Category Archives: neglected pets

2020, Cats, Events, FOTAS, Fundraisers, neglected pets, News, senior pets, surrendered pets

Coco & Mia’s Owners Moved Away Without Them

Posted on by Bob Gordon
21
Jan

Coco would not eat or even groom herself. The 6-year-old, long-haired, gray and white beauty just slept or watched visitors with a suspicious eye when they approached her cat condo at the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS).

COCO (left) looks out for her bestie, MIA.

But then we moved Mia, the 2-year-old gray Tabby Coco was surrendered with, into Coco’s condo and everything changed. Coco started strutting around and stretching, ate some food and cleaned and groomed her coat, making it gorgeous again. She even took some cat treats from a staff member’s hand. It was then we knew that Mia and Coco were bonded and needed to be adopted together.

Poor Coco and Mia were surrendered by their owners, who didn’t include them in their moving plans. So, now they only have each other.

While not uncommon, bonded adult animals at the shelter tend to take longer to adopt out since people are often seeking one pet to join their other, established pets at home. But Coco and Mia would be perfect for a person or family who doesn’t have any cats and want to add some furry indoor-only felines to their home. Double the cats, double the love! Both Coco and Mia are spayed and can be adopted for just $20.

COCO (left) and MIA are bonded indoor-only kitties who need to be adopted together.

SHELTER HAS EXTENDED ADOPTION HOURS TUESDAY & THURSDAY
Don’t forget! The ACAS now has extended adoption hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The shelter is open for adoptions until 7 p.m. twice a week to make it more convenient for you to visit and select a homeless pet for your family. The shelter’s adoption hours are: Monday, Wednesday and Friday — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday — 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. And on Saturday the shelter is open for adoptions from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

REGISTER TO RUN IN FIRST FOTAS FURRY 5K RACE
Register to run in first FOTAS Furry 5K race A race to benefit the homeless animals at the ACAS is scheduled for Saturday, February 1 at Generations Park in Aiken.

Logo for the First Annual FOTAS Furry 5K

The First Annual FOTAS Furry 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run will feature adoptable dogs from the county shelter and FOTAS will be accepting dog and cat food donations as well as toys, treats and other goodies at the event. Participants can bring their own furry friend to run with them and are encouraged to dress up their dog for the canine costume competition.

The special event is being organized by 2 Girls and a Clock Racing & Timing Services and registration can be done on runsignup.com through Jan. 28. Late comers can also register in person on the day of the event.

The 1-Mile Fun Run starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K race begins at 9 a.m. Winners of the 5K will receive awards and prize raffles will be held following the race. For more information about this event, please go to fotasaiken.org.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

PETS OF THE WEEK

PIPPA
Mixed breed, female, 4 years old, red, 56 pounds – $35

ARCHER
Domestic medium-hair, male, 2 months old, Tabby, 2 pounds – $10

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, animal abuse, County Animal Control, Demodex, Dogs, FOTAS, neglected pets, News

Dede Blossoms After Love and Care at the County Shelter

Posted on by Bob Gordon
01
Oct

Dede was wandering the backroads of the county in the sizzling heat of July when she was picked up by animal control officers. Her condition was shocking: aside from being terrified and dehydrated, she was completely hairless and bleeding.

DEDE when she first arrived at the shelter.

She was, as you can see from the featured photo, hard to look at without grimacing with horror and heartbreak, with outrage that someone cared so little about this sweet dog that they didn’t provide medical care when it was needed and then abandoned her to starve and die when her condition became critical.

Because we try not to think the worst about people, we’d like to believe that maybe someone loved her but just didn’t have the means to care for her—that they were victims of poverty or misfortune.

Sorry, but I don’t buy it. Dede suffered horribly, both physically and emotionally, because someone neglected her medical needs and then washed their hands of her when she needed them the most. That’s cruelty, plain and simple. It makes me furious.

DEDE after being treated for her Demodex.

Like most dogs, Dede’s capacity for gratitude and forgiveness is boundless—far greater than mine (I promise to work on that at church!) She has never complained, not once, and she has never stopped wagging her tail. She’s cheerful and kind. She loves people and children. She is great with other dogs. She has gone on several doggy-night-outs with staff and volunteers, and they all rave about her. She is a good size, weighing in at just 40 pounds.

Here’s the deal. Dede was diagnosed and successfully treated for Demodex mange, which is not contagious. Her coat has grown back in. However, once she was cured of mange, she continued to scratch and bleed, and Dr. Levy suspected she had some kind of allergy. FOTAS purchased allergy meds for her and it is working; she feels and looks good, but she may need to be on allergy meds for life. Although more in-depth allergy testing might identify a more targeted treatment, Dede’s doing just fine without it.

DEDE is now just waiting for her forever home.

FOTAS Program Director Kathy Jacobs has been treating her own dog for allergies for years, and he is a fluffy, happy dog.

“My dog’s allergy meds are not difficult to administer,” says Kathy. “It’s one more monthly pill along with flea, tick, and heartworm protection. Sure, it’s an extra expense, but it’s not a large one by any means.”

Dede is a special dog, and she deserves and needs a loving home. Will it be you? Her adoption fee has been sponsored. Call the Aiken County Animal Shelter at 803-642-1537 and ask for Hillary, Bob, or Amanda.

Their lives are in our hands.

–By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

BY THE NUMBERS

The Aiken County Animal Shelter has taken in 400 strays and surrendered pets so far this month.

PETS OF THE WEEK

LADY
Bulldog mix, female, 4 years old, tan & white, 75 pounds – $35

ECHO
Domestic Shorthair, female, 3 months old, tan & black Tabby, 2 pounds – $10

2019, Demodex, Dogs, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, injured animals, kittens, neglected pets, News, Volunteers

Fostering Medical Needs Pets Brings New Challenges, Many Rewards

Posted on by Bob Gordon
19
Aug

This has been a long summer at the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS). Kittens thrown from car windows, dogs starved, puppies abandoned in the woods…we’ve seen all these scenarios come through the door again and again.

FELICITY is no long in the shelter but is instead recovering from her condition in a FOTAS volunteer’s comfy, quiet home.

Shelter staff and FOTAS volunteers work so hard to help the many pets that are surrendered or found as strays. But look at the numbers: 500 plus animals per month, forty dogs and cats in one day. Where are we expected to put them? So many of these homeless pets need time to heal properly from neglect and abuse. To save them, we need community involvement. We need foster homes.

Luckily, we have a terrific group of foster volunteers. We just need to add to our team.

Today Gary Ly is picking up Felicity. Gary is one of those special foster dads who gives our medical needs dogs a safe and happy home for a month, or even two. We never even have to ask; he will call and tell us he has time for another long-term foster. How awesome is that!

Thanks to FOTAS Foster Gary Ly, Demodex puppy FELICITY is getting the quiet environment and socializing time she needs to regain her fur.

Felicity is a one-year-old, reddish, medium-sized cutie who longs for attention. She came in mostly bald due to Demodectic Mange or “Demodex”. Demodex is very common to any shelter and we never have enough foster homes to manage all the cases. It’s not contagious, but it can worsen from stress like that caused by being in a loud, strange environment. Felicity just needs a quiet place away from the shelter to heal. When 50 other dogs are barking, it is not an ideal place to recover.

She will go home with Gary and we will provide all her food and medicine while he provides her with love and time. Felicity will come back furry, happy and home ready!

We also had a litter of seven puppies, only a few pounds each. When young puppies are scared and without vaccinations, they are susceptible to getting sick. This litter came in and received their first vaccinations but needed a foster home for two weeks, until they could get another vaccination and be ready for adoption.

Thankfully, Anne Laver was available. Anne is one of those loving people who always has a horse stall free for a litter of pups. After she took them in, they came back so happy and socialized!

When we can’t find fosters, often members of the staff step up and take care of the animals. Gibson, a sweet Tabby kitten, was brought to the shelter with a severe hip injury. His hip is expected to heal but only if he can enjoy some extra TLC in a quiet environment. ACAS Adoption Coordinator Hillary Clark-Kulis, as she has done for so many infant felines, brought Gibson home to nurse him back to health. She has been fostering him for about a week and the hope is that he’ll fully recover from his injuries by the end of the month.

Medical needs kitten GIBSON with his foster mom, ACAS Adoption Coordinator Hillary Clark-Kulis.

Because there is always demand for special needs fosters, we are asking for your help with this specific type of situation. But we also have a need for short-term fosters for healthy animals ready for adoption. If you could just try fostering one time, we think you would see how amazingly rewarding it is!

To give fostering a try, please call FOTAS at (803) 514-4313, email us at info@fotasaiken.org or stop by the ACAS located at 333 Wire Road.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Director

2019, Adoption, Cats, FOTAS, injured animals, kittens, neglected pets, News

Mama Jeanne: Suffering and Sacrifice Lead to Cat’s Adoption

Posted on by Bob Gordon
28
Jul

She arrived during the shelter’s cruelest season, a cat whose story of suffering and sacrifice made us all stop just to take it in. Because of all we don’t know about the cat now called Mama Jeanne, what we do know says it all.

She gave birth to four kittens as a starving stray, then got hit by a car when she left them to find food. With a crushed right leg and a broken left hip, she dragged herself back to her babies and kept nursing them anyhow. Animal Control officers found her days later and brought the little family into the Aiken County Animal Shelter. It would be their home for weeks.

Mama Jeanne could barely stand when she arrived, but pushed through excruciating pain to keep being a mom. Amazingly, her hip healed while she nursed. Her kittens grew healthy and were adopted. But Mama Jeanne’s crushed leg did not respond to treatment and had to be amputated. So, as a newly three-legged adult cat with no pedigree and little promise, she was left to compete for a home in a shelter so crowded it’ll take in 1,500 animals May through July. The shelter’s vet, Dr. Lisa Levy, was worried about Mama Jeanne’s chances and asked me to post her plight on social media.

Young cat Mama Jeanne was badly injured when a car hit her — but she kept caring for her kittens.

Meanwhile, Irene Marie Ortega was working nights as a nurse at the burn center in Augusta, GA. For several months, she spent time between shifts scrolling through websites of shelters as far away as New York looking for the right cat.

“They were cute, but I didn’t feel a connection.” Then, on July 10, she saw Mama Jeanne’s post on Facebook. “I was so touched with her story. After just one reading, I was sure she was The One.” She traded shifts with another nurse to adopt Mama Jeanne that day.

Three-legged cat Mama Jeanne with her new “mom,” Irene Marie Ortega.

Because, in many ways, Mama Jeanne’s story is hers too.

Ortega’s three children were tiny when she became a single mom. A native of the Philippines living in Chicago, she had to find the courage and persistence to make a new life. She moved to the Atlanta area and then Augusta, where she worked nights in nursing homes, spent days in nursing school, and in-between gave it all to care for her children.

“No matter how hard the struggles were, I endured everything just to give the best to my kids,” says Ortega, whose children are now grown and pursuing their own careers in nursing and medicine. “I felt the pains of Mama Jeanne. I’m a single mom, too. I want to give her the life she deserves after all she went through.”

Mama Jeanne was adopted not despite her broken story, but because of it. Social media can be a lifeline for animals otherwise lost in the crowd of overflowing kennels. Like it was for the mama cat who gave her all.

“We love Mama Jeanne so much. She’s safe now,” Ortega says.

Their lives are in our hands.

– By Martha Anne Tudor

BY THE NUMBERS

From May 1 to July 27, the County Animal Shelter received more than 1,500 strays and surrendered pets.

