Category Archives: Donate

2023, Donate, donations, Where your donations go

Giving Tuesday: making a difference for the County’s homeless animals

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Jen with Gertrude at adoption station.
25
Nov

This Tuesday, November 28th, is Giving Tuesday, which kicks off the annual Christmas-giving season with a world-wide celebration of selfless generosity. If you are charitably inclined, how do you decide which of the many worthy local charities are worthy of your generosity?

If you’re an animal lover (and I know you are) and you want your hard-earned dollars to make a difference, then FOTAS, the private partner of the Aiken County Animal Shelter, is an excellent choice for your charitable urges. Here’s why.

  • FOTAS, working with the county shelter, saves more animals than any other 501(c)(3) organization in the CSRA. Period. Full stop. For the past FIVE years, every adoptable animal at the shelter was saved, and FOTAS has kicked into overdrive to do the same this year.
  • FOTAS AND AIKEN COUNTY fund more spay/neuter pet surgeries for folks in financial need than any other charitable organization in the CSRA.
  • FOTAS AND AIKEN COUNTY fund more TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) surgeries for community cats than any other charitable organization in the CSRA.

     

  • FOTAS saves more heartworm positive (HWP) dogs than any other charitable organization in the CSRA.

     

  • FOTAS supplements adoption fees for active military personnel and veterans.

     

  • FOTAS helps county animal control take dogs off the chain by funding humane runners for distribution to county residents.

     

  • FOTAS GIVES OUT MORE PET FOOD TO AIKEN COUNTY PET OWNERS IN NEED THAN ANY OTHER CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION IN THE CSRA. This critical assistance makes it possible for folks to feed (and, thus, keep) their animals in hard times.

     

  • FOTAS also funds the costs of flea medication, toys, leashes, and pet food supplements, as well as subsidizing equipment and extraordinary medical needs at the shelter.

FOTAS is 100% supported by private donations, and we need your help now more than ever. The shelter, like all public shelters post-Covid, is overwhelmed with shockingly high intake. More people are abandoning their animals than adopting new ones. Here in Aiken County, the problem is compounded by an explosion in population growth (I’m sure you’ve seen all those housing developments springing up all over the county!), and a severe shortage of veterinarians and low-cost spay/neuter services. This means more and more animals are joining the ranks of the unwanted and the homeless—a heartbreaking tragedy after so many years of progress.

But, you ask, have all those private donations to FOTAS really made a difference

Absolutely! An incredible difference! In 2009 (the year that FOTAS was created) 95% of the animals consigned to the shelter were euthanized. Today that number has been turned on its head. From 2018 through this year, 2023, every adoptable animal at the shelter was (and will be) saved. That’s over a 90% save rate. 

Our success is your success: FOTAS’ ability to save so those thousands and thousands of shelter animals is the direct result of your generosity. From our hearts to yours, thank you and God bless.

Please send your much-appreciated donations to FOTAS, PO Box 2207, Aiken SC 29802, or go to fotasaiken.org to make your donation online. By the way, when you donate to FOTAS, you can be certain that 90% or more of every dollar of your donation will go to our life-saving programs. 

Their lives are in our hands.
By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice-President

 

2022, Adoption, Children, Donate, donations

FOTAS inspired by students’ enthusiasm to help homeless pets

Posted on by Bob Gordon
Adoptable dog Sophia enjoys a warm welcome from students at Gloverville Elementary School.
30
Mar

Our education programs are back! We are visiting schools, meeting students, parents and teachers. This is so important when you see the numbers of homeless pets that come to the Aiken County Animal Shelter each day. We need to educate more young people in our community about responsible pet ownership. They are our future leaders and animal advocates.

Starting with the youngest, we’ve been lucky enough to be included in programs at local preschools.

Aiken’s First Baptist Preschool invited us to meet with their students and bring an adoptable dog with us. The children loved having the furry visitor and held a month-long donation collection for the shelter pets. Their kindergarteners delivered the items to the shelter at the end of the month and brought along their reading books, too! They spent time reading to the shelter dogs and making it such a joyful day!

