Category Archives: PUPPIES

2025, abandoned animals, animal abuse, PUPPIES

It’s Been A Cruel Summer

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
It has been a cruel summer for Aiken County unwanted animals.
03
Sep

Sometimes the shelter is hopeful, we can have a great adoption day and we think, this is great! We can take a breath for a minute!

Then the wave crashes in again.

Presley is a sweet boy waiting for his new best friend.
Presley is a sweet boy waiting for his new best friend.

This summer has been a tough one for sure. We have neglect cases, abandonment cases (I am shocked by how many people move away and leave their dogs in their homes or tied in their yards!), puppies and kittens suffering from malnourishment and mange, dogs with scars from fighting or from living on pavement or dirt, leaving scars and skin issues.

The economy is a factor yes…pet food is very expensive and many cannot afford rising care costs.  However, the cases we are seeing are primarily caused by simply not caring.

Have you ever seen a dog cry? A cat so stiff in fear that you can’t get see emotion?  I wish I could say that I haven’t.

Presley came to us as a stray originally, with scars from an embedded collar.  We were thrilled when he was adopted!  Presley recently came back to us after being found wandering. His owner could no longer care for him and gave him back to the shelter. He was covered in fleas, his elbows and feet raw and red from living on hard surfaces. He cried when he came back. This skinny, sweet boy was broken. Thankfully staff member Peggy brought him a big bed and he curled up and kissed her.  This is the sweetest boy on the planet!  He needs a home of his own. He adores other dogs, he is as gentle as a dog can be.

Jada was found with a lock and chain around her neck.
Jada was found with a lock and chain around her neck.

Jada wandered up to someone’s yard with a lock and chain around her neck. A thirteen-pound dog needed a chain? Thankfully she made it to a kind person that brought her to the shelter. Jada was so frightened as you can imagine. She had an open wound on her neck. Once healed she picked a very nice man that she wanted as her owner. She just hopped into his lap and he knew he had to save her.

We are eternally grateful for those that stop and help dogs that are in distress, that are hungry and unloved.  We are constantly frustrated that there are people in our community, neighbors, that chain their dogs in their back yards. That don’t give water or food to their pet. Those that can’t even give an animal shade.

The shelter cannot keep up with the numbers coming in. We need people to adopt.

Yes, we always need foster homes but that is a temporary fix.  

Adoptions are what save lives. Adoptions are the key to emptying kennels, curing sadness and creating hope.  

If you have saved an animal and provided them a kind home, tell everyone! There are still far too many people going to breeders to get puppies. We know, we take them all in when they are older and not ‘cute’ anymore.

Forgive my frustration, but my friends have four legs and live in cages. It hurts not being able to take them all home. As a community we can provide homes. We can share love.

Please don’t look the other way, they need us.

Their lives are in our hands.

by Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2025, animal care education, PUPPIES, Spay/Neuter

FOTAS: The tragedy of unwanted puppies

Posted on by Shana Ryberg

Puppies, puppies, puppies. Everyone loves puppies—their warm, soft, little bodies, their playful antics, their happy, goofy faces, and furiously wagging tails. Those little guys are entitled to a full happy life, but the future of puppies born from indiscriminate breeding is far from certain.

In Aiken County, those puppies are most likely abandoned on the road, in a dumpster or, dropped off at the Aiken County Animal Shelter in the middle of the night by owners who never bothered to spay mama dog and then wash their hands of the consequences. Sometimes they surrender them to the shelter in person, year after year, without a second thought and leave it to us solve their problem. A whole litter of little lives that didn’t ask to be born. They deserve better.

Puppies, puppies, puppies. Hundreds of them in all shapes and sizes. A busy public shelter is not the place for those adorable small fries to receive the proper time, attention, or love to become healthy, well-balanced adults. We work hard to find them a second chance, either locally or out of town, but it’s heartbreaking work. In the summer months, the shelter is woefully overcrowded with adult dogs, too, just waiting for that one person to walk by their kennel, look twice, and take them home to love.

This summer, the shelter’s been overwhelmed with incoming animals, adults and puppies. Transfers to our northern transfer partners are not guaranteed. Many, like the county shelter, have their own problems with limited spay/neuter serves and are overwhelmed as well. Some just don’t accept puppies. Since Covid, the safety nets for homeless and abandoned animals have frayed to the point of near collapse across the country.

