Author Archives: Shana Ryberg

2025, Community Pet Food Pantry

Helping Our Neighbors

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
During hard times, FOTAS helps feed the animals. If you need help, ask. If you can help, please do.
16
Nov

Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) started a Community Pet Food Pantry a few years ago to help those in need.
We began noticing a rise in pet surrenders due to financial struggles. When families can’t afford food for themselves, often the dog or cat pays the price.

What started as a monthly drive-thru program has now grown into an appointment-based service at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
We are seeing so many in need right now — those who are laid off, unemployed, or senior citizens on fixed incomes. These people love their pets and want to meet their needs.

FOTAS is the rare organization that supplements its food donations by purchasing additional pet food to distribute so we never turn away an Aiken County citizen in need. Residents of Aiken County can email us to tell us about their pets, and we will have food ready for pickup by appointment. This way, we can ensure that we always have food available to give.

FOTAS also donates pet food to Aiken Senior Services for their Meals on Wheels program. Many senior citizens were sharing their delivered meals with their pets, and we wanted to make sure that both the homebound seniors and their pets receive healthy meals.

During hard times, FOTAS helps feed the animals. If you need help, ask. If you can help, please do.
During hard times, FOTAS helps feed the animals. If you need help, ask. If you can help, please do.

While the needs at the shelter are greater than ever, so too are the needs of our growing community. Compassion comes in many forms, and we find that providing pet food to those in need not only keeps pets in their homes, but also gives them a better quality of life.

We have seen a sharp rise in emaciated animals coming to the shelter this year, and we plan to do whatever we can to make sure pets are not going hungry.
Here are some kind words we’ve received from recipients of the pet food we provide:

“Thank you so much for your quick response and for being willing to help us during this time. We truly appreciate the support and the resources you offer to families in need.”

“I contacted you back in May, and y’all were able to provide us with some dog food to help feed our dog. We are going through a financial struggle again because I have been fighting an unexpected custody battle for my two oldest children. We do not want to rehome our dog — she is a wonderful dog, and our family loves her so much.”

“I am writing to see if you could help me again with food for our pets. I’ve been doing better and bought it the last two times, but I just relocated and had to pay deposits and other bills up front, which has made things really tight. I’ve asked for a volunteer schedule so I can help out when I can — at least give my time back as gratitude.”

Please consider donating to our Community Pet Food Pantry. We are grateful for any brands of dog and cat food.

Their lives are in our hands.
by Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2025, Adoption, animal abuse

For the Love of a Nina [little girl]

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Nina is a sweet girl, looking for her forever home.
07
Nov

Sometimes you meet a dog that tugs at your heartstrings for all the right reasons. “Nina” is just that “little girl”. She arrived at the Aiken County Animal Shelter on September 23rd, very skinny and in need of some medical care and love.

Nina knew enough to seek help from her human friends. She showed up at a house looking for food after having been neglected and starved. Luckily, our team was able to bring her in and nurture her back to health. She is now 50 lbs. with a beautiful golden coat and warm brown eyes. And, even though her teeth are a bit worn and her face is a bit crooked, Nina will win you over with her perpetually sweet temperament and kind heart.

This Shepard mix is 6 yrs. old, fully house trained and recovering from a bit of Alopecia from having lain on hard surfaces for too long. She loves her comfy bed, going for walks and cuddling on the couch. Her renewed energy will shower you with love and appreciation.

Nina is a sweet girl, looking for her forever home.
Nina is a sweet girl, looking for her forever home.

Nina is truly an endearing soul. You can count on her to be happy to see you and well-behaved. If you are looking for your snuggle bug, play yard pal and committed companion, come to the ACAS to meet Nina. You can make an appointment for a meet and greet at 803-514-4313 or info@fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.
by Barbara Ambach, FOTAS Volunteer

2025, SOCIAL MEDIA, Volunteer

The Downside of Social Media

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
After being chained to a tree for years, this pup is enjoying their string cheese.
30
Oct

We are so grateful to all that share our posts on Facebook and Instagram.

The majority of our adoptions are thanks to social media. The downside, people can be really mean!

For example, we posted a video of a dog being given a squirt of canned spray cheese. Ok, so is it the healthiest – No. The angry comments were just ridiculous about how cruel we are, the sodium content, we are disgusting, “Plz stop poisoning him. Someone save him, plz!”.

After being chained to a tree for years, this pup is enjoying their string cheese.
After being chained to a tree for years, this pup is enjoying their string cheese.

