Category Archives: Foster

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, 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, adopter feedback, Adoption, Foster, fostering, FOTAS

Love to the Rescue

Posted on by Bob Gordon
21
Mar

Love to the Rescue

by Betty Ryberg, FOTAS Foster

Change of scenery? We certainly experienced the need for that in the last 2 1/2 years.

A day trip on a pretty day? A walk in a just discovered park, or a hike through the woods as the weather turns sunny?

Maybe an overnight? To a cabin, a lake house, a campground? Our walls close in, our life lacks color, our days seem drab.

Take me away! A week away has restorative powers but often it’s those few hours or day trips or quick overnights that adds zest to our lives and brings a calm.

That is the highlight of doggie field trips or fostering.

Aiken County Animal Shelter dogs can come to your house, your yard, your park and it is their Disneyworld. Under your tree, playing with your pets or chewing on your toys is a wish-come-true mini vacation.

Aaah and catching a nap, sleeping late, and snuggling on a new rug – luxurious and QUIET. All the animals at the shelter are safe and well cared for-but it is not quiet. For a dog that is abandoned, oftentimes the barking of other dogs causes distress. Even one day or night away may feel like a much-needed spa.

Why don’t folks take dogs away for Doggie Day Out or foster? Is it because you may feel guilty returning them? Please don’t. A day or night away, a romp in your yard or a nap on your rug may be all that dog needs to restore his spirit and make him more adoptable when he returns to the shelter.

We have had sad, frightened dogs become their happy selves in two days. One dog slept for eight hours the first day he came to our home and then rolled and rolled in the grass for hours. 

If you can’t foster for more than two days, then an overnight or day out is a respite likened to a snow day experience we felt as kids. Yippee!!

We have kept dogs for two nights and puppies for two months. All have been adopted. We didn’t change our schedules We made a safe place to sleep and play. Our busy days continued and we marveled that an animal could show such immediate relief.

Any new parent, caregiver, student or overworked professional knows the phew moment of a babysitter, respite care, a snow day or a day off.

The animals return restored and much more adoptable. It is a picnic for them. How wonderful to know your home is a five-star resort to some!

Their lives are in our hands.

2022, abandoned animals, Cats, Foster

Beautiful, abandoned cats need loving homes

Posted on by Bob Gordon
23
Feb
Simone’s owner moved but left her behind to fend for herself.

The Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) has two gorgeous cats in its feline facility who desperately need loving homes. Both are overcoming the emotional pain of suddenly finding themselves abandoned and alone.

Simone, a stunning, five-year-old Siamese mix with a coat of multiple colors, was brought to the shelter because her owners moved and left her behind to fend for herself. When neighbors saw Simone was abandoned, they fed her for weeks before surrendering her to the shelter. When she arrived, Simone was an unhappy and confused kitty.

Gwen, on the other hand, was heartbroken for a different reason. Her owner’s health declined sharply, forcing her to enter an assisted living facility – a place where Gwen was not welcome. The one-year-old Tiger Tabby went from the warm lap of her owner to a steel kennel in a noisy shelter filled with other scared, homeless pets. When Gwen arrived, she was vocal about her displeasure with being separated from the only human she’d ever known and loved.

Gwen is at the shelter because her owner had to go into assisted living.

Due to their emotional trauma, both Simone and Gwen acted out when they first got to the shelter by trying to bite or scratch people who showed them affection. Simone mostly slapped at folks’ hands when she got nervous or felt overstimulated. Gwen, who wasn’t used to meeting so many new people, seemed to want to be petted but didn’t know how to respond. Sometimes she would get scared and bite to relieve her anxiety.

“Cats are creatures of habit,” said ACAS Adoption Coordinator Hillary Clark-Kulis. “They like their usual routines and sometimes when they have to come to the shelter, their worst traits can come out.”

Simone and Gwen, now living together in the cat facility, are doing much better. Staff and FOTAS volunteers have worked with them every day, helping them to adjust to their new environment and preparing them for their future homes. They will make wonderful feline companions for people who know and love cats.
Simone just needs a home of her own, where she can get a lot of attention and love, and Gwen needs an owner who will help her to trust new people.

“I think living with one person her entire life, Gwen is used to only one way of being treated or given affection,” Hillary said. “She is learning how to reciprocate kindness and attention from different people. She loves to be talked to and would do well in a home with other cats.”

If you would like to adopt Simone or Gwen, please call the Aiken County Animal Shelter, 803.642.1537 (option #3) or email info@fotasaiken.org and make an appointment to visit them. Or just stop by the shelter. Walk-ins are welcome! Cat adoption fees this month are just $10. The ACAS is located at 333 Wire Road, Aiken, 29801. The shelter is full & needs adopters & fosters.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2022, Foster, fostering, kennel stress

FOTAS Doggie dates and sleepovers help reduce kennel stress

Posted on by Bob Gordon
15
Feb

Kennel stress can wear heavily on a shelter dog. Enduring the echo of barking dogs, getting out for limited walks and playtime, and having to look out at the world through metal bars is tough on animals used to being free or with their owners.

