The Friends of the Animal Shelter – Aiken County (FOTAS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), volunteer organization created in 2009 to supplement the resources of the Aiken County Animal Shelter in the care of over 4,000 homeless and abandoned animals consigned to its care each year. FOTAS is wholly funded by private donations.
The mission of FOTAS is to support the Aiken County Animal Shelter by promoting animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, and the elimination of euthanasia of all adoptable animals.
Aiken Choice “Best of Aiken” Awards
Best Pet Rescue Organization and Best Pet Friendly Event: Woofstock Doggie Derby Day.
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications
Aiken veterinarians Holly Woltz and Cindy Brown are helping FOTAS with its Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) program and have already fixed close to 300 community and feral cats for local residents.
“I became partners with FOTAS and the County Shelter because I’ve seen the gut-wrenching consequences of cat overpopulation,” said Dr. Woltz, Chief of Staff for Veterinary Services. “The numbers are still too high with these feral cats, and the shelter has a limited budget…stretched to a tiny thread to meet many needs. Since we can spay/neuter these animals for FOTAS at a very low price, I volunteered our services. FOTAS needs every penny!”
TNR is regarded as the most humane and effective way to control feral cat population growth. Using this method, all the feral cats in a colony are trapped, neutered/spayed and then returned to their territory, where they continue to thrive on their own. Young kittens that can still be socialized, as well as friendly adults, are placed in foster care and eventually adopted out to loving homes.
Dr. Brown, who practices at Aiken Animal Hospital, also began volunteering her practice’s services to FOTAS late last year, and says by all accounts TNR seems to be working.
“Any time that FOTAS volunteers or the County Shelter calls for help, we accommodate their needs whenever possible to help the stray animal situation in Aiken,” she said.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of education to aid in the [cat overpopulation] problem and we will continue to help spay and /or neuter as many stray animals as we can,” she added.
Since launching the TNR Program in 2013, FOTAS has paid for the surgeries of more than 870 community cats.
“The TNR program is a socially responsible and compassionate approach to serving these cats and the public,” said Dr. Woltz. “As a result, cats live healthier and more peaceful lives.”
The County also provides traps and can do a limited amount of spay/neuter surgeries for feral and community cats. If you need financial assistance with spay/neutering your domesticated cat or dog, the County has vouchers you can apply for at the shelter and FOTAS can also help through the Fix-A-Pet Program.
Please donate to FOTAS to support the TNR and Fix-A-Pet programs, as well as provide other assistance to the homeless animals at the County Shelter. To make a donation, you can go to our website, FOTASaiken.org, or bring your contribution to the shelter at 333 Wire Road in Aiken. And while you’re there, visit our adoptable animals. The shelter is still at full capacity and the steady stream of homeless animals being brought through our doors has not let up. If you are looking for a cat (or dog), NOW is a great time to find a furry companion at the County Shelter.
Their lives are in our hands…
Holly Woltz DVMCindy Brown DVM
If you are thinking about adding a cat or kitten to your home, now is the time to do it. Not only is the shelter filled to the brim with felines, but the adoption fee for all spay/neutered black and tuxedo (black and white) cats this month is just $10. That includes all vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery and microchip!
Twenty-one kittens, many of which are black or tuxedos, are playing or napping in the lobby of the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS), waiting to be adopted and taken to their forever homes. Just outside, in the cat adoption facility, are 19 adult cats also hoping to be adopted. We also have eight shelter cats at the PetSmart store in Aiken that need homes, plus many more housed at the intake section of the shelter, eager to get their chance on the adoption floor.
You might be wondering, “Why are the black and tuxedo cats singled out for this month’s $10 special adoption fee?” Well, there are two reasons we focused on them. First, we currently have a lot of cats and kittens sporting these coat colors; and second, black cats are often overlooked by adopters. In fact, black felines are only half as likely to be adopted as cats of other colors.
Apparently, despite the fact that we are living in the 21st century, this sad statistic exists because people still associate black cats with bad luck. This myth dates back to the Middle Ages when black cats were associated with witchcraft. In truth, many cultures associate black felines with virtue and nobility. Black cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt and are considered lucky in Japan, England, Scotland, Italy and France.
Need more evidence that black cats are awesome and far from harbingers of ill luck? Come to the Shelter at 333 Wire Road and visit these regal animals to see for yourself.