We always try and take the high road and respond, ‘Thanks for caring!’ but what we really want to say is, ‘Hello? This dog was just saved after being chained to a tree for the past six years, skeletal and ravaged by fleas. Pretty sure the cheese spray isn’t going to hurt him.” Thankfully we don’t react to negativity. When you see what we see every day, you try and focus on the positive.

We posted a video of two dogs playing in separate play yards through a fence in the rain. Man, that one got a lot of hate! We had to take down the post! Not only were we accused of hating dogs, we were accused of leaving dogs in the mud and rain, no shelter and we didn’t let dogs play together. Ugh.

Here is the truth. Dogs have to do their business, rain or shine. Our dedicated volunteers and staff walk the dogs in all conditions. Some dogs won’t ‘go’ on leash so we put them in play yards. We do whatever we can to help them. We took a video on a rainy day of two dogs romping in the rain, happy to play next to each other. It was really cute! We would have really appreciated an appropriate comment of, “Awe, thanks for taking care of the homeless pets in the elements. They look happy and relaxed.”

Recently we were criticized by so many because we posted a video of puppies sleeping in the kennel in the sun. Wow, people went crazy! We had so many comments about how cruel we are for not providing beds for the puppies. What people don’t see is the inside of their kennels with beds, blankets and toys. We have kennels that provide indoor and outdoor exposure, some dogs really do like to lay in the sun on cool concrete.

All I am saying is PLEASE, before accusing us of being cruel, maybe look at the bigger picture.

The Aiken County Animal Shelter receives five thousand dogs and cats a year. These are pets that were discarded, dumped, abandoned in homes, left on highway exits, tied to trees, uncared for and unloved. Our shelter staff comes in seven days a week. They clean kennels all day long, they provide clean bedding, safe toys and giant bowls of food. The kennel technicians even take note on what dogs need wet food due to having filed down teeth. They feed the emaciated pets multiple feedings of high protein food.

Our FOTAS volunteers come to the shelter every day, rain or shine. They come on holidays too! Our volunteers not only walk dogs, cuddle cats, but they make dog toys, they donate pet food, they bring love and comfort to the discarded pets of Aiken County.

Next time you are quick to post a harshly written comment, maybe take a minute and think, how is this helping the pets? How about you come and volunteer with us? Maybe you could donate some beds, blankets or toys?

Their lives are in our hands.

by Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2025, Adoption, Foster, fostering

Why I Wrote The Adventures of a Little White Rescue Dog Named Maxwell Marks

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Book can be purchased via Amazon.
27
Oct

I wrote this book because fostering puppies completely changed my life. What began as a simple act of helping shelter dogs find their forever homes soon became a journey of love, laughter, and lessons that touched every part of our family’s heart.

Among all the little paws that passed through our home, one tiny pup stood out — a brave, bright-eyed Jack Russell named Max. We thought we were rescuing him, but the truth is… he rescued us. He filled our storybook life with a joy we didn’t even know was missing.

Max Marks enjoying the wind in his hair
Max Marks enjoying the wind in his hair

This book — and the series that follows — is our way of celebrating how one small rescue dog can make a big difference. Through Max’s adventures, we want to share the simple, beautiful truth that love, when given freely, comes back tenfold.

And because every dog deserves their own happy ending, the profits from this series will go back to the place that started it all — the Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS). Their tireless work to give these animals a future will always have our family’s support.

Max may be living his best life now, but this story is really about how he helped us live ours with more heart.

By Nicole Marks

2025, abandoned animals, senior pets

On The Bright Side

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Wendy and hospice cat Bethany
17
Oct

This has been an incredibly difficult year with so many unwanted pets pouring in. So many people wanting to surrender pets for truly selfish reasons.

We get so tired of that and many staff members suffer from compassion fatigue, not able to stay optimistic when we see the never-ending flow of unwanted pets coming to the shelter.

This week, we saw some great things. One story in particular gave us so much hope!

Bethany, a cat on hospice
Bethany, a cat on hospice

A few weeks ago, a stray cat came to us that staff members named Bethany.
Bethany is a senior cat that was picked up by animal control. The cat appeared injured and in need of help.

Once she arrived it was clear that there was something wrong with her. She was matted and had scars on her face, her ear swollen and appearing to be infected but wow, she was sweet! Bethany was already spayed so at some time she was someone’s pet. What happened? Why was she surviving on her own and in bad condition? We just don’t know.

