We see a lot of sad cases come through the doors of the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
Sometimes pets arrive together, and in an unfamiliar, frightening environment, they rely on each other for comfort. Their friendship is the one familiar thing they have left.
Recently, we welcomed a bonded pair of dogs whose owner had fallen on hard times. Sadly, there was no one who could help care for them. These two dogs had been loved and well cared for, and suddenly their whole world had changed.
BeeBee was a five-pound, ten-year-old Chihuahua, and Stella was a fifty-pound, six-year-old Lab mix.
Quite the pair!
At a time when finding a home for one dog can be difficult, finding someone willing to adopt two together would take a miracle.
We reached out to Martha Anne Tudor, a gifted writer who volunteers her time telling the stories of shelter pets in need on social media. Martha Anne was confident that a miracle could happen.
And she was right!
Almost immediately, a wonderful couple drove down from North Carolina to meet BeeBee and Stella. They already had three dogs, but they had the space, the yard and, most importantly, the love to welcome two more.
BeeBee and Stella went home together!
They even have their own Instagram page now, @bondedpairandmore. Lucky pups!
Now, we have another challenge. Meet Kit and Kat.
These two beautiful cats were originally given to the children in a family. Unfortunately, the responsibility of caring for them proved to be too much, and they ended up at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
Kit and Kat are incredibly sweet, affectionate cats who love to snuggle with people. But what they love equally as much is each other.
They have already lost the only home they knew. We desperately want to make sure they don’t lose each other, too.
But finding a home for two cats together may require another miracle.
Most people visit the shelter looking for one pet, not two. So perhaps it’s time to think about the wonderful benefits of adopting a bonded pair!
For starters, they already have a best friend. When you leave for work, run errands or spend time away from home, they have each other for companionship and comfort.
They can play together, nap together and help each other adjust to a new home.
And instead of welcoming one new friend into your family, you get two!
It means twice the companionship, twice the entertainment and twice the love.
Most importantly, it means two animals who have already lost so much won’t have to lose their best friend.
BeeBee and Stella got their miracle.
Now it’s Kit and Kat’s turn.
Their lives are in our hands. Please help us make sure they stay in each other’s paws.
By Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator