Category Archives: Volunteer

Adoption, Volunteer

Volunteer Mr. Kennedy inspires new FOTAS program for shelter dogs

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Volunteer Bob Kennedy sits with timid one-year-old Lucy.
14
Oct

When Mr. Robert (Bob) Kennedy visits the Aiken County Animal Shelter each week, it makes everyone happier. He is a senior citizen who has become a valuable member of our volunteer family.

“His patience and gentleness put the dogs at ease and brings out their affection,” said Volunteer Kari Dawson-Ekeland. “He loves getting them to snuggle with him and most times they are fast asleep when I go check on him. The handful of kibble, water in the bowl and his calm voice all contribute to his positive influence. A shy dog is confident with him, and a silly dog is calm with him.”

Sadly, three years ago Mr. Kennedy’s wife passed away. When he speaks of their life together, it melts your heart. The couple met in seventh grade, married at 20 years old and raised three children together. Mr. Kennedy’s work moved his family around the world from France, Cape Town South Africa, Columbia, Dubai and more! They rescued dogs in other countries, making them part of their family. He talks about the street dogs that he and his wife took in while living in Dubai and brought back to the states with them.

Each dog they owned was different from Great Danes to Shepherds and Labradors. Their last dog, Poppy, just passed away this year. The sadness of losing his wife and his dog led him to helping shelter dogs.

When Mr. Kennedy came to the shelter, he knew he would not be able to walk the dogs. He has trouble at times and uses a walker for balance. The volunteers encouraged him to watch our dog playgroups as a way of getting involved.

However, everyone started to fall in love with Mr. Kennedy and found that he is more valuable with helping the shy, scared, or insecure dogs.  “He is so willing to sit with those dogs that need extra attention while they transition to the shelter,” said Volunteer Valerie Johnson. “It’s clear the difference he has made with many a dog. There is no mistake that he is a wonderful asset to FOTAS. He also leaves with a full heart and big smile with every visit. He is a treasure!”

We are always in need of caring, loving volunteers and we are hoping to expand our volunteer base to include more individuals that may not be physically able to handle the dogs.

If you are not able to walk dogs but you would like to spend time with them, please contact us and we will set up a time for you to come and sit with pets that need extra attention. This program, the “Mr. Kennedy Program,” will be by appointment. This way, we can make sure that an adoption room is open for you to come and spend an hour with a dog or two! Please contact us at fotasaiken.org to learn more. This program is available on weekday mornings between 9:00 and 11:00.

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

2023, Children, Dog Ears Reading Program, Volunteer

Young people learn responsible pet care during visits to County Shelter

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Little Breezy visits with young kids from the City of Aiken’s Summer Camp.
28
Jul

Just because the public schools have shortened their summer schedule, doesn’t mean that we haven’t had fun with the kiddos!

We were busy in June and July!

We started out with our monthly Dog Ears group on June 17. This is our monthly reading program in which young readers sign up to come and read to shelter dogs. It’s a half hour reading session and then we meet different dogs and talk about their stories and needs. So fun!

On June 22, a super sweet dog named Tina and I visited Oakwood Windsor Elementary School. They have a summer program for students. We had a blast meeting with small groups of students of different ages. All of us sat on the floor while super dog Tina slowly and lovingly worked the room, going from student to student giving rubs and kisses.

There was a little girl who was terrified of dogs but by the end of our visit, she was petting Tina, telling her she loved her and even drew Tina a picture. All the students made videos with Tina for Facebook saying, “Adopt Tina!”

These kids were incredibly well behaved, asked great questions and I think they all learned a little bit about pet responsibility.

The following week we had more than 50 young people visit the shelter from the City of Aiken’s Summer Camp for their “Dog Days of Summer” program. On Thursday, we had the five- to nine-year-old group and on Friday the ten- to twelve-year-old group visited us.

Each group was able to sit with the shelter dogs, at their kennels, and read to the dogs. Some just talked to them, some gave them treats, and all enjoyed themselves. The counselors were all dog lovers, too — and they had as much fun as the kids!

After reading to the dogs, we took the groups to the new PAWS building and brought in a three-month-old puppy named Breezy. Little Breezy was brought in with multiple broken toes on his front paw. He was so sad, and the children brightened his spirits. Breezy had a cast on his paw and a cone on his head, but it didn’t slow him down. He kissed everyone in the room!

It is really important to teach young people in our community about proper pet care. With the staggering number of strays entering our shelter, we want to plant the seed in each of these young people that keeping your pets safe and healthy is vital for the community.

The children met so many homeless pets and listened to their stories. Terrier mix Beck’s owner died; sweet Parker was brought in with an embedded collar; and stray Mastiff mix Tommy is a huge teddy bear who is sad to be alone. However, black and white Smokey was the real heartbreaker. He is our longest resident and kept putting his paws out to touch the kids. It was really very sweet.

Remember when we learned to wear our seatbelts? People came to our schools and taught us. Or when we watched the commercials with the egg in the pan: “This is your brain on drugs.” Well, now it’s our turn to influence these young minds to make a change. “Take Care of Your Pets!” Love them and meet their needs. Our camp kids learned the important five pet needs – water, food, shelter, exercise and LOVE!

Their lives are in our hands.

By Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2023, dogs playing for life, group dog play, Volunteer

Afternoons are much quieter at the County Shelter

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Morning playgroups are helping to make County Shelter dogs more adoptable.
08
Jul

FOTAS works to ensure that adopting a dog from the Aiken County Animal Shelter is the right thing for both the dog and the adopter. I am a volunteer, and I can attest to this as I have observed using the nationally recognized “Dogs Playing for Life Program” has helped to make our dogs more adoptable.

The program has taught us that the sooner we can get dogs into the play yard to socialize with other dogs the better their chances are of getting adopted quickly. We can identify their play styles, whether that be “rough and rowdy”, “gentle and dainty”, etc. We can also identify behavior issues, both good and bad. All the while, we have a note taker writing all of this information down. In other words, we are keeping a journal of each dog that comes into the play yard. With this knowledge and information about each dog that comes through the shelter, we are not only better able to get these dogs adopted quicker, but also into the right homes.

Playgroups take place 6 days a week, and last for 4 hours each day. We have volunteers and shelter staff helping to run this program. We have dog runners who bring the dogs from their kennels into the play yard. We have two dog handlers in the play yard at all times, who are observing and correcting the dogs. The dog handlers are the ones directing the note taker what to write about each individual dog. Not only are new intake dogs given a chance to play, but we try to get into playgroup as many of our resident dogs as possible each day. Every day we see dogs that are terrified, withdrawn, or abused, slowly come out of their shells in playgroup. Sometimes we come across dogs like Petunia and Suzie, who are playgroup rockstars and adapt to any play style, and are able to initiate play, with shy and withdrawn dogs. Soon, many of the dogs are engaging, playing, and having fun, all the while becoming more adoptable.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Nathan. He’s what I call the “Leader of the Pack”. He is a trained dog handler who was hired by the shelter to lead and oversee the program. Besides his leadership, he shows the dogs genuine love and compassion. He tries to find the good in every dog. The dogs feel the love and care that comes from Nathan and all of the shelter staff and volunteers. Everyone works together as a team to improve the quality of life the dogs receive at the shelter before they go to their forever home.

Afternoons are much quieter around the shelter when there has been a long morning of play amongst the dogs! It’s music to one’s ears to visit an animal shelter and realize the dogs are safe, well fed, and content from playing hard with other dogs. I’m very passionate about this program because I see the positive impact this program has in the lives of the shelter dogs.

Please consider becoming a volunteer, donating, and/or adopting an animal at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. I promise you will receive more joy than you could ever pass along to these precious animals.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Sandy Sublett, FOTAS Volunteer

2023, abandoned animals, Adoption, Volunteer

It takes a village to save homeless pets’ lives

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Dogs are doubled up in kennels because of overcrowding.
23
Jun

More pets are coming into the shelter than are being adopted out. Despite finding homes for more than 70 dogs and cats last week, the Aiken County Animal Shelter’s 84 kennels were full again by Monday afternoon. These are tough times at 333 Wire Road. When the shelter is this full, it puts stress on everyone – especially the homeless pets who reside here.

Upon arriving first thing in the morning, you can hear the dogs screaming and howling because they have to relieve themselves so badly. Some dogs are doubled up in kennels and barely able to move. The staff and volunteers rush to get the housebroken dogs out first, which causes the dogs who are still waiting their turn to bark even louder.

We have a line out the door every weekday with people bringing in strays and surrenders. These animals are scared, reactive, and a number of them are sick or injured. With so many pets needing care and nurturing, we don’t have enough staff or volunteers to give each dog suitable attention.

The shelter wants to continue saving all adoptable pets, but we can’t do it alone. The community has to step up, too.

Here are some ways you can help:

Spay/neuter your pets. The only way we are going to solve the pet overpopulation problem is by fixing dogs and cats before they can reproduce. If you live in Aiken County and are in financial need, you can obtain a voucher to fix your pet at the Aiken County Government Building in the Code Enforcement office.

Take in found pets until the shelter has vacancies. If you find a dog or cat, check to see if it has a microchip. If it does not, please consider temporarily taking the homeless pet into your home.

Be a responsible pet owner. Don’t let your dogs wander off your property. Don’t chain them to a tree. If you move, make provisions to take your pets with you. Don’t dump your pets if you can no longer care for them. Treat your pets like family, not another possession that can be discarded or replaced on a whim. If you need help with resources such as pet food, or assistance rehoming your pet, please contact the shelter.

Foster, adopt or take a dog out on a date. The more dogs we can get out of the shelter, even for a brief time, the better. The dogs benefit from the socializing and freedom from the stress and noise they experience in their kennels.

Donate food, money and/or your time. There are many ways to support FOTAS. You can walk dogs, socialize cats or help at events. Or you can donate funds, pet food and other needed materials to the shelter. Every little bit helps.

Spread the word on social media. When you share a FOTAS Facebook or Instagram post or create your own post about a dog or cat available at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, that pet’s face and description reaches more people than any advertisement or print media – and often results in a successful adoption.

The shelter is a resource – not just a place to stash homeless dogs and cats. Let’s work together to save adoptable pets and give them a second chance at a good life.

Their lives are in our hands.
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2023, Volunteer

Dogs Change our Perspective

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
At 73 pounds, Bam Bam is one of the shelter’s larger lap dogs available for adoption at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
13
May

I am a lifelong movie hound who has been influenced at times by heroic narratives and timeless courtships. I learned about first dates and opening car doors from watching A Bronx Tale. The classroom in Dead Poets Society helped me discover a love for literature and teaching. Die Hard taught me about resilience and to pack proper footwear if invited to a Christmas party.

Movies can influence us in establishing cliches and stereotypes that often take time to unlearn. X really doesn’t mark the spot. Doctors aren’t inherently egotistical, nor are all lawyers stripped of a moral compass. The stereotype at the Aiken County Animal Shelter is that pit bulls automatically need to be feared. Not true.

And yet, by and large, we do fear them. We’ve been conditioned to see the breed as foaming, devastating creatures, more akin to furry Terminators than giant, red companions or athletically gifted retrievers. Instead, they are the unsavory character’s intimidating bodyguard. They are junkyard defenders, just a choke chain or spiked collar away from certain disaster. They are the reason cameras linger on Beware of Dog signs.

That would have been me too had it not been for the Aiken County Animal Shelter. I’ve always crossed to the other side of the street, or given a wide berth to these dogs, leashed or not. A pit bull as a pet? No way. I believed they were dangerous and uncontrollable. Why? Because I believed the cliches.

The shelter is at capacity now and over half of them have various amounts of pit bull mixed into them. They last longer in the kennels than other “gentler breeds.”

I volunteer for FOTAS and spend many days walking the dogs outside their kennels. I literally cannot avoid these pit bull mixes now and I am so happy I get to walk them. They are all begging for affection and exercise and can’t wait to see me when I show up.

I walk Suzie who is a medium-sized, black pitty mix with white paws, a contagious smile and soulful eyes. She likes most every dog she meets and is usually the first one to jump in the shelter’s kiddie pool during playgroup. Suzie also insists on getting a hug when you return her to her kennel.

I also look forward to spending time with Butler, a sleek black boy with a white highway divider between his eyes. He’s got those stereotypical bear trap jaws but I don’t hesitate to let him crawl up and nibble at my beard.

And I never leave without watching Bam Bam and his massive ivory head jiggle with anticipation as we enter the woods, the simple joy of life and love powering him, and me, into another hopeful day.

These three, along with the rest of the animals at the shelter, all exude this infectious sort of hope. Theirs, to find a loving, loyal family. Ours, that perceptions can be changed, that harmful cliches will be forgotten.

Like pit bulls and treasure maps, Hollywood often gets something else wrong. In life, not everyone gets a happy ending, but with your help, either walking, cuddling, or taking them home, maybe these incredible animals will.

By Drew Attana, FOTAS Volunteer

2023, Volunteer, Woofstock

Woofstock Festival Rocks!