We also visited Trinity United Methodist Preschool with a shelter dog for Pet Week. Their sweet students gave us pet food donations and made a lovely picture for the shelter.

Our most recent school visits occurred on the same day and let me tell you, it was a memorable one.

Each year, the Gloverville Elementary School Beta Club holds a collection for items from our shelter’s Wish List. I was invited to bring a dog and meet with these students. The students had great questions and were all super respectful young people. The students will be coming to the shelter in May to read to the dogs. Such a treat for our homeless pets!

Byrd Elementary, which has always shown its support to the shelter, has been going through a difficult time. One of their beloved teachers, Dana Foster, was murdered on Feb. 16. The entire school felt an incredible loss. What did they do to honor her? They collected items to help shelter pets because their teacher and friend was a big supporter and loved four-legged friends. Shelter Manager Bobby Arthurs and I were invited to pick up the items and we were overcome by their generosity. We brought along adoptable Sophia who gave hugs to some of the students who just couldn’t hold back their tears that day.

Our older students have also been pretty amazing!

Tall Pines Stem Academy has sent many students over to read to dogs as well as take part in our Doggy Day Out program. Students and their families have been taking shelter dogs to the park, for car rides and visits to Starbucks.

Mead Hall students from their Interact Club invited me to come and speak with their group. They were such amazing young people who wanted to help! Some group members came and helped us with our Community Pet Food Drive-Thru just a couple of weeks ago.

We also have been lucky enough to be part of a program at the Aiken Scholars Academy on the last Friday of each month, Furry Friends Friday. Volunteers bring adoptable dogs to meet the students and they are welcomed with such love!

Hound mix Scooter (who’s since been adopted) visits Aiken Scholars Academy.
Hound mix Scooter (who’s since been adopted) visits Aiken Scholars Academy.

Sometimes we forget how powerful children are and how much they can change the world. Over the past few months. I have had the privilege of meeting incredible young people. Some have brought their families to the shelter to adopt dogs they have met at school; some ask how they can help; and others are just eager and ready to support us.

I am truly inspired by the students I have met and cannot wait until more schools allow us to visit and talk to their students about FOTAS and what they can do to help the shelter’s homeless pets.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2020, Donate, donations, FOTAS, GivingTuesday, News, Where your donations go, Where your donations go

GivingTuesday: Please Consider Contributing to FOTAS on Dec. 1

Posted on by Bob Gordon
01
Dec

This Tuesday, Dec. 1, is a global day of giving – an opportunity for people to contribute to the greater good in support of charities that are important to them. GivingTuesday was started in 2012 and always takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. FOTAS is participating in this wonderful event and has a generous donor who will match donations up to $7,500.

Like most organizations, FOTAS and the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) have felt the negative impact of the 2020 pandemic. We had to suspend our big fundraising events this year due to the COVID-19 crisis. The annual FOTAS Playing Fore the Pets golf outing and Woofstock Doggie Derby Day are scheduled to carry on in 2021, but it hurt having to cancel them in 2020. With the pandemic causing such chaos, every dollar you donate is more important than ever and greatly appreciated.

FOTAS Programs Coordinator Kathy Jacobs comforts Roger, a scared Retriever mix , at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

Where your donations go
All FOTAS donations go directly to programs that help save the homeless pets at the ACAS.
Your donations pay for:
• Specialized surgery and physical rehab for adoptable dogs and cats who arrive abused, injured or sick

• Medical treatments such as those for heartworm positive dogs

• Medical equipment and facility improvements at the shelter

• Transports of shelter pets who are not locally adopted. to rescues in the northeast Without these transports, our shelter would be overcrowded and at risk of having to euthanize adoptable pets.

• Fenced-in play yards for incoming dogs

• Flea and tick treatment, leashes, toys collars, beds for the shelter animals

• Spay/neuter for community cats and pets whose owners need financial assistance

• Humane runners to get pet dogs of chains

• Food for community pets in need

• Adoption fees for active military and veterans


We are thankful to the Aiken community
The shelter took in more than 4,000 abandoned, neglected and abused animals last year and continues to receive high numbers of homeless pets in 2020.

