Category Archives: News

Adoption, Events, News

The Season of Giving Begins

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

07 December 2014

The Season of Giving Begins

By Edie Hubler, FOTAS Director

The little brown and white hound dog named Mae sat at perfect attention in her kennel at the new Aiken County Animal Shelter and looked up at Jeri Barrett, the owner of Herbal Solutions, with earnest brown eyes. “Like she was saying,” says Jeri, “’Please, I’ll be a good girl.’ ”

Jeri wasn’t looking for a dog – Herbal Solutions was an exhibitor at the FOTAS Woofstock Festival and she was touring the new facility – but she was touched by the hopeful Mae sitting quietly in her kennel. She called the shelter on Monday and was relieved and delighted to find that Mae had been adopted.

The memory of Mae plagued Jeri, and although she was already a veteran supporter of FOTAS – Herbal Solutions had been a frequent exhibitor at Woofstock and Jeri has donated dozens of “thunder shirts” over the years to calm anxious shelter residents – she wanted to do more.

Jeri came up with a $10,000 idea. She would recruit other Aiken businesses to sell paper dog or cat ornaments for $1.00 to hang on a special Christmas tree in the store, and all the proceeds would be donated to FOTAS.

All she needed was enough good citizens and customers to buy 10,000 paper ornaments and some willing Aiken businesses to participate.

Jeri began to call other local businesses, and in short order, she had recruited Susan Boland, Vic and Sheri Scarborough of Downtown Dog (who have been extraordinarily generous to FOTAS since they opened last year), Gaye Cain of Aiken Antique Mall, Jay Watts of Family Pharmacy, Dr. Kim Hammond-Beyer of Hammond-Beyer Health Center, Dana Hall of Security Federal Bank, Edie Conway of Riverfront Antiques Mall, and Philip Martin of Powerhouse Pet Resort.

“Hang One for FOTAS” was born.

Here’s how it works.  Visit any of these businesses during December, donate $1.00 and hang a paper dog, cat or horse in honor of someone you love.  Even better, buy 5 ornaments: the tree will be adorned more quickly, more money will go to the County’s abandoned, abused and neglected animals, and your karma will brighten a notch on the enlightenment scale.

The money will help FOTAS acquire some of the items on the Shelter Wish List: an enclosed fenced in play area for vulnerable puppies, a stainless steel wash tub and a pet dryer for the intake wing, a cat condo for the main lobby, a curtain system to shield the outdoor kennels from rain and wind – all items that keep the animals healthy and make them more adoptable.

There are so many animals to keep healthy – so many that need a new home and a second chance.

Fortunately for them, there are special people in the world like Jeri – people who expend their time, energy and personal capital to help helpless animals.

It seems like a hard lift and a lot of paper animal ornaments, but Jeri is confident the $10,000 goal will be met. “I learned something very valuable from this experience,” said Jeri. “The Aiken business community is so generous; all I had to do was ask for help.”

The season of giving has begun. Stop by one of these businesses and buy an ornament (or 2 or 5) to support FOTAS.

Better yet, come to the County Shelter and take advantage of our ½ price Holiday Adoption Special, and bring home an early Christmas present for your family.

BY THE NUMBERS

 

January/14 – October/14                                                         January/13 – October/13

Total dogs/cats received = 3821                           Total dogs/cats received = 4446

Total dogs/cats adopted/transferred = 1826         Total dogs/cats adopted/transferred = 1274

Total dogs/cats euthanized = 2133                          Total dogs/cats euthanized = 3274

Adoption, News, Volunteers

Giving Thanks

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

30 November 2014

GIVING THANKS

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

2014 has been an incredible year, and we at FOTAS have much to be thankful for and many thanks to give.

Thanks to Aiken County for its commitment to save the lives of thousands of homeless animals and reduce rampant overpopulation of unwanted dogs and cats. The strength of its commitment and the success of our partnership is evidenced by the new, state-of-the-art public animal shelter on Wire Road that opened in March, giving all those abandoned, abused and unwanted dogs and cats another chance to love and be loved by responsible owners.

Thanks to the Aiken Community for its extraordinary generosity of spirit. The community’s financial support has made it possible for FOTAS to supplement the County’s resources and its ability to provide the best possible care for shelter animals, increase adoptions and transfers, provide spay/neuter financial assistance to County citizens in need, and attack the problem of overpopulation of unwanted animals.

