FOTAS’ Dog Ears Reading Program is in the national news as seen on MSNBC.
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Category Archives: News
21
Sep
Sep
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director and Volunteer
On Diana Haltiwanger‘s tenth birthday, she did something unusual to celebrate the big day. She took her birthday money as well as food, leashes, toys and other treats to the Aiken County Animal Shelter and personally delivered the generous donation to FOTAS.
“I just love animals,” Diana said, “and I thought it might help make a difference in their lives.”
Diana’s selfless gesture is just one example of children steadily becoming a force in fulfilling the altruistic goals of FOTAS and the County Shelter.
Although the majority of community members who support the shelter are retirees and other adults, more kids are getting involved in assisting the orphaned dogs and cats at 333 Wire Road. Some children donate their time by participating in FOTAS events like the Dog Ears Reading Program, Dog Day Crafternoons, Woofstock, and other fundraisers. Others get involved through clubs, Scouts, and their schools (prime examples are the South Aiken High School Chapter of the Serteen Club and the Aiken High NJROTC). And some kids just decide to become FOTAS volunteers on their own.
Volunteer Holly Heiens became a volunteer after she did a report on shelter animals for school last year. Ever since learning more about their hardships, the driven 10-year-old has donated her time to animals in need.
“When Holly wants something, she goes after it,” said her mother, Kari, who volunteers with her daughter every Saturday. Kari said that even though there are lots of social events and parties on Saturdays, they work around them so she and her daughter can meet their weekly commitment to the shelter animals.
“It isn’t really hard work when you are there to help the animals and brighten their day,” Holly said. “It’s more like fun work.”
Noah Jacobs is another junior volunteer who juggles a number of responsibilities. Sports, school and hanging out with his friends are important to the 10-year-old, but he spends as much time as he can at the shelter with his mom, Kathy. The Jacobs family also fosters shelter animals at their home, helping them get prepped for adoption.
“I talk to my friends about it. I think more kids should volunteer,” Noah said. “Some of my friends are nervous about volunteering but they shouldn’t be. Even the big dogs are nice.”
Alex Robinson helps out at the shelter every weekend with his father, William, and sometimes his grandfather, Charles. One of the reasons the 12-year-old volunteers at the shelter is because he loves dogs but can’t own one where he lives.
“It has taught Alex responsibility,” William said. “I am impressed how quickly he picked up on what to do at the shelter. Overall, it’s been a very positive experience for him and we’ve met a lot of great people there.”
The County Shelter is always looking for more young volunteers to help out and work with the animals. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. If you are interested in volunteering and making a difference, please contact FOTAS at (803) 514-4313 or volunteer@angelhartlinedesigns.com.
Their lives are in our hands.
09
Sep
Sep
By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President
When Aiken County Animal Control picked up Poppy roaming a County road on the blistering hot Tuesday after the July 4th holiday, she was thirsty, stressed from the heat, and very, very pregnant. A finely boned, black lab cross, she was collarless with a string tied around her neck – some wretched owner’s pathetic and cruel attempt to tie her to a stationary object and abandon her to the elements.
There are so many things wrong with this story, I don’t know where to start. I’m stunned that someone would abandon a pregnant mama dog in the heat of summer rather than take responsibility for the dog they should have spayed in the first place – that a family pet could be abandoned with such callous disregard, like litter tossed out on a road.
Do I sound angry and indignant? I am.
Poppy was one of 50, that’s right, 50, animals taken into the Aiken County Animal Shelter that Tuesday – a heartbreaking record for a single day, even in the summer. And despite FOTAS and the County’s notable successes over the past two years to find forever homes for more animals through special programs, increased adoptions and transfers to no-kill sister rescue agencies in other parts of the Country, the euthanasia rate will never be reduced to acceptable levels until every citizen, every friend, every family member, every neighbor spays and neuters their pets.
