Category Archives: 2022

2022, abandoned animals, Therapy Dogs, Volunteers

Unwanted strays blossom into certified therapy dogs

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
23
Sep

Their histories are similar. They were both picked up as strays and brought to the County Shelter hungry, terrified and covered in fleas. Unwanted and unwashed, their futures looked bleak.

Snowflake, an alarmingly thin, heartworm positive Great Pyrenees, hated his kennel and cowered in fear when he first arrived at the shelter in July of 2020. Clint, a black Retriever mix, arrived at the shelter in late Sept. 2021. He sat quietly in his kennel but was confused by his new environment and didn’t
understand why so many of the dogs around him kept barking in his direction.

However, both dogs saw their fortunes dramatically change when FOTAS volunteers fell in love with them and saw their potential for greatness. Biz and Eddie Mann adopted Snowflake on July 14, 2020, and Judi and John Sauer adopted Clint on Oct. 7, 2021.

“Snowflake was so loving, I knew he could become a therapy dog,” Biz said. “He just needed some love and care to help him gain more confidence.” Snowflake was 84 pounds and a matted mess when he arrived at the shelter. Now he is 102 pounds, well-groomed, heartworm negative (thanks to treatment funded by FOTAS) and the calmest, most self-assured dog you will come across. He became a certified therapy dog a little more than a year ago and has been visiting retirement homes, schools and hospice patients with Biz ever since.

“It’s wonderful,” Biz said. “The people smile and love petting Snowflake, who enjoys every minute of it. “I’ve had people lay their head down on his back because he’s so fluffy and soft, and children just want to hug him. Snowflake has a gift of making people happy and brightening their day.”

Clint is on a similar career path. Three months ago, the handsome Retriever passed all his tests to become a certified therapy dog, and he and Judi already have a full schedule of schools, long-term care facilities and hospices to visit.

Both Snowflake and Clint were certified by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs organization in Aiken.

“There are many venues where a therapy dog can be of benefit to both children and adults, Judi said. “I am not sure who gets more out of these sessions, the people or me. The response from people is truly magical and heartwarming.”

Recently, Snowflake and Clint visited Cumberland Village together, sharing their love with the senior residents. With his big smile and gentle demeanor, Clint brought a lot of joy to the people. Following closely behind, gentle giant Snowflake and his soft, white fur delighted the group.

Recently certified therapy dog, Clint, was a stray adopted from the County Shelter.

“It’s important for people to realize how terrific so many shelter dogs are,” Biz said. “They’re loving and trainable…they just need some love and direction.”

The County Shelter is full of wonderful dogs who desperately need homes. Please consider adopting your next pet from us. We are located at 333 Wire Road in Aiken. See all of our adoptable pets at fotasaiken.org. This month, dogs and puppies are $35; cats and kittens are only $10.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2022, Adoption, Volunteer, Volunteers

County Animal Shelter is an excellent example of doing things right

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
16
Sep

My friend, Linda, and I recently visited the Aiken County Animal Shelter to drop off some donations We were there right at opening time and received a very warm welcome. I asked Kathy, a representative of FOTAS, if we could walk through and look at the dogs and pups, to which she graciously agreed.

It has been many years since I visited the Aiken County Animal Services facility, and I was genuinely impressed! Even at this early hour, the facility was clean and odor free. The animals seemed well-nourished and even given treats, toys and blankets (except for one little guy who eats his blankets!) Caring for this many animals is no small feat but is obviously very well done here. The shelter employees have always had my admiration for their dedication to the animals and to the public.

I was also delighted to see the new addition in progress that will be used for multiple purposes. The Aiken community seems to be more supportive of the shelter, and I truly believe FOTAS deserves much of the credit. In addition to significantly lowering the euthanasia rate, their network with the public – such as Kathy was with me – makes a good impression that can only be a positive reflection on the shelter.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any dog or pup that I can help with at this time. But I will be back in touch from time to time in hopes that when I can assist, I will surely and gladly do so. In the meantime, I made a donation (wish it were more) to help in any small way possible.

Thank you all for the amazing job you are doing. I wish the need for animal shelters would disappear, but that is highly unlikely. It does give me assurance, though, that Aiken County Animal Services is an excellent example of doing it right!

Shelter in crisis mode

Due to a recent drop in adoptions and no end to its high animal intake numbers, the County Animal Shelter is in crisis. Please consider adopting a homeless dog or cat from our facility located at 333 Wire Road in Aiken, SC. To see all the pets available, stop by the shelter or go to fotasaiken.org. We have so many wonderful pets in need, now is the best time to adopt and give a shelter animal another chance for a good life!

