Category Archives: Volunteers

2018, Adoption, Doggy Treadmill, Dogs, essay, FOTAS, Junior FOTAS, News, Training, Volunteers

Doggy Treadmill Works Wonders at the County Shelter

Posted on by Bob Gordon
19
Nov
Working out on the treadmill helped TORI build back her confidence.

When someone suggested to FOTAS a few months ago that using a doggy treadmill at the Aiken County Animal Shelter would help our shy, scared dogs and overly-energetic dogs to adapt faster, I was skeptical. But when I spoke with Susi Cohen, an amazing dog trainer who helps us with behavioral issues, she was all for it.

So we thought, why not? If it can help us save more dogs, let’s give it a try.

Susi located (and FOTAS paid for) a canine treadmill and trained seven volunteers how to work with the dogs on the treadmill. Besides being great fun, I was stunned at the results.

For example, Tori, one of our shyest dogs (and the longest resident on the adoption floor) cautiously stepped on the treadmill, lured by a treat. Susi started the equipment slowly. At first, Tori stumbled, then she walked, but she still wouldn’t make eye contact. As we increased the speed, she had to focus, and then she relaxed. Amazing! She was engaged; she was responding to praise, to us. She was becoming … a pet!

HANK, now adopted, was one of the first Shelter dogs to use the doggy treadmill.

Or take Nero, who was admitted to the shelter with a collar embedded in his neck. For two weeks, he sat motionless in his kennel, unresponsive, unable to make eye contact. After a bit, he attached to one of our intake volunteers (she is a dog whisperer—they all fall for her eventually), who was able to coax him out of his shell. Once he took that step, he emerged as a high-energy bull in a china shop—pulled on the leash, distracted by dogs, squirrels, you name it. He was a happy boy, probably for the first time in his short life.

Junior FOTAS students meet and read to NERO during their recent visit to the Animal Shelter.

Could time on the treadmill help big Nero calm down and focus on us? I wasn’t certain. Nero started working on the treadmill on Monday, and I missed his first three sessions. On Thursday morning, I took him for a walk first thing (he’s housebroken—he waits), and Whoa! What a difference!

Nero and I had just started on our walk when Pat, a friend and volunteer, stopped me to chit-chat. As we were talking, Nero sat patiently on my foot. He didn’t pull. He didn’t bark. He just sat, relaxed and behaved. I was floored! I walked him straight into the lobby and announced the amazing transformation in this dog thanks to the treadmill, the volunteers, and lots of praise.

This past Saturday, after our Junior FOTAS group finished reading to the dogs (our Dog Ears Reading Program), I brought Nero out to meet the kids. They all ran to him and hugged him, and he rolled into their arms, gentle and snuggly. I have to confess, I cried.

Nero and Tori still need a forever home (they are such great dogs now!) All of us — FOTAS volunteers and shelter staff—are so grateful for our generous supporters that make it possible to purchase tools, like the treadmill, that help transform a scared, abandoned dog into a pet. We are also grateful for the dedicated volunteers that convince those lost and unloved animals that humans aren’t so bad, so that one day they will be able to return that love to a new family in a forever home.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Coordinator

 

By the Numbers
From Nov 1 to 15, the Aiken County Shelter received more than 200 stray animals and surrendered pets.

 

Pets of the Week
SKYE
Retriever mix, female, 2 years old, tan, 58 pounds – $0 (adoption fee paid for by FOTAS donor)

 

GIBLET
 Domestic Shorthair, male, 2 months old, gray Tabby, 1.5 pounds – $10

2018, Dogs, essay, FOTAS, News, Training, Volunteers

FOTAS and USC Aiken Partner on Program that Helps Save Shelter Dogs’ Lives

Posted on by Bob Gordon
21
Oct

When you take Dr. Meredith Elzy’s Behavior Modification class at USC Aiken, not only do you learn the key concepts of this psychology therapy in a regular classroom setting, but you also make weekly visits to the Aiken County Animal Shelter to learn how to train homeless dogs.

The USCA students work closely with and get to know the dogs during their training.

“My role is taking what students are doing with the dogs and facilitating how it pertains to what they’re learning in the classroom,” Dr. Elzy explained.

Now in its second year, the program has already gained popularity at USC Aiken with students eager to spend time with shelter dogs for credit. Three hours a week are devoted to lecture and discussion at USC Aiken, but one hour a week involves working closely with dogs on the adoption floor.