Here are just some of the black and tuxedo cats and kittens (most babes are about 2 months old) available for adoption:
Granger: male, short hair, black kitten – loves to be held, purr monster Iago: male, short hair, black cat – large, 8 years old, velvet fur, regal Danny & Ernie: brothers, short hair, black kittens – tiny, always wrestling Burt & Carol: siblings, long hair, black kittens – cuddly fur balls, purring machines Nin: female, short hair, black cat – petite, 3 years old, gorgeous face Adelaide: female, long hair, black kitten – white undercoat, sweet and cuddly
Ricky and Turner: brothers, classic tuxedo kittens – rambunctious, climbers Sweet Pea: female, coat has more white than black – tiny, 2 years old, loves people
As noted, the shelter is at capacity and more strays and homeless animals are coming in all the time. If you are looking for a cat (or dog), there is one looking for you at the County Shelter. Please go there today and meet your new furry, loving companion and give them a good home.
Their lives are in our hands…
Bobby Arthurs, Aiken County Animal Shelter manager, holds Ricky and Turner
I hate this time of year. While the rest of Aiken settles into the steamy, sleepy tempo of summer, FOTAS volunteers and County staff shift into hyper-drive at the Aiken County Animal Shelter to care for the inevitable onslaught of puppies, kittens and owner-surrender animals that crowd the intake wing and stress county resources to alarming levels.
Every summer, the County Shelter is filled to capacity, and this summer promises to be no exception. The Cat Adoption House is packed. Every dog kennel is occupied. Yet day after day, more homeless dogs and cats are picked up or surrendered to the shelter.
“As I walked through the aisles last Saturday,” says Jennifer Miller, President of FOTAS, “every single dog looked up at me with longing and hope – desperate for some human love and attention, desperate to be out of the stressful kennel environment, desperate for a home of their own. It breaks my heart because it never ends.”
And although we at FOTAS work like crazy – through print, television and social media, through our daily efforts to make the animals more adoptable, through our transfer programs – to find these animal homes, we can’t keep up. Even though last week was a record week for adoptions and transfers, 58 to be exact, the Shelter took in even more animals. The crisis continues, week after week, month after month throughout the summer and into the fall.
And here’s the thing: at the very time intake is so high, our volunteer ranks are thin because of vacation schedules and family commitments. That means that even though our cherished core volunteers and fosters are working non-stop, there are just not enough to give all of those dogs and cats the care and attention they need and deserve.
We need more people! I know you love animals or you probably wouldn’t be reading this article. So, help us out – join Team FOTAS. Volunteer at the Shelter, one or two hours a week, that’s all we ask.
One or two hours a week: you can walk and love up the dogs, play with the puppies, cuddle with the cats in the Cat Adoption House, help the handlers with dog playgroup sessions, greet visitors and potential adopters in the air conditioned comfort of the Shelter’s cheerful front lobby – there are so many options.
Just one or two hours, that’s it.
Please do not walk away from those unfortunate animals longing for love and attention. They ended up at the Shelter through no fault of their own, but it is our responsibility, as a community, to care for them.
Call the FOTAS Hotline 803-514-4313, go to www.fotasaiken.org , or email info@angelhartlinedesigns.com to help volunteer, foster, or donate.
Their lives are in our hands.
Ivy and Janson are waiting for someone to take them for a walk.
It’s a rainy Tuesday morning and although the Shelter opened its doors less than an hour ago, the staff has already taken in two litters of homeless kittens. A Siamese mix is weaning three of the kittens and a Calico is cuddled with six babies, two of them breathing heavily and needing medical attention.
“I didn’t know what to do,” says the elderly Aiken woman who brought in the Siamese mom and her brood. “I’d love to keep them but I already have four cats and two dogs at the house.”
An hour later, a woman and her young son bring in two Spaniel mix dogs that they say wandered onto their farm. Still later, an elderly man arrives with a chubby, brown Tabby in a wire cage. Then, just before noon, another man surrenders six kittens. He says they were born under his porch but the momma cat was hit by a car and killed.
This seemingly endless parade of homeless animals is not unusual these days. The Shelter is at full capacity and the combination of warmer weather and longer daylight hours means more animals are breeding. Springtime also signals the arrival of “kitten season”, a peak time of feline births that will continue through September.
But while the extremely high intake of animals makes for challenging times at the Shelter, there are many ways you can help, including:
Take advantage of our May half-price special and adopt a pet. This month, all cats and dogs that have already been spay/neutered are just half-price at the shelter. The adoption fee for cats (normally $35) is just $17.50 and for dogs (normally $75) is only $35!
Volunteer at the shelter. We need all sorts of help, especially dog walkers and people to show the animals to visitors. We have cats and kittens that need cuddling and care; dogs that need to be walked, washed and shown to visitors; and puppies that need to be socialized and loved. Come to 333 Wire Road and fill out an application.