Dr. Rodriguez and the shelter’s veterinary staff could have euthanized her, she was in bad shape. We have more medical cases and surgeries than ever. They chose to go the extra mile.

A mass removed, a sample taken from her ulcerated ear and sent for lab testing. FOTAS supplements the county by paying all laboratory fees to help save every adoptable pet. The lab reports were not what we hoped, it was aggressive cancer and likely to return.

We decided to ask the public if anyone was willing to take a hospice cat. This senior, black, matted, scarred cat didn’t have much ‘curb appeal’ next to the many kittens available. We called in the help of Martha Anne Tudor who helps to tell the story of our homeless pets on social media. Within hours of the post we had multiple people wanting to save her. It was truly inspiring!

When the shelter opened on Saturday morning, a wonderful woman named Wendy Johnson arrived that wanted to save Bethany. The sweet cat is now loved and in the arms of someone that chose love, not longevity.

“I just knew when I saw the post about her, that I had to try to get her. If I could, I’d adopt all the cats. But she seemed special, like God knew we could help one another.” – Wendy

Sometimes we forgot the many people that want to help. The shelter staff members that go the extra mile, the people that donate so we can run needed laboratory testing, the adopters that come and save the forgotten.

Their lives are in our hands.

by Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2025, Volunteer

How to have more than one boyfriend at a time

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Best friends can be found at the Aiken County Shelter
08
Oct

When you volunteer at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, it’s acceptable to have more than one “boyfriend” at a time. And by “boyfriend”, I mean one of the male shelter dogs I walk every day. Luckily, most of the dogs are adopted out fairly quickly, but alas, new dogs arrive daily. Inevitably there are a few dogs that each of the volunteers is drawn to, spending just a little bit more time walking, throwing the ball or cuddling on the bench.

Best friends can be found at the Aiken County Shelter
Best friends can be found at the Aiken County Shelter

When I meet a few that I really like, I call them my “boyfriends” because they are the best companions, confidants and co-pilots. They are everything you want in a good boyfriend without the “mess”. All in good fun … if they act up, you can put them back in their kennel. If they talk back, you can tell them to shush! If
they jump on you, you can tell them to sit.

Just this past week, Titan, Cody and Macaroni have been my “boyfriends”. They all happen to be the most beautiful and adoring Pitties. Titan is the strong, silent type. He loves to be close to you while guarding against would-be competitors. You’ll always be safe with Titan. Cody is always happy to see you. He loves to take a stroll through the woods and will give you big kisses and hugs. You’ll always have a best friend with Cody. Macaroni is another Pittie, playing the role of Labrador. He’ll bury his head into your lap and calmly keep you company while appreciating every ounce of your affection. You’ll always
feel special with Macaroni.

And of course, it goes without saying that I couldn’t do without a few canine “girlfriends”, like Faye, Josephine and Lita who love to get the dirt (literally) on all the boys.

The shelter has a myriad of wonderful breeds available for adoption. From Shepards to Hounds to Labradors – from puppies to seniors, whatever your  reference, coming to the ACAS is your chance to fall in love with your next boyfriend or girlfriend.

Best friends can be found at the Aiken County Shelter
Best friends can be found at the Aiken County Shelter

Each dog is an individual with its own personality and history. It is up to us to recognize them for who they are and try to accommodate them in this unfamiliar and sometimes stressful environment. Giving them our positive and reassuring energy is the least we can do for them. Because, as we say at the shelter, “Their lives are in our hands.”

by Barbara Ambach, FOTAS Volunteer

2025, Adoption, animal abuse

Traveling Hours for The Underdog

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Sweet Amber
02
Oct

Amber came to the shelter in July as part of a neglect case.
The sweet girl won us over quickly! You could hear her tail hitting the floor, wagging, before you could even see her. She was so happy to have food, water, a bed and people to love her!

Being a brindle pitty mix, Amber was not an easy dog to place, sad as that is.

Amber just had this sweetness to her. She would fall in love with people immediately and it was the most amazing bond! She would lay on us, fall asleep on us, she played in the yard with other dogs, she never had an accident in her kennel, she was magnificent!

Amber used her paws like we use hands! She would wave them, curl them around us, absolutely precious! We posted a video of her sitting in one of our offices looking so happy and so cute!

People started to come see her but no one left with her. Baffling to us, we loved her!

Luckily a woman saw Amber’s video and kept following her on our FOTAS Aiken Facebook page. Lynne was traveling and truly believed that if it was meant to be, it would be.