This year, Dr. Elzy decided to join the students during this hands-on part of the program.

“I’ve learned the importance of getting to know the personalities of the dogs and what it means to work with a dog that may have been neglected and is now craving love and attention,” she said. “I think it’s a really important skill to perceive what each dog’s strengths and weaknesses are from both a behavior modification aspect and a broader psychological aspect.”

Besides teaching students psych concepts and providing them with valuable learning tools, the class also helps to prepare dogs for their forever homes.

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.
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.

When shelter canines receive more time and attention, it makes them more trusting and confident – which makes them more adoptable. In fact, the extra human attention can save their lives by better ensuring they will make good pets and be on their best behavior once adopted.

Students come to the Shelter on Tuesdays and Thursdays to work with the dogs for an hour and follow the instruction of Susi Cohen, one of the Shelter’s lead dog trainers. During the first five weeks of class, the students enjoy the group instruction from Susi; but during the second five weeks, they’ll take what they’ve learned and apply it on their own, socializing and walking dogs as FOTAS volunteers.

“I’ve been amazed at how sweet these dogs are,” said USC Aiken student Rachel Hopkins. “They seem so sad at first…but once they get out there with us, they do a complete 180 because they’re so happy being with people and getting attention.”

Hopkins said she’s gotten a little emotional at times seeing the many unwanted dogs, but the chance to learn while giving back to the community has been a valuable experience.

“During my first class, one of the dogs, Jett, rested his head on my lap for five straight minutes and it really pulled at my heart how much he just wanted to be accepted and loved on,” she said. “But I was just informed that he was adopted this week, and that makes me feel wonderful.”

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

 

By the Numbers
In the first half of October, the County Animal Shelter received more than 300 strays and surrendered pets!

 

Pets of the Week

CARLIN
Domestic Shorthair, male, gray Tabby, 2 months old, 1.8 pounds – $10

 

POLO
Retriever mix, male, white and tan, 3 years old, 49 pounds – $35

2018, Children, Dogs, donations, FOTAS, Fundraisers, Junior FOTAS, News, TNR Program, Volunteer, Volunteers, Woofstock

Junior FOTAS Students Prove our Future Looks Good

Posted on by Bob Gordon
15
Oct
Junior FOTAS students took photos with adorable, adoptable Rosetta to post on social media.

Last year, a new after school program called Junior FOTAS was started by students at Tall Pines STEM Academy. Two teachers assist the students, including their language arts teacher, Mrs. Busby, who is passionate about helping shelter pets and a FOTAS volunteer, and their math teacher, Mrs. Mastromonico, who’s adopted pets from the shelter and is a strong animal advocate. Her son even raised over $400 for FOTAS’s Have a Heart Save a Heart program, a fund that provides heartworm treatment for shelter dogs.

Every other week, the group meets after school along with myself and FOTAS Volunteer Marnie Munger. During each meeting, we introduce the students to a new shelter pet and teach them the importance of spaying and neutering and about the Trap, Neuter Release (TNR) program, heartworm prevention and other key FOTAS and ACAS initiatives.

The students surprised all of us! They made videos about FOTAS programs such as Doggie Days Out, Fix-a-Pet and Community Outreach. They held a car wash that raised money for heartworm treatment and marched in the Aiken Memorial Day Parade in t-shirts that they designed, singing a cheer about spaying and neutering.

And at last year’s Annual Woofstock Doggy Derby Day, members of the group sold snow cones to raise money for shelter pets. These kids are incredible!

Junior FOTAS members raised money for the shelter animals at Aiken’s Makin’.

This year, during the first meeting I was blown away when more than 40 students joined the group! These young people are enthusiastic and ready to get to work. Members of the group took the initiative to sell raffle tickets for a FOTAS fundraiser at Aiken’s Makin’. They sold $100 in tickets and took in over $400 in monetary donations to help the shelter pets.

Most recently, Junior FOTAS visited the animals at 333 Wire Road and enjoyed a tour by Shelter Manager Bobby Arthurs. Bobby showed them the entire facility and taught them the history of the ACAS. The students were really interested in the process of how animals arrive at the shelter and how they are adopted. They all took turns hugging and loving the shelter’s longest canine resident, Rosetta, and brainstormed on how they can help dogs like her find homes faster. One idea was to make flyers, while another was to take pictures and selfies with her and share them on social media. Who wouldn’t want to adopt a dog that is so awesome with kids, right?