We do all we can, but it’s not enough. It will never be enough unless we get serious about providing low-cost spay/neuter services to county residents.

In Aiken County and adjoining counties, public and private low-cost spay/neuter clinics and services are extremely limited. Add that to a nationwide shortage of veterinarians, many of whom don’t provide low cost spay/neuter services to the public, the population of homeless animals grows beyond our ability to care for them. Aiken County is no exception.

The only effective solution is to build a dedicated public spay/neuter clinic to service the citizens of Aiken County, and county council is stepping to the plate. The cost to build a dedicated spay/neuter clinic in the county was included as one of its one-penny tax projects in the current round of funding. We applaud County Council’s foresight and humanity.

This is not an experimental endeavor. Six years ago, Greenville County build a dedicated, state of the art, public low-cost spay/neuter clinic. In those six short years, Greenville saw a 60% reduction in intake. It worked. Apply that 60% reduction to Aiken County, and the county shelter intake reduces dramatically, year after year, to a manageable number. Every adoptable animal will continue to be saved.

Collectively, we need to come together as a community to improve the outcomes for Aiken County’s homeless animals. Together, with the help of a committed county council, we can reduce the suffering of unwanted animals and make our community shelter a resource—not a destination. Go to fotasaiken.org to see how you can help.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice-President

2025, Foster, fostering, PUPPIES

An Important Message from a Dog

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
20
Aug

I’m Ozzy a 7 year old Dalmatian who was adopted a few years ago by my current parents. I know what it’s like to not have a home so I was thrilled when my parents decided to foster dogs from the Aiken County Animal shelter. It gives shelter dogs a chance to experience the wonderful life of a real home even if it’s just for a short time.

After Mom brings the foster pups home and they are ready to meet me, she lets them play on my bed, and then introduces me to them so I help her with the whole process. I play with them, give them love, and even give them a nudge when they need a little correction. They love to play and are real curious in their new environment that provides food and love with peace and quiet.

I love that my mom fosters puppies. FOTAS provides everything she needs during their stay and our mentoring helps make the puppies more adoptable. I still do all my chores and have all my fun like usual but now even my life is more rewarding as I help prepare these puppies for their next wonderful life.

In a couple of weeks these puppies will go on to be adopted. I know my mom loves the total experience and although we know other fosters who don’t have a dog of their own, I know she couldn’t have done it without me!

Why don’t you ask your mom if you can start fostering dogs? Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. Please email info@fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.

by Ozzy Dawson-Ekeland

2025, Foster, fostering, kitten season, PUPPIES

For the love of dogs, please foster

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Josh Daniels on the ride home with a foster puppy
03
Apr
Josh and Alicia, Foster Stars
Josh and Alicia, Foster Stars

 

We have many special foster families but this week we want to celebrate Alicia Brigode and Josh Daniels. This young couple has been fostering now for years, and they always say yes! We ask them to take a dog, a puppy or kittens and they always show up with huge smiles and they never, ever complain. They are warm, kind and incredible human beings.

They began fostering dogs for us, they have amazing and social pets at home that get along great with other pets. Then we threw in puppies. Now they help with a lot of medical cases. Recently they cared for a male pup with a broken leg that needed a place to heal, then they took on a puppy that needed long term care for skin issues. The typical answers I get when I ask Alicia to foster are, “We can! When do you want us to pick him up?” or “Absolutely!” or my favorite, “Ummmm…YES!!!”

We asked Alicia to write about what fostering means to them:

“When we tell people that we foster, typically the first question is “how….” When we were asked to write something about fostering, it was overwhelming. But we’re here to answer the “how” question. The love of giving an animal a better chance at life is something that Josh and I have had in common since we met. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve jumped out of our car trying to save turtles, snakes, loose dogs, horses, and birds. If you can relate, keep reading! The feeling you get from potentially saving an animal’s life is comparable to winning an award. Once you get back in your car from doing your “good deed” you feel amazing, and the animal goes back to where it belongs.

Alicia Brigode applies meds to foster puppy Hank
Alicia Brigode applies meds to foster puppy Hank

“Fostering gives us that feeling. We love and care for every animal like our own. When it’s time to give them back, it is a bittersweet goodbye (and a total tearjerker sometimes). We’ve had dogs that we wish we’d kept, but a lot of times we reach out to our community and try to find them the perfect home. Mostly, because we want to visit them in the future! I could go on and on. If you have a gift of loving and letting go, foster. If you have the time and resources, foster. If you have a knack for training dogs, foster. For the love of dogs, foster. If you ask us “how,” the feeling we get from being the bridge between a shelter and forever home is a bittersweet blessing.”

We would love to clone Alicia and Josh but instead we are hoping that their words inspire others to help. That their experiences convince citizens to say, “Yes” to helping a homeless animal find a happy resting spot on their way to their forever home.

FOTAS provides anything you need when you foster. The pets just need a safe place to receive love and care for a short time and even long-term medical needs.

Their lives are in our hands.
By Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2024, Adoption, Foster, PUPPIES

Puppies, puppies, puppies!

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
One of the litters arrived, stuffed in a hot, dirty kennel.
27
Sep

A dozen puppies at the Aiken County Animal Shelter are looking for good homes, another 15 desperately need fostering, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight as more stray pups keep pouring into the shelter.

Why are we getting so many puppies? Well, there are a number of factors, including people overbreeding and dumping puppies on the side of the road or on other people’s property. In addition, adult dogs are increasingly being abandoned on the street, often by people facing financial hardships who can no longer afford to feed or house them. These wandering strays are breeding and producing pups. Also, Aiken County is growing and our veterinarian offices are not able to keep up with appointments. This means citizens sometimes find that spay and neuter surgeries are booked up and an appointment for surgery may not be available for months, resulting in many accidental litters.

Adopters needed for cute puppies
Because of this puppy explosion we’re experiencing, we have adorable canine babes available for adoption. Dilly, a chunky four-month-old, is squishy, lazy and loves snuggle time! Delilah is a more petite, super fun pup that loves to play.

The Hound/Shepherd litter is amazing! These pups, which include Bandit, Carrie, Rex, Rocky, Tina, Spicy, Zyla and Zeek, came to us shoved in a hot and filthy crate. They are so grateful for love, baths and no more fleas! This crew adores toys and any attention given.

The Labby litter, which includes Nigel, Niko, Nathan and Nolan, breaks our hearts. We couldn’t find a foster home for them so by the time we could get them fixed and ready for adoption, they were a little more shy than we would prefer. However, these cuties will be fine; they just need homes soon, so they can build confidence and gain more trust in people.

Short-term fosters needed now more than ever
Every kennel in our puppy section is full of litters. This is so hard to see. These babies need love and care. Are they safe and cared for? Of course. We have an amazing staff. But the shelter is full, and no one has enough time to work with puppies.

We need short-term foster homes now. What does that mean exactly? We have litters that need safe places to stay healthy and receive love until we can get the proper vaccinations for them. Every pup gets vaccinated when they arrive at the shelter. But they need a series of vaccinations, so they don’t get parvo or other awful things. FOTAS provides food, crates, toys… anything you need.

Foster homes are extremely important because they help puppies get proper socialization. If you have a farm, we would love to fill an open stall with a cute, grateful litter of puppies! A stall gives them so much room to play and sleep and the quiet of a farm is so much healthier than the noisy shelter.

We talk about our need for foster homes often because they are so vital to the health and happiness of our homeless pups. It is also one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a volunteer.

If you can help, please contact us at info@fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.
By Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2024, kittens, PUPPIES, Spay/Neuter

When it rains, it pours

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Due to nerve damage in her left front leg, Daisy had to have it amputated. But this gorgeous cat gets around like she’s been on three legs her whole life.

08
Aug

As the steady rain of Tropical Storm Debby threatened to cause flooding in the area this week, the Aiken County Animal Shelter was overflowing with homeless animals in need.

They just keep coming. Litters of puppies, sick kittens, lost dogs, injured cats, etc. Not because of Debby. Her rain had little impact on our intake of strays and surrendered pets. No, it is because people are not spaying/neutering their pets, not microchipping their pets, and not keeping their pets contained on their property with a fenced-in yard or by walking them on a leash.

When pets are not properly cared for and become strays, there is a good chance they will get sick or injured. Some aren’t so lucky and end up flattened by a vehicle or starving to death.

County Animal Shelter Veterinarian Nancy Rodriguez and her team of vet technicians do all they can to help the injured pets that come into our facility, and do an amazing job of caring for them. But to help them recover more quickly, we need fosters and adopters that can nurture these sweet animals and provide them with wonderful, loving homes.

Here are some of the current available pets at the County Shelter who need homes and extra TLC:

Chappy was so skinny when he got here, we weren’t sure if he would survive. But he is a tough guy and getting better. A brown, 2-year-old, 47-pound mixed breed, Chappy needs a home where he can get back to health and enjoy a happy future.

Tippy is a 7-month-old, tan and white, Terrier mix puppy who arrived with a broken pelvis.
Tippy is a 7-month-old, tan and white, Terrier mix puppy who arrived with a broken pelvis.

Tippy is a 7-month-old, 12-pound, tan and white, Terrier mix puppy who came to us with a broken pelvis. She is adoptable as special needs but needs crate rest, no rough play, and will be x-rayed in one month to see how she is healing. Tippy needs a soft, quiet place to recover.

Ermes is a 5-month-old, 31-pound, chocolate Retriever pup that came to us bald and in pain from neglect. He was suffering from demodectic mange that was treated immediately upon his arrival at the shelter. He is doing well now and needs a good home.

Boo Boo is here because his owner passed away. This 7-year-old, 76-pound, mixed breed isn’t in physical pain, but he is in mourning and needs to get away from the stress of the shelter. Boo Boo needs an adopter who will give him the love and care he deserves.

Daisy is a sweet, 4-month-old, 5-pound kitten who arrived at the shelter with nerve damage in her left front leg. The leg was causing her pain and couldn’t be saved. However, this stunning blue eyed, charming kitten gets around amazingly well with three legs.

Charlie has had a difficult past. Despite this, he has love for every person he meets.
Charlie has had a difficult past. Despite this, he has love for every person he meets.

Charlie always has a smile on his face, but his past indicates signs of abuse. This 2-year-old, 48-pound, white, mixed breed arrived as a stray with an ulcerated lesion on his back, most likely from being burned. He still loves everyone and is a superstar in playgroup.

To see all of the pets available for adoption at the County Shelter, please go to fotasaiken.org. If you are interested in volunteering, fostering or adopting, visit us at 333 Wire Road in Aiken, SC. You can also call the shelter, (803) 642-1357 or send an email to info@fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

By the numbers: In July, Aiken County Animal Shelter received 499 dogs and cats with 22 animals received every business day.
Volunteers, fosters and adopters are urgently needed!

Adoption, Foster, fostering, PUPPIES

Summer brings puppies and the urgent need for fosters

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Beth Pratt’s Irish Setter, Max, likes to spend time with the foster puppies she takes in for FOTAS.
12
Jul

This time of year, we take in litter after litter of puppies. We truly rely on our fosters to keep these puppies healthy and away from the stress of the shelter.

We often ask if people have an open horse stall that we can fill with puppies. This can cause some worry by those that don’t understand how fabulous a stall can be for puppies. A stall is much more spacious than a kennel, it is quieter than the shelter, and the puppies can play and relax.

Nick and Sabrina keep the puppies in a stall, and they get playtime with Allie in the paddocks. This is a much better environment for pups than a crowded kennel at the shelter.
Nick and Sabrina keep the puppies in a stall, and they get playtime with Allie in the paddocks. This is a much better environment for pups than a crowded kennel at the shelter.

Sabrina Byrum and her husband Nick foster so many litters! The couple recently adopted a dog from the Aiken County Animal Shelter. Her name is Allie, and she absolutely loves to be with the foster puppies. The pups are kept in the stall but get playtime with Allie in the paddocks. It’s perfect!

Sarah Berkowitz and John Pallasch are always busy, but they never hesitate to take a litter when time allows. Their foster pups get to play with their many big, fluffy Great Pyrenees, two of whom were adopted from our shelter. The puppies get to play in a stall and run around the farm, such a dream for puppies!