KAI, a Siamese kitten, gets used to his cast after an operation that saved his leg. He is now being fostered by a FOTAS volunteer.

But thanks to your donations, the euthanasia rate at the ACA has dropped from 71% in 2013 to less than 5% in 2019. To put it another way, the save rate at the shelter is 95%, a complete turnaround from where we were when we started out 10 years ago. In fact, every adoptable animal has been saved over the last three years.

How to donate to the homeless pets at the county shelter
To donate to FOTAS, please go to our website, FOTASAiken.org. We are a volunteer-based organization and a registered 501c3 public charity and all donations are tax deductible. FOTAS is a recipient of the Secretary of State of South Carolina Angel Award – one of ten, out of 14,000 organizations, recognized as representing the most efficient and effective charities in SC.

Thanksgiving is a time to reach out. We give thanks to our community – volunteers, donors, adopters, the county council, and county staff – as we head into GivingTuesday to continue our life-saving programs.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2020, Cats, Donate, donations, FOTAS, Fundraisers, News, shelter construction, Volunteer

Ernie Wolf: FOTAS Volunteer Makes Houses for a Good Cause

Posted on by Bob Gordon
06
Aug

It has been my honor to be one of the founders and President of FOTAS since 2009. Before FOTAS was founded, I saw a stray animal problem in Aiken County and didn’t know what to do about it. I began to advocate for the homeless animals in the county and was joined by an unexpected and wonderful cohort who also cared deeply about the fate of those animals: Ernie Wolf.

I met Ernie, a retired mechanical engineer, in the early days. Ernie and I didn’t understand the magnitude of our undertaking when we began a campaign to help the animals. FOTAS was formed in 2009, and Ernie was one if its original volunteers. Ernie loves cats. His former cat, Murphey Brown, and his current cat, Murphy Wolf (adopted from Aiken County Animal Shelter), were and are his best friends and the apples of his eye. Ernie swears each cat is (and was) the most intelligent cat he’s ever met and could outsmart any dog.

Ernie Wolf, one of the pioneers of FOTAS, designed the Aiken County Animal Shelter’s cat facility

Ernie was instrumental in the construction of the first FOTAS project at the Aiken County Animal Shelter—a place to house adoptable cats. He designed, organized and lead the efforts to build the much-needed Cat House. (By the way, Ernie hated it when we referred to the facility as the Cat House because it is a euphemism for a brothel. That gave everyone, including the cats, a big laugh).

The unique design of the Cat House provides for both indoor and outdoor space for the cats, which allows them to move about freely among multiple play and perch areas. Volunteers and prospective adopters have a place to visit and sit with the cats in a more natural environment, which is a win/win for everyone.

When the shelter moved to the new facility in 2014, the Cat House was moved as well. Last year FOTAS refurbished and updated the Cat House, and today it is still a wonderful, unique, and successful adoption facility for the cats.

Ernie Wolf is selling his latest creation, a decorative birdhouse, and donating the proceeds to FOTAS.

Fifteen years ago, Ernie met Linda Soyars when she was walking her dog outside his home. They became intimate friends and enjoyed a loving relationship until she recently passed away. Linda shared Ernie’s passion for animals and became a cherished FOTAS volunteer herself. She was a special, kind person who will be missed by all of us.

In memory of Linda, Ernie has built another house in her honor, this time an exquisite, handmade bird house to be displayed as an indoor decorative piece. Ernie wants to sell this extraordinary, beautifully crafted Birdhouse and donate the proceeds of the sale to FOTAS. (Please call the FOTAS Hotline, (803) 514-4313, if interested.)

Ernie is not done developing building plans for FOTAS. Just shy of his 92nd birthday, he is assisting FOTAS with the conceptual drawings for two much-needed meet and greet adoption rooms and an indoor training area at the shelter. Stay posted for coming updates!

