Category Archives: Cats

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, News

Adopting a Pet from the Aiken County Shelter: All Joy & Little Risk

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

01 August 2014

Adopting a Pet from the Aiken County Shelter: All Joy & Little Risk

By Joanna Dunn Samson

Like most people, I’ve made some pretty stupid decisions in my 60 years, but the smartest decision I ever made, right up there with becoming Mrs. David Samson, was to rescue our beloved dogs from a shelter.

Since 1996, David and I have adopted five dogs. Without exception all five were and are extraordinary pets.  Each of them enriched our lives in ways we could not have foreseen when we brought them home.

Were we just lucky to find five great dogs?

No. Thanks to dedicated FOTAS volunteers, trainers and staff at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, luck had very little to do with it.

An animal typically spends at least 10 days in intake at the County shelter before being moved to the adoption floor, so by the time it is adopted, volunteers, trainers and staff have had plenty of time to evaluate its temperament and disposition.

They can often even tell whether a dog is housebroken by its behavior in the kennel. For example, does it do its business in the outside kennel or wait until a volunteer takes it for its walk?  In addition, if the animal was surrendered, the owner may have provided some reliable background information.

So the perceived risk of adopting a shelter animal – that is, you don’t know what you are getting when you adopt a pet from the shelter – is unfounded.  FOTAS Volunteers and County staff are well acquainted with the nature of an animal by the time it is ready for adoption.

There are so many reasons why your next pet should come from the County shelter.

First and foremost, it’s the right thing to do.

Thousands of unwanted animals wind up in the County shelter every year, and although we try, we can’t save them all.  Until the wretched overpopulation of unwanted animals is reduced by programs like FOTAS’ Fix-a-Pet, we, the community, are their only hope for a happy, healthy life.

Second, it’s a great bargain, especially until August 9.  For $35 for a dog and $17 for a cat, your new pet will be spayed or neutered, microchipped, dewormed and vaccinated.

Third, there are dogs and cats of all shapes, colors and sizes at the shelter, so you have a wide variety from which to choose.  Once you’ve narrowed down the possibilities, you can spend however much time you need getting to know the dogs in the large fenced-in play areas. (Don’t be put off by their excitement; shelter dogs love human company.)

If you are looking for a fluffy feline, you can visit with them in the Cat Colony House built by FOTAS, where adoptable cats are free to move around or go outside to a fenced in area to play on the climbing stations.

Finally, my husband believes that shelter animals are grateful because they know in their heart of hearts you saved them, which results in extraordinary devotion to their rescuers.  I have to agree.

Their lives are in our hands.

Come on down to the new Aiken County Animal Shelter and adopt your next pet.  You won’t be sorry.

 

Adoption, Cats, Events

FOTAS Receives $2,500 from Purina Cat Chow

Posted on by Angel Hartline
11
Jun

29 July 2014

FOTAS Receives $2,500 from Purina Cat Chow

As publicized in the “Aiken Standard” on July 17, 2014, FOTAS is the recipient of a $2,500 donation from Purina Cat Chow’s Building Better Lives program to support future cat adoptions after winning a nationwide promotion by Purina Cat Chow.  Read about it here!

http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20140717/AIK0101/140719392/0/SEARCH&slId=9

 

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Events

Pooches & Popsicles

Posted on by Angel Hartline
11
Jun

29 July 2014

Pooches & Popsicles

Saturday, July 26 FOTAS held their first party for kids called Pooches & Popsicles.  A short follow-up story appears in  the “Aiken Standard” .  The children had an opportunity to play with the dogs and cats and made doggie treats also.
http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20140728/AIK0101/140729421/0/SEARCH&slId=1

Much fun was had by all.

 

Adoption, Cats, Dogs

Wild with Love

Posted on by Angel Hartline
11
Jun

“Wild” Dogs — Much Love

20 July 2014

 

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

Are you under the impression that dogs that come from a shelter are wild?  Really?  Let me introduce you to some of the “wild” dogs at the Aiken County Shelter.

Take 3 year-old Sweetie, a favorite among the volunteers and staff because she lives up to her name.  A beautiful brown and white, 38 pound bulldog/terrier cross, Sweetie’s sole purpose in life is to please a human and cuddle up on the couch.

 

Sweetie

There’s Booker, a four year-old boxer mix with such an exceptional temperament, our trainers believe he’d make a wonderful service dog.  With darn near perfect leash manners, Booker is a pleasure to take for walks on the newly created trails around the shelter.  He loves playing ball and he loves children, and he particularly loves playing ball with children.  By the way, did I mention Booker is house-trained?

How about Iffy, a leggy, one year-old mixed breed with a stunning brindle coat?  Iffy loves people.  She gets so excited when people approach her kennel that she wags her tail against the wall so hard it bleeds: a condition our shelter vet calls “Happy Tail.”  Affectionate and sweet, Iffy will make some lucky human a very devoted pet.