Foster shelter animals at your home. To get homeless animals prepared for adoption and open up space on the adoption floor, we are seeking fosters to temporarily take in animals. Come to the shelter and fill out an application, and we’ll get you started on this rewarding journey.
Get your dogs and cats on heartworm preventative treatment ASAP. Way too many dogs that are picked up or surrendered at the shelter test positive for heartworms. Please get your pets on a year-round preventative right away. Heartworms is a mosquito-borne condition and the buzzing blood suckers are already out and about. Consult your veterinarian for which preventative best suits your pet.
And, of course, be sure to spay/neuter your pets. This is where the overpopulation problem starts. Typically, dogs and cats are mature and efficient breeding machines at just four months of age. Both FOTAS and the County offer financial assistance to qualified pet owners for this surgery – including a voucher program, FOTAS Fix-a-Pet and a TNR (trap, neuter, release) plan. Getting your pet fixed should be a top priority. In fact, it is your duty as a good citizen of Aiken County.
Their lives are in our hands.
For more information, please go to www.fotasaiken. You can also call (803) 514-4313 or send an email to volunteer@angelhartlinedesigns.com.
It is Saturday morning at the shelter, and everyone is making final preparations before the doors open at 11:30 sharp. The cats and dogs have been fed and watered, and volunteers have already walked many of the dogs before visitor traffic gets too heavy.
The shelter staff and FOTAS volunteers are in high spirits on this fifth day of March, eager to help dogs and cats find good homes and assist visitors with finding a furry companion. At the front desk, two adoption assistants warm up their computers and prepare for the busy rush they hope will be coming their way. When the doors open, people slowly trickle in; but by the afternoon, the lobby is filled with people and at least four volunteers are needed to escort groups through the dog and cat adoption facilities. By the time the dust settles and the doors close at 4 p.m., ten dogs have been adopted.
“It was an amazing day!” said FOTAS Program Coordinator Kathy Jacobs. “Wonderful families came to adopt, some bringing their dogs with them, and, thankfully, we have dedicated volunteers and staff that work together to make things run smoothly.”
A shy but lovable Chihuahua, Anya, goes home with a great family that volunteers at the shelter; two ridiculously cute black Lab puppies, Claire and Cassie, ride home with a nice woman from North Augusta; Pancho, a Retriever/Setter mix with a long tongue, gets selected by a young boy from Aiken; Kaia, a Great Pyrenees mix, goes home with a war veteran from North Augusta; Monty, a fluffy and chatty adult Chow mix, is adopted to a family from Warrenville; Dee-Dee, a blonde Lab pup, is adopted by an Aiken woman; Lyndie, a white and brown Bully mix, finds a home with folks from Augusta; a sweet, tan Beagle, Honey, goes home with an Aiken woman and her two children; and another black Lab pup, Levi, is adopted by a woman from Grovetown, GA.
Since the shelter reintroduced Saturday adoption hours on Feb. 13, the community has strongly embraced the weekend adoption experience. In turn, FOTAS and the shelter staff have worked hard to make the adoption process not only a satisfactory experience, but a joyful one. Specials are usually offered on Saturdays, often tied to a fun theme. For example, on Feb. 13, the Shelter and FOTAS hosted a “Petcademy Awards” event, complete with free popcorn, a red carpet entrance and nominees for best VIP (Very Important Pet). Those that adopted nominated canines received a FOTAS swag bag that included a toy, leash, collar and dog treats. This Saturday, March 19, the shelter will celebrate “St. Catrick’s Day” and FOTAS will pay the $35 adoption fee for the first three people who take home a cat.
“Saturdays at the shelter are a lot of fun, especially when we get to see so many animals leave here with happy, new owners,” Kathy said.
For more information about FOTAS and shelter events and specials – including our Bully dog Hall of Fame half-price adoption special (last day is Saturday, March 19) and photo contest (deadline for entering photo of your Bully is March 20) – please follow FOTAS on Facebook and visit our website, www.fotasaiken.org.
Their lives are in our hands…
The Walker family, which volunteers at the shelter on Saturdays, adopted little Anya.
Lee Ellis of N. Augusta adopted Lab pups, Cassie and Claire.
On a recent morning in the yard of the Aiken County Animal Shelter, a sweet, quiet dog named Alexa was basking in the sunshine when a dark brindle puppy named Terry scrambled to her side, volunteer in tow.
Alexa gave the puppy a friendly sniff. “Hey, little guy, you new here?”
“I am,” wheezed Terry, straining against his leash. “It’s all so confusing. I had a sister and we were on the side of a road and I don’t remember how we got there and then this man stopped and put us in a truck and brought us here.” Pant. Pant.