Behind the scenes Ernie has dedicated countless volunteer hours to FOTAS. Thank you, Ernie. We also remember Linda and her devotion to shelter animals. Volunteers are the lifeline of FOTAS. They make it possible to help so many animals in need at the shelter, and we are deeply grateful to them all.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Jennifer Miller, FOTAS President

2019, animal abuse, Bully Dogs, Chained dogs, Dogs, Donate, Foster, FOTAS, injured animals, kennel stress, neglected pets, News, Spay/Neuter, Volunteer

Christmas Heartbreak at the County Animal Shelter

Posted on by Bob Gordon
14
Dec

Help! Strays and owner-surrenders are pouring into the county shelter — 47 animals in the first three days of December! While the good citizens of Aiken County embrace a Christmas season of festivities, family, and hope, the shelter is experiencing the kind of intake numbers normally reserved for summer—the kind that keep us up at night.

Why is this happening now? It’s a mystery—maybe it’s the longer breeding season caused by the very long summer, maybe it’s overwhelmed pet owners dumping their pets like unwanted baggage on county roads and at the shelter, maybe it’s both. We can only guess.

Jay deserves a second chance at a great life. He is going to make a wonderful pet for the lucky person who adopts him.

Even more alarming is the number of abused and neglected animals coming into the shelter. Like Red, a large, exuberant hound scarred with wire marks all over his body. He’s a big puppy who needs the company of other dogs.

Then there’s Jay, an affectionate dog who spent most of his earlier days at the end of a chain. You would think he would be angry and sullen, but he’s one of the sweetest, happiest dogs ever to arrive at the shelter. He’s a 70-pound, white and brindle Bulldog mix who just wants to be loved.

When the Animal Control officers brought in a sweet, gold with white markings hound-mix (now named Carole), she was so skinny, you could count her ribs.

Sky, a beautiful freckled pup, was so weak when she came to the shelter, she couldn’t stand. Once she was given a bed, she wouldn’t leave it except to scarf down a few treats and enjoy a little “me” time with shelter staff and volunteers.

The list goes on and on.

We are baffled and discouraged. The shelter has come so far over the past ten years, yet these abnormally high-intake numbers during a normally low-intake period feels like a setback. Unless and until rampant overpopulation of homeless pets is checked and intake numbers come down, our goal of never having to euthanize another adoptable pet will be in jeopardy.

Carole was skin and bones when she arrived at the shelter — but she was treated and recovered from her neglect –and was recently adopted.

In the meantime, shelter staff and FOTAS volunteers have shifted into hyper-drive to handle the onslaught of animals. They’ve pulled out all the stops: begging transfer partners to take extra animals, aggressively working the new Home-to-Home program, marketing animals regionally on social media, and recruiting more volunteers and fosters.

But we need your help, too.

First and foremost, if you are in a position to adopt a pet, or if you know someone who is considering adoption, now is the time. These animals urgently need responsible, loving homes. Plus, for every animal you adopt or foster, you save two lives—the animal you adopt and the animal that is moved to the adoption floor when the space opens up.

Second, be a spay/neuter ambassador—fix your animals and talk your friends and family into fixing theirs. If you or they cannot afford the cost to spay/neuter, you may be eligible for County or FOTAS financial assistance.

Finally, please make a tax-free donation at www.fotasaiken.org to help us carry on the good work. FOTAS and the county shelter save more animals than any other rescue agency in the CSRA—period.

Their lives are in our hands

— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

BY THE NUMBERS

In just the first three days of December, the Aiken County Animal Shelter received 47 homeless pets. That’s more than 15 animals per day. Please spay and neuter your pets.

PETS OF THE WEEK

RUSTY: Retriever mix, male, 2 years old, brown & white, 54 pounds – $35

CRYSTAL: Domestic Shorthair cat, female, 11 months old, brown Tiger Tabby, 7 pounds – $10

2019, Donate, donations, FOTAS, Have a Heart, Save a Heart, News, Where your donations go, Where your donations go

FOTAS: Making a Difference for the County’s Homeless Animals

Posted on by Bob Gordon
03
Dec

“Giving is not just about making a donation, it’s about making a difference.” –Kathy Calvin, CEO, United Nations Foundation

It’s the time of year when the spirit of Christmas thrives. It’s a time of gratitude for our family and friends. It’s a time to rejoice our faith. It’s a time for love.