We have a responsibility to care for these animals, individually and as a community. They cannot take care of themselves. FOTAS Fix-a-Pet and FOTAS’ Lenny’s Brigade program (our trap-neuter-release program for community cats) have been in overdrive this year, especially during these long, hot summer months. We are particularly grateful to Dr. Holly Woltz (Veterinary Services), Dr. Cindy Brown (Aiken Animal Hospital), and Dr. Charles Groover (Aiken Veterinary Clinic) for their much-needed assistance with our spay/neuter programs. We couldn’t do this without them.
FOTAS desperately needs your help to continue to provide this much-needed service at the current rates; through July, we organized and paid for the spay/neutering of 349 pets and community cats, and every week we are barraged with requests for spay/neuter help. Please take a moment to donate to the cause either through the FOTAS website – www.fotasaiken.org – or mail a check to POB 2207, Aiken SC 29802.
As it turns out, Poppy was one of the lucky ones. She was so pregnant, the Shelter staff and FOTAS moved quickly to get her into a foster home, calling the Conger-Wolcotts (who, by the way, had been pressed into puppy-birthing foster service non-stop for 6 months) for help. One week later, Poppy gave birth to 9 puppies. Next week, those 8-week old puppies will be transferred and placed in their forever homes. Poppy, who is heartworm positive, will remain in foster care while FOTAS funds her treatment and finds her a loving, responsible owner. Her days of neglect are over.
Please help. Their lives are in our hands.
09
Sep
Sep
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director and Volunteer
The power of volunteering cannot be overstated. Not only is it rewarding and uplifting to the people donating their time for a good cause, but it also makes it possible for organizations to achieve more than they possibly could through their limited budgets and staff.
Nowhere is this truer than at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
“Volunteers are our lifeblood,” said Nanci Santos, FOTAS volunteer coordinator. “We are so very grateful for the wonderful core group of volunteers that return daily or on committed days to walk dogs, socialize the animals, and act as reception desk ambassadors.”
Besides the daily tasks of walking the dogs and manning the front desk, volunteers also help with the FOTAS transfer program, manage and promote special events, help maintain the shelter grounds , aid with general administrative duties, assist with FOTAS spay/neuter programs and foster dogs and puppies.
Susie and Wally Huiet are a couple that volunteers for multiple shelter duties: dog walking, fostering and helping with the transfer program. Susie also takes photos of the dogs available for adoption and posts them on social media.
“When you give your time and your love to these dogs and enable them to be adopted or selected for a rescue transport, it is a great feeling,” Susie said. “Every dog you can get adopted or rescued really means you are saving two lives, because one goes onto a new home and another is able to leave the intake building and get their chance on the adoption floor.”
Paula Neuroth has been juggling a number of volunteer responsibilities for years. She and her husband, Rod, have been fostering puppies and their mothers at their Aiken home since 2010. Paula also helps manage and coordinate FOTAS Fix-a-Pet, a spay/neuter program financed through private donations.
“There never will be a big enough staff at the shelter because of budget restrictions,” Paula explained. “But we as volunteers can provide support that helps the shelter achieve its goals and fill the gaps, and FOTAS helps fund programs that otherwise could not be realized.”
Peggy Babineau works the front desk every Monday afternoon, greeting and assisting shelter visitors with their adoption needs. She and her daughter, Becca, also foster new dogs each week, getting them socialized and more prepared for their eventual forever homes.
“Volunteering is rewarding beyond words,” Peggy said. “You can get attached to the dogs in your care. But you just have to focus on the goal of getting them ready to leave for a better life.”
As a result of the dedicated efforts of all our volunteers, FOTAS and the County are saving the lives of more animals than any time in the shelter’s past. But every day is a challenge and more help is always needed. If you are interested in volunteering and making a difference, please contact FOTAS at (803) 514-4313 or volunteer@angelhartlinedesigns.com.
Their lives are in our hands.
25
Aug
Aug
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director and Volunteer
Linda Knox McLean didn’t choose Tommy when she went to the Aiken County Animal Shelter to adopt a cat – it was the other way around. Tommy, a stocky, three-year-old, brown tabby chose her.