To see their eyes when they hugged a homeless dog was beautiful and Rosetta was in heaven! What a perfect world it would be if everyone was so eager to love!

Despite Junior FOTAS’s promotion of Rosetta on social media, she has yet to be adopted.

FOTAS is thrilled to see young people take an interest in helping the shelter animals. We have all heard that “children are our future,” and if these students are this driven at their young ages of 11-14, our future is looking pretty bright!

Please keep an eye on these upcoming leaders in animal advocacy and contact us at (803) 514-4313 or info@angelhartlinedesigns.com if you’d like to start a Junior FOTAS group at your learning institution.

Their lives are in our hands.

 

 

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Director

 

Pets of the Week

ADELI
Domestic Medium-hair, female, 2 years old, 7.6 pounds – $10

LILITH
Mixed breed, female, 2 years old, 35 pounds – $35

2018, donations, essay, Events, FOTAS, Fundraisers, News, Volunteers

Leadership & Teamwork Make FOTAS Golf Tourney a Signature Event

Posted on by Bob Gordon
09
Oct

FOTAS just held its Fifth Annual Playing Fore the Pets Golf Tournament and Helicopter Ball Drop on Oct. 1. The event was bigger than ever, with 176 golfers participating in the tournament and 996 ball drop raffle tickets sold.

A golf tournament participant checks out the prizes and gift baskets provided by sponsors.

In just five years, this special event has become the biggest FOTAS fundraiser of the year. It’s quite an achievement but such success doesn’t happen by accident. The event has grown and progressively raised more money to benefit the homeless pets at the Aiken County Animal Shelter due tostrong leadership and a lot of hard work.

The leadership? Sandy and Ross Staiger, co-chairs of the event. When Ross retired in 2011, the couple moved from New Hampshire and made their home in Aiken. Sandy joined FOTAS in 2012 as a dog-walking volunteer and soon put her photography skills to good use, taking high-quality pictures of shelter dogs to promote their availability and use in their profiles. She helped out at various FOTAS events, including the organization’s annual Woofstock festival, and

On tournament day, Sandy Staiger reviews final details with a representative from The Reserve Club at Woodside.

thought adding a golf tournament to the FOTAS schedule of events could be a nice fit.

Never one to sit quietly when she has a suggestion, Sandy shared her idea to start a golf-themed fundraising event with FOTAS President Jennifer Miller. The event would include their signature attraction, a helicopter hovering 300 feet in the air, dropping hundreds of numbered golf balls onto a target below. Each ball would represent a $10 raffle ticket and the person whose ball landed closest to the target would win $1,000. Miller and the FOTAS Board liked the idea and held the premier Playing Fore the Pets fundraiser in 2014.

“The goal of this event is not only to provide a fun time for amateur golfers and raise money for the animals, but also to build awareness of the needs at the County Shelter and inform the community about FOTAS’s many helpful programs that help these unwanted pets,” Sandy said.

The hard work of planning and executing the tournament is done by the Playing Fore the Pets event committee. According to the Staigers, this group is the “heart” of the tournament’s success. No outside contest experts are hired. No consultants provide support. It’s up to this small unit to minimize expenses and do all the leg work. FOTAS volunteers fill the role of the event’s service staff on tournament day.

During the helicopter golf ball drop event, nearly 1,000 golf balls are released from 300 feet onto a target below.

The committee includes: four-year veterans Karen Loughran, Sharon Johnson and Connie Jarzmik; two-year vets Jan Barker and Cori McCorkle; and Cindie Davidson, who joined the committee this year. These women start organizing and seeking sponsors in May and their work doesn’t let up until the day of the tournament and golf ball drop.
This year, sponsorship signs, banners, and beautiful prize baskets dominated the tournament grounds more than ever — all due to the work of committee members and the generosity of both long-time and freshman sponsors.

“The best part for Ross, me and the committee is seeing the result of our efforts,” Sandy said. “It’s all about benefiting the County Shelter animals.”

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

 

By the Numbers
In the first four days of October, the County Animal Shelter received 120 strays and surrendered pets – an average of 30 animals per day!