The holidays are an important time for FOTAS to receive donations.

It is also the time to express your love through charitable giving, and if your mailbox is anything like mine, it’s filled with requests from worthy local charities for year-end contributions. They all do good works, so how do you decide?

If you’re an animal lover and you want your hard-earned dollars to make a real and measurable difference, then FOTAS, the private partner of the Aiken County Animal Shelter, is the right choice for your charitable urges. Here’s why:

• FOTAS, working with the county shelter, saves more animals any other 501(c)(3) organization in the CSRA through its innovative and aggressive adoption and transfer programs. Last year, 4507 animals were saved, and this year we anticipate that every adoptable animal that ends up in the shelter will be saved.

• FOTAS funds more spay/neuter pet surgeries for folks in financial need than any other 501(c)(3) organization in the CSRA.

• FOTAS funds more TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) surgeries for community cats than any other 501(c)(3) organization in the CSRA.

• FOTAS saves more heartworm positive (HWP) dogs than any other 501(c)(3) organization in the CSRA.

• FOTAS recruits and trains an army of foster families and volunteers to help the shelter with all of its activities and needs.

• FOTAS supplements adoption fees for active military personnel and veterans.

• FOTAS helps county animal control take dogs off the chain by funding humane runners for distribution to county residents.

• FOTAS also funds the costs of flea medication, toys, leashes, and pet food supplements, as well as subsidizing equipment and extraordinary medical needs.

FOTAS is 100% supported by private donations, so your generosity is critical to our continued success. Plus, you can rest assured that every dollar you donate will be put to good use. FOTAS was one of ten (out of thousands!) South Carolina charities to receive the Secretary of State’s “Angel” award, which recognizes the state’s most efficient and effective charities.

Santa Claus is coming to the ACAS!

But, you ask, have all those private donations to FOTAS really made a difference?

You bet they have. In 2009, the year that FOTAS was created, only 5% of the animals consigned to the shelter made it out alive. In 2018 and 2019, every adoptable animal passing through the shelter was (and will be) saved—that’s well over 95%

That’s huge.

As exciting as our success has been, there is still so much to do, particularly since the county’s intake numbers remain dishearteningly high (4,500-5,000 animals/year). We greatly appreciate your generosity and hope you will continue to support us.

Please send your much-needed donations to FOTAS, PO Box 2207, Aiken SC 29802.

Their lives are in our hands

PS: Join us for our Homes for the Holidays adoption special this Saturday, December 7th!

— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice-President

BY THE NUMBERS
Saturday, Dec. 7, FOTAS is holding a “Homes for the Holidays” adoption event at the Aiken County Animal Shelter from 11:00 to 4:30. It will feature adoption specials, refreshments and special guest, Santa Claus. All adopters will receive a gift and a complimentary photo with Santa and their new pet.

PETS OF THE WEEK

JD: Hound mix, male, 5 years old, white & brown, 69 pounds – $35

REMI: Domestic Shorthair cat, male, 1 year old, brown Tabby, 8 pounds – $10

2019, awards, Board of Directors, Cats, Dogs, Donate, Events, FOTAS, News, Shelter staff, Spay/Neuter, Uncategorized, Volunteers

It’s a Party! FOTAS Celebrates Ten Years of Saving Lives

Posted on by Bob Gordon
28
Oct

On Saturday, November 2nd, FOTAS will host a party at the Aiken County Animal Shelter to celebrate its tenth anniversary partnering with the county and the shelter to save lives.

What a ride it’s been. In 2009, a few dedicated and concerned citizens banded together to form FOTAS in response to the dismal conditions at the old shelter and the bleak prospects for any animal unlucky enough to pass through its doors. At the time, a trip to the county shelter was a death sentence—91% of the 6,000 animals at the shelter were euthanized every year. Very few made it out alive.

Destiny, a 3- month-old kitten available for adoption, is ready to celebrate FOTAS’s 10th year.

