Category Archives: kennel stress

2020, animal care education, Cats, Dogs, FOTAS, kennel stress, News, Proper Pet Care, SELECTING A PET, Training

Three Tips to Make Your Pet Adoption a Success

Posted on by Bob Gordon
18
Feb

Adopting a pet from a shelter is one of the most rewarding experiences life has to offer. They bring you unconditional love, companionship and joy.

Of course, adoption is a long-term commitment – so you want to be sure you are prepared and organized before making such a life-changing decision. Here are some tips that will help make your adoption a happy and successful experience:

Pick a pet that you not only bond with but also fits your lifestyle and home accommodations.

1. Select a pet that fits your lifestyle. Puppies are great for young couples or families with kids. But if you are working all day or collecting Social Security, you’re better off going with an adult dog (or cat) that’s already formed her personality and doesn’t have so much energy. If you have a big house and a fenced-in yard, a big dog is a perfect match. But if your place is small and you’re going to be walking your dog, a smaller or medium-sized version is probably your better choice.

2. Don’t surprise significant others (or your landlord). Make sure everyone in your home is on board with adopting a pet. Getting a pet is a terrific way to celebrate a birthday or special holiday – just not as a surprise gift. What if the person receiving the pet doesn’t like her? Then that pet has to come back to the shelter, which is tough on both the animal and the gift recipient. You’re much better off bringing everybody to the shelter and finding a pet everyone likes and who bonds with everyone. Also, if you live with your parents or have a landlord, make sure they are aware of your plans to bring home a new pet.

Adopted pets can take months to settle into a new home and feel part of the family.

3. Take it slow and be patient with your new pet. Shelter life is hard on animals. They’ve gone through a lot and need time to decompress and get their bearings. Always follow the 3-3-3 rule when you adopt. For the first three days, your pet may be overwhelmed and stressed by a new home and family. Pay special attention to her, keep her separate from your other pets when you’re not home and don’t let her outside without supervision. After three weeks, your pet realizes she’s living with you for awhile and becomes more relaxed. As a result, her daily behavior becomes more routine. She is now responsive to training and showing her true personality (everyone who adopts from the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) receives a free training session with one of our dog experts). At the three-month mark, your pet is confident that you love and cherish her. She knows she’s part of the family!

In the first 14 days of this month, the ACAS took in 182 strays and surrendered pets. We are overwhelmed and the shelter is full. If you’re ready to find your furry soulmate, please stop in and see our wonderful animals. We’re located at 333 Wire Road and open for adoptions every day except Sunday.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2020, Demodex, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, kennel stress, neglected pets, News

Fosters Needed for Shelter Dogs with Demodectic Mange

Posted on by Bob Gordon
17
Feb

They arrive at the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) with patches of fur missing – and sometimes even completely bald, with red, scaly skin — but through fostering and treatment, transform into handsome, furry canine companions.

BLITZ arrived at the shelter with Demodex and, following treatment, is now available for adoption.

These are dogs with demodectic mange or “demodex”, a typically easily treatable condition that is not contagious to humans or other dogs. Demodex is caused by a mite, a normal inhabitant of every dog’s skin. In low numbers, these mites cause no symptoms and may serve an important role as part of a dog’s normal skin (similar to the way healthy bacteria is important in digestive health). However, when dogs have a compromised immune system, the mites can multiply unchecked, which leads to demodectic mange and itchy skin.

Demodex is fairly common in strays and neglected pets because through malnutrition or injury, their immune systems have often been weakened. In fact, the shelter currently has six dogs with this condition.

Now, if these dogs stayed in the stressful conditions of a shelter, their treatment could take a long time. Living in a strange kennel as dozens of unfamiliar and often scared dogs bark and different strangers walk you and feed you is not conducive to a healing environment. But when demodex dogs are able to go to a quiet environment of a foster home, where they feel safe and loved, they usually experience a speedy recovery.

Demodex dog ARCHER bloomed into a handsome dog and is now ready to be adopted at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

“Stress inhibits their healing process,” said Jeri Wesner, who has fostered nine demodex dogs with her husband, Joe, since becoming a FOTAS foster. “But when we bring them into our home, they immediately feel more relaxed and get to experience what it’s like to have a family. Seeing these dogs gain back their confidence along with their fur is so heart fulfilling!”