PETS OF THE WEEK

HECTOR

Mixed breed, male, 2 years old, 55 pounds – $35

RODRIGO

Domestic Shorthair Tuxedo, male, 2 months old, 1.5 pounds – $10

2019, Dogs, FOTAS, injured animals, kittens, neglected pets, News, Shelter staff, surgeries, surrendered pets

A Tale of Tails: A Little Bit Shorter Now

Posted on by Bob Gordon
18
Jul

We have all experienced that strange phenomenon where things seem to come in waves, or the old saying that things happen in “threes”. Well for the month of June that trend was tail surgery and it wasn’t three; it was five! I normally perform one or two tail amputations per year. But this particular month the tail injuries kept coming.

First there was Bolt. Bolt is a very energetic Pittie mix. After only a few days at the shelter he developed what we lovingly call “happy tail”. He wags his tail so much he hit it against the walls of his kennel causing the tip to bleed. Normally a wrap on his tail for several days resolves the problem. Unfortunately, Bolt was not a fan of having his tail wrapped and despite bitter apple spray and the dreaded cone of shame around his head, he still managed to get his wraps off. The tail wound kept getting worse and finally I decided to amputate his tail when it became clear that it would never heal. His facial features are a little like a Boxer’s, so we made his tail end match.

His tail healed beautifully and we may have prevented his forever home from having to deal with that exuberant tail knocking everything off the coffee table.

Scraps arrived with a badly injured tail but felt better after the dead tissue was surgically removed.

Then came the 3 kittens Scraps, Sagwa, and Ren. They came in about a week apart.

Scraps was first. About ¾ of his tail was black and hard, meaning all of the tissue was dead and had been for a while. After surgery, the poor little guy hardly had any tail left, but then again neither does a Manx cat. However, he was more playful after surgery, so I think he felt better without that dead tail.

Sagwa is a beautiful little Siamese mix. She came in with the last half of her tail just hanging on by a piece of skin and the bone exposed. She healed very quickly and was adopted within one hour of being put on the adoption floor.

Last of the kittens was Ren. He was the luckiest of the three as only about the last third of his tail was injured, so he was able to keep most of his tail.

Black kitten Ren goes home with his new family.

Finally, there was Magyver (yes, I spelled it wrong on purpose). He is one of my most challenging cases this year. He is a shepherd mix brought in by animal control with multiple areas on his body covered in maggots. In order for a dog to be that severely infested, they have to be weak enough to allow flies to stay on them long enough to lay eggs, which then hatch into maggots.

My two vet techs and I got to work and it took an hour to shave all the affected areas and flush out all those gross little things. After many years of practice there are not a lot of things that make me squeamish, but maggots are still one of them. (You’ve heard the expression “gag a maggot”. Well, I really think it’s the people who gag!)

X-rays revealed he had a fractured pelvis which is probably why he was reluctant to move to stop the flies. The next few days his skin felt like leather from all the scabs. He would not make eye contact and his eyes looked defeated.

Bolt looks better — and feels better — with a docked tail.

I wasn’t sure he was going to make it but slowly with medication he started to improve. Then his tail turned black and I knew the tissue was so damaged it could not be saved. So Magyver became my fifth tail amputation. As he healed, his spirits started to improve and after two weeks we finally got our first wag of that stump of a tail. I was so happy I almost cried. He was finally showing us he was happy to be alive.

The next day I got my first kiss on the face. His skin continued to heal and his hair is growing back. This amazing dog is in foster care and getting stronger every day. And that makes it all worthwhile.

–– By Dr. Lisa Levy, ACAS Veterinarian

2019, Adoption, Cats, Dogs, FOTAS, neglected pets, News, senior pets, Uncategorized

Senior Pets Make Great Companions

Posted on by Bob Gordon
08
Jul

It happens all the time.

Someone surrenders a senior pet to the Aiken County Animal Shelter, or even worse, someone dumps their senior dog or cat on some country road far from home and Animal Control finds them wandering aimlessly around the County, hungry and disoriented. They arrive at the Shelter bewildered and scared. They did nothing to deserve this cruel betrayal and abandonment . . . other than get old.