Their lives are in our hands.

By Jean Strein

2022, Cats, Foster, fostering, kittens, Volunteer

Kitten fostering: You don’t need lots of space or time to save lives

Posted on by Bob Gordon
09
Sep

With kitten season still going strong in September, the need for fosters is as great as ever. The Aiken County Animal Shelter is about to be overloaded with feline babes who need temporary care and assistance from county citizens.

While the Shelter provides all the care it can – and dedicated staff members even take kittens to their own homes for fostering – the influx of orphaned kittens is too much to handle for any shelter facility.

“The value of socialization is huge because everyone wants a confident, friendly kitten,” said Hillary Clark-Kulis, the shelter’s adoption coordinator. “Even if you have just fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes in the evening to spend with the kittens, that’s three times more socialization than they’ll receive at the shelter.”

The one-on-one time kittens receive in loving foster homes is vital because it better ensures they are well-prepared for adoption. However, we ask fosters to care for kittens only until they are two pounds, which takes anywhere from two to four-weeks.

Desiree VanZanten says fostering kittens looks harder than it really is.

“I love being able to watch them grow and develop, and know that I’m helping out the shelter” said Desiree VanZanten, who has been fostering kittens with her wife, Gretchen, for seven years. “Bonding with them and watching their personalities develop is like planting seeds and watching them grow and bloom.”

Becoming a kitten foster is simple. Just come to the shelter at 333 Wire Road in Aiken and fill out a foster application. Once you’re approved, we’ll get you started and provide you with the needed resources and support.

“Fostering kittens is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life,” said Cherylece Wiggins, who took in her first litter four years ago. “It’s not difficult or labor intensive, but it’s so gratifying to help these babies get good homes. All you have to do is give them love!”

While fostering kittens might seem like a lot of work, it is usually just a matter of feeding them, petting and playing with them, and cleaning their kitty litter box. Unless they are bottle babies (four weeks old or younger), kittens don’t require hours of your time. You don’t need a big space either –even a blanket on the bathroom floor will do.

FOTAS Bookkeeper Carol Miller and her husband, Mike, have been fostering kittens for eight years with the help of their own dogs and cats. The dogs like to take them under their wing and clean them while their cats enjoy teaching the babies how to play.

Carol Miller has been fostering kittens for eight years and loves it.
Carol Miller has been fostering kittens for eight years and loves it.

“It’s a lot of fun to see the kittens progress and start having a blast running around and playing with each other,” Carol said. “When everything is so depressing with world events, inflation and other bad news, I find spending time with the foster kittens helps me relax and forget about all the negative stuff.”

For more information about fostering kittens and other shelter animals, please call (803) 642-1537, option 3 or send an email to info@fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2022, Adoption, Volunteer

Distressed shelter dog is the best surprise of my life

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
01
Sep

I took a break from my work and read Martha Anne Tudor’s compelling descriptions of animals waiting to be adopted at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. “Lonely hearts are waiting for you,” she always wrote at the end of her Facebook posts. One of those lonely hearts kept appearing on her posts – a German Shepherd/Carolina Dog/Heeler mix rolled into a striking chocolate-colored dog with antennas for ears, appropriately named Surprise.

I thought she’d be adopted quickly, but the posts kept coming. In Surprise, I saw something extraordinarily special, but nobody was coming forward. She had been in the shelter for over four months, and it was wearing on her.

This year has been especially hard on dogs and cats. So many animals were left in shelters or abandoned when families went back to work and school post-COVID 19. In addition, as prices rise, more and more families are giving up their pets. It is heartbreaking. I already had many animals, but I couldn’t sit on the sidelines waiting for someone else to step up.

I live in Columbia, but I go to Aiken every week. I stopped at the shelter to meet Surprise. She was frustrated in her kennel and exhibiting real signs of shelter stress. She spun in circles, chewed down her toenails, and had a hard time connecting with people. Questions about her adoptability hung in the air. And yet I could see that she was a great dog in a terrible situation. I decided to test my hypothesis.

I became certified as a FOTAS volunteer so that I could walk Surprise. I took her on 40-minute walks, letting her take her time. I expected absolutely nothing in return from her, and yet, each time, we would have a moment of connection. I started going to Aiken more to work with her, and she recognized me and wagged her tail. I’d cry all the way back to Columbia after I put her back in her kennel.