 

Pets of the Week

TULIP
Domestic Shorthair, female, tortoiseshell, 1 year old, 7.2 pounds – $10

ALLEN
Retriever mix, male, brindle, 1 year old, 52 pounds – $35

Bully Dogs, Doggie Day Out, Dogs, essay, FOTAS, News, Pibbles, Uncategorized, Volunteer, Volunteers

Love Is in the Air at the Aiken County Animal Shelter

Posted on by Bob Gordon
24
Sep

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

Cats, essay, FOTAS, kittens, News, PetSmart cats, Uncategorized, Volunteers

Aiken PetSmart Cats Get Care and Comfort from FOTAS Volunteers

Posted on by Bob Gordon
24
Sep

“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.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

 

 

Pets of the Week

EILEEN: Calico kitten, female, 4 months old, 4.5 pounds – $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart store)

 

TOOTOO: Terrier mix, female, 10 months old, 33 pounds – $35

2018, Dogs, essay, Foster, FOTAS, News, Spay/Neuter, Transfer, Volunteer, Volunteers

Dog Days of Summer: County Shelter Population Doubles!

Posted on by Angel Hartline
15
Jul

I used to love summer and particularly the 4th of July with all of its patriotic fervor, but now I dread it—not because I am less patriotic, but because I see so many pets whose lives are shattered through no fault of their own.

More puppies and kittens are coming into the shelter than going out through adoptions.

The fireworks terrify many dogs, who then bolt from their homes in a panic. Some get hit by cars; others get lost and are picked up as strays and brought to the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

People go on vacation and surrender their pets to the shelter rather than finding someone to care for them. Hundreds of unwanted mothers and puppies and kittens have been turned into the shelter.

It is heartbreaking to see these innocent pets in the shelter. They did nothing wrong. One day they have a home; the next, they are in a strange noisy place with hundreds of other dogs, abandoned by their own family.

The shelter is over-crowded, kennels doubled-up. In January, the shelter received 237 unwanted dogs and cats. In June, the shelter received 545 unwanted animals—almost a 100% increase! Each one of those 545 animals has a face, a heart and a soul.

There are not enough volunteers to work with so many animals, and because it is so brutally hot, it’s difficult for the existing volunteers to give the dogs the attention they need in such a stressful environment. We desperately need more volunteers to help us walk and socialize the dogs.

The Shelter has lots of homeless kittens this month!

FOTAS has ramped up its transfer program, sending animals to no-kill partner shelters as many as two to four times per week. This program is critical to relieve overcrowding in the shelter, but we need more foster homes.

Intake kennels at the Shelter are full, with some dogs doubled up.

Here’s how it works: an animal assigned for transport is taken out of the shelter and placed in a foster home for five to seven days prior to the transfer to acclimate the animals to a home environment. When an animal is placed in a foster home before transfer, it opens up a space on the adoption floor for an animal in the intake section, so fostering saves two lives—the animal fostered and the animal moved to the adoption floor.

FOTAS supplies foster families with pet food and crates and any other necessary supplies. There is nothing more rewarding than fostering a pet for a few days, knowing that your time and care help a shelter pet adjust to family life and get them adopted faster.

This is a difficult time. FOTAS and the shelter need your support now more than ever; every little bit helps.

Donate. Volunteer. Foster. Please.

Together we will continue to make a difference to the many animals who depend on us to save their lives. Email FOTAS at info@aiken.org or call the FOTAS hotline: 803-514-4313.

Their lives our in our hands.

— By Jennifer Miller, President of FOTAS

By the Numbers

July Summer Adoption Special: dogs and puppies $35, cats and kittens just $10.

July 1 – 15: The Aiken County Animal Shelter received 223 strays and surrendered pets.

 

Pets of the Week

MASON: Boxer mix, male, 4 years old, light brown, 57 pounds– $0 to good home (adoption fee is sponsored)

PATCHES: Domestic Shorthair, female, 3 months old, Calico, 2.7 pounds – $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart Store on Whiskey Road)

 

 

awards, Bully Dogs, Demodex, Dogs, essay, Foster, FOTAS, injured animals, News, Volunteers

Two FOTAS Family Members Honored as Heroes

Posted on by Angel Hartline
01
Jul

The American Red Cross honored FOTAS fosters Becca Babineau and Chenoa Shields with its local hero award for “going above and beyond the line of duty to save lives and serve others.” The two women were presented with their awards with other citizens who showed extraordinary courage to rescue and change lives for the better.