Thanks to all 242 FOTAS volunteers who make the work of FOTAS possible – everything from manning the front desk, walking and training dogs (91 volunteers walked dogs during the last 3 months), working special events and fundraisers, fostering dogs, organizing transfers, manning off-site adoption events, working on publicity, social media and financial record and bookkeeping responsibilities, and coordinating FOTAS-Fix-a-Pet and Lenny’s Brigade animal pick-ups, surgeries and returns.

It’s almost impossible to fully express our gratitude for all the support, commitment and generosity we have received in this daunting effort, so we will let the results speak for themselves.

As of the end of October, the shelter has seen a 14% reduction in intake, a 43% increase in adoptions and transfers, and (hallelujah!) a 34% reduction in euthanasia rates. By the end of 2014, FOTAS will have organized and funded 32% more spay/neuter surgeries than it did in 2013.

That’s a big, big deal. We and all of the animals you have helped save in the past 10 months say, “From the bottom of our hearts – thank you.”

But there is still so much to do. Although the percentages have improved, they represent unacceptably high numbers: the County still had to euthanize 2133 cats and dogs so far this year.

There is a way you can help us continue our work and express your gratitude and love for the people and organizations who have made a difference in your life: purchase a personalized tribute plaque to be hung inside the public area of the County Shelter, or a personalized paving stone to be installed on the walk outside the main entrance.

Bill and Caroline Simonson honored their dog Chen with this message: “Our big boy, companion & protector, thank you for bringing such joy into our lives.”

Mike & Jody Amacher honored the memory of their dog Baxter with this message: “In memory of our happy-go-lucky boy with a warm and loving heart!”

The tribute plaques and honor pavers make terrific and unique holiday gifts. They can be purchased through January 31, 2015 at www.FOTASAiken.org, or contact us by email at info@FOTASAiken.org for more information.

Also, through January 3rd, you can adopt a dog for just $35 and a cat for only $10.  What a bargain for a fully inoculated, micro-chipped and spayed/neutered pet!

Adopt and give the gift of love and the security of a home to a four-legged friend this year.  Remember, their lives are in our hands.

BY THE NUMBERS

Oct. 2013 Oct. 2014
Total animals received: 467 381
Total animals rehomed: 134 181
Total animals euthanized: 364 228

 

PETS OF THE WEEK

ROMEO   American bull dog, male, 1 year old, 36 lbs,  $35.00

MOLLY   Domestic medium hair, female, adult    $10.00

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, News

Walking the Walk

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

23 November 2014

Walking the Walk

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

Over the past 5 years, the Aiken County and FOTAS have partnered in a quest to make the lives and prospects of the County’s homeless and abandoned animals better. It’s a public/private partnership that works.

Everybody wins: the County, the citizens, the taxpayers and, of course, the animals.

What makes the County/FOTAS partnership so formidable?  The commitment of the animal-lovers who work in County government, that’s what.

They don’t just talk the talk – they walk the walk.

The commitment starts at the top. When County Administrator Clay Killian, his wife Carrie and his granddaughter Hailey attended the Grand Opening of the new Aiken County Animal Shelter last March, Hailey became crazy smitten with a lab-cross puppy on the adoption floor.

They didn’t need another dog; they already had Daisy, a 14-year-old rescue.  Hailey “laid it on thick,” according to Carrie, but it didn’t take much to persuade Clay, who also fell for the pup on sight.  They took her home that day, and now Zoie sleeps in Hailey’s room each night.

Assistant County Administrator Brian Sanders, his wife Erica and their two children share their home with two rescues dogs.  Josie, their first, was a neighbor’s dog and a determined escape artist.  When Animal Control picked up Josie, the neighbor decided he’d had enough and was not going to claim her.  Brian and his family, who had returned the dog so many times they had become attached, drove to the shelter immediately and brought her home.

Special circumstances, right?  They already knew Josie.  It was easy. They didn’t need another dog.

Ha!  Love trumps practicality every time.  On Christmas Eve, the family lost their hearts to a puppy fostered by Father Grant Wiseman and his family.  That’s how the Sanders’ became a two rescue-dog family.

Barbara Strait, who works for Assistant County Administrator Andy Merriman, visited the shelter last February after her beloved Chihuahua died.  She wanted another Chihuahua.  As she ambled through the Adoption Wing, she made eye contact with a quiet, timid little pit bull named LucyLou, and it was love at first sight.  LucyLou, definitely not a Chihuahua, went home with Barbara.

P.S.: Barbara went back to the shelter later to find that Chihuahua, but she came home instead with a little black dachshund named Amber.

What’s that saying?  Man plans and Cupid laughs? Jayne Smith in Public Works adopted a little black and white terrier puppy named Patches, who Jayne renamed “Chase” because he chases her all over the house. Chase has a black dot on his head, like an on/off switch, says Jayne, that doesn’t work so well. Bobby Arthurs, the Chief Animal Control Officer, and his wife Lisa have adopted 3 Chihuahuas from the shelter that they were fostering, despite a hard and fast rule that they would never, ever adopt a dog they were fostering.Annette van der Walt, the shelter Adoption Coordinator, has adopted 3 dogs and 4 cats and fosters special needs dogs.

Sandy Larson, the Senior Vet Assistant, also has adopted 3 dogs and 1 cat from the shelter.  One of the three is Lucy, who Sandy fostered until her puppies weaned. When the time came to take her back, Sandy just couldn’t do it.  Lucy stayed.

And of course, there’s Dr. Lisa Levy, the County’s vet, who fell in love with and adopted an abused three-legged dog named Trinity.

I am profoundly touched by the love and generosity of spirit of these folks: they opened their homes and hearts to unfortunate, abandoned animals.

As we move into this season of thanking, sharing and giving, we ask that you join them. There are so many loving dogs and cats at the Aiken County Animal Shelter that need a new home.

They need you.

Come on over.  Their lives are in our hands.

BY THE NUMBERS

OCTOBER 2014 statistics:

FOTAS organized the transfer of 59 dogs & cats to partner rescues, as well as numerous local adoptions were completed

FOTAS’ Fix-a-Pet and Lenny’s Brigade programs paid for 80 spay/neuter surgeries of local pets and community cats at the SPCA

PETS OF THE WEEK

ANGELINA     Female, Lab mix, 2 years old, 46 lbs      $70

AMMO     Male, Domestic Short Hair        $10

Adoption, Cats, News

Fantabulous felines

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

16 November 2014

Fantabulous Felines

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”

Charles Dickens

I love cats, I really do – so if cats have gotten short shrift in this column over the past year, it’s only because I am obsessed these days with my beloved shelter dogs and constant companions, Maggie and Jack.

Actually, my very first animal loves were cats.

When I was in grade school, a long, white cat named Gussie kept my sister April and I company when our mother was at work, stretching out on the couch between us while we muddled through our homework.

There was Nicky, a big yellow tabby who terrorized my mother into feeding him into obesity because he tackled her ankles when she walked through the kitchen.

My heart of hearts was Poo Cat, a tuxedo cat of advanced years who appeared on my doorstep one bitterly cold December day in 1978 while I was cramming for law school exams.  She quickly made herself at home, settling on the table and playing with my pencils while I read, perching on the toilet each morning as I dried my hair, and curling up on the pillow next to me while I slept. To this day, the thought of Poo Cat makes me weep.

Personable, affectionate and mysterious, it is no wonder cats are the most popular pets in the world.  They were considered sacred in ancient Egypt and revered as exalted souls in various ancient religions.  In Norse mythology, the goddess of beauty, love and fertility, Freyja, traveled the skies in a chariot drawn by two cats.

Pam Borger, who recently adopted Bubba, a white and gray cat with emerald eyes, from the Aiken County Animal Shelter, has been a cat lover all her life.

“Cats are so easy,” says Pam. “They are meticulously clean, affectionate and low maintenance – you don’t have to walk them three times a day or spend weeks house-training them. You don’t have to take them to obedience school.

Plus, cats are less needy than dogs – more independent, happy to be with you, but perfectly content without you.”

“You think they’re as smart as dogs?” I ask.

Pam laughs.  “I once read a quote by Jeff Valdez [a popular television writer and producer]?  He said, ‘Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.’”

Think about it; he has a point.  Plus, cats make ideal companions for people who don’t have room or outside facilities for a dog, people who work, and people who live alone. Cats are terrific pets for children – playful, kind and non-aggressive.

Thousands of cats and kittens pass through the doors of the Aiken County Animal Shelter every year.  In fact, cats and kittens make up the majority of animals at the shelter at any given time, which means, sadly, more adoptable cats are euthanized each year than dogs.

But here’s the good news: it also means you will have lots of choices when you decide it’s time to bring one of these regal creatures into your home and heart.

Here’s more good news.  During the month of November, you can adopt a fully spayed/neutered, wormed and inoculated cat or kitten for only $10.

That’s a small price to pay for so much love; just ask Julie Seremak and her newly adopted kitten, Gretchen.

BY THE NUMBERS

On Nov. 12, FOTAS’s Fix-A- Pet program organized the pick-ups of 28 pets and funded their surgeries.

On Nov. 11, FOTAS organized the transfer of 11 dogs, three on the “urgent” list, to a northern partner humane society.

PETS OF THE WEEK

Peppermint—  Female, Terrier mix — 2 years old — 23 lbs  — $70.00

Crunch —  Male, Domestic Short Hair adult cat — $10.00

Adoption, Dogs, News

Happy FOTAS tails from the new Aiken County Animal Shelter

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

09 November 2014

Happy FOTAS Tails

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

When Daisy Walker first laid eyes on a handsome, six-year old, tri-colored hound crossbreed named Gaige at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, she fell in love.

“He looked up at me with those eyes and wagged his tail, and I said to my son, ‘This is the one!’” says Daisy.

And so he was. Daisy adopted Gaige, and now he is her constant companion. He sleeps with her. He protects her. He even talks to her.

“He’s my baby. He talks to me when he wants something, like ice in his bowl – he loves ice in his bowl!” says Daisy, laughing with delight. “I’ve never had a dog like this.”

That’s how Daisy and Gaige became the first seniors to take advantage of the Silver Paws program developed by FOTAS and the County, which pairs senior citizens and senior dogs or cats for half-price – all the time.

Senior Paws and other programs like Fall in Love, Nine Lives for Nine Dollars, Back in Black, regular half-price specials and the lowest standard adoption fees in Aiken have boosted adoption numbers to all time highs, making a lot of folks and a lot of animals, like Daisy and Gaige, very happy in the process.

The FOTAS On-Site Event Coordinator, Ellie Joos, organizes events designed to help people become more educated pet owners.  Events such as H.E.L.P. (How to Enjoy Living with a Puppy), a session for puppies and their owners led by Dr. Holly Woltz and Dr. Sybil Davis, and the Dog Ears Reading and Listening Program (a joint effort with the Aiken County Regional Library System), which helps young children hone their reading skills by reading to shelter dogs who love the attention, have been well attended.

FOTAS has organized and provided training sessions for FOTAS volunteers and staff by professional trainers like Jay Lyda of Veteran K9 Solutions and Susi Cohen of the Palmetto Dog Club to teach shelter dogs basic obedience skills, which also makes them more adoptable. (By the way, Jay and Susi offer a free training session for new adopted dog owners.)

With the help of the trainers and through Urgent Appeals made through the FOTAS communication networks, long-term canine shelter residents whose times were running out – dogs like Luci, Olivia and Andrew – have found homes as service dogs and beloved pets.

Then there’s the FOTAS Heartworm Positive (HWP) Program, which gives dogs who test positive for heartworms but are not sick, a chance to be adopted.  FOTAS partners with local vets and pays for 30 days of heartworm treatment meds and 6 months of heartworm prevention to anyone who adopts a HWP dog.

Bella, an 8 year-old Chihuahua, was the first HWP dog adopted from the shelter.

“Bella is wonderful,” says Manuella Kowitt, “and very healthy for an older dog – you’d never suspect she is HWP. Since I have to give her heartworm prevention medicine anyway, she’s been no extra trouble at all.”

All this work and special programming is paying off.

“In August and September, 610 dogs and cats were adopted or transferred to no-kill facilities,” says Jennifer Miller, President of FOTAS. “As of October 1st, FOTAS Fix-a-Pet and Lenny’s Brigade have funded 350 spay/neuters of pets and community cats. We couldn’t be more pleased.”

The outpouring of community support in terms of time, money and service have made a real difference in the lives of and outcomes for the thousands of homeless County animals.

Please help us continue our work. Their lives are in our hands.

PETS OF THE WEEK

TALLY     Female, hound — 2 years old — 40 lbs — $70

BECKY      Female, tabby — 4 mos old — $10

Adoption, Cats, News

Bubba makes friends

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

02 November 2014

BUBBA MAKES FRIENDS

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

Bubba was one cool cat.

A large fellow with a striking white and gray coat and dazzling emerald green eyes, Bubba was a favorite among FOTAS volunteers and shelter staff at the Aiken County Animal Shelter because he was so affectionate and intelligent.

Bubba was also one bad dude in the jungle of shelter cats. The mere sight of another cat sent Bubba into a frenzy of hissing and spitting. Too aggressive to be set loose in the cat colony, he had to be segregated in a cage.

Bubba’s time was running out at the shelter when he was adopted by Pam Borger and her two boys, Austin and Chance. Although the family already had two cats, Pam was undaunted by his past history.

“He had been in the shelter for a very long time,” says Pam. “He had been declawed. It didn’t surprise me he was fearful and aggressive. I was certain I could make it work.”

Here’s what she did.

When she brought him home, Pam segregated Bubba up in a small, quiet, sunny guest room with a soft bed and a clean litter box – a safe place for Bubba to adjust to his new surroundings.

She rubbed clean socks all over her other two cats, Jeter and Wally, which she scattered around Bubba’s room so he could get used to the scent of the other cats. (She also left Bubba-scented socks around the house for Jeter and Wally.)

She first tried putting a gate up instead of closing the door, but Bubba hissed and arched at the first sight of the other two cats.

Too much, too soon, she decided. Bubba had been through a lot. She closed the door to let him settle in to his new home.

For the next several days, Pam and the boys just hung out with Bubba – stroking his ears, playing with toys, and watching TV. Bubba was in cat heaven; content with his surroundings, thrilled with the company.

On night 3, Pam let Bubba sleep with her. She woke up to find Bubba’s head on her pillow and his paw on her cheek.

On Day 4, she let Bubba roam the house in the morning while the other cats and her dog, Lucia, were outside. He spent the next 3 mornings exploring his surroundings. He slept in his room in the afternoon, he watched TV with the boys in the evening, and he slept with Pam at night.

After 7 days of settling in and getting used to the smell and sounds of Jeter and Wally, Pam let Bubba out of his room under supervision. After a brief period of slight hissing and circling by Jeter and Bubba and a total lack of interest by Wally and Lucia, the cats settled in different parts of the room and watched each other warily.

By the next day, it was done. Little by little, Bubba and Jeter began to play and sleep together, and as you can see by the photo, the three cats have become great friends. All it took was a time, patience, common sense and kindness.

Bubba has found a home.

There’s a Bubba waiting for you at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. For the month of November, you can adopt a spayed or neutered, fully vaccinated cat for only $10.

Please don’t wait. Their lives are in our hands.

BY THE NUMBERS

 

8/1/14-9/30/14                    VS                            8/1/13- 9/30/13

 

Received – 864 dogs/cats                               received- 894 dogs/cats

Adopted/transferred- 378 dogs/cats          adopted/transferred- 232 dogs/cats

Euthanized – 436 dogs/cats                             euthanized- 697 dogs/cats

PETS OF THE WEEK

CHIPPER — Male — Lab retriever mix — 2 yrs old — 35 lbs. — $70.00

BELLA — Female — Tabby — 2 yrs old — 5.4 lbs — $10.00

Adoption, Dogs, News, Training

Love and be loved: the joy of owning a dog

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

26 October 2014

LOVE & BE LOVED: THE JOY OF OWNING A DOG

By Susi Cohen, President of the Palmetto Dog Club and FOTAS Volunteer Trainer

Dogs are unmatched in their devotion, loyalty and interaction to humankind. Anyone who has ever loved a dog can attest to its hundred-fold return. The excitement your dog shows when you come home, the wagging tail at the sound of the leash being taken from its hook, the delight in the tossing of a tennis ball, and the head nestled in your lap are only some of the rewards of having a dog in your life.

Owning a dog is not just a privilege – it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, so taking a dog into your life involves a serious commitment to its wellbeing for the rest of its life.

And for a shelter dog, who has already experienced some level of disruption, loss and perhaps trauma in its life, the stakes are even higher: your commitment and patience may literally mean the difference between a happy, secure life and certain death. You are his second chance.

It’s not like buying a new car. You can’t just trade your dog in when he misbehaves, gets sick or when circumstances in your home environment change.

Plus, if you take the time to teach your new dog how to be a good family member from the very beginning, the payoff is huge.  Not only will you will ease the stress of the transition from shelter to home and limit his potential to make mistakes, you will build a bond that will last a lifetime.

Make time for your dog and create a schedule for play, feeding and sleeping. He will quickly learn what to expect and be content with it. It will also give your life purpose. Remember that while you are at work, out with friends, or running errands, your dog is waiting for you to come home.  You are his whole world.

Training your new companion is most important. He needs to understand who’s in charge and what the rules are.  This gives his life structure and builds confidence and reinforces his bond with you.

Moreover, a trained dog is a happy dog.

Teaching your dog basic commands such as heel, sit, stay, come and down will make your life easier and help you keep him safe.

Expose your dog to different people and settings regularly. Take him to the park, to the pet store, on a walk through town. The more your dog learns of the world, the more comfortable he will be in it.

Obedience classes can be a great experience for you and your dog. It can help address issues with professional assistance. You may discover your dog has a talent for learning and is able to compete in obedience, agility or tracking events. More fun for the both of you, I promise.

Because your dog loves you, he wants to please you. Praise him lavishly for obeying commands and behaving well. Using positive, rather than negative, reinforcement will help your dog enjoy learning. Always be consistent so your dog is not confused.

Finally love and enjoy your dog, he will return that love in spades.

BY THE NUMBERS

FOTAS’ Lenny’s Brigade and FOTAS’ Fix-a-Pet organized the pick-up of 28 dogs and cats this week and funded their spay/neuter surgeries

PETS OF THE WEEK

KANE     Boxer mix — male — 3 yrs old — 51 lbs —- $70

LOTTIE   Domestic short hair — female — 7 wks — 1 1/2 lbs — $35

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, News

Balancing hope and despair

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

19 October 2014

BALANCING HOPE AND DESPAIR

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

It’s not easy writing a weekly column about a public shelter like the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

I could write every single week on the issues of overpopulation of animals in the County due to unplanned and indiscriminate breeding, the need to spay and neuter pets, animal abuse, overcrowded shelter facilities due to off-the-charts intake, or the 69% euthanasia rate, and then attach a photo of a desperate, sick and beat-up animal staring pitifully out of its kennel with a caption like “Why won’t someone love me?”

But that’s only half the picture, and really, isn’t the world scary enough these days without me adding a little Sunday sadness to your lives?

Here’s the other half of the picture: there are so many wonderful things happening at the new County shelter. I could also write every week about that and attach a photo of happy owners and happy dogs, children reading to puppies, Girl Scouts cleaning up the grounds, and dedicated FOTAS volunteers socializing the dogs and cats.

It’s a balancing act – making sure that you, the community, know that your extraordinary efforts and generosity have made a life-saving difference in the lives of the County’s homeless and abandoned animals without creating a false sense of job done, mission complete.

Because the job is not done: the intake numbers at the Shelter are still dismally high, nearly 5000 animals last year alone. It’s like sweeping back the ocean with a broom – they come through the door faster than we can move them out.

And the mission is not complete: 69% of the animals that pass through the County Shelter’s doors are euthanized.

So, I have to remind myself, and you, that significant, steady headway is being made in reducing overpopulation and increasing adoptions.

In September, FOTAS’ Lenny’s Brigade and Fix-a-Pet spayed and neutered 66 dogs and cats in the month of September; funded and organized 3 group pickups of pets and 1 group pickup of community cats from Wagner to be driven to the SPCA clinic, neutered and returned home; and funded 23 supplemental spay/neuter vouchers to qualifying citizens who called the FOTAS hotline.

Regular specials like the Silver Paws Program, $9 for 9 Lives and Back in Black have been wildly successful in increasing adoptions.

The FOTAS/County Heartworm Positive Program is also gaining momentum. In that program, heartworm positive dogs that are not sick are moved to the adoption floor (rather than euthanized), and FOTAS pays the first six months of heartworm medicine for anyone who adopts a heartworm positive dog. So far, 6 heartworm positive dogs have been adopted and saved.

FOTAS volunteer trainers Jay Lyda from Veterans K9 Solutions and Susi Cohen from Palmetto Dog Club work with other volunteers and high-energy dogs to teach basic obedience skills, which makes those dogs more adoptable.

In the past 4 months, Veteran’s K9 Solutions has placed 4 Shelter dogs with veterans to be service dogs.

Sixteen children attended the second Dog Ear’s Listening Program, where young children hone their reading skills by reading out loud to the attentive Shelter dogs.

So you see, lots of good things are happening at the Aiken County Animal Shelter – things that make a difference, things that save lives. We should all be proud of that.

But let’s not rest on our laurels.  Coconut, Rosa, Molly, Fiona, Mary Kate, Ashley, Mama Cass, Melissa, Bella, Onyx, Rufus, Ellie Mae, Chad, Lottie, Deno, Dale, Sassafras, Pal, Carrie, Wally, Romeo and a whole lot more fabulous dogs and cats at the County Shelter still need homes.

IT’S ALL PART OF FOTAS‘ MISSION

FOTAS’ Lenny’s Brigade and Fix a Pet programs funded the spay/neuters of 66 County dogs and cats in need  in month of September!

PETS OF THE WEEK

RUFUS — Male — Chow Chow — 4 yrs old — 42 lbs — $70

MOLLY — Female —  domestic short hair — 4 yrs old —  $35

Adoption, Dogs, News, Volunteers

You Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

12 October 2014

YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD DOG DOWN

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

The little, red dachshund had been hit by a car. By the time Animal Control picked him up from the ditch beside the road, he was virtually comatose. His mouth and muzzle were misshapen and swollen, and his front right leg looked broken.

As it turns out, his leg was badly sprained, and his lower teeth were impaled in the soft tissue of the mouth from the impact. Over the next week, the Shelter staff administered sedatives, antibiotics and love. Day-by-day, he got better. Catherine Chadwick, the daughter of Shelter manager Martha Chadwick, named him Don Juan because he is such a loving little guy.

Enrique Vazquez is a Viet Nam veteran who lives in an apartment and walks with a cane. In recent months, Enrique has suffered a devastating family loss and the loss of his adored Boston Terrier.

Enrique told Jerry Lyda at Veteran’s K9 Solutions he was ready for another dog. On Monday morning, Jerry’s son, Jay, a trainer who works weekly with FOTAS volunteers, took Enrique to the Shelter to interview some prospects.

When Enrique met Don Juan, who had been moved to the adoption floor just minutes before Enrique and Jay arrived, it was love at first sight.

“Don Juan made a beeline for Enrique,” says Jay, “wagging his tail furiously. He jumped into his arms, rolled over and closed his eyes in ecstasy. Enrique couldn’t stop laughing.”

Volunteers and staff at the shelter rejoiced when Enrique took Don Juan home.

Then there’s Trinity, a young black lab mix with white markings, who was a victim of shocking abuse.

Picked up as a stray by Animal Control with a collar embedded in her neck, her back leg was severed below the knee with a bone protruding from mangled flesh.

Yet despite all the physical abuse meted out by humans and the obvious pain of her injuries, Trinity was not aggressive or threatening.

“She would lie quietly in her crate,” says Sandy Larsen, the Shelter’s senior vet tech. “Whenever someone stopped to check on her, she would wag her tail hopefully. I knew she was a special dog.”

So special, in fact, that she captured the heart of Dr. Lisa Levy, a veterinarian at Silver Bluff Animal Hospital who works with the shelter animals.  Dr. Levy appealed to her partners to allow her to properly amputate Trinity’s leg at the hospital gratis.

They agreed, and Dr. Levy operated immediately. By the end of the week, Trinity was back at the shelter. When she was able to walk on her own, FOTAS called on one of their most experienced volunteers, Sylvia Igoe, to foster Trinity until they found her a home.

“I was reluctant at first,” says Sylvia, “she seemed so hopelessly damaged. But I was touched by her willingness, so I agreed.”

Within 48 hours, Trinity went from cowering and shaking in her crate to totally bonding with Sylvia’s children, Isabelle and Sean, and her pack of four dogs, ranging from her big German Shepherd, Sam, to little Chi-Chi, a beloved Shelter alumni.

“Trinity is oblivious to her own disability. She runs and plays with my dogs with complete abandon. I came home the other day,” says Sylvia, “to find her happily sunning herself on a chaise lounge in the yard in the middle of my four dogs.”