Sabrina Byrum with her foster pups and adopted dog, Allie, who helps keep the little ones entertained.
Sabrina Byrum with her foster pups and adopted dog, Allie, who helps keep the little ones entertained.

Beth Platt is another wonderful foster that takes litters into her home. She has a stunning Irish Setter named Max that helps socialize the puppies in her care. Beth has visitors to her farm that love to play with the puppies. Her foster pups come back to the shelter so social and happy!

Being a foster for FOTAS can be an extremely rewarding experience. When foster parents pick up puppies, we all celebrate. Once home or in the barn, the puppies instantly relax and start playing! FOTAS will provide the pet food, toys, crate…whatever is needed. You provide the love.

If you live in Aiken County and would like to foster for us, please send an email message to info@fotasaiken.org or call the County Animal Shelter, 803.642.1537.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

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

Angels work together to foster, save orphaned puppies

Posted on by Bob Gordon
09
Feb

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

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

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

seven puppies fostered.

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

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

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

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

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

Every one of the puppies found good homes.

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

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

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

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

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

The Joys of Fostering from an Expert

Posted on by Bob Gordon
05
Mar

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

Joy, Noel and Holly before fostering.

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

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

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

The pups after fostering and treatment.

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

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

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

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

— By Fr. Grant Wiseman, FOTAS Foster

2020, coronavirus crisis, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, News, PUPPIES

Olympic Events Make Puppy Fostering Fun and Entertaining – Try It!

Posted on by Bob Gordon
22
Jun

The first morning I opened the door to the room of our four 4-week-old foster puppies, the tiny bundles yipped, licked and fell all over each other to climb into my arms. I turned to my husband and said, “You are going to have to up your game. Now, this is a greeting!”

On March 14, I called the Aiken County Animal Shelter hoping they had a foster dog for us., Everything was happening so quickly around the pandemic situation and decisions were being weighed whether to delay transfers or even close the shelter, so we wanted to help.

The Olympic events helped the puppies learn and develop — and were very entertaining!

Yes, they needed us – they had new puppies. We had never fostered puppies before but were given care instructions and eagerly picked up four black, 2½-pound squirming labs. The ride home exhausted them; they fell upon each other into a heap and promptly were sound asleep. So began our 6 weeks of isolation, social distancing and immeasurable entertainment! When we set out their puppy food and supplemental milk, they climbed over and under each other with such eagerness it reminded me of several of our family’s Thanksgivings.

We had a difficult time telling one from the other and their genders. It seems laughable but they were so young, not every part of their cuteness was evident! We named them Scooby, Rubble, Clover and Berrie and set to work on Puppy Olympics. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics had just been postponed and since they were daring adventurers, we prepared them for their first event – stair climbing. Roly-poly Scooby had the hardest time but was also the most determined. Mastering the downward climb event was like slalom skiing. They all jumped back up after taking a tumble.

Greg and Betty Ryberg and their foster puppies Scooby, Rubble, Clover and Berrie.

We built balance beams with boxes and mats and then introduced curling where they chased my push broom around while I cleaned their room. Mixed martial arts came naturally – they playfully nipped, wrestled and pinned each other.

Since they came running when they heard our voices, associating us with their meals, we set up races with their food at the finish line. Puppies are easily distracted. Often in the middle of an Olympic event one would curl up to sleep or chase a bird.

Other events included a low crawl through a little tunnel and a ball chase under a tiny bridge. Hide and seek in the monkey grass was also a daily event. As the puppies grew, we introduced them to swimming. Falling, leaping, belly flopping, splashing into 4-5 inches of water followed by true doggie paddling fascinated them. And was endlessly entertaining to us.

Their most accomplished achievement was napping every two hours and sleeping through the night. Following weeks of all four curling into one tight ball to sleep, they started to nestle by themselves in small areas. After six weeks, they were ready to leave the foursome and fill other families’ hearts. When they left with their forever families, the pups were healthy and happy.

Fostering is as nurturing for us as the dogs we save. If you would like to try it, please send an email to info@fotasaiken.org!

Their lives are in our hands.


— By Betty Ryberg, FOTAS Foster Volunteer