“I walked into the cat adoption room to check out the cats, and right away, Tommy hopped up on my lap, climbed all over me, put his two paws on my shoulders and gave me a love bite on the neck,” Linda says. “That sealed the deal. I took him home.”
Linda has three foxhounds and an 18-year-old tabby at home, but that was no problem for Tommy. He adjusted quickly and easily to his new surroundings.
That’s the thing about cats: in addition to being affectionate, they are adaptable, self-reliant, and easy to care for – the perfect companion for folks who don’t have the time or energy to attend to the constant needs of a dog. That’s why cats are the most popular pets in the world, outnumbering dogs three to one.
Alice Hester of Warrenville adopted two cats from the shelter during last month’s special: Russell and Patches, a pretty, muted calico. “I changed Russell’s name to Thor immediately,” says Alice, “because when he jumps down, he sounds like Thor’s hammer.” The big, five-year-old, orange tabby has made himself at home in her sewing room and shares the house with two dogs and two other cats, including Patches.
Jill Fertig of Williston saw the Channel 12 News story about the alarming summer overcrowding at shelter and the ad in the Aiken Standard about the July special. When she and her husband, Bill, arrived at the shelter, Marbles, a six-year-old, tortoiseshell cat, climbed up on Jill, wrapped herself around the back of her neck and started purring. “She definitely claimed me,” says Jill. “Marbles is affectionate, smart and totally fearless. When our two Chihuahuas line up for treats, Marbles lines up with them.”
Tommy, Thor, Patches and Marbles are just a few of the many successful adoptions that resulted from last month’s free shelter cat promotion, where 81 cats found forever homes. That’s a shelter record.
Thank you to everyone who adopted orphaned cats in need last month. Because of your tremendous response, we currently have more dogs than cats at the shelter, which is a highly unusual situation – especially in the summer months. It has been estimated that theoretically, one unspayed female and one unneutered male, in the course of just seven years, can produce nearly 800,000 kittens, with the assumption that their offspring also are not spayed or neutered.
Those are daunting numbers. It also explains why, across the nation, the euthanasia rate for cats in public shelters with open admissions is significantly higher than the euthanasia rate for dogs.
There is only one humane answer: Fix your pets! There are a number of local programs available to help with the costs of spay/neutering. Please check them out at fotasaiken.org or call the shelter for more information at (803) 642-1537.
Their lives are in our hands.
25
Aug
Aug
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Volunteer and Communications Director
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” ― Charles M. Schulz
There is nothing cuter or more loving than a puppy. Everything is new and exciting for pups, their eyes wide with curiosity, their tails perpetually wagging, and their hearts filled with unconditional love.
Like all infants, puppies also demand a lot of time, work and responsibility. But the reward of watching them grow and develop into adults is well worth the extra effort and expense.
Currently, the Aiken County Animal Shelter is nearly overrun by canine cuties that need forever homes. Witnessing the despair of such innocent, defenseless animals that have been picked up as strays or surrendered by their owners is heartbreaking. The solution to this crisis is not easy but it starts with getting pets spayed or neutered and finding homes for as many of them as possible.
That’s why FOTAS and the County Shelter just launched its first ever “Puppy Love 2 for 1” promotion. With this first ever offer, if you adopt a puppy at regular price ($70), you can get a second puppy from the same litter for free. This promotion, valid through Aug. 31, is not only a good deal but also boosts the chances for siblings to be adopted together to the same forever home. The adoption fee includes worming, vaccinations, neutering/spaying and micro-chipping.
A look at some of the available litters:
Leroy, Tabitha, Vicky and Tonya. These nearly identical brown Retriever mix pups are a sight to see when they play together. Leroy is easiest to spot with his white back, chest and feet. But his sisters look like they could be identical triplets. Tabitha has a white chest and some white on her nose; Vicky just has white on her chest; and Tonya is slightly darker than the others. All are sweet and highly capable of licking you to death.
Marissa, Monique, Nora, Rambo, Marco and Roman. This retriever/collie mix brood likes to stick together. The adorable family is just 10 weeks old, with all of them black or chocolate in color with white chests.
Jasmine, Zooey and Chester. These Shepherd mix siblings are still getting used to their new surroundings. Jasmine is caramel brown with white on her chest; Zooey is brown and black with slashes of white on her neck; and Chester is a little darker than his sisters with nearly equal black and tan markings.
Other puppies available include Allison, a white Hound mix who has a deep affection for tennis balls; Cletus, a feisty, tan Shepherd mix; Hershey, a sweet-faced, chocolate brown Retriever mix; and Arthur, a tan Labrador Retriever mix, who loves to play tug of war (and usually wins).
So come visit the shelter and find a warm puppy or two to adopt. The more puppies that find homes, the more new candidates we can move to the adoption floor, and the better our chances of giving them all a wonderful, long life.
Their lives are in our hands.
04
Aug
Aug
By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President.
What do Lucy, Skye, Olivia, Zeus, Roberta, Harley, Andrew, Bane, Butch, Zach, Dante, Buster, Milo, Brees, Leroy, Triscit, Biscuit, Snowhite, Alberta, Rowdy, Axel, Rory, Destiny, and Tamara have in common?
Other than being canines who ended up at the Aiken County Animal Shelter through no fault of their own, they are energetic, muscular, sleek, barrel-chested, short-snouted, square-headed people-pleasers with big goofy smiles, long tongues and irresistible urges to chase balls and curl up next to their humans on a couch to watch Living Dead reruns.
In short, they are all pit bulls or pit bull crosses.
They are also all lucky, because most of these dogs have found homes and humans to adore. However, because they are pit bullish, they spent a longer time in the shelter than their cute, fluffy, floppy-eared shelter mates – a seriously perilous position in a public shelter with limited space.
And in the County shelter, like other public shelters around the country, many of their brethren are not so lucky. Pit bulls are deemed unadoptable and euthanized at much higher rates than other breeds before they even get to the adoption floor.
Yet often the very people who are attracted to pit bulls refuse to spay or neuter their pets. They say it is cruel and unnatural to take away their manhood or breeding capacity.
Really? In my book, it is unspeakably cruel and unnatural to bring pit bull puppies into the world when there are thousands upon thousands of deserving, homeless pits across the country who are likely to be killed without ever having known the love of a responsible human. Really.
The truth is, in an animal-rich environment like Aiken, it’s impossible to adopt your way out of this problem. Last year in the County alone, excluding the City, 4500 animals passed through the shelter and 50% of those were euthanized. Those are grim numbers.
The only way to meaningfully reduce the euthanasia rate is to reduce the intake rate, and the only way to reduce the intake rate is to eliminate the overpopulation of unwanted animals, and the only way to reduce overpopulation is for every citizen, and their families, and their friends to spay and neuter their animals. Period.
There are no legitimate reasons not to spay and neuter your pets. Research has proved that animals who are “fixed” live healthier, longer lives, are easier to control and make better family-members.
What’s more, you don’t need to breed your dog so your children can experience the “miracle of birth” – you can foster one of our many pregnant mamas. You and your children will get to experience the joy of birthing and caring for the puppies, FOTAS will provide food and medical supplies, and when the puppies have been weaned, you can hand them over to be sent to their new homes knowing you have done a great deed.
Spaying or neutering your pet has never been easier or more affordable. Plus you may be eligible for financial assistance through the County or City voucher program or FOTAS Fix-a-Pet.
Call us today at (803) 514-4313, and we’ll help you get it done.
Please don’t wait. Their lives are in our hands.
PETS OF THE WEEK
TIA Female, Hound, 1 year old, 32 lbs — $70.00
EMMA Female, Domestic short hair, adult — $9.00
30
Jul
Jul
By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS VP
Once again, the Aiken community has responded to our cries for help.
As the temperatures soared to triple digits, so did the intake numbers at the County Shelter – to a dismal degree not experienced in years. In June the number of homeless, orphaned and abandoned animals topped at 625 animals, and July promises to be equally bad. In fact, in a single hot day after the 4th of July holiday, the shelter took in 50 animals.
The dogs were crowded 2-3 in a run in the Intake Wing, and the shelter was forced to consider something it has not had to face since the new shelter has been open – euthanizing animals who had been on the adoption floor the longest to make room for other adoptable animals from Intake.
“It is heartbreaking,” says Jennifer Miller, the President of FOTAS. “We had hoped those days were over.”
To those of you who follow this column, it will come as no surprise that the Code Red dogs – the dogs that had been on the adoption floor the longest – were all what we call “pibbles”, that is bully breed or pit bull crosses. Every one of them was a volunteer favorite: sweet lab/bull dog Alana with the soft brown eyes and white stripe down her nose; the handsome, muscular black and white Mack; the playful brindle Brees with two white front socks and maybe the world’s longest tongue; beautiful, ice cream-loving Roberta; magnificent little Milo with the hopeful eyes; big ol’ beautiful Butch.
“The bully breeds are saddled with a bad reputation,” says Miller, “primarily because of disreputable owners. There is nothing inherently dangerous about these dogs; they are devoted people lovers. Cesar Millan says ‘A breed is like a suit of clothes, it doesn’t tell you anything about the dog inside.’”
And here’s the thing about the pibbles at the Aiken County Animal Shelter – by the time they make it to the adoption floor, they have been observed by shelter staff for up to 10 days (or longer when the adoption floor is full) and have passed a rigorous temperament test. Moreover, once they are on the adoption floor, the volunteers or trainers work with them every day. Since these breeds take longer to adopt than other breeds, staff and volunteers have had longer to work with them and assess their behavior. Point being, we know they are safe dogs.
The good news is that thanks to the Aiken Standard and the community, by the end of the week, Alana, Milo, Brees, Mack, Roberta, Zach and all of the other Code Red dogs had found forever homes.
The bad news is, our collective job is not done – there are so many more lovable, deserving pibbles on the adoption floor, like Destiny, Rhett, Bane, Gigi and Joshua, who need good homes, not to mention those animals in the Intake Wing just waiting for a chance to move to the adoption floor.
Please don’t wait. Come and adopt one today, before they become Code Red dogs. Plus, for every dog adopted, another dog from Intake gets a chance to move to the adoption floor and find its forever home. That’s two lives for one, folks. How great is that?
Their lives are in our hands.
22
Jul
Jul
By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President
Barns and stables are natural habitat for rats and mice – lots of food sources from grain bins and accidental spillage around the prep and feeding areas. That, coupled with lots of water and places to nest, equals Disney Land for rodents.
But despite the adorable mice portrayed in Disney movies, mice are highly destructive disease carriers. QC Supply, a company that specializes in home and farm supplies, estimates that just two mice can munch their way through four pounds of grain in six months and deposit 18,000 droppings. Mice contaminate food sources and can be the source of serious, even life-threatening, diseases. They gnaw their way through insulation and electrical wires (think fire hazard) and burrow holes around and through the foundation.
But wait, you say, I rarely see mice in my barn. Ha! When Hurricane Agnes dumped 10 inches of rain in the Roanoke Valley in June of 1972, I spent a frenzied morning helping with the evacuation of 18 anxious horses from a friend’s barn. By the time I pulled myself through chest-high water raging through the runway to pull out the last horse, there were thousands – no exaggeration – thousands of squealing, terrified, panicked rodents lining the tops of every stall door and level space above the water level. And this was at a barn with no rodent problem.
So if you have a barn, you have mice, and if you have mice, you need a cat. Natural born hunters, cats have been used for rodent control since the day cave men decided storing grain was less dangerous than killing dinosaurs for dinner. For a cat, hunting is a finely tuned survival instinct genetically coded in their DNA. For anyone who has ever had a kitten attack their feet in the dead of night, you know what I mean.