“She is a rock star.”

These are stories of tragedy, resilience, forgiveness and love.

Despite their injuries and heartbreak, Enrique and Don Juan found each other. Two veterans of tragedy slowed down by age and disability – a perfect match.

Trinity teaches us about toughness of spirit and the healing powers of love. In two weeks, Trinity will leave Sylvia and go home with Dr. Levy, who just could not let her go.

The angels have been working overtime.

SPECIAL ADOPTION PROGRAM AT THE SHELTER:

SILVER PAWS & SENIORS — half price adoption special for adopters over 60 who adopt dog/cat 6+ yrs — $35/dogs — $17 cats

PETS OF THE WEEK

MAMA CASS   female, American bulldog, 6 months old, 30 lbs — $70.00

TASHA   female, Calico, 1 yr old,  6 1/2 lbs   — $35.00

Adoption, Events, Fundraisers, News, Volunteers

Community Comes Together for the Shelter

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

05 October 2014

Community Comes Together for the Shelter

Aiken’s Community Shelter

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

It’s happened.  The new Aiken County Animal Shelter has become a community place to be proud of – a place where folks like to come and volunteer their time and effort.

For those of us who experienced the dismal, depressing conditions of the old shelter, the transformation has been nothing short of amazing.

The FOTAS volunteer program is thriving.  The dedicated volunteers work closely with the County staff and are a critical, consistent, enthusiastic presence at the shelter.

Jay Lyda from Southern K9 Solutions in Augusta and Susi Cohen from the Palmetto Dog Club in Aiken come to the shelter weekly to help FOTAS volunteers and County staff with basic dog training skills.

The new shelter is host to a number of on-site community events, like the very popular Woofstock and the Children’s Dog Ears Reading Program.

The shelter is also the beneficiary this year of the Aiken Lowe’s Project Heroes, a program in which Lowe’s employees volunteer to perform community service for a local nonprofit organization.

Lowe’s employees Mark Brown, Chip Poston, Yvonne Fitzgerald, Matt Diggin, Patrick Casper and William Frashuer are providing the labor and care necessary to install wiring and speakers throughout the shelter for a much-needed public address system, which can also be used to pipe-in calming music (a little Om Guitar, anybody?) for stressed-out shelter animals, staff and volunteers.

Then there’s Logan Gibbons, an Eagle Scout candidate with Boy Scout Troup 432 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who also chose the County Shelter to be the focus of his community project.

Logan and his troop members, under the supervision of his dad, Grant Gibbons, constructed a gazebo shelter in the dog exercise yard. The boys poured concrete footings, constructed new posts and moved the roof of the overhang from the shelter created by FOTAS at the old shelter.

Now, as a result of their generosity and hard work, the dogs, volunteers and staff have a place to relax in the exercise yard shielded from the scorching summer sun.

The 6th graders from Aiken Girl Scout Troup 2409 were also busy at the shelter this summer.  In order to earn their Bronze Award, the girls must perform community service. They resolved to help the homeless – both people and animals.

The girls came to the shelter twice a week for a month to help wherever needed, doing everything from weeding, cleaning and helping walk and groom the animals.

“They loved it,” says troop leader Wendy Dietzel, those daughter Ella is a member of Troup 2409. “Because they were there on a regular basis, they got to know the animals – they felt a part of it. They were thrilled when the dogs found homes. They learned about the need to spay and neuter, and they learned about the sad realities of a crowded shelter.”

“The experience really had a positive impact on the girls. It ended up being much more of an educational experience than I had anticipated.

The growing connection of the Aiken community to the County Shelter, as illustrated by these few examples, is heartwarming.  More and more, folks are adopting their new pets from the shelter, practicing responsible pet ownership, and committing to spaying and neutering their animals to reduce the overpopulation of unwanted pets.

Thank you good citizens of Aiken. Together we are making a difference in the lives of the County’s thousands of homeless and unwanted animals.

ADOPTION SPECIAL AT THE SHELTER:

SILVER PAWS & SENIORS — half price adoption special for adopters over 60 who adopt dog/cat 6+ yrs — $35/dogs — $17 cats

PETS OF THE WEEK

LOUISE   female, Shepherd mix, 4 months old, 28 lbs — $70.00

MELISSA   female, Tabby, 3 years old — $35.00