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
20
Apr

On Saturday, April 15th FOTAS held its 10th Annual Woofstock event at Citizens Park. It is a festive day, one designed to bring the community and its four-legged animals together with all kinds of activities—contests, races, and pet-owners showing off their dogs.

But I have to make a confession. I was nervous. What if only a small group of people come to support the event? Would the vendors and sponsors be disappointed? What if only a handful of folks show up for the races or contests? Would all the hard work by the teams of volunteers who helped plan and run the event be just a waste of their precious time?

I expressed my concerns at the Park on Saturday morning to Ellie Joos, the Secretary of FOTAS and designated emcee of the event. She immediately said, “Jennifer, look at the hundreds of people making their way to the event, and look at the number of entries in all of the contests.”

Ellie was right. The response was overwhelming. More than 500 people came—the most successful Woofstock ever!

Some highlights:

  • Kenny Ray, our DJ extraordinaire, volunteered his services and set the mood for the day with excellent music. Kenny says next year he will make it even better. (Hard to imagine it could be any better!),
  • All our sponsors and vendors appreciated the great exposure; many have already committed to participate next year. ‘
  • When Buzz Rich stood in line to buy a t-shirt, the person in front of him was short of cash. In keeping with the generosity and good feeling of the day, Buzz bought that person a t-shirt as well as his own.
  • There was a parade for past shelter dogs adopted and for shelter dogs currently available for adoption. The crowd gave them a standing ovation. Marnie Munger, a long time FOTAS supporter, texted, “It was a blast! Such a good turnout and positive vibe.” Amen to that, Marnie.
  • County Council members in attendance included Chairman Gary Bunker, assistant council chair, Andrew Siders (who sang the national anthem), assistant county administrator, Brian Sanders (who participated in the parade with his shelter adopted dog), assistant county administrator/chief development officer Joel Duke, and Paige Bayne, the director of code enforcement. Paige, who oversees the shelter, attended with her adopted shelter dog and her husband, Jason. Both Paige and Jason donated their time as EMTs.
  • Two new County Councilmen, Ron Felder and Mike Kellems, attended as well. Councilman Kellems sponsored an adoption fee for some lucky canine looking for a home.

The Aiken County Animal Shelter still receives way, way too many strays and surrendered animals every year. Although progress on reducing overpopulation has been painfully slow, no adoptable pet has been euthanized at the shelter for over five years. That’s a big deal, made possible only by the hard work of shelter staff, volunteers, county council, and the support from you, our supportive community.

Woofstock is a celebration of the effort, generosity, and commitment of everyone who works to save the County’s homeless and abandoned animals.

See you at Woofstock next year, I can’t wait!

Their lives are truly in our hands.

By Jennifer Miller FOTAS President

2023, Therapy Dogs, Volunteer

Bridge Building

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Drew and Kenobi enjoying each other's gifts.
06
Apr

First, there was Handsome. This combination of rippling muscles and tenderness, like the canine reincarnation of André the Giant, took me for a long hike around the grounds of the Aiken County Animal Shelter and introduced me to this new world.

Then, I met Kenobi, more of a base jumper than a Jedi, who leaps and pirouettes in his kennel like a furry tornado, yet when he gets to the wooded trails, ambles along with the calm contemplation of a country gentleman.

And finally, Suzie—the wiggling heartbreaker, who bears dozens of deep scars on her prancing legs and soft muzzle, the product of an unconscionable backstory, but in spite of this, radiates warmth and eyes that have chosen hope over sorrow. Since those first walks, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and playing with countless others. The shelter on Wire Road is often in flux, a revolving door of new additions and residents who’ve found forever homes, but there is one constant: the folks of FOTAS who dedicate themselves to improve the quality of life for these stray and surrendered animals. From square meals, to rollling in the play yard, to scratches behind the ears, many of the animals’ faces take on a peaceful glow, maybe for the first time in their lives.

Since I began volunteering, I’ve fallen in love with all of those faces, but I harbor
a secret. I wish they knew how selfish I am. I wish they could understand that whatever small measure of help I give them, what I receive in return is, conservatively, tenfold.

Long ago—funny how the older we get, the more we measure time in adages rather than round numbers—I was diagnosed with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Most of the time, I’m able to manage symptoms through therapy, but I do have periods where my condition becomes nearly debilitating, especially with major life changes.