The turnabout at the county shelter since 2009 is nothing short of spectacular. Since the formation of FOTAS, the euthanasia rate has dropped steadily each year, reaching a historic low of 6% in 2018, saving every adoptable animal. It’s a remarkable story of partnership, determination, commitment, and community involvement and support.

In fact, the South Carolina Secretary of State selected FOTAS as one of the ten organizations (out of thousands!) to receive the Angel Award, which recognizes the most efficient and effective charities in the state.

There are so many people to celebrate for this astonishing success:

The FOTAS volunteers, who work on bookkeeping, social media, special fundraising events, and FOTAS Fix-a-Pet; who organize and work on special fundraising and on-site events; who foster mamma dogs and cats and all their progeny, who care for animals designated for transfer; who shuffle animals to off-site adoption events; who walk the dogs, love up the cats, work with play groups, and show animals to potential adopters—the dramatic and steady increase in the Shelter’s live release rate since 2009 is directly related to their efforts to make the animals more adoptable

Paige Bayne, Director of Aiken County Code Enforcement, and the beloved Bobby Arthurs, Chief Animal Control Officer and Shelter Manager, who directly oversee and manage the Shelter operations with kind, thoughtful and dedicated attention to the welfare of the animals.

Blue, a handsome young mixed breed, can be adopted at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

The County Shelter staff—the intake administrators, adoption coordinators, vet techs, kennel techs and custodians—who make certain that all of those animals are properly documented and cared for with compassion and efficiency.

Dr. Lisa Levy, the Shelter Vet, whose medical prowess and big heart has saved the lives of hundreds of animals, and Dr. Mike Wells, who performs spay/neuter surgery on community cats for the TNR program.

The County Council and the County Administration for being the best public partners—ever—and working with FOTAS to save every adoptable animal.

And last but not least, you, the Aiken community, who year after year have supported our efforts with enthusiasm and generosity. You have designated the Shelter as your community shelter, and we could not be prouder.

Join us at the county shelter this Saturday, November 2nd, from 10:00 to 1:00 for a joyful celebration of our shared success in making the county shelter a model of public responsibility to our animals. There will be lots of free food and activities for adults, children, and their four-legged friends. Bring your party hat, and we’ll see you there.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

2019, Children, Dogs, Donate, Events, FOTAS, Fundraisers, News, Woofstock

Calling all Basset Hounds, Come Race at Woofstock!

Posted on by Bob Gordon
29
Apr

By Denise Parmentier, FOTAS volunteer

This Saturday, plan to attend Woofstock Doggie Derby Day 2019, FOTAS’s annual family festival featuring the famous Doxie Derby.

Denise gives TUCKER a pep talk before his next big race.

This year’s event, scheduled to take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Citizens Park, will offer many dog contests, including “Animal’s Got Talent,” a best trick competition being judged by Simon Growl and Heidi Groom; best kisser; best costume; and best dog/owner look alikes. There’s also going to be kids races, pet related business vendors, balloon creations, face painting, great food, music and other fun activities for the whole family.

TUCKER has surprising speed for a Basset Hound

The festival kicks off with a cavalcade of adoptable canines and a parade of dogs that have been adopted from the Aiken County Animal Shelter over the years.

But the event I’m most looking forward to is a dog race – more specifically, the Basset Hound competition. If you like to laugh, you’re going to love witnessing these adorable, short-legged Basset Hounds with marshmallow feet hilariously race each other down a grass track.

Basset Hound racing mania struck me in the early ‘80s. I was introduced to this “sport of kings” by Jerri Caswell at her Annual San Diego Basset Hound Picnic. The first event was the Basset-to-Owner race and it was about the funniest thing I’d ever seen. Bassets running to the right, Bassets to the left, Bassets going down the course in the wrong direction, and some just stopping to socialize or sniff in the middle of the field! We laughed till we cried, and I knew instantly that someday I would put on a Basset Hound Race.

TUCKER is a two-time winner of Woofstock’s large breed dog race, and this year he’s competing against other Bassets.