I began going to Aiken more just to see Surprise. She’d jump up and gently place her paws on me. It was deeply moving. I volunteered to be her trainer in the canine citizen class they offer to shelter dogs. For a second, I got her to focus on me and not on all the shelter stress. It was an amazing moment. For three weeks, I went to the shelter and worked with Surprise, and we got comfortable with each other. Then one day, I took her home. I cried all the way home, but this time the tears were of happiness and relief.

Surprise is one of the kindest, most responsive, cuddly dogs I have ever met. She is in the top one percent of dogs I have known. My partner and I work with her to build her confidence and help her adjust, and Surprise has responded faster than I could have imagined. She is the best surprise of my life!

By Gabi Kuenzli, FOTAS Volunteer and Pet Adopter

2022, Adoption, Events, Volunteers

It Doesn’t Get Better Than This

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
26
Aug

I can say, without reservation, that FOTAS volunteers are simply the best—maybe the greatest volunteers ever.

Case in point: their perfect execution of a multi-pronged game plan at the Aiken County Animal Shelter on Saturday, August 20th for the annual “Clear the Shelter Day.” Our goal for that day was to re-home as many shelter residents as possible and it required lots of coordination and teamwork to make that happen.

The publicity crew had done its advance work in promoting stories on Channel 6 and Channel 12, articles in the Aiken Standard, and many shared posts featuring the adoptable dogs and cats on FOTAS’s Facebook page.

The volunteers were prepared early on the day of the event. We have learned that it is important to present the dogs outside of their kennels where they are more relaxed and show their true personalities on such a busy day. So, an army of FOTAS volunteers arrived early at 7:30 a.m. to walk the dogs before the arrival of the first potential adopters. After their walk, each dog was taken to its assigned outside station where they were attended by two volunteers. Accordingly, every potential adopter spent quality time with each dog (or cat in the lobby) and their volunteers.

The adoption part of the day was to start at 9 a.m. but potential adopters began arriving an hour early. The volunteers were ready, helping people park and showing them where to go.

Finally, it was time for the dogs and cats to get adopted. First one, then another. The 50 volunteers who came that day clapped in unison whenever an animal was adopted. Adoptions represent the fruits of their labor and make it all worthwhile.

Another group of volunteers was assigned to a table to work with the dedicated shelter staff to make the adoption paperwork quick and easy.

Two other volunteers supplied each adopter with a gift to help the pet and pet-owner get off to a good start.

FOTAS’s volunteers come from all walks of lives with diverse political and social opinions. But all of those personal issues are put aside at the shelter, and they all come together recognizing the greater good of helping the animals. Their purpose is shared and the camaraderie is genuine.

At the end o the day, 25 dogs and cats were adopted. That meant there was room for 25 of the many animals received at the shelter already this month and, even though the shelter is still overcrowded, no adoptable animal would have to be euthanized due to lack of space.

The great family of FOTAS volunteers clapped in unison 25 times that Saturday.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Jennifer Miller FOTAS President

2022, Adoption, Bully Dogs, Dogs, Pibbles

A Dog Named Jolene

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
19
Aug

She arrived at the County Animal Shelter terrified and hungry. Her beige coat was filthy, and fleas covered her body. But even as she was brought into the shelter’s vet clinic for examination and medical care, Jolene managed to briefly show everyone a heartwarming smile. Despite her difficult past, this pretty Pibble was full of love.

A little over four years old and only 40 pounds, Jolene paled in looks compared to some of the other, more colorful shepherds, retrievers and terrier mixes at the shelter. But her sweet eyes and gregarious personality made her a gem waiting to be discovered. 

Enter Hayden Craft from Grovetown, GA. He visited Jolene at the shelter and both their lives changed forever.

“It all started when I moved to Georgia,” he explained. “I had gotten my own place, but something was missing. It always seemed empty. My brother had adopted a dog from the Aiken County Shelter, and it got me looking on the FOTAS website for a dog of my own, and I immediately became interested in Jolene.

“I took my lunch break and went up to the shelter to see her and it was love at first sight for both of us. The sweetest dog you could have ever asked for. They told me she had a heart murmur, but I couldn’t let that stop me. She deserved the best rest of her life, a forever home, with me.”

Since adopting Jolene, Hayden has seen her bloom into an amazing pet.

“She loves all other animals,” he said. “But there’s nothing she loves more than rubbing her back all over the ground and playing with stuffed toys at the same time. And for such a small dog, she takes up more of the bed than I do. I couldn’t train her to sleep on the floor If I tried!

“I thank FOTAS and Aiken County Animal Shelter every day for giving this girl a chance and giving me a chance to love her. Jolene is my first dog as an adult, and she’s so good, she makes me want another one.”