Recently, my wife accepted a position teaching English at Aiken Tech and we moved here from Costa Rica. As an English professor myself, I’m lucky enough to work fully online, but suddenly, I found myself in an unfamiliar town, without friends or any physical place I needed to be. Free time and an idle mind aren’t great bedfellows for someone with my mental proclivities, so I needed to find a sense of purpose. Fast.

I’d avoided shelters before. As a man who blames errant eyelashes for tears during a Sarah McLachlan commercial, I assumed I’d be broken by the longing stares of pitifully lost dogs. The first few steps with Handsome, Kenobi, and Suzie changed everything. They aren’t lost, but in transition. FOTAS is a bridge, and I’m thankful to now count myself as one of the many girders that support these animals as they move from a closed chapter to the new, loving family waiting on the other side.

I urge you to experience this yourself. Come meet the FOTAS folks and tumble
with their fuzzy friends. Consider adopting or volunteering. Their lives are in our hands.

And remember: whatever comfort you give them, they just might provide you the same, if not more, in return.

By Drew Attana, FOTAS Volunteer

2023, Dogs, Volunteer

Learn to take great pet pics from top photographer Verrecchio

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
27
Jan

Taking top quality photos of our pets can be a challenge. Even the latest smart phones with advanced camera technology are often no match for a squirming puppy, shy dog or grumpy kitty. The photos come out blurry. Or they’re too dark or overexposed. When we do manage to get our pets in focus with decent lighting, they’re facing away from the camera or they look tense and nervous.

Well, no worries because help for taking better pet photos is on the way. Renowned photographer Vince Verrecchio is coming to the Aiken County Animal Shelter this Saturday, Feb. 4, to share his tips for taking great animal photos. His free demonstration will start at 1 p.m. and is open to the public.

Verrecchio is an award-winning photographer who has had his work published in countless publications. He founded a highly successful advertising firm and has been a professional shutterbug for more than 55 years. He currently volunteers his time to take photos of homeless dogs and cats at the County Shelter, which are promoted on FOTAS’s social media platforms to help get them adopted to loving homes.

In advance of this Saturday’s event, we sat down with Verrecchio and asked him some questions about pet photography:

What is the biggest mistake people make when they take photos of their pets?
Impatience. People don’t take enough time. They just take a snapshot and they’re done. You’re not going to get a good photo that way. You need to talk to your pet and relax them. If you rush the photo, the body language of the dog or cat is not going to be positive. People also tend to frame the pet too far away. You want to capture the pet’s personality and focus on their eyes. So, you want to get up close.

Can you teach anyone to be a good photographer?
Yes, anyone with patience and attention to detail. They also need to be flexible in their thinking and have a willingness to improve. You can’t teach people to be an artist, but you can teach them to practice greater creativity.

What elements make for a good photograph?
I call them the six C’s of a good eye. The six ‘C’s are applicable to any photography whether it be of products, events, landscapes, people or animals. The C’s are: concept, content, composition, color, contrast and crop.

What drives your passion for photography and desire to share your knowledge with people?
Photography helps me stop time and make sense of the world. It captures a moment we can keep with us. Plus, photography is a great way for me to exercise my creativity. That’s my sense of purpose. I consider it a gift I’ve received, and I want to share it with others.

To reserve a spot at Vince Verrecchio’s pet photo tip session this Saturday afternoon at the County Animal Shelter. 333 Wire Road, please email info@fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2023, Therapy Dogs, Transfer, Volunteer

Remembering a Great Friend

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
19
Jan

FOTAS has been blessed to have many wonderful volunteers and supporters for the past 13 years. There are still volunteers helping FOTAS who started volunteering on day one. The volunteers form an unbreakable bond and many become lifelong friends. Over time, sadly, FOTAS has also lost some of its volunteers and supporters.

One of those lost was Stephen Briggs who passed away this past September at the age of 85. He was a renaissance man whose interest in and support of the Aiken County Animal Shelter helped save many animals.

He was born and raised in Wisconsin and after graduating college entered the family business of manufacturing outboard motors that his grandfather started. This job had him traveling all over the world including Europe, South America, and the Middle East where he even spent two nights in a Baghdad jail.

In the mid-1970s he left the corporate world when he started an import/export business and expanded it to include a freight company. He beat cancer, married his second wife Doris Teeling, and then retired with Doris to Naples, Florida. Never one to sit still, he reinvented himself once again and, with an old friend, opened the very successful Old Naples Pub and the Village Pub in Naples.