 

Then there’s Lokey, another boxer/terrier cross with beautiful white markings on her face and a shiny black coat.  Two years old and the perfect medium size (38 pounds), Kathy Jacobs and her son Noah (FOTAS volunteers) take Lokey out to play ball every time they come to the shelter.  Lokey is playful, intelligent and willing to learn.  She just needs a human to take care of, fuss over and love.

 

Are these dogs wild?  You bet they are – they are wild with love.

Jay Lyda of Southern K9 Solutions and Veterans K9 Solutions comes to the shelter three mornings a week to work with the volunteers and the dogs on basic obedience skills, like leash training.

“Most of these dogs have never been obedience trained,” says Jay, “yet without exception, every one of them are eager and willing to please, even in the generally stressful environment of a crowded shelter.”

In fact, according to national surveys, 95% of dogs surrendered to shelters have never had any obedience training, which along with lack of exercise, accounts for the majority of behavioral problems that cause an owner to surrender a dog in the first place.

Continues Jay, “A dog does not know how to be a good family member without proper instruction.  Like a child, they need to be taught basic manners.  Any dog can be trained with a little patience and commitment, and the payoff is huge.  Training stimulates their brain, helps them focus, and provides an outlet for their energy.”

He is so right.  We see it all the time at the shelter.  Even the most unruly dogs become attractive adoption prospects after a little leash training, attention and exercise provided by dedicated FOTAS volunteers and trainers like Jay, Susi Cohen of Palmetto Dog Club and Nancy Webster, and the payoff has been huge.  In 2013, more County shelter animals were adopted and rehomed last year than from any other rescue facility in the CSRA.

That’s a remarkable and well-earned achievement, but we desperately need the community’s help to keep it going.

We need more volunteers to work with the animals, especially during these hot summer months when intake numbers are heartbreakingly high.

We need financial donations to enable FOTAS to continue to supplement the County’s resources to provide the best possible care for these animals.

But most of all, we need responsible owners to adopt their next pet from the Aiken County Animal Shelter, and now through August 9th, adoption prices have been cut in half.

For only $35.00 for a dog and $17.00 for a cat, your new pet will be vaccinated, wormed, microchipped and spayed or neutered. Now that’s a bargain.

Please don’t wait.  Reach out today.  Their lives are in our hands.

 

BOOKER — Male, Boxer mix — 4 years old — 63 lbs — $35

EDWIN – Male, tabby kitten — 6 wks old — 1.6 lbs — $17

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Volunteer

War Stories and the Heartbreaking Sounds of Surrendered Animals

Posted on by Angel Hartline
09
Jun

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

Summer is a hard time for the Aiken County Animal Shelter. Aside from the beastly heat, the number of animals at the shelter skyrockets during the summer.

This summer is no exception. Last Wednesday, by 3:00 in the afternoon, eight surrendered animals were lined up in crates outside the intake building waiting for a space to open up. It was 95 degrees outside.

Inside, up to 5 dogs are housed in one kennel run in the intake wing because the intake numbers are so high. The shelter accepted 534 animals in may, and the June numbers will be equally as dismal.

Where do they come from? From the County, the City, Edgefield county, occasionally private rescue agencies already filled to capacity, but primarily, they come from private citizens. In May alone, 322 animals were citizen-surrendered—twice as many as in the winter months.

Why so many surrenders this time of year? Are you ready for this?

Vacations! Can you believe it? There are people in this world who choose to surrender their pets to the county shelter when they go on vacation—people who consign their confused and trusting pets to the stress of a shelter environment and an uncertain future—rather than make proper arrangements for their care.

I am haunted by this callous disregard for the welfare of helpless animals.

No question, the solution to this gross overcrowding is to reduce overpopulation through a rigorous spay/neuter program.

Experts estimate that 75% of the pet population must be spayed/neutered in order to see a significant reduction in intake numbers. For that reason, fotas focuses its spay/neuter activities in Wagener, which is a county hot spot for overpopulation, and will continue to do so until we see a difference in the numbers.

Moreover, the county allocates $30,000 for low cost spay/neuter vouchers, and FOTAS supplements that program as well. FOTAS has also raised approximately $20,000 for spay/neuter services through its Woofstock festival and the SPCA’s twilight walk.

In the past 18 months, FOTAS paid the SPCA – Albrecht Center approximately $20,000 to spay and neuter 292 citizen-owned cats and dogs and 238 community cats in its state-of-the-art clinic.

Is it enough? Of course not—it’s never enough. But here’s the thing.

Someone has to be responsible for the 4800 unwanted animals that end up at the county shelter each year, and that someone is the county, with the help of FOTAS.