If you are ready to find your own furry BFF, please come to the County Shelter, 333 Wire Road in Aiken. There are so many more dogs and cats in need who need loving homes. To see all of our adoptable pets, check out our website: fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2022, Children, Dog Ears Reading Program, Volunteers

Barks and Books

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
The FOTAS Dog Ears Reading program helps children hone their reading skills and reduces the kennel stress of the County Animal Shelter’s dogs and cats.
11
Aug

How do you calm a barking, excited dog who is confined to a kennel at the Aiken County Animal Shelter? The solution is really simple. Ask a group of children to come and read to them. FOTAS (Friends of the Animal Shelter) had this idea a few years ago in conjunction with the Aiken County Library to create the Dog Ears Reading Program. This program is also part of our Junior FOTAS outreach program, which teaches pet responsibility. It is a Win-Win for both the four-legged and two-legged participants.

Do you want to know how this is done? Walk with me into the pod of ten kennels of very excited dogs. They all watch as I lay down blankets for their guests to sit on when they arrive. The dogs are all extremely curious as to what I am doing. Soon, ten very eager boys and girls arrive with their book bags full of reading material. As the children and their parents enter the pod, there is much barking and excitement as everyone takes a spot in front of a dog. The children pull out their books and start to read to the dogs while the volunteers and the parents keep a watchful eye over the scene unfolding before their eyes. All of a sudden there is a quietness that occurs, and we all realize that the dogs are actually listening to the children reading to them. Jasmine, the cute black lab mix, leans against the kennel door so she can get as close as possible to Susie who is reading to her a book titled Sit, Stay, Love, and Paco, the handsome black and white terrier mix, lays on his blanket covered pallet with his bone and appears to drift off to sleep as Kevin is reading a book called Saving Sadie. The connection between the children and the dogs is truly magical. There is no other way to explain this phenomenon.

This reading program is just one of the ways that FOTAS works with The Aiken County Animal Shelter to promote the well-being of the dogs who find themselves in a shelter atmosphere through no fault of their own. Efforts like this help to lessen the stress of shelter life for these animals. By offering programs like this, it is our goal to place all of the adoptable animals that we can through exposure to the community.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Judi Sauer, FOTAS Volunteer

2022, Adoption, SOCIAL MEDIA, Volunteer

Share a Post, Save a Life!

Posted on by Bob Gordon
05
Aug

Every homeless pet has at least one person or family out there who is their perfect match. The person who will love and give that pet a wonderful life. The family that sees that homeless animal and instantly knows it is their pet of destiny.

The challenge for shelters, like ours, is finding and reaching those people, so we can effectively introduce them to their ideal pet. It is a difficult task. How can we get the faces and stories of these animals seen by the folks who want to adopt them? Well, luckily, we can achieve this goal through the power and tools of social media. But only with your help.

Every day we post photos and stories about the County Shelter’s adoptable dogs and cats on our FOTAS Facebook and Instagram pages, hoping to reach as many people as possible who are looking to add a furry friend to their home. But the number of people we reach with each post depends on how many people share it with their network of friends.

If everybody shared our Facebook and Instagram posts about adoptable pets, it would greatly expand our audience, helping us to reach more people who might be “the one” to adopt the pet being promoted.

Just one click can make all the difference — Share a Post, Save a Life

There is no better way than social media to promote the shelter’s adoptable pets to a vast yet targeted audience. Just one “like” or “share” can reach hundreds, if not thousands, of people in a way that grassroots promotion cannot. Last month on Facebook, our posts reached well over 300,000 people.

Thanks to our social media, people have come from all over the United States to adopt pets from the County Shelter. Folks have traveled from such regions as Texas, Chicago, Massachusetts and even Europe to pick up dogs and cats that they saw on our social media.

It helps us reach even more people when FOTAS volunteers, like Martha Anne Tudor, already have thousands of Facebook friends and she posts or shares a post about one of our adoptable pets. Her posts have helped the shelter adopt out more than a thousand dogs and cats. She usually promotes the pets that need extra tender loving care, like a sad and badly neglected dog named Kai, whose post was shared nearly 70,000 times around the world. Or Wink, a one-eyed dog, who desperately needed a home and was adopted by a woman in Nantucket. She flew to Aiken and took him home, where he’s enjoying the good life. Then there was Dante, a puppy with a life-threatening birth defect. Her post about the sick pup helped to get him adopted and he’s now cured and doing great with his family in Aiken.