How could they know or understand they had become inconvenient? They spent their lives with a family they loved, protected, and comforted. Sure, as the years progressed, maybe they slowed down, got gray around the muzzle, had trouble jumping in and out of the car, but their blind devotion to their humans never wavered.

Senior dog MANFRED waited a long time but finally found his forever home this week.

Then one day, through no fault of their own, they end up in a strange place with people they don’t know, and no matter how great the shelter, shelter life is exceptionally stressful for an older pet. They know what it’s like to have a home, and it looks nothing like their stainless-steel kennel at the shelter. Those animals get discouraged when potential adopters walk by their cages without a single glance or kind word looking for younger, cuter pets.

It’s heartbreaking to watch the hope fade from their eyes, so I beg you: Don’t do it! Don’t walk by that senior dog or cat.

Senior pets make great companions. They are mature and calm. They don’t make mistakes on your rug. They are way past the “teething” stage. They don’t need a lot of exercise; they are happy to hang out with you on the couch and binge-watch season after season of The Voice. They are grateful for the chance to love someone—so grateful.

All it takes is a little patience and kindness.

By the way, the advantages of an older pet make them a particularly smart choice for older folks looking for a companion. The emotional and physical benefits to seniors of caring for a pet have been well documented: lower blood pressure, fewer visits to the doctor, a sense of purpose, and companionship. Senior people with pets are often more active, less isolated and lonely, and less likely to suffer from depression. It’s a win/win for animal and human.

There are so many lovable, healthy senior dogs at the shelter now. Like Manfred, who has quickly become a volunteer favorite. Manfred was picked up by animal control as a stray—the tips of his ears raw and bloody from flies and insects. We are baffled about why Manfred was abandoned: he is gentle, affectionate, and housebroken. All he needs now is a second chance, another human to shower all that love on. (Manfred has since been adopted — yay!)

As of July 8, Senior THEO was still seeking a home.

And then there’s Theo, a lovely senior gray tabby with bright blue eyes. He, too, is lovable and personable, and because he is declawed, he will make a great house kitty.

The adoption prices at the county shelter are $35 for dogs and $10 for cats for fully vaccinated and neutered animals. That’s a great deal for all that love.

Caesar Milan says there is a special place in heaven for people who adopt older pets. I say “Amen” to that.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

2019, animal abuse, Dogs, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, injured animals, neglected pets, News, Spay/Neuter

Good Samaritans rescue discarded, distressed puppies

Posted on by Bob Gordon
10
Jun

On Friday, May 31, Lisa Brucchi walked out of her Windsor home into the blistering heat to check her mailbox. She was expecting an important letter from her mom and was eager to see if it had arrived. But as she walked up to her mailbox, she noticed a box on the ground. At first, she thought someone had just left some garbage there but as she got closer, she saw someone had done something much worse. Inside the box were nine puppies covered in their own feces and urine, panting heavily and crying for help.

“When I saw them, I just burst out crying and didn’t know what to do,” Brucchi said. “How could someone leave them out there like that?”

Nine overheated puppies were rescued by a nice couple and are recovering and being fostered back to health by a FOTAS volunteer.

She got them into the cool air conditioning of her home and called her fiancé, Glen Morrow. They brought the distressed pups to the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS), where they were put into some cool water to bring their temperature down. At first, the 3-week-old pups couldn’t open their eyes and their tongues were hanging out, but they slowly came around.

After the veterinary staff fully examined and treated them, a FOTAS foster took them into her home for extra care and monitoring. Being so young, the puppies aren’t quite out of the woods. But their prognosis is good – and Brucchi and Morrow’s quick actions are the reason they have a chance of surviving and living happy lives.

The same afternoon these nine pups were fighting for life in the hot sun, another good Samaritan, Tristan Stone, was driving to a business meeting when he saw two puppies walking along the side of the road. The pups looked confused and were nearly furless from mange. Stone took them to the ACAS and was informed that someone had reported eight puppies in the same area. He volunteered to go back and spotted three more – these were in better shape and from the same litter.