Adoptable Bell with Volunteer Lisa Raphaela before heading to Lisa’s home for a sleepover.

The Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) has some of the best facilities you can find: indoor/outdoor kennels, water bowls that refill automatically, soothing music pumping through and central air conditioning and heat. But even with such wonderful facilities and our volunteers and staff spending as much time as possible with these homeless animals and running playgroups every day, there is no way to duplicate the love and security of a home.

That’s why we are asking County residents to participate in our Doggie Dating and Overnights program.

“Overnights take them out of the four walls,” said Marie Gunter, who has taken six different dogs home for sleepovers over the last few months. Four of them — Christopher, Orion, Thatcher, Ducky — were adopted shortly after their home experience with her. She and her husband, Harvey, adopted their fifth doggie guest, Bowie, who they renamed Zeus. The sixth, Hayward, is still looking for a good home.

“The dogs come in and get hugs and kisses from us and get to know our four dogs,” Marie said. “I think spending even a brief time in a home helps them become more relaxed.”

The Simons have been taking in County Shelter dogs overnights for many years. Olga and her daughter, Nicole, often come to the shelter to take brilliant photos of the shelter dogs for Facebook and other promotional materials. They often take a shelter dog home with them to spend the night or weekend. Not only is this break from the shelter a relief for the dogs that bunk with them, but the Simons family also can see and record how their furry guests get along with their dogs and cat. When they took in Romero for an overnight stay, they discovered the injured dog got along with their kitty. That valuable tidbit of information helped Romero get adopted to a forever home, where he now lives with two cats.

Volunteer Lisa Raphaela also is a veteran of County Shelter dog sleepovers. She and her five dogs have hosted overnights with a number of shelter canines and they’ve all found great homes.

Adoptable Ducky with Marie Gunter.

“So far, I’m batting a thousand,” Lisa said with a grin. “They learn to use my doggy door to go out and potty with the other dogs and develop better social skills. It also gives them a bonding experience with one human they can trust. I think all these home experiences help build their confidence.”

If you can help by taking a dog home for a sleepover, stop by the shelter, 333 Wire Road, or call 803.642.1537, option 3. What better time to take a shelter pet on a Doggie Day Date or Doggie Sleepover than Valentine’s month?

“Just try it,” Marie said. “Bringing these dogs home does as much for me as it does for them. “I love animals and it gives me the satisfaction of helping an animal in need without actually adopting them.”

2022, Dogs, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, neglected pets, News, PUPPIES, Volunteers

Angels work together to foster, save orphaned puppies

Posted on by Bob Gordon
09
Feb

On January 5, a woman brought seven puppies to the Aiken County Animal Shelter. Their mother had been hit by a car and didn’t survive.

They arrived with umbilical cords still attached, eyes closed, and desperate for care.

I reached out for help to our fosters and within two hours, three incredible women came to help.

seven puppies fostered.

Linda Cooper took two puppies, Beth Platt took two and Shana Pearsons took three.
These women were unbelievable! All asking immediately what to do and how to help them. They all had done research before coming, watched videos and knew the basics. I can’t tell you how heartwarming it was to see these women arrive at the shelter, calmly and confidently ready to help.

Shelter Staff Member Amanda Kaminski prepared pet carriers lined with fleece blankets and small beds. She also had bottles and puppy formula ready for each foster, along with detailed instructions.
Each of these women woke up every two to three hours during the night to feed these babies. It was no easy task as motherless puppies this young often don’t survive. Initially, they do not know how to drink formula from bottles. They are cold and need help staying warm.

“Bottle feeding puppies is certainly time consuming, exhausting and you spend lots of time worrying about them,” Beth Platt said. “However, it is also incredibly rewarding when they do well. It definitely has brought me back to when I had my babies and was up for very late-night feeds, but also a sweet time as well.”

“This was my first time bottle feeding pups as well,” added Shana Pearsons. “Wow, so cool to watch them progress!”

The women emailed back and forth, texted for advice and compared notes. They weighed the pups, took notes on potty times and kept track of how much they fed them. They worked hard to save them.
When Linda Cooper had to go out of town, Betsy Holmes took her puppies home to continue taking care of them. Betty Ryberg stepped up and took care of Shana’s pups when Shana had another obligation. It is a real community effort.

Every one of the puppies found good homes.

“The feeding schedule for these newborn pups has been demanding, as well as making sure they are peeing and pooping,” Linda Cooper said. “But this first-time experience has been very worthwhile, seeing the puppies grow and thrive against the odds and getting a second chance at life.”