Amber meets a horse friend
Amber meets a horse friend

Then one day, after two months with us, Amber’s hero came to the shelter!

Lynne returned home to her farm in Tryon, NC after her travels. The following morning, she drove three hours to the Aiken County Animal Shelter for Amber. We didn’t know she was coming, it was the best surprise!

After we all hugged and said goodbye, Amber was off to her new home!

“Amber is home safe and sound. Has already asked for a million belly rubs, licked my husband all over his face, found a new toy, and chilling with us in the living room.”

This may seem like just a happy story to some, but to the staff and volunteers who see loving dogs like Amber each and every day it was extraordinary. We were praying that someone would ignore the fact that Amber was overbred, a little rough around the edges, and give her a home. We didn’t expect someone to drive hours to save her, that is pretty awesome!

Thank you to Lynne and her husband for giving Amber the best life! From neglect to happiness!

Their lives are in our hands.

by Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2025, Foster, Volunteer, Volunteers

FOTAS: Coming together as a community to save homeless pets

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Milo goes for a Doggie Day Out!
26
Sep

In the past several weeks, we have been discussing the chronic overcrowding at the Aiken County Animal Shelter resulting from the overpopulation of homeless companion animals due to indiscriminate breeding practices. Let’s look at the numbers.

Because of its warmer climates, the breeding season in the South is longer than places farther north. Cats are seasonally polyestrous, meaning their heat cycles are triggered by longer daylight hours. Using conservative estimates, a mama cat can have up to 3 litters annually, with 12-18 kittens/year. Assuming a 25% female kitten survival rate, a single breeding mama can produce ~3000 kittens every six years.

As for dogs, females can go into heat twice a year, but let’s be conservative. Assume 1.5 litters/year (some heats skipped/failed), 5 pups/litter, and only 30% female pups survive to breed. In the case, the six year estimate for one unspayed female pup is ~600 cumulative pups.

With these numbers, it’s easy to understand how rapidly the overpopulation of homeless animals escalates in the South. It is also easy to see how unplanned and accidental breeding dangerously overwhelms the county shelter’s capacity and stresses a fragile animal welfare system desperately attempting to rehome every adoptable animal.

These numbers also demonstrate the need for a dedicated spay/neuter clinic in Aiken County to reduce the chronic overcrowding at the county shelter and to support a currently fragile animal control system without resorting to euthanizing adoptable animals.

The Aiken County Council understands the need and is making plans to build a spay/neuter clinic, but it could be years until the day it opens its doors. What can you do in the meantime.

  • Volunteer at the shelter to help with the increased number of animals.
  • Be a foster family.
  • Donate an afternoon to taking one of our dogs out for a well-deserved rest from a crowed shelter as part of our Dog Day Out program. All you need is a license and a few hours. We’ll pick you a suitable dog.
  • Adopt another animal (or two), maybe select one of the less adoptable senior animals or one with disabilities. If you cannot adopt another animal, please spread our social media posts about the many deserving animals available for adoption.
  • If you or someone you know finds a stray, or if circumstances force you or someone you know to do the unthinkable and give up your pet, please rehome your pet privately. Encourage others to rehome privately. Our Home-to-Home program is a great resource.
  • Encourage your friends, families, and neighbors to have their pets fixed with private vets and clinics if possible.
  • Donate, donate, donate—for our pet food bank, transfer costs to sister shelters, extra medical care when needed, and lifesaving equipment and programs. Think about designating a legacy gift to the shelter for future needs.

Collectively, we must pull together as a community to help the shelter and the thousands of homeless pets until the County’s dedicated, low-cost, spay/neuter clinic if open for business.

Your collective generosity and commitment have been, and continues to be, the hope of all those homeless, abandoned, and abused animals in Aiken County. God bless you all.

Go to fotasaiken.org to see all the ways you can help. Together, we can make our community shelter a resource and not a destination.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

2025, Foster, fostering

Our Wonderful Temporary Guests

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Murphy, as a foster
13
Sep

As I write this, there is a dog on my feet. His name is Murphy and he came to us last week from the Aiken County Animal Shelter as a foster. My husband Brian and I have been foster parents to shelter animals since 2017 and Murphy is our tenth.

Some people have asked me how I am able to just “give them up” once the fostering period is over. They have the idea that somehow fostering is a sad business, but I can tell you from my experience that the opposite is true.