Barn cats can be great companions, too. A beautiful, fearless calico cat lived at Foxchase Stables who, besides systematically dispatching everything that scurried, also walked you to the paddock, hopped on your lap in the tack room for a good cuddle, and chased off the dogs that dared to pester her. Much loved by all of us, she lived a long and productive life in that barn
The Aiken County Animal Shelter has cats – lots of cats – A TRAGIC AMOUNT OF CATS. In the month of June, 353 cats were received at the shelter, and 315 cats were euthanized. That’s an 89% euthanasia rate for cats if you’re counting, which we are. These numbers keep me up at night.
From now until the end of July, the Aiken County Animal Shelter is GIVING AWAY adult, already spayed/neutered cats, so there has never been a better time to implement a time-honored, tried and true rodent control system on your property. Don’t need a mouser? That’s okay. Now is the perfect time to bring home a couple of adorable, virtually self-sufficient companions who will curl up with you on the couch to watch Law and Order reruns and will never, ever need you to take them for a walk in the rain.
Please don’t wait. Their time is running out.
16
Jul
Jul
By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Vice President
It’s hot. It’s humid. We’re short on volunteers and long – very long – on animals. Intake is crazy high. The shelter is packed full of dogs, dogs and more dogs and loads of adorable puppies, not to mention a gazillion cats and a bajillion kittens.
The Aiken County Animal Shelter needs your help.
Last Tuesday was a particularly awful day. 50 animals were admitted to the shelter, including one very pregnant momma named Poppy who needs to go into foster care to birth her puppies. Unfortunately, all of our existing fosters have been pressed into service for months without a break. We need new fosters.
As if all this wasn’t sad enough, last Friday Zach, a very handsome volunteer favorite who was adopted last Valentine’s Day, was brought back to the shelter because the owner is moving. Zach is confused, and we are heartbroken. He’s such a good boy.
So, yes – the only way to bring down these intake numbers and the euthanasia rate is for everyone to spay and neuter their animals, but that’s a long-term proposition.
In the meantime, the County shelter, paid for by taxpayer dollars, cannot refuse to accept an animal because there isn’t enough room. That means the County, with the help of FOTAS, is responsible for the care and disposition of the 5000 unwanted animals that wind up in the County shelter each year. Dedicated shelter staff and FOTAS volunteers are working feverishly to take care of all of these animals. It is exhausting work.
You can help. How?
First and foremost, adopt one of these deserving animals, who, through no fault of their own, have ended up in the shelter, homeless and bewildered. They need someone to love. They need you.
How about this for an incentive? Through the end of the month, the shelter is waiving adoption fees for already fixed adult cats. You can take home a fully vaccinated, microchipped, spayed or neutered adult feline friend for free until July 31st. Please, they need a good home, perhaps a mousing job in a barn. Don’t wait. Their time is running out – fast.
Help the County and FOTAS take care of the animals. Volunteer at the shelter, or make a tax-free donation to the cause at www.fotasaiken.org.
Become a short-term foster for dogs selected for transfer or a long-term foster for mamma dogs and their puppies until they are weaned and rehomed. Remember, for every animal you adopt or foster, you save two lives – the pet you adopted and the pet that can be moved to the adoption floor from Intake.
Most of all: spay or neuter your animals. Talk your friends and family into spaying and neutering theirs. If you or they cannot afford the cost to spay/neuter, you may be eligible for a County voucher or FOTAS Fix-a-Pet financial assistance.
Call us at (803) 514-4313 or email us at info@angelhartlinedesigns.com and see how you can get involved. You won’t be sorry.
Their lives are in our hands.
BY THE NUMBERS
For the month of June, FOTAS working with the Shelter to supplement local adoptions, organized and paid expenses for the transport to rescue partners of 102 dogs and cats who will now have “forever” homes.