Enter Aiken, a perfect place for a Basset Hound race –it’s such a horse friendly, dog-loving town! I saw an ad in the Aiken Standard for Woofstock and the FOTAS Doxie Derby. I wanted to run my Basset Hound, Tucker, with them, but he was too big to race with those little wiener Dachshunds. The crowd watched and laughed as the funny little sausage dogs ran down the 75-foot course.

But I didn’t give up hope of racing Tucker and was pleased to discover the following year’s Woofstock featured a large breed dog race. Despite the fact that Tucker was only 12-inches tall with 5-inch legs, he went face to face with German Shepherds and Border Collies. With a look of determination, he ran his heart out and won the race by a nose!

The next year we entered the large dog race again, never expecting to repeat that performance, but Tucker won again! Then, year three drew a whole new assortment of large, athletic dogs. Tucker finished fourth … maybe.

But on May 4, Tucker will finally get to race dogs of his own breed. He will compete against ten of his best Basset Hound buddies. I can’t wait to see these dogs “sprint” to the finish line and watch the hilarity ensue.

If you have a Basset Hound and would like to race in this year’s “Hush Puppy Handicap” please come to Woofstock early and register your dog for the big contest. Tucker welcomes the competition!

PETS OF THE WEEK

HATCH
Retriever mix, male, 6 years old, black/blue, 50 pounds – $35

J. LO
Domestic Shorthair, female, 1 year old, brn & orange Manx, 6 pounds – $10

2019, Adoption, Bully Dogs, Dogs, Donate, FOTAS, Have a Heart, Save a Heart, Heartworms, News, Uncategorized

Biscuit is Heartworm Free and Living the Good Life

Posted on by Bob Gordon
04
Feb

It is uplifting to see how happy Biscuit is now that he has a home with a family that loves him. This sweet 9-year-old mixed breed is one of those special dogs you never forget. In fact, Dr. Lisa Levy, the Aiken County Animal Shelter’s (ACAS) Veterinarian, said Biscuit is one of her favorite dogs to ever come into the shelter.

Biscuit gets a hug at home from young Trace, one of his four new human siblings.

Biscuit arrived at the ACAS with a severe wound to his head. The gash was terribly infected, and his recovery was in doubt. But Dr. Levy was able to stitch the wound closed and clear the infection with antibiotics. Throughout the long process, Biscuit wagged his tail and displayed an amazing spirit.

He was adopted by the Gallardo family in April and in late December, Biscuit reached another milestone well worth celebrating – he tested negative for heartworms. Thanks to FOTAS funding his treatment, Biscuit is now completely heartworm free.

“Biscuit is doing great,” said Brenda Gallardo, who teaches at Warrenville Elementary School. “He gets along with our other dogs, he likes to be loved on and he wants to be with everybody. He’s also taken over our couch in the TV room.”

Unfortunately, heartworm infection is common in this area. The warmer weather makes dogs more susceptible to getting bitten by mosquitos and the infection getting transferred into their bloodstream and heart. It’s easily prevented with prescribed monthly chewable pills, but you only have to miss one month to make your dog vulnerable to infection. Heartworm disease is very curable but the medication for treating it is not cheap. That’s why it’s such a godsend to have FOTAS funding the treatment for every heartworm positive dog on the adoption floor.

Biscuit gets adopted and starts his new, better life with the Gallardo family.

In 2017 and 2018, FOTAS saved 470 heartworm positive dogs by funding their treatments. In the past, these dogs, adoptable and otherwise healthy, would have been euthanized because the County didn’t have the funds to treat them.

But since FOTAS started its “Have a Heart, Save a Heart” program two years ago, the community has donated enough money for every heartworm positive dog at the shelter to be saved and treated.

“We weren’t hesitant at all to adopt a heartworm positive dog like Biscuit,” Brenda said. “There was no stress or difficulties because the shelter staff made it easy and explained everything.”

“Biscuit is such a great dog and so loving with the kids – I wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again,” she added.

