The Friends of the Animal Shelter – Aiken County (FOTAS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), volunteer organization created in 2009 to supplement the resources of the Aiken County Animal Shelter in the care of over 4,000 homeless and abandoned animals consigned to its care each year. FOTAS is wholly funded by private donations.
The mission of FOTAS is to support the Aiken County Animal Shelter by promoting animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, and the elimination of euthanasia of all adoptable animals.
Aiken Choice “Best of Aiken” Awards
Best Pet Rescue Organization and Best Pet Friendly Event: Woofstock Doggie Derby Day.
Summer is traditionally one of the most challenging times of the year for animal shelters. While adoption events like Pick Me SC shine a spotlight [...]
Summer is a busy time. Children are out of school, families are traveling, vacations are planned, and schedules seem more hectic than ever. At the [...]
Abby Grant, who won the Adopt a Shelter Pet Coloring Contest in the Aiken Standard, plays with a kitten at the shelter.
Volunteer Joanne Goble with recently adopted Retriever mix GLENDA
HANK, now adopted, was one of the first Shelter dogs to use the doggy treadmill.
Skye
Junior FOTAS students meet and read to NERO during their recent visit to the Animal Shelter.
Tori
T
One of the many surrendered dogs at the County Shelter waits for a chance to be adopted.
Rosetta is a clothes hound who loves kids and belly rubs.
Polo was rescued from a life of neglect and needs a good home.
Rosetta is housebroken, gets along with most other dogs and cats, and is a lovable character. She deserves a great forever home.
Bueller
Snoopy
Ace
Susi Cohen’s (left) dog training class at the ACAS is helping USC Aiken Psychology students learn their craft while also preparing dogs for adoption.
The USCA students work closely with and get to know the dogs during their training.
Despite Junior FOTAS’s promotion of Rosetta on social media, she has yet to be adopted.
Junior FOTAS members raised money for the shelter animals at Aiken’s Makin’.
Junior FOTAS students took photos with adorable, adoptable Rosetta to post on social media.
Tulip
During the helicopter golf ball drop event, nearly 1,000 golf balls are released from 300 feet onto a target below.
On tournament day, Sandy Staiger reviews final details with a representative from The Reserve Club at Woodside.
A golf tournament participant checks out the prizes and gift baskets provided by sponsors.
Skye gets some love from FOTAS Volunteer Karen Loughran before going on a walk with Volunteer Sharon Johnson.
King was one of the neglected dogs rescued and brought to the County Shelter.
Volunteer John Berk and Kromer.
FOTAS Volunteer Joanne Goble enjoys some quiet time with sweet Charlie, a special needs, three-legged dog.
Volunteer Judy Kolb spends quality time with Queenie.
Princess
Teddy
Eddie
USC Aiken Assistant Professor Dr. Meredith Elzy (left) walks Tiger as one of her students works with Billie. Both shelter dogs are steadily gaining more confidence through training.
Sandra Procter, one of FOTAS’s first volunteers, was walking her favorite dog, Stanley, on the Aiken County Animal Shelter’s trails this week. She stopped to pet Stanley and praise him for his good behavior.
As she enjoyed this warm moment with the young Retriever mix, Sandra looked around her and saw something that really touched her – four other volunteers enjoying similar quiet moments with shelter dogs.
Kathy Jacobs calms an excitable, young Pibble.
Jeff Martin had Choco on the trail and was petting and reassuring the handsome Doberman mix; Jeff’s wife, Bonnie, was hugging sweet Bulldog mix, Princess; and Jackie Edel was sitting on a bench, loving on petite Beagle mix, Suzette. Meanwhile, John Berk was gently loading Carter, a red Shepherd mix, into his car for a “Doggie Day Out” to Starbucks. No one was actually walking; they were each giving their shelter dogs some quiet time, love and affection – helping them to learn trust.
Often people think they can’t walk dogs because it will be too physically demanding. There are some dogs that do need a lot of exercise and time to run, but so many others would much rather sit with a person on a bench or a couch, and be loved. Hours are spent in their kennels each day, some only getting out for half an hour. They are lonely. Dogs are companion pets, “man’s best friend”. They crave love from people.
Our shelter cats also need volunteers to sit with them, pet them, talk to them. There is nothing better than bringing a book and sitting on the bench in the cat facility. Within minutes, you will have furry friends curling up with you.
FOTAS Volunteer Joanne Goble enjoys some quiet time with sweet Charlie, a special needs, three-legged dog.
Joanne Goble came to us as a new volunteer. She had trouble getting some of the more excitable and larger dogs out of their kennels. But other volunteers were happy to help get the dogs out for her if she would just pet the lonely animals and spend time with them. Joanne is a great dog walker but an even better dog lover. She also gives the best
Volunteer John Berk and Kromer.
belly rubs, according to Charlie, a senior three-legged dog who would much rather sit by Joanne on the couch than take a long walk on the trails.
“Being at the shelter walking the dogs and interacting with the other volunteers has helped me more than anything else since my husband’s death in February,” Joanne said. “I just need to know my size limitations on which dogs I should walk.”
“All I would say to a prospective volunteer is, for me, being at the shelter makes everything right with the world,” she added.
Dogs and cats give us just as much love as we give them. If you are struggling with stress, anxiety, loss or just feeling lonely, you will benefit from spending time with shelter pets. Hug a dog or a cat, spend time interacting with a pet and you will both feel so much better!
Their lives are in our hands.
— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Director
By the Numbers
The County Shelter received 493 strays and surrendered pets during the month of August. In the first five days of September, the shelter received 52 animals.
Pets of the Week
CASS Domestic Medium haired cat, female, 4 years old, 14 pounds – $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart store)
PRINCESS American Bulldog mix, female, 4 years old, 47 pounds – $35
“I like their purring – I love that sound,” says FOTAS PetSmart Volunteer Twylia Stewart as she strokes the fur of Kendi, a male black kitten who’s just arrived from the Aiken County Animal Shelter. “I also think they sometimes don’t get as much attention from people as dogs do. Everybody loves dogs, including me, but I think cats are sometimes seen as the second-class citizens of the pet world.”
Michelle Greene gets some help from kitten Bess while cleaning a PetSmart cat condo.
Stewart’s passion for felines is shared by all the members of the FOTAS volunteer team who take care of the cats at the Aiken PetSmart Store.
“We love what we do,” said Judy Albert, who leads this special team. “We want to help and make sure the cats are well-cared for and give these animals a second chance to live with a loving family.”
The Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) receives many unwanted felines in need of homes each month, but the partnership with PetSmart helps ease the load, providing a second location for cats to be showcased and adopted. While most of the adoptable adult cats and kittens are available at the County Shelter located at 333 Wire Road, PetSmart provides FOTAS with 10 cat condos at its Aiken store on Whiskey Road.
PetSmart has 10 cat condos at the back of the Aiken store that attractively display the Shelter cats.
Once ACAS staff transports the cats and all their medical records and paperwork to PetSmart, the FOTAS volunteers keep the felines watered, fed and clean. They follow a strict schedule, making sure that someone comes in to maintain the kitties’ condos and living area twice a day, every day. The volunteers also take notes on the cats’ behavior and special needs and most stay for hours to play with the felines, helping to socialize and prepare them for their future forever homes.
“Cats are funny and entertaining,” says Michelle Greene, who started volunteering three years ago because her 10-year-old daughter, Ansley, wanted to help and be around the PetSmart cats. “We enjoy working with them, try to make sure they feel comfortable around people and let the compatible ones play together. I like volunteering here because it’s something I can do once a week that benefits the animals and it’s also teaching my kids responsibility. We call it our ‘fuzz therapy.’”
FOTAS Volunteer Twylia Stewart cuddles PetSmart Calico kitten, Eileen.
Thank you so much to the FOTAS Pet Smart volunteers: Leader Judy Albert, Eileen Livesey Allen, Kathy Bissell, Meagan Boehl, Kayla Cox, Cheryl Dillinger, Lynn Edwards, Michelle Greene, Allison Hamilton, Leah Holt, Lauren Jennings, Diane Moore, Twylia Stewart and Emily Smith.
Thank you also to PetSmart, especially Aiken PetSmart Store Manager Steve Block, Assistant Store Leader Ken Gunter, Customer Engagement Leader Lauren Amundsen and the many store associates who assist customers.
It’s a team effort and a lot of work but the results speak, or rather, meow for themselves.
It started when a good neighbor needed to move. He left his feral cat colony, so my husband began feeding them. But years later, we found ourselves with more than 30 cats in two colonies. We knew we had to do something soon!
Last fall, a viral infection or inbreeding caused uncountable and horrible kitten deaths. We reached out to FOTAS for help and they informed us of the County’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program. It’s a free program supplemented by FOTAS that benefits homeless felines and the community. You can trap feral or community cats, get them fixed and their ear tipped (the universal sign of a sterilized cat), and then return them to their outdoor home. We borrowed four humane traps from FOTAS and friends, then got a purchase order number to start the TNR program with the veterinarians on FOTAS’s list.
The TNR program allows community cats to remain outside but reduces their population via spay/neutering.
Initially we took four to eight cats in to get spay/neutered each week by appointments with veterinarians and the Aiken County Animal Shelter, where two are allowed with no appointment. The goal was to get this done prior to spring mating time. We would trap on Monday and Wednesday from 3 p.m. to dusk (so we didn’t trap night wildlife), using several teaspoons of canned food in the trap.
We checked the traps every 15 minutes because the trapped cats are terrified until the trap is covered with a beach towel. We then moved the trapped cats to an enclosed building for the night. If two were caught, they would go to the veterinarian appointment in the morning; and if there were more, they would go to the Aiken County Animal Shelter between 8-9 a.m.
The vets did early surgery with same day return while the County had pick-up the next morning. The County Shelter offers their TNR spay/neutering on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Connie Jeffcoat of Wagener picks up two community cats she had spayed at the County Animal Shelter.
We captured most of the cats in 30 days, but then we had to get more creative to trap the smarter cats. We photographed them for easy identification and watched their afternoon habits for better trap placement. We also upgraded the food to sardines (heated slightly) and camouflaged the traps.
It worked, and now that all the cats are fixed, we can relax and just enjoy watching the barn and deck colonies. With no more additions to the group, there’s no fighting, yowling and spraying. We are so happy! Both colonies guard their territory, so no new cats are moving in and that means no kittens to take to the shelter.
Thank you to FOTAS and congratulations for getting the State Angel Award for non-profit organizations. Thanks also to all the volunteers, donors, the Aiken County Animal Shelter and Veterinary Services. Everyone we met during this adventure was very kind and helpful.
Whether you are feeding one community cat or many more, it is important to stop the population problem. Please help FOTAS meet their goal: no more homeless animals. Working together, we can do this!
If you live in Aiken County and want to participate in the TNR program, please call the County Shelter, (803) 642-1537.
— By Lynn Carty
By the Numbers
May 1-16: The County Shelter received more than 300 stray animals and owner-surrendered pets in just two weeks.
Pets of the Week
MIA: Mixed breed, female, 2 years old, black & white, 36 pounds – $35
AMANDA: Domestic Shorthair, female, 1 year old, tan & black Tabby, 7.5 pounds – $10
Every Saturday afternoon, after the volunteers have gone home, after the animals have been fed and the kennels cleaned, as staff attends to the paperwork of another adoption week at the Aiken County Animal Shelter – that’s when Kelly Meyers comes to the shelter. He stops in the lobby and asks Bob Gordon at the front desk, “Who should I take this time?”
Shelter dog Garrett enjoys sleeping at Kelly’s house one April weekend. Since the photo was taken, Garrett has been adopted and is now living with a loving family.
The “who” Meyers is referring to is whichever dog in the shelter needs a little help, is a little stressed, and is feeling the effects of too-long at the shelter. Sometimes a dog has been identified; sometimes Kelly just walks through the kennels and picks a dog that looks sad or scared. Once the choice is made, Kelly loads the lucky dog in his car and off they go for a fun-filled weekend. On Monday morning, Kelly returns his canine visitor back to the shelter, happy and relaxed.
Last week the lucky dog was Garrett. “As I write this, says Meyers in his email, “Garrett is laying at my feet. At the shelter, he was barking non-stop for attention. A quick car ride later, some tennis ball tosses in the backyard, and a walk around the block, and he is chilled out!
Says Kathy Jacobs, the FOTAS Program Director: “At first I worried the dogs would be upset when they came back to the shelter, but it’s just the opposite! The break in routine, the chance for extended human attention, and the opportunity to socialize makes all the difference in the world to these dogs. They come back refreshed, a little worn out, and ultimately better adoption prospects.”
Most recently, Kelly took Hilde home to foster over the weekend.
Meyers treats his canine guest like his own. He takes them out into the community to give them public exposure. Recently Jacobs ran into Meyers on a Saturday night in the Alley downtown, lounging on a bench with a dog named Raven, showing her off to the public. Raven was basking in the glow of all the attention.
“It kind of choked me up,” says Jacobs, “seeing her so happy.”
The experience also provides staff and volunteers facts that are hard to sort out in a busy shelter: Is the dog housebroken? A barker? Friendly to strangers? All useful information for a potential adopter.
I’ve had dogs all my life,” says Meyers, “but it’s just not possible for me to have one these days because I live alone and travel all week for work. This is a great opportunity for me to get a canine-companion fix—there is something about the unconditional love of a dog that is unmatched in this world. Plus, the satisfaction of helping those dogs overcome the fear of the unknown, such as the inside of a house or a walk down the street, is so rewarding.
If you are a dog-lover but a full-time commitment isn’t possible, a Doggie Day Out or a Doggie Sleepover is a great way to scratch that itch (pardon the pun) and show some deserving dog a really good time. You’ll both be better for it.
Call us and we’ll set you up.
Their lives are in our hands.
— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President
By the Numbers
May 1-2: The County Shelter received 45 strays and surrendered pets in the first two days of month.
I recently faced my most challenging case since I started working at the shelter.
Biscuit was a “neighborhood dog.” The woman who brought him in said he showed up every few days and she would feed him. She had not seen him for three days when he showed up that Tuesday morning. She called the shelter in distress thinking he had been shot in the head. When she brought him in, I examined him and determined he had not been shot but had been attacked by another dog.
Volunteer Anne Morgan gives Biscuit some couch time.
His wounds were extensive. The damage to his right ear was so severe that the entire ear flap, as well as a large area of skin around the ear, had actually died. Infection had also set in giving off a terrible odor. I have been in practice for more than 30 years and very little can still gross me out. But this smell was so bad, we had to keep the doors to the clinic open to let in fresh air. Through all of this, Biscuit sat on the exam table wagging his tail. I wasn’t sure I could save him, but I was going to try.
Surgery was challenging. All the dead tissue needed to be removed, leaving a huge open area that was extremely difficult to suture closed. I was able to close most of it, but it remained to be seen how it would heal. We kept him on antibiotics to fight the infection, and over a period of about three weeks the wound did heal! It wasn’t pretty, but it healed.
Biscuit lost an ear when he was attacked by a dog.
Biscuit was adopted by an Aiken family and now has a canine brother named Bear.
During Biscuit’s recovery, we noticed that he held his right rear leg out to the side and limped a little. X-rays revealed that he had an old fracture of his femur just above the knee that had not been treated and therefore didn’t heal properly. There was also some degeneration of his hip joint. These injuries are consistent with being hit by a car. Unfortunately, he also tested positive for heartworms, an all too common occurrence for strays in our area.
One thing that stood out to me about Biscuit is that when he came into the shelter he was already neutered. That means he belonged to someone. At some point he was somebody’s dog. How did he end up like this? Was he lost? Was he abandoned? Did someone try to find him?
Through it all, Biscuit has shown an amazing spirit. He loves everyone, is ecstatic when we pet, or even better, scratch him, and his tail never stops wagging. He may not be the prettiest to look at, but he is truly one of my favorite dogs ever to come into the shelter. He deserves a great home, and we will do everything we can to find it for him.
Epilogue: Shortly after Dr. Levy submitted this column, Biscuit was adopted by an Aiken family. He is enjoying a fresh start at his new home with a small poodle mix named Bear. As with all adopted heartworm positive County Shelter dogs, FOTAS is paying for Biscuit’s treatment through its “Have a Heart, Save a Heart” program.
FOTAS urgently needs volunteers to foster shelter animals.
Spring has officially arrived, so a wave of homeless puppies and kittens is heading our way. We’ve already received some stray momma dogs and cats with their little ones, as well as orphaned pups and kittens found all alone. These babies need temporary homes where they can be loved and nurtured until they are ready to be adopted and find their forever homes.
A foster puppy gets bottle fed.
“Fosters make it possible to save the lives of these homeless puppies and kittens,” said Hillary Clark-Kulis, the Aiken County Animal Shelter’s (ACAS) Adoption Coordinator. “Without their dedication and help, too many of these animals wouldn’t make it to the adoption floor.”
As wonderful as the County Shelter is, it is no match for the comfort and special attention even a temporary home can provide. A home environment is less stressful and safer from potential illnesses that can compromise an infant animal’s developing immune system.
“If a puppy doesn’t get fostered, it is more likely to become ill from kennel cough or other illnesses,” explained FOTAS Programs Coordinator Kathy Jacobs. “If they don’t get the nurturing they need, they can become fearful and timid, and it affects them the rest of their lives.”
FOTAS Volunteer Wanda Johnson and one of her foster puppies.
In addition to the pups and kittens that need fostering, the shelter has adult dogs that require extra care from volunteers. These are animals recovering from injuries, skin conditions and psychological trauma. They aren’t yet ready to be adopted, but will recover much faster in a temporary home. For example, the shelter has several dogs recovering from Demodex, a non-contagious skin condition that is usually caused by stress. In a shelter, it typically takes about eight weeks for a dog to recover from Demodex. In a foster home, the recovery time is cut in half.
“The FOTAS Foster Care system not only ensures the animals are raised in a healthy environment, it frees up limited space in the shelter for other adoptable animals,” said FOTAS President Jennifer Miller. “If you can foster for even a week or two, please consider it. FOTAS will provide the food and other supplies you may need for the animals.”
To become a foster parent for dogs or cats, please call (803) 514-4313, send an email to info@angelhartlinedesigns.com. or come to the shelter at 333 Wire Road.
Their lives are in our hands.
— by Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications
By the Numbers
March Adoption Special: Dogs/puppies $35, cats/kittens $10
A 2-month-old kitten vs. a hungry hawk or other raptor is hardly a fair fight and, barring a miracle, results in a quick, gruesome death for the feline.
A hawk attack couldn’t stop Feather, but she’s one of the lucky ones.
Meet Feather, the Shelter’s miracle kitten, who somehow survived such an attack. She was brought to the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) with gashes to her neck and severe head trauma. The Good Samaritan who brought the injured kitten to the shelter said he thought a hawk had attacked Feather. Upon examination, it was confirmed the kitten’s wounds matched such a scenario and the Shelter’s medical team went into action to treat her.
“When Feather first got here, she was barely holding on,” said ACAS Veterinarian Assistant Betty Erikson. “She was in shock and very weak, and we weren’t sure she’d make it through the night. But the next morning, she really surprised us – she was bright, alert and greeted us with meows.”
Feather continued to improve and get stronger each day. Although her injuries left her with neurological damage, she could walk with a wobble. Sometimes she walked in circles and her head tilted to the left, but she was determined to reach her desired destination. Whether she needed to get to her food bowl or into the arms of the nearest human, nothing was going to stop this kitten from reaching her goal. If she fell, she got right back up and kept going. The Shelter staff began to understand how Feather had managed to beat the odds and escape the hawk.
Although she continues to improve and was just added to the adoption floor, Feather may never be completely “normal”. But she is as vocal, loving and energetic as any kitten you’ll meet. Plus, when she fearlessly leaps into your arms, begins purring and nuzzles your face, she will instantly win your heart.
Just try to stop her.
Feather was adopted to a good home shortly after becoming available.
REMINDER: Every pet kitten should always stay indoors. They are helpless outdoors on their own and easy prey for not only hawks and owls, but also coyotes, foxes and raccoons. While adult cats are better equipped to protect themselves outside, they also can be attacked and killed by wild animals. In fact, on average, cats who are permitted to roam outdoors often don’t live to see age five, while cats who are always kept
indoors can live to be 18 to 20 years old. So, please keep all your pet felines inside with you, especially at night. If your cats must explore the outdoors, know the dangers and make sure they are spayed/neutered.
Their lives are in our hands.
By the Numbers
Last week, 25 dogs were surrendered to the County Shelter in just one day!
Pets of the Week
BALOR
Chihuahua mix, male, 3 years old, tan & white, 10 pounds – $35
ADORA
Domestic Shorthair, female, 6 months old, brown and black Tabby, 5.5 pounds – $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart store)
Benny arrived at the Aiken Count Animal Shelter in poor shape. He was picked up as a stray and had all sorts of strikes against him. The small Beagle was over 10 years old, had a heart murmur, walked with a slight wobble, couldn’t hear very well and tested positive for heartworms. Not exactly a dog you expect to fly off the adoption floor.
Benny and Leo hang out in the back yard.
But Benny had one thing going for him: Nancy Wagner. As soon as the Aiken resident and FOTAS volunteer read Benny’s story and saw his photo on Facebook, she drove to the shelter to adopt him.
“Benny’s so stinking cute, it should be illegal,” Nancy said. “When I saw and met him at the shelter, I knew he was the right dog for me.” Nancy and little Benny became instant companions and even her 14-year-old cat, Leo, took a shine to the happy Beagle.
Benny is becoming a popular dog in his new neighborhood.
Before adopting Benny, Nancy was struggling with the decision to get a dog. Lily, her 14-year-old white English Setter, died suddenly in October of last year. She’d had Lily since rescuing her from a Pennsylvania shelter in 2006, so the loss was difficult for her to accept. But she said she got tired of being depressed about Lily’s death and when she made a connection with Benny, it felt like the right time to have a dog in her home again.
“I decided to give Benny the best retirement ever,” she said. “That’s my goal. Whether he’s here on this earth for two weeks or for many more years, I’m going to do all I can to make him happy and feel safe. We are just enjoying living in the now and having fun together.”
Benny takes long walks two or three times a day and he’s already become a pretty big deal in the neighborhood. People enjoy greeting him when he’s outside and the neighbors wave to him when he’s sitting at his favorite spot in the house, watching squirrels through the front window.
Nancy Wagner and Benny, relaxing at home.
“His needs are few and far between,” Nancy said. “He just wants to love and be loved. And being an older dog, he doesn’t need any training, doesn’t require a great deal of exercise and doesn’t get into trouble. He’s easy. That’s the thing about older dogs…they’ve been around the block a few times, and they fit in at your home almost immediately.”
Once Benny is more settled into his new home, Nancy is hoping to take him to work with her at Aiken’s First Baptist Church, where she serves as financial secretary. Meanwhile, the 17-pound Beagle is receiving treatment to eliminate the heartworms, compliments of FOTAS.
“I love Benny and I think from now on, I’m going to adopt older dogs,” Nancy said. “A senior dog is as good as any younger dog but they’re quieter, calmer and much less work. They also are sweet and deserve all we can do for them. Because that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
Local writer Marti Healy wrote a column for the Aiken Standard that discussed her adoption of Dasher, an 8-year-old Shepherd mix desperate for a forever home. Ms. Healy renamed him “Quincy” and he quickly won her heart. From her column: ““As I write this, Quincy has now snuggled and hugged me into the far corner of the couch. Tuppence the cat has stretched herself out across the top of us both. Our three hearts seem to be in sync. Together in mutual appreciation. Together, in tempo, in tune.”
Read the full column here. It’s well worth your time.