Stone’s girlfriend, Hannah Williams, met him at the Shelter and she volunteered to foster the five pups until they recover and gain strength. They are about 3 months old and look like Beagle/Retriever mixes. Thanks to this caring couple, these babies are getting healthy and will be adopted in no time.

One of the nine pups abandoned in a box on a scorching day recovers after a cool bath.

The shelter received these 14 puppies in just a one-hour period. On the same day, it received 27 other strays and surrendered animals. This was during a short Memorial Day week in which the shelter took in 126 homeless pets.

Please spay/neuter your pets. If you live in Aiken County and need financial assistance, you can get vouchers at the ACAS, located at 333 Wire Road. If you can help us foster, please call the FOTAS hotline, (803) 514-4313. Also note our new adoption hours: 11:00 to 5:00 Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 11:00 to 7:00 on Tuesday and Thursday; and 11:00 to 4:30 on Saturday.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

BY THE NUMBERS
In the first week of June, the ACAS received more than 150 strays and surrendered pets. This follows receiving 519 homeless pets during the month of May.

PETS OF THE WEEK

LUKE
Mixed breed, male, 3 years old, brindle, 57 pounds – $35

BROOKE
Domestic Shorthair female, 2 years old, orange Tabby, 6 pounds – $10

2019, Adoption, animal abuse, Dogs, essay, FOTAS, injured animals, neglected pets, News, Shelter staff

Broken Beyond Repair? They Might Just Surprise You

Posted on by Bob Gordon
02
Apr

By Dr. Lisa Levy, ACAS Veterinarian

One of the greatest dangers to dogs running loose is being hit by a car. Unfortunately, injured animals being brought to the shelter is an all too common occurrence. Some of these injuries can be catastrophic and the animals can’t be saved. But some will defy the odds and recover.

Hiccup was in bad shape when he arrived at the Shelter.

Hiccup is a small terrier mix who came into the Aiken County Animal Shelter as a stray. He had difficulty standing and had very labored breathing. X-rays revealed that he had a ruptured diaphragm — the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. The impact from the car had caused his diaphragm to tear which allowed abdominal organs (in his case liver, stomach and intestines) to move into his chest, putting pressure on his lungs. Further x-rays revealed that he also had broken both his hips. Some hip fractures will heal on their own with restricted activity and time, while some require surgery.

The more serious problem was the diaphragm (we named him Hiccup because hiccups are caused by a spasm of the diaphragm). Surgical repair is possible but complicated and is most often done at a surgical referral practice or university. I have never done this surgery myself. I went home and talked to my husband, also a veterinarian, Dr. Michael Wells. He said he had done a few when clients couldn’t afford referral and he would be willing to try.

Hiccup on his freedom ride, heading to his forever home.

Surgery was challenging as the tear was in an area with little visibility. Since we don’t have ventilators, I had to manually bag him to breathe for him during the procedure. But Dr. Wells was successful in repairing the diaphragm and Hiccup recovered beautifully.

Hiccup soon went into foster care to see how his hips would heal. His foster parents fell in love with him and adopted him – and now this remarkable dog is running and climbing stairs without any need for further surgery.

Cadyn came into the shelter as a 5-month-old puppy after being hit by a car.

Cadyn at her forever home

My heart sank when I looked at her x-rays. She had a broken hip on one side and a dislocated hip on the other, plus both of her back legs were broken below the knee. She was trying to walk on just her two front legs! Most dogs would just give up, but Cadyn wagged her tail and gave kisses. I had my doubts but Betty, one of the vet assistants, talked me into trying to save her. Puppies do heal faster, so that was in her favor.

I splinted the more severely broken leg and hoped she would walk on the other one since it was much more stable. We kept her cage confined and slowly she started walking. The splinted leg healed but she still may need hip surgery on that side. Cadyn was adopted by Amanda, one of the shelter’s adoption counselors, and has become instant best friends with her other dog.

The resilience of the canine spirit never ceases to amaze me, and these are two shining examples.

Their lives were literally in my hands.

BY THE NUMBERS
From March 1- 27, the Aiken County Animal Shelter received 360 strays and surrendered pets

PETS OF THE WEEK

ZEUS
Mixed breed, male, 5 years old, white and black, 70 pounds – $35

PRECIOUS
Domestic Shorthair, female, 5 years old, white and black, 7 pounds – $10

2019, Adoption, animal abuse, Bully Dogs, Chained dogs, Dogs, FOTAS, injured animals, neglected pets, News, Pibbles, Uncategorized

Speaking Out on Behalf of Neglected, Abandoned, and Abused Animals

Posted on by Bob Gordon
10
Mar

Adopting a pet can bring years of love, laughter, and companionship into you and your family’s life, but it is also a responsibility that goes far beyond providing food and water.

Rupert is starting to fill out from his skin and bones appearance, but he still needs a loving home.

Pets need a safe place to shelter them from the elements. They need to be vaccinated against rabies and other types of preventable diseases. Since fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes never stop breeding here in the South where the weather is warm year-round, flea and tick medicine and heartworm prevention are essential. All pets should be spayed or neutered to avoid accidental breeding and rampant overpopulation of homeless animals that end up in the shelter, cared for by the taxpayers. In addition, an unfixed pet is more likely to roam, get into trouble, get injured or hit by a car. Unfixed pets are more likely to develop cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Rupert loves to get his belly rubbed!

Slightly more than one half of the intake at the Aiken County Animal Shelter are strays picked up by Animal Control. Only 8% of strays are claimed by their owners. That means that the owners of 92% of those animals didn’t care enough to keep those animals safe at home or to look for them when they disappeared (or worse, they just dumped them on the side of the road). The strays that get picked up are, for the most part, skinny, scared, and flea-bitten. They are often heartworm positive. They may have picked up mange from scavenging food in the trash. Hundreds of strays come to the shelter each year injured — attacked by other dogs, shot at, beaten, hit by cars. We’re seeing more of it all the time. It’s discouraging and heartbreaking.

Take one of our recently adopted residents, Edgar. When he was picked up by Animal Control, patches of his fur were missing from scratching himself raw because he is allergic to fleas. He is such a loving dog, too: calm, gentle, great with kids. Or Rupert, rescued by Animal Control because the owners did not provide “adequate” food and shelter. “Not adequate” is an understatement. Rupert was starving; every single bone in his body was visible under his scraggly coat. Although distrustful at first, Rupert came to love shelter life: regular feeding; a clean, safe, warm place to sleep; people to love; and pals to hang out with.

Rupert’s had a tough life and deserves a chance with a wonderful home.

It’s hard for us to imagine how someone could have cared so little about Edgar and Rupert to allow them to suffer so much, but here’s the amazing thing. Despite their unpleasant experiences at the hands of humans, both dogs have been willing — so willing — to give us another chance. That takes real heart and courage. We can learn something about forgiveness from these dogs.

Neglected, abandoned, homeless animals do not have a voice, but we do. Please talk about responsible pet care with your neighbors, your children, your friends, your family, your church. Speak out when you see an animal neglected or abused. We can help by educating owners, suggest alternatives or provide resources, and if necessary, rescue the pet and give them a second chance with responsible, committed owners who will shower them with affection and treat them like family. Edgar and Rupert deserve that. They all do.

Their lives are in our hands.

–– By Joanna Samson, FOTAS Vice President

By the Numbers
In the first week of March, the Aiken County Animal Shelter received more than 100 strays and surrendered pets.

Pets of the WeekJAMES
Mixed breed, male, 4 years old, red, 61 pounds – $35

TREME
Domestic Shorthair, male, 1 year old, orange Tabby, 7 pounds – $10