Each one of our temporary residents has given so much more to us than they took. Want to reduce your daily screen time? Foster some kittens! They provide hours of entertainment. Need more exercise? Foster a dog! You’ll enjoy walking so much more. Simply want company to watch tv? Foster a lap warmer – cat or dog! They don’t even care what the program is. Just by getting the animals out of the shelter, you are helping to reduce their anxiety, increase their socialization and you’re giving them a better shot at finding a stable adoptive home.

Murphy in his new home.
Murphy in his new home.


Can you foster if you already have pets? You can! We had a 14-year-old rescue, who we adopted as a puppy from another foster family, and she was great with other animals. Sadly, she passed a couple of months ago and fostering has been a great way to honor her memory and bring a little sunshine back into our quiet house.

Most of the fosters we have hosted have been spoken for. We knew going into it that we were going to have them for a short time before leaving on their transport to meet their adoptive family. Some of our fosters have needed extra attention, like bottle feeding, medication, or have been recovering from surgery, so they wouldn’t be adoptable until they got a little older or healthier. Most of these guys just need a soft place to land while permanent arrangements are made. There is only so much the shelter staff can do.

Can you be a foster and then change your mind? Of course you can! Actually, I should tell you that we’ve decided not to foster Murphy anymore. It wasn’t an easy decision. We’ve been thinking it over since we got him. He’s loving and sweet, a good listener, house broken, and crate trained. He loves to ride shotgun. Sometimes he sleeps upside down with his legs straight up in the air, but most of the time he follows me in search of tasty treats. Why, you might ask, would we no longer want to foster this amazing dog??? To be honest, the reason is purely selfish. We just couldn’t give him up and that’s really the best part of being a foster parent. Sometimes you get to keep them.

Their lives are in our hands.
by Erica Sanders, Foster Mom

2025, abandoned animals, animal abuse, PUPPIES

It’s Been A Cruel Summer

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
It has been a cruel summer for Aiken County unwanted animals.
03
Sep

Sometimes the shelter is hopeful, we can have a great adoption day and we think, this is great! We can take a breath for a minute!

Then the wave crashes in again.

Presley is a sweet boy waiting for his new best friend.
Presley is a sweet boy waiting for his new best friend.

This summer has been a tough one for sure. We have neglect cases, abandonment cases (I am shocked by how many people move away and leave their dogs in their homes or tied in their yards!), puppies and kittens suffering from malnourishment and mange, dogs with scars from fighting or from living on pavement or dirt, leaving scars and skin issues.

The economy is a factor yes…pet food is very expensive and many cannot afford rising care costs.  However, the cases we are seeing are primarily caused by simply not caring.

Have you ever seen a dog cry? A cat so stiff in fear that you can’t get see emotion?  I wish I could say that I haven’t.

Presley came to us as a stray originally, with scars from an embedded collar.  We were thrilled when he was adopted!  Presley recently came back to us after being found wandering. His owner could no longer care for him and gave him back to the shelter. He was covered in fleas, his elbows and feet raw and red from living on hard surfaces. He cried when he came back. This skinny, sweet boy was broken. Thankfully staff member Peggy brought him a big bed and he curled up and kissed her.  This is the sweetest boy on the planet!  He needs a home of his own. He adores other dogs, he is as gentle as a dog can be.

Jada was found with a lock and chain around her neck.
Jada was found with a lock and chain around her neck.

Jada wandered up to someone’s yard with a lock and chain around her neck. A thirteen-pound dog needed a chain? Thankfully she made it to a kind person that brought her to the shelter. Jada was so frightened as you can imagine. She had an open wound on her neck. Once healed she picked a very nice man that she wanted as her owner. She just hopped into his lap and he knew he had to save her.

We are eternally grateful for those that stop and help dogs that are in distress, that are hungry and unloved.  We are constantly frustrated that there are people in our community, neighbors, that chain their dogs in their back yards. That don’t give water or food to their pet. Those that can’t even give an animal shade.

The shelter cannot keep up with the numbers coming in. We need people to adopt.

Yes, we always need foster homes but that is a temporary fix.  

Adoptions are what save lives. Adoptions are the key to emptying kennels, curing sadness and creating hope.  

If you have saved an animal and provided them a kind home, tell everyone! There are still far too many people going to breeders to get puppies. We know, we take them all in when they are older and not ‘cute’ anymore.

Forgive my frustration, but my friends have four legs and live in cages. It hurts not being able to take them all home. As a community we can provide homes. We can share love.

Please don’t look the other way, they need us.

Their lives are in our hands.

by Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator