Category Archives: Transfer

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Donate, Foster, FOTAS, Spay/Neuter, Transfer, Volunteer

FOTAS: Going the extra mile

Posted on by Angel Hartline
22
Dec

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

Did you ever wonder where every homeless, injured, stray or abused animal picked up in the County (outside of the City) goes? Or where a homeless animal goes if the “no-kill” shelter is full? Or where an irresponsible County resident takes their bewildered pet when they decide that pet is inconvenient?

That would be the Aiken County Animal Shelter, which is required by law to take homeless or injured County strays, abused animals, community cats, and owner-surrendered pets. Five thousand forsaken animals a year pass through those doors, which is not only tragic, it’s costly. Caring and finding a home for all those animals is the responsibility of the County, funded by taxpayer dollars. FOTAS supplements the County’s care through private donations and volunteer effort.

Taking care of that many animals is a daunting, never-ending job for the County’s dedicated staff and FOTAS volunteers, yet every year, they manage to save more and more dogs and cats. It requires getting up close and personal with all those animals to make them appealing adoption prospects. They need to be groomed, walked and exercised. They need human attention.

FOTAS and the County go the extra mile even for the animals that seem hopeless, neglected or injured; and in virtually every case, we find a place for those animals, too.

Take Henry, a handsome, one-year old shepherd mix who was picked up by Animal Control, severely injured from being hit by a car. When Dr. Levy determined Henry’s injuries needed special surgery, FOTAS recruited and paid for the services of Dr. Groover at Aiken Veterinary Clinic to repair Henry’s badly displaced hip. Today, this sweet, hopeful dog is recovering in foster care arranged by FOTAS.

Then there’s Mr. Chuck, a Corgi/Spaniel stray picked up by Animal Control. Not only is Mr. Chuck heartworm positive, but both of his eyes were badly damaged (one had to be removed by Dr. Levy). FOTAS tapped its network of supporters and made a special plea to Martha Ann Tudor in Augusta, who has a remarkable knack finding homes for hard-to-place dogs. Mr. Chuck now resides with a fabulous family on a horse farm in Aiken.

Finally, there’s Helen, a beautiful, white Lab/Bully mix that could break your heart. Animal Control found Helen abandoned, walking in circles in the middle of a country road. She had no eyes—NO EYES! (What kind of heartless fiend would do that to a dog?) Once again, FOTAS reached out to its network of rescue partners, one of whom found her a remarkable family with a special-needs child and a seeing-eye dog for Helen. Perfect.

These are just recent examples of the extra mile that FOTAS volunteers and Shelter staff go to help these unfortunate animals find the love they deserve. There is a special place in heaven for those folks.

This week, bring the joy of the season and some heavenly grace to one of the wonderful animals at the Shelter.

Like the gentle, housebroken Henry, who won’t fit in a stocking, but will gladly stay up to share some milk and cookies with Santa.

Merry Christmas and God bless.

Their lives are in our hands.

Henry and his new pals in foster care share a bone.
Henry and his new pals in foster care share a bone.
Henry takes it easy while he recovers from surgery.
Henry takes it easy while he recovers from surgery.
Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Donate, Foster, FOTAS, Spay/Neuter, Transfer, Volunteer

FOTAS needs your Christmas spirit

Posted on by Angel Hartline
22
Dec

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice-President

“Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven.”
Henry Ward Beecher

It’s the time of year when the spirit of Christmas thrives. It’s a time of gratitude for our family and friends. It’s a time to rejoice our faith. It’s a time for love.

It is also a time for charitable giving, and if your mailbox is anything like mine, it’s filled with requests from worthy local charities for year-end contributions. They all do good works, but you can’t give to them all. How do you decide?

I am going to take a leap of faith here; that if you are reading this column, you care about the plight of abused, abandoned and homeless animals. If that’s true, then FOTAS, the private partner of the Aiken County Animal Shelter, is a perfect choice for your charitable urges. Here’s why.

FOTAS provides critical assistance to more animals than any other organization in the County: 5000 Shelter animals a year.

FOTAS funded 160 kennel decks at the Shelter, the Cat Adoption Building, 2 cat condos, a grooming tub, an additional hot water heater, a surgical autoclave, supplemental medicines and supplies, and fenced play yards. FOTAS funded veterinary assistant courses for Shelter staff to increase their animal care skills. FOTAS is currently funding the addition of a medical isolation pod. If the medical needs of an adoptable animal are beyond the capacity or capability of the Shelter, FOTAS pays for outside veterinarian services.

FOTAS goes the extra mile to find every animal a home.

FOTAS aggressively markets the adoptable animals through print and social media and purchased a van to transport animals to off-site adoption events. FOTAS supplements the adoption fees for active Military Personnel and veterans and pays for heartworm medicine for HWP dogs adopted from the Shelter.

FOTAS developed a network of rescue partners in other parts of the country and organizes and pays expenses for transfers of adoptable animals. FOTAS recruits foster families (and funds their provisions, if necessary) to provide interim care for animals approved for transfer and longer-term care for animals in “a family way.”

FOTAS addresses the cause of high Shelter intake: rampant overpopulation of dogs and cats.   Since 2013, FOTAS has paid for over 2000 spay/neuter surgeries of community cats and pets owned by County citizens with financial need, and is currently developing a vigorous Trap-Neuter-Return program for free-roaming community cats.

FOTAS recruits and trains the volunteers who do much of the above.

Bottom line: FOTAS saves more animals than any other organization in the County.

Since its inception in 2009, the Shelter’s live release rate has increased from a dismal 5% to a better (but still sad), 70%. That’s literally thousands of animals.

Last month, the South Carolina Secretary of State recognized FOTAS as an “Angel” charity—one that spends 80% or more on its charitable purpose. That means you get a big bang for every buck you donate to FOTAS.

The Aiken Community has been generous to FOTAS, but there is still so much to do. Please send your much-needed donations to FOTAS, PO Box 2207, Aiken SC 29802.

Their lives, all 5000 of them this year, are in our hands

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Foster, FOTAS, Spay/Neuter, Transfer, Volunteer

Giving Thanks

Posted on by Angel Hartline
20
Nov

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection for those of us at FOTAS—a time to take stock of our blessings; to consider the remarkable progress we and the County have made in making the world a better place for Aiken County’s homeless, abandoned and abused animals; and in particular, to celebrate the many people who have contributed to our astonishing success and made this journey so meaningful.

Thanks to our committed partner, Aiken County, for making it possible to save the lives of thousands of homeless animals in the County. The strength of its commitment and the success of our partnership is evidenced not only by the state-of-the-art public animal shelter on Wire Road, but also by its increased commitment to subsidized spay/neuter for County residents.

Thanks to Paige Bayne, the County’s Enforcement and Animal Services Director, Bobby Arthurs, the Shelter Manager and Chief Animal Control Officer, Dr. Lisa Levy, the Shelter’s veterinarian, and all the Shelter staff for their dedication to increasing the opportunities for each adoptable animal to find a forever home and their willingness to implement new programs and practices that enhance those opportunities.

Thanks to the army of 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), managing canine play groups, 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 activities.

Committed volunteers like Bonnie White, who helps at the shelter four days a week. “I get back so much more than I give,” says Bonnie. “When I leave the shelter, I’m not thinking about my bills or the dishes in the sink; I’m thinking about the dogs I helped and what else I can do to make them a better adoption prospect. Or I’m thinking about the abandoned kitten who just needs lots of love.”

Bonnie pauses. “You know what?” she says with a sigh. “I can’t adopt them all, but I sure can love them all.”

I am profoundly touched by her sentiment. I know she is not alone—all of our volunteers feel the same love, empathy, and commitment to the cause that Bonnie does.

And finally, thanks to you, the Aiken Community, for your extraordinary generosity and support. You have made it possible for FOTAS to help the County provide the best possible care for shelter animals, increase adoptions and transfers, and supplement the County’s spay/neuter financial assistance program.

And here’s the best part: all of that love, effort, commitment and hard work has paid off. The live release rate at the shelter has increased from 5% (in the pre-FOTAS years prior to 2009), to 29% (in the year before the new shelter opened in 2013) to almost 70% in the past year.

That’s a very big deal.

FOTAS and the thousands of animals that have been saved over the past 7 years thank you for your continued support. God bless you and your family during this holiday season.

Their lives are in our hands.

 

Bonnie White with an adoptable dog from the Aiken County Animal Shelter
Bonnie White with an adoptable dog from the Aiken County Animal Shelter
Adoption, Cats, Dogs, FOTAS, Transfer

FOTAS partnership with New York rescue saves County shelter animals

Posted on by Angel Hartline
10
Jul

By Gary Willoughby, Executive Director, SPCA Serving Erie County
Nine years ago, when I moved to Aiken, South Carolina to join the SPCA there, it was difficult to imagine the progress that would be made in animal welfare in such a short period of time. The SPCA and the Aiken County Animal Shelter both have wonderful new facilities and important in-house and community to improve the lives of homeless animals and family pets in need of help.

The work that FOTAS has done with their partnership with the Aiken County Animal Shelter is very encouraging, particularly in developing a transport network that helps so many dogs find their forever homes in other parts of the country.
The overwhelming number of surrendered and stray animals brought to the Aiken County shelter has forced FOTAS to look at other alternatives such as transferring some of the animals to other shelters all across the country. The logistics and coordination of these transfers to the “right” shelters requires a tremendous amount of work but it is all worth it when a successful shelter-partner is found.

These FOTAS transfer programs – combined with access to affordable spay and neuter programs, treatment for heartworm positive dogs, volunteer programs to socialize and exercise the animals there waiting for adoption, community outreach, and a vibrant foster network – have made a significant and positive impact in Aiken County.

I’m honored to share with the Aiken Standard’s readers that FOTAS and the SPCA Serving Erie County have formed a new partnership to send Aiken County dogs and cats to my facility in Buffalo, NY.

The SPCA Serving Erie County is fortunate to find new homes for around 8,000 dogs and cats each year and this new partnership with FOTAS and Aiken County has the potential to help hundreds of dogs and cats find their forever homes, while helping to ease the overcrowding of the county shelter.

The staff and volunteers of the SPCA Serving Erie County are excited about the new partnership with FOTAS and the Aiken County Animal Shelter and what it will mean for the homeless animals each group helps. The potential adopters here in Buffalo are eager to help and most of the animals that make the over 800 mile journey through seven states will be adopted in the first day or two they become available.

Our first transport in June was unique for both groups, in that it included nine kittens. Nationally, dog intake trends for northern shelters have decreased, allowing dogs and puppies to make their way to the Midwest and New England areas, but only recently have the same trends occurred with cats and kittens.

We are thrilled to be part of this new win/win partnership but need to remind all of you that the number of adoptions we hope to generate from the Aiken County Animal Shelter represents a tiny sample of the overwhelming number of animals that must be saved from there.

Thank you to all of you in Aiken County who donate, volunteer and adopt – as well as those of you who set an example by getting your animals spayed/neutered, have a veterinarian care for them and who consider your pets a part of your family. We couldn’t do this work without you.

 

ACAS ADOPTION COORDINATOR TRACI DEADERICK CARRIES KITTENS FOR TRANSPORT TO NORTHEAST RESCUE.

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Foster, FOTAS, News, Transfer

Warm weather increases the dire need for fosters

Posted on by Angel Hartline
08
Apr

By Joanna D. Samson, Vice President, FOTAS

Spring has come to Aiken early this year. The days are getting longer, the azaleas are out, and everywhere you look, the landscape is awash in vibrant shades of green and splashes of color. It’s the season of rebirth, and most folks embrace the change of season after the cold, wet days of winter.

So why are we at FOTAS and the County Animal Shelter holding our collective breath when the rest of the community is in such a good mood?

Because we know that in short order the Shelter will be inundated with abandoned dogs and cats, homeless puppies and kittens, and an increasing number of strays, and we do not have enough foster families to help us handle this inevitable seasonal rise in intake.

We need foster homes—people who have the time and facilities to take care of dogs and/or puppies on a short-term or long-term basis until we can find them homes locally, or failing that, with a transfer partner in other parts of the country.

It doesn’t take much to be a foster. All you need is a secure, comfortable place for your shelter guest to sleep and play, the time to care for them, and dog-friendly pets (if you already have a pet). FOTAS and the Shelter will provide everything else if need be: food, crates, medicine, and assistance.

And you can choose to foster for only a few days or up to a few weeks. You would not be obligated to foster every time we ask. We are grateful for whatever time you can give us.

Most of our foster families take care of dogs that are scheduled for transfer to sister rescue agencies within the week. Placing them with a foster family allows these animals to decompress from the stress of the shelter environment before the journey to their new homes. Your Shelter guest, who is healthy and inoculated, does not have to sleep in your house if there is a secure, protected place outside of your home, like in a barn or a garage.

And here’s the thing: these animals are already spoken for, so there is no pressure on you to keep them. Indeed, it is just the opposite. We need you to let them go. It’s the same as, say, taking care of a friend’s pet for a couple of days.

We also need fosters who are willing to care for either mama dogs and their puppies, mama cats and their kittens or just puppies and kittens that have been abandoned to the Shelter. These little guys need to get out of the Shelter until their immune systems and inoculations are complete. Equally important, just like human babies, these helpless puppies need love and attention–lots of it. Typically, these commitments can be, depending on the age of the puppies, anyplace from 3 to 8 weeks.

Finally, we need fosters who are willing to take on the occasional special needs dog for 30 days or longer depending on the circumstances.

If you’ve ever thought about fostering, now is the time. Please call the FOTAS Hotline at 803-514-4313, or email us at info@angelhartlinedesigns.com.

Their lives are in our hands.

 

The photo above is of Girl Conger Wolcott, whose family has fostered hundreds of puppies over the years, cuddling with one of her puppy fosters.

Adoption, Dogs, Foster, Pibbles, Transfer, Volunteers

Pulling for the Pibbles

Posted on by Angel Hartline
14
Jan

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Vice President

 

Luci was surrendered to the Aiken County Animal Shelter by her owner, who had been deployed overseas.

Olivia was picked up by Aiken County Animal Control, starving and anxious.

Harley spent the first part of his young life outdoors, starving and dodging abuse from the drug-addicts who claimed to own him.

Dante was found wandering the County roads in search of food. He was malnourished anxious and mistrustful.

Ginger spent her entire 2 years of life at the end of a chain. She has permanent scars on her neck and head from her chain and is heartworm positive (HW+).

All of these unfortunate animals are what we call “Pibbles” – pitbulls or pitbull mixes. Open admissions shelters across the country are inundated with Pibbles. It’s a real crisis. They are the hardest dogs to place, spend the longest resident time in the shelter, thus straining limited resources and space. Pibbles are euthanized in greater numbers than their less muscular, less energetic and less square-headed brethren.

Yet Pibbles make extraordinary pets and companions. Today, Luci and Olivia are companions to veterans and working on their service dog certifications. Harley has been adopted by a local, loving family. Dante is living the good life on a farm in Maine. Our dear Ginger, a little scruffy and scarred up, found her true love at an off-site adoption event at Stable View and spends her days loving and being loved.

Here is what you need to know about the Pibbles in the County Shelter.

Because it takes so long to find them homes, Shelter staff and FOTAS volunteers have had lots of time to observe and assess these dogs, so we’re confident they have the right temperament to make great pets. Our volunteers work with the Pibbles daily to channel their naturally energetic instincts and make them more adoptable – no small chore since 90% of them have never had basic obedience training or a regular routine of feeding and exercise.

Moreover, we work with our foster families and our no-kill rescue partners to find homes for these dogs when they are not locally adopted. We don’t need to transfer the cute, fluffy dogs that happen to come our way – they find homes in a heartbeat. We choose dogs for transfers that have been on the adoption floor the longest, which are, more often than not, our Pibbles.

For those dogs that aren’t selected for transfer or can’t be transferred out of state because they are HW+, FOTAS reaches out to its rescue partners to find them homes. If they need to be treated for heartworms, FOTAS funds the first six months of treatment (via the established slow-kill method).

It breaks my heart to see so many of these noble, big-hearted animals lined up in the kennels at the Shelter, desperate for someone to give them some attention, a little love, and a home of their own.

Dogs like handsome Bryon, who wags his tail so hard, it bleeds; or Rob Roy, a gentleman pit with the heart of a lamb; or little Tiger, who is wild about children and loves to play and kiss.

Please don’t wait. These dogs have done nothing to deserve their fate. They need our help.

Their lives are in our hands.