Good news: all of the puppies found homes waiting for them through the shelter’s adopter wish list.

Currently, we are struggling to find foster homes for dogs (much easier to care for than puppies), puppies and soon kittens. Can you spare a week or two? Can you open a stall in your barn? Can you add one more dog to your home for five days? Questions? Call 803-514-4313 or email us at info@fotasaiken.org and we will answer any questions or concerns that you may have.

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2022, Dogs, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, kennel stress, News, Volunteers

Fostering saves lives, helps homeless pets get adopted

Posted on by Bob Gordon
17
Jan

When you put a leash on Little Bit, he wouldn’t move. The 28-pound, tan Terrier mix just shook and gazed up at you with a forlorn look on his face. The poor dog was overwhelmed with being on the Aiken County Animal Shelter’s adoption floor and just wanted to curl up in his kennel and be left alone.

After a couple of days, Little Bit began to trust the staff and volunteers enough to walk a short distance before stopping and resisting the leash, his eyes pleading to be picked up and carried back to his kennel. Each day, he was progressing – but very slowly.

Little Bit gets comfy before going home.

Despite Little Bit’s shyness and poor leash etiquette, visitors to the shelter began asking to see him. His smaller size and cute looks drew potential adopters. However, when he backed away or flinched when they tried to pet him, they either asked to see a different dog or left the shelter disappointed.

Then Rob and Stacy Wagner took Little Bit home to foster him during the four-day Christmas break. This time, the change of environment did him good. Being away from the noise and stress of the shelter helped him to relax and build confidence. He was a new dog when he returned to the shelter on Dec. 27, walking on his leash with confidence, greeting people and looking so happy! The result of his newfound poise and self-confidence? Little Bit was adopted that day.

Crypto is another dog who benefitted from fostering over the holiday break. Yvonne and Colin Brookes took the 48-pound mixed breed home and used the four days to help him decompress and learn to wait, sit and offer his paw on command. Like many of our fosters, Yvonne posted photos and videos of Crypto’s training and other activities on social media. Such promotion of shelter dogs thriving in a home often helps them get adopted.

“Crypto’s been at the shelter for so long…he keeps getting overlooked yet he’s a huge softy and lives for cuddles,” Yvonne posted on her Facebook page. “He is perfectly housebroken, sleeps in his crate all night long, and loves car rides and woodland walks. He is a very quick learner and just wants to please.” Since returning from his fostering experience, Crypto is in higher spirits and doing well. He can be adopted to a loving home for just $35.

Crypto loving life with his foster mom, Yvonne Brookes.

If you live in Aiken County and would like to become a FOTAS foster, please email info@fotasaiken.org or call us at (803) 514-4313. Or just stop by the shelter, 333 Wire Road in Aiken. It is easy to sign up and get paired with a shelter dog!

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2021, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, kitten season, kittens, News, Uncategorized

ACAS Is Your Chief Resource for Upcoming Kitten Season

Posted on by Bob Gordon
09
Apr

A flood of kittens is about to hit the area. It happens every year, starting in April, peaking in July and August, and sometimes continuing into November. Feline babies of every color, fur length and breed type will soon be popping up throughout the country – including Aiken County.

A kitten is bottle-fed by a foster volunteer.

Here is what you can do to help.

Remember that mama knows best
Before you pick up any kittens, determine if the kittens’ mother is around. Kittens do best when they are with their mother, who instinctively knows how to nurture and protect her young, ensuring they grow up strong and healthy. The mother’s milk is crucial to providing the kittens powerful nutrients for their immune systems. If the kittens are underage (less than 2 pounds or younger than eight weeks old) and mom is still around and taking care of them, leave the kittens where they are until they are weaned. To help the mama cat, you can provide shelter and put out food nearby.

If the kittens’ mom is not around, wait at least two hours to see if she comes back. If she doesn’t return, foster the kittens (or find someone who is willing to foster) until they are at least two pounds. This is done through bottle-feeding the kittens until they are ready to eat on their own.

Foster orphaned kittens until they are old enough to be adopted
FOTAS provides “kitten kits” containing supplies you need to take care of the kittens until they are old enough to come to the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS).

While kittens under four weeks old need to be bottle fed, older kittens just need a little of your time to nurture and socialize them, as well as make them feel loved.

“Even if you have just 20 minutes twice a day to be with your foster kittens, it is more than we have the capacity to do at the shelter,” explained ACAS Adoption Coordinator Hillary Clark-Kulis. “If you can help us by fostering, we will make sure they are adopted to loving homes.”.

Wisp, Willow, Breezy and Bubbles were found wild and dirty. But after a few weeks in a foster home, they were healthy, social and adoptable.