Fun and adventure were always a part of Stephen’s life so he and Doris continued to travel around the world climbing mountains and doing all kinds of crazy things. In 2003, at the age of 66, he took up horseback riding. Stephen and Doris would drive their SUV up and down the east coast with their two horses and 4 dogs when they discovered Aiken and the Hitchcock Woods. They moved to Aiken in 2008.

Stephen became very active in Aiken’s animal community. He had one of his dogs, Serena, receive accreditation as a therapy dog from a very strict therapy organization. Serena became the highlight of his life bringing comfort to the sick and needy at hospitals, nursing homes, and special needs classes in schools. Serena had a gift with autistic children as more than one parent told the Briggs that their non-verbal child would suddenly start talking about Serena.

Stephen became very interested in the shelter and FOTAS. He and Doris adopted and fostered many animals from the shelter. He was staggered at the number of animals the shelter received each year. He made it his mission to help FOTAS attain their goal of never having to euthanize an adoptable pet knowing that, before FOTAS, more than 90% of all animals brought to the shelter were euthanized and most were adoptable.

He realized that not enough pet owners were spay/neutering their pets and there were simply not enough local adopters available for all of the animals eligible for adoption.

Stephen, therefore, took a keen interest in FOTAS’s transfer program which involves FOTAS networking and then transporting adoptable animals to no-kill shelters all over the country. All animals and shelters are carefully vetted and it is a timely and expensive process. But it works.

Stephen recognized this and was one of the program’s biggest cheerleaders and financial supporters for many years.

We will miss him.

By Jennifer Miller FOTAS President

2023, Volunteer

FOTAS volunteers: Why they donate time to the shelter

Posted on by Shana Ryberg
Jody Clark feeds a shelter dog on Thanksgiving.
13
Jan

When you volunteer at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, you become part of the FOTAS family. Our volunteers walk and socialize with the dogs and play with the cats, which makes them more adoptable. They also organize and staff special events and assist at the front desk, as well as help with administrative matters and fundraisers.

But rather than just describe the many possibilities of volunteering, we thought it would be more valuable for you to hear directly from five cherished volunteers – why they joined FOTAS and what they personally get out of the experience.

Joanne Goble, 4-year volunteer
“I originally volunteered because I had lost my husband and found a purpose in helping the dogs. Now, it has become my life. This is what I do. This is my purpose in life. Not everybody is going to get that emotionally attached, but helping the pets at the shelter is what I look forward to each day.”

Joanne Goble sits in the lobby with Mac.
Joanne Goble sits in the lobby with Mac.

“Making a difference in just one dog’s life and witnessing a good adoption is a feeling like no other.”

Linda Leblanc, 3-year volunteer
“I have witnessed the transformation of a frightened and confused dog as it sits in a corner into one who learns to love and to play again (or for the first time). The bottom line is volunteers simply prepare a dog to be adopted. That is why I became a foster.”

“Can you spare 10 minutes of kindness? With leash in hand, you select a dog, causing great joy in that kiddo because he gets out of his kennel for a trail walk and someone to pay attention to him. It’s the easiest 10 minutes of joy you can possibly give.”

Ed Stevens, 7-year volunteer
“I love dogs but my wife is allergic to them, and we can’t have them at the house – so this is how I get my dog fix. I walk six to seven each day in the afternoon, Tuesday through Friday.”

“You get a lot of pleasure and a sense of accomplishment when you walk these shelter dogs – because you’re doing something for the dogs and community. Plus, you just feel better after you walk a dog. I also like getting to know the other volunteers.”

Malia Koelker, 4-year volunteer

“Volunteering for FOTAS is fun, relaxing and rewarding. The shelter gives me purpose and joy. Somebody is always happy to see me. There is great camaraderie and conversation with other volunteers is easy. Walking the dogs also helps keep you in decent shape.”

Jody Clark, 4-year volunteer
“There are so many opportunities to help the dogs and cats – both with hands-on and administrative activities. FOTAS is a great organization and I value the friendships that I have with fellow volunteers. The quiet time in the woods with a dog, playing fetch in the yard with an athletic pup, or sitting on one of the benches or couches for cuddles are all great ways to play a small role in helping these homeless pets while they wait for their happy adoption day.”

FOTAS volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization. The County Animal Shelter is full, and we need more volunteers to help us. If you are interested in joining our team, stop in and see us or call (803) 642-1537, ext. 3 or send an email to info@fotasaiken.org.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director