, three more dogs with four puppies were picked up at a local park where they had been dumped; all were hungry and thirsty and covered with fleas. Then, one of the animal control officers came rushing in with a lovely senior dog with a mangled leg. She had been hit by a car.

As if this day couldn’t get any worse, a brown Shepherd arrived with an injured leg and paws burned and raw from the hot pavement. He was covered with fleas and smelled of his own urine.  I brought him a soft bed, but all he wanted was to be held and comforted.

Shelter dog RYKER gets some love from young volunteers. He arrived with the top of his ears sheared off.

The list goes on and on: the sweet Lab with a broken paw; the big teddy bear-looking dog whose tail had been cut off; the adult dog with horribly chopped-off ears; scores of sick, tiny kittens with runny noses…

Unbelievable, and so unnecessary. These animals are victims of insensitive people who don’t fix or care for their pets and dump the responsibility for their care on the rest of us — the taxpayers.

Why is it important to foster a pet for a week? To donate time or money?  To adopt from the shelter?  Because these animals deserve it. They need you. We need you.

Their lives are in our hands.

– By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Programs Director


By the Numbers

July 1 to July 25: The Shelter received 434 strays and surrendered pets.

2018, Adoption, Bully Dogs, Dogs, essay, Events, FOTAS, News, Pibbles

Year of the Dog: FOTAS honors canines with adoption events this Saturday. July 28

Posted on by Angel Hartline
23
Jul

Dogs and the experience of adopting them should be celebrated. At least, we think so. That’s why FOTAS, the Aiken County Animal Shelter and Mellow Mushroom are co-hosting Year of the Dog events this Saturday, July 28.

Hilde will make a terrific family dog.

Emma has a cute smile and loves people.

According to the Chinese calendar, 2018 is the Year of the Dog, a zodiac sign that symbolizes loyalty and honesty. To celebrate our canines at the shelter, from 11:00 to 4:00 we’ll be adopting dogs for just $35 – and serving hot dogs and fortune cookies to all visitors. Plus, everyone who adopts, signs up to be a volunteer or donates to FOTAS on this day will receive a $5-off Mellow Mushroom coupon. 

FOTAS will also be bringing adoptable dogs to Mellow Mushroom restaurant, located in downtown Aiken. From 11:30 to 2:00, you can adopt a dog on-site. Mellow Mushroom will provide discount coupons to everyone who gives a dog a forever home, donates to FOTAS, or completes a volunteer or foster application. Eating pizza while spending time with dogs – how can you resist that combo?

May needs a home ASAP.

As most are aware, this summer has been tough, with the County Shelter receiving a monthly average of 532 strays and surrendered pets at 333 Wire Road. In July, the flood of animals continues, with well over 300 unwanted pets already added to intake kennels.

Raylyn is good with children.

These Year of the Dog events will provide greater exposure for these animals in need and make your search and selection for a furry companion even more fun!

Here are some of the wonderful dogs to look for on Saturday:

  • Emma: Beautiful, 2-year-old Emma is sweet as can be, but sad she hasn’t found a family of her own yet. This mixed breed is 46 pounds and perfect for a smaller home.
  • Hilde: Full of personality and affection, this 6-year-old, apricot-colored Retriever mix deserves a great home
  • May: Sweet May is a pretty, 2-year-old Retriever mix who needs a home ASAP. She’s very affectionate but doesn’t like to share her humans with other pets.
  • Raylyn: So sweet and friendly! Brindle, 1-year-old Raylyn is a mixed breed with a lot of energy. She’d make a great jogging or workout buddy!

 Their lives are in our hands.

— by Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications

2018, Dogs, essay, Foster, FOTAS, News, Spay/Neuter, Transfer, Volunteer, Volunteers

Dog Days of Summer: County Shelter Population Doubles!

Posted on by Angel Hartline
15
Jul

I used to love summer and particularly the 4th of July with all of its patriotic fervor, but now I dread it—not because I am less patriotic, but because I see so many pets whose lives are shattered through no fault of their own.

More puppies and kittens are coming into the shelter than going out through adoptions.

The fireworks terrify many dogs, who then bolt from their homes in a panic. Some get hit by cars; others get lost and are picked up as strays and brought to the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

People go on vacation and surrender their pets to the shelter rather than finding someone to care for them. Hundreds of unwanted mothers and puppies and kittens have been turned into the shelter.

It is heartbreaking to see these innocent pets in the shelter. They did nothing wrong. One day they have a home; the next, they are in a strange noisy place with hundreds of other dogs, abandoned by their own family.

The shelter is over-crowded, kennels doubled-up. In January, the shelter received 237 unwanted dogs and cats. In June, the shelter received 545 unwanted animals—almost a 100% increase! Each one of those 545 animals has a face, a heart and a soul.

There are not enough volunteers to work with so many animals, and because it is so brutally hot, it’s difficult for the existing volunteers to give the dogs the attention they need in such a stressful environment. We desperately need more volunteers to help us walk and socialize the dogs.

The Shelter has lots of homeless kittens this month!

FOTAS has ramped up its transfer program, sending animals to no-kill partner shelters as many as two to four times per week. This program is critical to relieve overcrowding in the shelter, but we need more foster homes.

Intake kennels at the Shelter are full, with some dogs doubled up.

Here’s how it works: an animal assigned for transport is taken out of the shelter and placed in a foster home for five to seven days prior to the transfer to acclimate the animals to a home environment. When an animal is placed in a foster home before transfer, it opens up a space on the adoption floor for an animal in the intake section, so fostering saves two lives—the animal fostered and the animal moved to the adoption floor.

FOTAS supplies foster families with pet food and crates and any other necessary supplies. There is nothing more rewarding than fostering a pet for a few days, knowing that your time and care help a shelter pet adjust to family life and get them adopted faster.

This is a difficult time. FOTAS and the shelter need your support now more than ever; every little bit helps.

Donate. Volunteer. Foster. Please.

Together we will continue to make a difference to the many animals who depend on us to save their lives. Email FOTAS at info@aiken.org or call the FOTAS hotline: 803-514-4313.

Their lives our in our hands.

— By Jennifer Miller, President of FOTAS

By the Numbers

July Summer Adoption Special: dogs and puppies $35, cats and kittens just $10.

July 1 – 15: The Aiken County Animal Shelter received 223 strays and surrendered pets.

 

Pets of the Week

MASON: Boxer mix, male, 4 years old, light brown, 57 pounds– $0 to good home (adoption fee is sponsored)

PATCHES: Domestic Shorthair, female, 3 months old, Calico, 2.7 pounds – $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart Store on Whiskey Road)