If you are unsure of the kittens’ age or care needs, you can bring them to the shelter for assessment and we can help you decide on a plan for adoption or direct you to other options, such as our TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return), which is free to Aiken County residents, or the spay/neuter voucher program. You can also call the shelter for counsel.

Fosters are needed for kittens in 2021
Because citizens are sometimes unable to bottle feed and socialize the kittens they find, we have a small team of FOTAS fosters who take in babies and give them the care they require. These amazing volunteers save many feline lives each year. To join this special team, please go to the FOTAS website (fotasaiken.org) or call the shelter at (803) 642-1537.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2021, abandoned animals, Bully Dogs, Dogs, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, kennel stress, News

More Fosters Needed as County Animal Shelter Fills Up

Posted on by Bob Gordon
22
Mar

The need for foster homes is great. The Aiken County Animal Shelter is filling up as it does every spring. This causes us to run short on room but also increases the stress level in the kennels.

I have been fostering dogs and puppies for six years and absolutely love it! My dogs are more socialized because they have met and played with so many others. My son is more compassionate because he has met some of the greatest dogs that others abandoned.

I love how the Wagner family says it: “You get a new dog every week!! Free! How could you beat that?”

Breanne Maraman has been fostering dogs with us for years now and shared her view on our foster program:

Marlow plays with other pets in his foster home.

“I love being able to foster dogs through the FOTAS program. Getting them out of the shelter, if even for just a few days, is such an asset to their adoption journey. Once in a more relaxed environment out of the shelter you really get to see each dog’s personality blossom. This really helps us prepare their potential adoption family to what they’ll be like once in a new home.

“The FOTAS program is great because there are so many fostering options. You can choose short- or long-term placements based on your availability, work schedule, prior commitments, etc. There is never any pressure for me to take a foster if it’s not the right time for me personally. The staff also knows each of their foster families personally, what their homes are like, and what dogs will work best for them. It’s such a well-tailored and executed program that’s able to help countless animals find their forever homes.”

Not all of us foster dogs the same way. Some of our foster families have farms and use open stalls to house dogs as well as mother dogs and puppies. Their foster pups sleep in a stall and get regular walks/exercise throughout the day. The dogs are so grateful to be out of a kennel and in a safe place.

There is no expense to you. FOTAS will send food, toys and a crate, if needed. Anything you need we will provide. We just ask that you pick up a great dog, give them a safe place and some kindness. You will not regret it.

Marlow was fostered by Breanne Maraman.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2021, Demodex, Dogs, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, News, PUPPIES, Transfer, Volunteer

The Joys of Fostering from an Expert

Posted on by Bob Gordon
05
Mar

We began fostering puppies with FOTAS and Aiken County Animal Shelter shortly after seeing the conditions in the old shelter on Wire Road. In the almost 10 years since then, we have fostered more than 600 puppies, and our incredible new shelter was built. The only thing that hasn’t changed is that our shelter remains full.

Joy, Noel and Holly before fostering.

We set a rule when we began, that if we kept a puppy we were fostering, we would have to stop fostering. So far, so good. Each litter has had its own unique quality. When we first lost some medically compromised puppies, we decided as a family that while we could not save every puppy that came into our house, every one of them would know that they were named and loved.

Right before this past Christmas, we got a call from the shelter about three puppies that were found in horrid conditions. They were sick with a condition called Demodex. It is a condition where the puppies’ immune systems are compromised and they lose their hair, get covered in scabs from bites from a type of mite, and are swollen all over.

We brought these three young puppies into our house and named them Joy, Noel and Holly. It felt weird to hold them because their skin was so rough and was literally peeling off them. Two of the puppies’ eyes were swollen shut. They were miserable. Our black Lab (Diego) normally plays with all the puppies that come into our house, and he was afraid to go near them at first.

The pups after fostering and treatment.

Over the next few weeks, the puppies’ skin began to heal, their fur began to grow back and they started to play and cuddle. They continued to improve and started playing with Diego and by the time they were ready for adoption, they were completely healthy puppies that no one would know had been so sick.

I can tell you that most foster experiences are much easier than what we dealt with having these three puppies, but every one of them is filled with some of the best parts of fostering. With each litter, we get to enjoy puppy breath, great cuddles and laughter. We have described it as “better than HBO.” I invite you to consider short-term fostering. Each animal that we have in a home rather than the shelter helps not only our county shelter, which is often full; but it also helps prepare the dogs and cats, so they are ready for their forever homes.

Father Grant Wiseman brings foster puppies to the county shelter, so the medical staff can treat them and measure their progress.

Our new shelter is fantastic and unfortunately full pretty much every day. If you can’t foster, consider volunteering to walk dogs or play with the cats in the feline facility. Anything we can do to help them be more comfortable makes them even more adoptable.

— By Fr. Grant Wiseman, FOTAS Foster