Category Archives: Donate

Dads and Dogs: A Rewarding and Healthy Combination

With Father’s Day just one week away, it’s time to think about his gift. What do you think he’d like this year? Another tie? Probably not. More cologne? No way. A shirt? A book? A coffee cup with “World’s Greatest Dad”? Boring, boring and OMG, what are you thinking? Instead, how about giving him a […]

Nine-year-old Aiken boy raises more than $400 for shelter’s heartworm positive dogs

Alex Mastromonico is on a mission to help the homeless animals at the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS). The nine-year-old heard about FOTAS’s “Have a Heart, Save a Heart” program, a fund which supplements the treatment of heartworm positive dogs at the shelter, and decided he wanted to pitch in to this life-saving effort. With […]

Resolving to do better by our animals

It’s that time again—the end of one year and the promise of a new one. Most of us (myself included) resolve to be better—to exercise more, lose weight, spend less time on our cell phones—and although our resolve is genuine, our willpower and attention span are, shall we say, less than perfect. My own New […]

FOTAS: Christmas spirit, gratitude and saving animals

Every Sunday, the ‘Aiken Standard’ allows us this space to tell you about the Aiken County Animal Shelter, FOTAS and the plight of the 5000 homeless animals consigned to the Shelter every year, and we are deeply appreciative for that opportunity. Over the years, we have used this column to tell you about initiatives designed […]

FOTAS volunteers get back as much as they give to shelter animals

With Christmas just a week away, FOTAS Volunteer John Berk reflects on what he will be doing on the holiday. His children are coming to visit and he and his wife, Sally, have plans to celebrate with them. But he also plans to make another stop. “I’m sure I’ll be at the shelter on Christmas […]

FOTAS needs your Christmas spirit

“Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven.” Henry Ward Beecher It’s the time of year when the spirit of Christmas thrives. It’s a time for gratitude, for family and friends. It’s a time to rejoice our faith. It’s a time for love. It is also a time for charitable giving, and if your […]

Hurricanes and crowded shelters

By Joanna D. Samson, Vice President of FOTAS The destruction wreaked by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma over the past weeks is almost unimaginable: hundreds of thousands of homes severely damaged or destroyed, tens of thousands of people in temporary shelters. As of the day I write this, there are still 6.5 million people in Florida […]

Medical Equipment Donations Making a Big Difference


By Dr. Lisa Levy, ACAS Veterinarian The Aiken County Animal Shelter has received some amazing donations in the last few months and I am pinching myself to be sure it is real! FOTAS received an email from Lisa and Ken Kasper asking if we would be interested in a slightly used x-ray machine that they […]

Kids today, they’re so generous to shelter animals in need

by Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications We’ve all heard and read the negative comments about today’s youth. Kids are lazy these days! They’re more interested in their iPhones and video games than the world around them. They’re not as engaged with society and care more about taking selfies than reaching out to others. But […]

Damon’s Story

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President I used to have a home, and then I lost it. I went on a ride with my human—one of my favorite things to do, by the way—and the next thing I knew, the car was gone and so was the human. I was confused. I didn’t know […]