The county shelter does not have the luxury of refusing to accept an animal because it doesn’t have enough room. Paid for with taxpayer dollars, it has a legal obligation to accept all comers. Quite frankly, it feels like sweeping back the ocean with a broom.

Although the County and FOTAS are making great strides in saving more animals and reducing the euthanasia rate, until rampant overpopulation is checked and the appalling intake numbers come down, our goal of never having to euthanize another adoptable animal is out of reach.

How can you help?

Volunteer at the shelter.

Foster dogs and puppies until they can be weaned and rehomed.

Make a tax-free donation to the cause at www.Fotasaiken.Org.

Most of all: adopt one of the deserving animals in the adoption wing. For every animal you adopt, you save two lives—the pet you adopted and the pet that can be moved to the adoption floor from intake.

Plus, if you adopt before July 28, adoption fees have been reduced by half —$35 for dogs and $17 for cats—so come on over.

PETS OF THE WEEK:

Gina American Bulldog—female, 2 yrs old, 38 lbs. Only $35 

Clark Catahoula Leopoard Dog—male, 2 yrs old, 45 lbs. Only $35

Adoption, Cats, News

What Would the Fox Say?

Posted on by Angel Hartline
09
Jun

by Edie Hubler, FOTAS Director

Okay, okay, this is a column that’s supposed to be about dogs and cats, not foxes. But I had to get your attention, didn’t I. So my article’s title is really “What would the cat say?”

Have you ever thought about why people like cats? Well, I asked one of our current feline residents of the C.A.T.S. (Cats at the Shelter) House at the Aiken County Animal Shelter to give me some reasons. Her name is Trixie, a female tabby, currently looking for her FURever home, but she agreed to be interviewed and is glad to share her thoughts with you:

Cats are cute, cuddly and affectionate (and I am too.) Agnes Bye, Ellie Joos and Carleen Overman, three FOTAS volunteers, visit me and my other cat friends here at the Shelter a lot. They think we are “the cat’s meow.”

Speaking of meow, that’s how we talk. Plus we purr and we chir. We learned to do these things when we snuggled up against our mamas while nursing, during kittenhood. We think of our human adopters as substitute parents. So we’ll purr, chir and meow to them too.

We are great hunters, and sometimes we will bring you a gift of our prey (or a really good cat toy). We like to be praised, just like our humans do.

We also know that sometimes our humans need to be taken care of, so we give them love and treat them like our kittens.

We love to take naps, and someone famous (the writer here told me it was William Lyon Phelps) once said “A cat pours his body on the floor like water. It is restful just to see him.” Yep, and that brings me to the fact that owning a cat often reduces the human owners’ stress level, improves mood, reduces loneliness. Humans tell us it’s very relaxing to sit quietly with a cat, petting and listening to us purr.

We don’t need to be entertained as we are inquisitive — we are quite capable of entertaining ourselves. All we need is a simple piece of string, a feather, an empty box, a cotton ball, an open washing machine, a flushing toilet, squirrels that I can see from the window — we are very curious and much fun to watch.

Many famous people are/were cat lovers—like Marlon Brando, Robert E. Lee, Marie Antoinette, Vanna White, John Lennon, Mark Twain, Cee Lo Green, George W. Bush, Katy Perry, Abe Lincoln and Martha Stewart.

We are meticulous and keep ourselves clean. I could go on and on, but I need to turn this space back to the writer.

Thank you Trixie for selling us on the joys of cat ownership. She didn’t tell you also that by adopting a cat, you would be saving a life. That should make you feel good too!

Here is an offer you can’t refuse — this week (June 15 – June 21) you can adopt a cat from the Aiken County Animal Shelter (333 Wire Road) for just $9 (that is a great discount from our usual $35 fee) — the promotion is called 9 Lives for $9 and we are participating along with many other shelters across the United States. The promotion is supported by the national animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society and the Best Friends’ No More Homeless Pets Network, of which FOTAS is a member. $9 covers shots and spay/neuter.

And don’t forget, today is Father’s Day — it’s never too late to honor your dad with another special gift.

And to you—stay cool/be cool, adopt a cat (or two.)

For more information, email info@angelhartlinedesigns.com or visit www.fotasaiken.org

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 Wire Road.  For more information, contact “info@angelhartlinedesigns.com” or visit FOTAS on line at www.fotasaiken.org.

AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER: “BY THE NUMBERS”

Correction to statistics in last week’s edition:

First Four months of 2014 (January – April):
Received 1088 animals (733 dogs and 355 cats)
Adopted/Transferred 572 animals (521 dogs and 51 cats)
Euthanized 616 animals (308 dogs and 308 cats)

AIKEN COUNTY SHELTER “PETS OF THE WEEK”
**All adoption fees include:  spay/neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.

GEORGIA — American bulldog, female, 3 yrs old, 37 lbs. Only $70

OREO — Domestic short hair—male—9.5 lbs. Only $9