For more information on heartworm treatment, please go to fotasaiken.org. You can also donate to the FOTAS “Have a Heart, Save a Heart” Fund to help treat heartworm positive dogs at the ACAS.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

 

By the Numbers
In 2017 and 2018, FOTAS saved 470 heartworm positive dogs by funding their treatment.


Pets of the WeekUNO
Retriever/Hound mix, male, 7 years old, 48 pounds – $35

GRAVY
Domestic longhair kitten, male, 9 months old, 5 pounds – $10 

 

 

2018, Adoption, Cats, Chained dogs, community cats, County animal laws, County tethering ordinance, Dogs, Donate, donations, Foster, FOTAS, Fundraisers, Heartworms, News, PetSmart cats, Pibbles, Spay/Neuter, Stray hold requirements, surrendered pets, TNR Program, Volunteer, Volunteers

The Christmas Spirit of Gratitude and Charity

Posted on by Bob Gordon
24
Dec

The Christmas season is upon us. It’s a time of festivity, bright lights, family, goodwill, and faith. It’s also a time to count our blessings. As we at FOTAS look back over the past nine years, it’s also a time to reflect upon our profound gratitude for our friends and supporters in the Aiken community.

FOTAS Volunteer John Berk with Cleo, who was adopted to a good home this year.

We’ve come a long way together. With your help, we successfully lobbied the County Council to build a new shelter and partnered with the county to raise money to fund the architectural design and construction-ready plans.

Once the new shelter opened in early 2014, we recruited and trained an army of volunteers to work at the shelter, performing the equivalent of eight to 10 full-time jobs. We funded training programs for county personnel. We developed and funded exciting new programs with the county to increase adoption rates. We created a network of transfer partners in the northeast that take animals we can’t adopt locally, along with a system of foster care for dogs and cats who have been accepted for transfer or have special needs. We also supplement adoption fees for military personnel and veterans.

LUCY gets some lovin’ from young FOTAS volunteers.

We provided fencing to create exercise yards, bought a new van to move animals locally to outside adoption events, and installed a storage shed. We pay for toys, blankets, treats, flea and tick meds, cat condos, a doggie treadmill to rehabilitate and socialize dogs, and humane runners for folks who need to take their dogs off of chains.

We funded the construction of an isolation pod to separate shelter animals with temporary infectious diseases, as well as a host of necessary medical equipment and supplies. Through this assistance, we’ve made it possible for sick and injured animals to have a second chance. A total of 450 heartworm positive dogs have been saved through our funding. We also pay for outside veterinarian services when necessary.

FOTAS PetSmart Volunteer Twylia with feline Mabel.

Our funding has made it possible to attack overpopulation of pets at the source. Last year, the county and FOTAS paid for the spay/neuter of over 1,300 citizen-owned pets and 1,120 community feral/cats.

Has all this effort made a difference? You bet it has. In 2009, the old county shelter often took in more than 6,000 animals a year; only 5% made it out alive. This year, the shelter will have taken in 4,200 animals, and 90% were saved. Hands down, FOTAS and the county save more animals than any other rescue agencies in the country.

It couldn’t have happened without a lot of hard work, dedication, and support from you, the Aiken community.

Adopted dog HILDE in her forever home December 2018.

We and Aiken’s homeless animals are blessed to have your support.

But there is still so much to do. In the last two months, a whopping 1,000 animals were surrendered to the shelter. Please consider an end-of-the-year donation to FOTAS, either by mail to FOTAS, PO Box 2207, Aiken SC 29802 or online at FOTASAiken.org.

By the way, since FOTAS was recognized by South Carolina as one of the 10 most efficient and effective charity “Angels” in the state, you can be certain that your hard-earned dollars are spent on our mission.

Thank you and God bless your family this Christmas season.

Their lives are in our hands.

 

— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice-President

 

By the Numbers
Since October 1, the County Animal Shelter has taken in well over 1,000 strays and surrendered pets. Please spay/neuter your dogs and cats.
 
Pets of the Week
ANGIE: Retriever mix, female, 3 years old, brindle and white, 50 pounds – $35

 

BEE BEE: Domestic Shorthair cat, female, 1-1/2 years old, black and white, 6.5 pounds – $10