Most recently, Jeri and Joe fostered a puppy named Lizzie who had a severe case of demodex and was completely hairless with cracked skin all over her body. But they, along with their adopted dogs, Ruby and Jack, welcomed Lizzie into their home and watched an amazing metamorphosis occur in just over a month. Jack, their Hound mix, took 10-month-old Lizzie under his wing and Pitbull mix Ruby treated her like her own. In only a month, Lizzie tested negative for demodex and her beautiful, dark tan coat had grown back in.

“Fostering a demodex dog is one of the most wonderful experiences you can have,” Jeri said. “It is so great to see them bloom into beautiful animals and to know that just by giving them a temporary home, you made them better and prepared them for their next step – to be adopted and go to their forever home.”

The ACAS has recently had a high influx of malnourished, neglected dogs with demodex – and we need your help. If you are interested in fostering for us, please call the Aiken County Animal Shelter, (803) 642-1537 or contact FOTAS at info@fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2020, Adoption, Bully Dogs, Can I Crash on Your Couch? Program, Doggie Day Out, Dogs, fostering, FOTAS, kennel stress, News

County Animal Shelter Dog Jay Shares His Adoption Story

Posted on by Bob Gordon
05
Feb

My name is Jay. I was recently adopted from the Aiken County Animal Shelter and have a story to tell.

I never wanted to end up at the shelter but, when it happened, I had no choice. The shelter isn’t such a bad place; it’s clean and healthy. I got food, shelter and medical care. The people were nice, too… but it still isn’t the same as being in a real home.

Jay in his shelter kennel before being adopted.

I was hoping for a short stay but became concerned when I saw other dogs getting adopted while I was still stuck in the shelter. I’m a good dog but have a big, wide head and was concerned that people who passed by my kennel weren’t giving me a second look.

I got stressed out as day after day passed and I was still stuck at the shelter. Even though volunteers came and walked us every day, I admit that I got anxious from being in my kennel and my behavior was starting to concern some people.

Just when I was feeling my lowest, this great guy named Kelly took me to his home for a weekend. It turns out he travels for his work during the week but takes a dog longing for companionship, like me, home for weekends. We took car rides, chilled out, watched TV and I got used to his comfortable couches. He told me I was becoming a couch potato, whatever that means.

Then it happened. A family came to the shelter looking to adopt a dog and they chose me! The staff called Kelly and he rushed to the shelter and met this family, the Martins, as they were filling out the adoption papers. He bragged about me to them and offered to drive me to their home and help me settle in with them to make sure everything was cool.

After Kelly left their home, the Martins called the shelter to tell them that they took me outside and I immediately did my business and then went into the house and hopped up on one of their comfortable couches. It took a few days for us to get to know each other but they are great owners (with great couches). I have everything I need.

Jay, aka Max, loves his new family and home.

They changed my name to Max and I kind of like it. I heard Mrs. Martin say that I keep them entertained and it was great to bring laughter back into their home. I am now definitely a part of their family.

I have Kelly to thank for my new, wonderful life and FOTAS is fortunate to have him as a volunteer.

I understand that after Kelly left the Martin home that first night, he went right back to the shelter. Why? To bring Gabriel home, Kelly’s next doggie overnight buddy.

Please consider volunteering like Kelly and participating in our “Can I Crash on Your Couch?” program. You can take home a shelter dog in need for a sleepover, giving him extra TLC and much-needed relaxation. The dog will be so grateful for a break from the daily stress of an institutional environment. Call (803) 514-4313 for more information.

— By Jay aka Max, Ex-shelter Dog

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, Adoption, Bully Dogs, Dogs, FOTAS, kennel stress, News, Pibbles

The Power of Social Media Saves Sweet Tiffany

Posted on by Bob Gordon
18
Oct

Adoptions have been slow. Kids are back in school, families are busy with activities and people just aren’t coming out to adopt. This is disheartening for the many adoptable dogs and cats at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

Tiffany in the County Shelter play yard.

Recently, our sweet Tiffany was shutting down and losing hope. When people look to adopt, they want the pet to look at them and get excited. They want to feel an instant connection. But when we showed Tiffany to potential adopters, she no longer wagged her tail or carried one of her toys to show off. Instead, this brindle and white mixed breed now ignored people or ran to the corner of the play yard to hide. After waiting more than two months on the adoption floor, she no longer believed anyone would actually take her home.

Desperate to help Tiffany, we posted a video on our FOTAS Facebook page of her sitting in her kennel. It captured her depression, showing how she sulked and avoided eye contact.