We would love it if you’d join us

So, if you follow the FOTAS Facebook and our Instagram pages, be sure to “like” and “share” our posts. It just takes one click with your finger and could save a shelter animal’s life. If you don’t follow our social media, please do so. We’d love to have you join us in our mission to find loving homes for all of the County Shelter’s adoptable pets.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2022, abandoned animals, Adoption, Foster

Story of Zeus: Another wonderful dog who just wants a home

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Zeus is house trained, loving, smart and available for adoption at the Aiken County Animal Shelter
30
Jul

I was wandering around my home when I came across a scent. It was so intriguing! I just kept following it and then I realized, “Oh no! I don’t know where I am!”

Luckily, a nice person stopped and picked me up. I was really nervous, especially when we pulled up to a building with all this barking. There were other dogs around me and I knew they were scared; I could feel it. They were shaking…none of us knew what was happening.

I was put into an area where other dogs were next to me. They seemed to be barking all the time.

I really needed to go out and do my business, but I waited. My owner taught me to sit, be patient and wait to go outside. People walked by me and spoke nicely to me; they brought me a blanket and a toy, and even brought me a big bowl of food.

When was my owner coming to get me? I didn’t mean to wander off.

I went into a room with people that looked at me, poked me and waved something over my back that went “beep.” They said I was really lucky because I had a microchip with my owner’s information, and they could call him. They also learned my name, Zeus. Everyone was petting me and smiling. What a relief!
But after two weeks, my owner never showed up. It was a really long two weeks. Everyone was nice but the noise really bothered me. I learned from the other dogs there that my good behavior didn’t really work to get me attention. When I sat quietly and patiently, people didn’t notice me. I learned that if I bark and jump, I get more attention.
They moved me to another part of the shelter with other dogs that were even more frustrated than me. We just want to be home. What did we do wrong?

Now I jump and bark and people just walk by me. I don’t know what to do next to get someone to adopt me. I want them to look in my eyes and see what a good boy I am.

The meaning of Zeus

Zeus is just one of the many wonderful dogs at the shelter who was found wandering our community. These dogs need to be spayed/neutered or their noses will lead them off their property in search of a mate.

Please help us. Besides the dogs and cats that become lost and separated from their owners, we are seeing an uptick in pet surrenders. This is an incredibly stressful time, and owners are leaving their pets with us every day with explanations like, “I just don’t have time for him” or “We are going out of state and can’t take her with us” or “I don’t have time to train him.” It’s so disheartening.

Because of the crushing influx of homeless pets at the shelter, we need adopters, fosters and volunteers. Like Zeus, the majority of the pets at the shelter are house trained, loving and smart. They did nothing wrong; they just ended up homeless. Now, they need a second chance to have a wonderful life.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Kathy Cagle
FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2022, Adoption, Cats, FIV positive felines

FIV positive cats can live long, happy lives

Posted on by Bob Gordon
FIV positive cat Tuxedo Bogartis hoping to be adopted soon.
22
Jul

The Aiken County Animal Shelter has two wonderful cats available for adoption – Bogart and Creampuff – who have been waiting way too long for their forever homes.

Cream Puff, FIV+, hoping to be adopted soon.Bogart is a 13-pound Tuxedo and Cream Puff is an 8-pound, orange and white Tabby. These felines arrived at the shelter as strays more than two months ago. Both are four years old, handsome and sweet. And both are FIV positive (FIV+).

FIV stands for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, a condition that weakens a cat’s immune system. Misconceptions about the disease persist, but here are the facts:

  • FIV is not as highly contagious as experts once thought. It can only be transmitted through blood transfusions or deep bite wounds. Other cats cannot get FIV through casual contact with an FIV + cat. Saliva does not transmit FIV.
  • Most FIV+ cats live long, healthy lives, and many never show any symptoms of the virus. As long as they are not exposed to any other virus or bacteria that their weakened immune system can’t handle, they can live happy, normal lives. Cats with FIV just need to be kept indoors and fed a balanced, nutritionally complete diet. With proper vet care, most FIV+ cats live as long as their indoor counterparts (13-18 years), and much longer than cats who live outdoors (3-8 years).
  • FIV is a species-specific disease. It cannot be transmitted to humans or any other animal.

Despite these reassuring facts, FIV positive cats, like Bogart and Cream Puff, continue to be passed over by potential adopters. But please keep in mind that these terrific cats can bring immense joy and companionship to you and your family. They need love, too.

Empty the Shelter event continues through July 30
th

With the support of the BISSELL Pet Foundation, FOTAS and the Aiken County Animal Shelter are hosting a special “Empty the Shelter” event through this Saturday, July 30. The event features reduced adoption fees for pets (dogs/pups are $25, cats/kittens just $10) and fees for many dogs will even be waived during this promotion.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director