“And we were so scared and then we were in some room with other dogs and we got had to get shots and Oh! I hate shots and then we had to get a bath and Oh! I hate baths, too.” Pant. Pant.
“And then some lady took my sister and I had to sleep by myself and if that ain’t bad enough, I heard some volunteer say: ‘Every dog must get sprayed and tutored before they leave!’” Having worked himself into a frenzy, Terry rolled on his back and wailed, “I hate getting sprayed and I’m too young to be tutored!”
Alexa licked Terry gently on the ear. “Whoa, little man, slow down! I know it’s scary, but it’s going to be okay, I promise. That nice Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS’ new part-time staff person and program coordinator, will check on you every day. You get two meals a day and a warm place to sleep. That’s a big deal for me. I used to sleep in the dirt under a leaky porch.”
Terry stopped gnawing on his leash and cocked his head. “Hmmm … yeah, the food …”
“Plus, every day the FOTAS volunteers come and take us for a walk. They rub my tummy and scratch behind my ears – I’m talking world-class ear-scratching here. Sometimes they throw me a ball and sometimes we just hang out by the bench, watching the world go by. When we go back inside, we get a toy and a treat. Then it’s naptime. It’s a good place to wait for our forever family.”
Terry attacked a leaf fluttering across the yard, ripped it to shreds and spit out the pieces. “Family? What’s a family?”
Alexa wagged her tail. “A family is nice humans who take you to their home and love you forever. With your cute white leg and one blue eye, you’ll find a home in no time.”
She sighed, dropped to the ground, and laid her head on her paws, a little sad. “Me? Well, I’m a little older and kind of saggy. I’m also heartworm positive, but Dr. Levy says I’m not sick, and I’m being treated, and I shouldn’t give up hope.”
Terry eyed his volunteer’s shoelaces and sized up the odds of catching that one floppy piece on the first try. One should never give up hope, he thought, and pounced.
Alexa and Terry are ready for their forever homes. Alexa is 3 years-old, spayed, and very well-mannered. Terry is a neutered (not tutored) 10 week-old, happy, frisky puppy.
Volunteering at an open admissions shelter is strictly a labor of love, particularly in a place like Aiken County where intake runs consistently between 4500 – 5000 animals every year. No one with a heart can witness the endless procession of abandoned cats and dogs without being profoundly affected.
Most of these animals have never been to a veterinarian. They have never been inoculated from preventable killer diseases like distemper, rabies or parvo. Most have spent their life outdoors, in many cases with no shelter from the elements, and in worst cases tethered to a chain their entire life. They are crawling with fleas and often riddled with parasitic worms, particularly heartworms, which are deadly left untreated. The majority are malnourished and underweight, their ribs protruding through a lifeless coat and skin rubbed raw from scratching at fleas or mange mites.
Virtually all of them are unsprayed or unneutered, left to breed indiscriminately. Females with health issues produce more sickly, unwanted puppies – many of which die from lack of basic care, or worse, from being tossed out of a moving car like a crumpled paper bag.
You think I am exaggerating? Sadly, I am not. By the time most of these animals make it to the shelter, they are sick and scared and anxious and justifiably wary of humans. Many are irreparably damaged – physically, emotionally or both – by neglect and abuse. In those cases, the best thing we can do is to end their misery by humane euthanasia.
As for the rest of them, Shelter staff and volunteers do what they can with the limited resources and time available. The animals are bathed, inoculated and treated for fleas and worms. They are sheltered from the elements and fed twice a day. When they are moved from intake to the adoption floor as limited space becomes available, they are fussed over by staff and volunteers. The dogs are walked and taught basic obedience skills to make them more adoptable. Without question, the care is basic and institutional – there are far too many animals to give them the same level of attention they would get in a responsible home – but in most cases, it’s the best care they’ve ever had.
This year we expect to save +/- 2950 animals. It’s not perfect, but compare that with the days before FOTAS and the new Shelter when annual intake reached a high as 6000+ animals and only 300 were saved. Thanks to the commitment of the County and FOTAS, that’s thousands of more animals saved in the past 5-6 years.
As for the other roughly 1900 animals that won’t make it out of the shelter this year – it’s tragically unfair and outrage is the proper response, but direct your outrage appropriately: at the people who won’t spay and neuter their animals, who allow their animals to breed indiscriminately, who never provided their animals with proper medical care, and who would just as soon dump their sick, unwanted animals on the taxpayers to clean up their mess rather than do the right thing.
In the meantime, do something positive to help the County and FOTAS save more animals. Volunteer your time. Foster. Donate money and supplies. And please, please adopt from the County Shelter and bless those animals with a life of love free from hunger and fear.
Without you, they are lost. Their lives are in our hands.