Within hours of posting it on Facebook, people responded – more than 900 shares of her video! People were calling from Wisconsin wanting us to send her to them. Our amazing social media community started calling and coming to visit her! We showed her to multiple people, and then she found her match: a fabulous Aiken resident, Tina Watson, who fell in love with Tiffany and gave her a forever home.

Tiffany goes home with her adopter, Tina Watson. She saw a video of the depressed dog on Facebook and fell in love.

What still gives me goosebumps as I write this, is the number of people that cared about this dog from just seeing 20 seconds of video. In that brief clip, they could see and feel her loneliness.

What I hope people remember is that Tiffany is not alone. While we do everything to make their time at the shelter a happy and loving experience, at the end of the day these homeless pets are in a kennel. They are not at home.

Tiffany was lucky because people online responded to her sadness. But there will always be others having difficulty living in a shelter environment. There’s Chloe, a 6-year-old sweetheart who pines in her kennel. There’s Porter, a young mixed breed, who jumps in his kennel because he is stressed. And then there’s Sydni, a beautiful female Lab mix who is getting depressed from waiting so long for someone to adopt her.

Poor Chloe has been at the shelter for too long!

We will continue to reach out to our Facebook friends – they always seem to come through. But if you have room in your heart and in your home, please come to the County shelter, located at 333 Wire Road in Aiken, and ask the staff who really needs saving, is shut down and feeling hopeless. That dog or cat will fill your heart in a way that is indescribable.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Director

BY THE NUMBERS

In the first 10 days of October, The Aiken County Animal Shelter took in 172 strays and surrendered pets – an average of 17 animals per day. Please spay/neuter your pets!

2019, Adoption, Bully Dogs, Dogs, fostering, FOTAS, kennel stress, News, Pibbles, Training

Amazing Dogs Struggle to Find Homes Due to Kennel Stress

Posted on by Bob Gordon
22
Jul

Last week I walked over to see the new dogs on the shelter’s intake wing. When I see the dog in kennel 8, my heart breaks. He is so scared. He is a larger dog, white with a gorgeous brown spot on his eye. He can’t make eye contact with me; he just turns and tries to hide.

RAMSAY is having a tough time adjusting to life in the County Animal Shelter.

The fans are blowing – cooling the kennels – and he is clearly unsure of the noise. He has a ring around his neck where the long chain was taken off of him. He was dragging it along the ground when found lost and confused by a shelter volunteer. I step into the kennel and he jumps back. When I sit down, he tries to bury his head between my back and the wall. Each sound frightens him. He looks around nervously trying to figure out what is happening. I decide he needs some time, so I lie down with him in the kennel and he finally closes his eyes. I am now invested and must find a way to help this poor boy.

Imagine you live all your life outside on a chain and now you are confined. It has to be a struggle. Over the next couple of days, he gains confidence with each leash walk but frantically digs at the concrete floor when put back into his kennel. A large, donated Nylabone helps him calm down. The right toys can be hugely comforting.

Now on adoption and named Ramsay, he is being overlooked because he is so uncomfortable in the kennel space. If adopters could only take him out and see how incredibly sweet he is! He’ll melt against your leg just wanting to be loved.

LUKE is such a sweet dog away from the shelter.

Fosters Yvonne and Colin Brookes have been working with a dog similar to Ramsay, a beautiful boy named Luke. Luke struggled in the kennels, so the couple started taking him to the park. They noticed that he relaxed as soon as he left the shelter but needed some training as no one had ever had him on a leash or taught him any obedience.

He has been in foster with them for weeks and now knows so much! Great with other dogs, he is crate trained and loves to go to Dunkin’ Donuts and sit on the bench. Colin rides his bicycle and Luke trots right next to him; it’s his favorite exercise.

When Luke comes back to the shelter for adoption opportunities, he reverts back to his old behaviors. He starts jumping, barking and chewing at the leash as soon as he gets out of the car. It is so painful for Yvonne and Colin to see the dog they know is so great away from the shelter turn into a completely different creature when he hears the barking of the other homeless dogs. He is almost frantic.

LUKE enjoys going to the park with FOTAS foster volunteer Colin Brookes.

There are so many amazing dogs that struggle to find homes due to kennel stress. If we could only encourage adopters to look at the dog outside of the kennel and not judge them by their behavior while in confinement. Trust me, we would not be ourselves if we were in that position.

Please spread the word about these amazing dogs and take a chance on the underdog. You will find that no pet ever loved you as much as they do.

Their lives are in our hands.

— by Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Director