Becca Babinea with demodex foster dog Max.

Becca, who will be a senior in high school next year, was honored by the Aiken Red Cross for the work she does with her family, fostering and nurturing Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) dogs in preparation for adoption. Becca works closely with her mother, Peggy, to help restore the health and confidence of canines with severe skin conditions and other physical ailments.

Becca Babineau (center) receives the Red Cross Hero Award with the support of (l to r): Betty Ryberg, Paige Bayne, Jennifer Miller, her parents Dave and Peggy Babineau, Bobby Arthurs and Dr. Lisa Levy.

“I was pretty surprised when I heard that I had won this award and I’m very appreciative of the recognition,” Becca said. “I enjoy working with the dogs because I can do it in our home where everything is very relaxed and it’s rewarding to see the progress they make.”

Becca has helped foster about 160 dogs in four years. Canines that stood out to Becca included Max and Nellie, who were suffering from severe demodectic mange, a skin condition that is often worsened by stress. When she and Peggy brought the dogs home from the ACAS, they were nearly furless. But once they felt safe and received the one-on-one socialization needed, their medication kicked in and they regained their beautiful, thick coats.

Chenoa Shields, with the support of her husband, Jason Aumick, was honored for fostering and helping place more than 50 homeless dogs.

Becca also has fostered dogs injured in car accidents and even one recovering from gunshot wounds.

Chenoa with Katie, a dog she adopted from the ACAS.

Chenoa, also a long-time FOTAS foster of ACAS dogs, received the Augusta Area Red Cross Hero Award for saving and placing homeless dogs in forever homes. Since 2015, Chenoa has helped save 51 shelter dogs by taking them into her Evans, GA home and treating their physical and emotional wounds. She often adopts the dogs and then places them by carefully screening potential adopters until she’s sure they can provide good homes. Sometimes she even delivers the dogs herself, driving as far as 850 miles in a single day, all while working fulltime as a program analyst at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center.

“I started offering to deliver my fosters to their forever homes because the joy on the adopter’s face upon first meeting their new dog is priceless!” Chenoa said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Congratulations to these wonderful women who have done so much for homeless animals. We are proud and lucky to have you on our FOTAS team!

Their lives are in our hands.

— by Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications

By the Numbers

The adoption fee for cats and kittens is being waived ($0) through July 3rd

 

 

Pets of the Week


CHURCHILL: Mixed breed, male, 9 years old, 52 pounds – $35


LILLY: Domestic Shorthair, female, 2 years old, 6 pounds – $0 through July 3

 

 

Cats, essay, Foster, FOTAS, injured animals, kittens, News, Volunteers

Fostering Kittens is a Proud Tradition for Windsor Family

Posted on by Angel Hartline
17
Jun

“You get the love from the kittens and when you see one that you raised get adopted to a good home, it’s one of the best feelings in the world,” says Fran Bush, explaining the rewards of fostering homeless shelter pets.

FOTAS Foster Volunteer Angela Poe bottle-feeds kittens at home.
Fran Bush with Nuka

She should know. Fran and her husband, Don, are top volunteers for FOTAS and the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) and have been fostering kittens and other homeless animals in their Windsor home for many years. Before retiring and volunteering for FOTAS, they owned Booklovers Bookstore in Aiken and customers, knowing their love for animals, would bring the couple strays to nurture and place in homes.

Don Bush with healing foster kitten, Nuka.

It’s a proud family tradition. Fran’s mother took in stray cats and taught her how to care for them and Fran’s daughter, Angela Poe, and her husband, Derrick, have fostered about a dozen ACAS kittens so far this year – some of them only days old.

“I used to joke to my friends that I had to share my cradle with kittens,” Angela said. “But it’s what you do…take care of these animals that are helpless on their own.”

It’s a noble cause and the work of these fosters is vital to FOTAS and the ACAS. While the Shelter provides all the care it can – and extraordinarily committed staff members even take kittens to their own homes for bottle feeding – the flood of orphaned fur babies is too much to handle for any rescue or shelter facility. Until they are at least 3 weeks old, kittens must be bottle

Nuka recovering from her upper resperatory illness.

fed every two hours and manually stimulated to defecate and urinate – and they must be cared for 24 hours a day. If the kittens are brought in with their momma cat, she can take care of these tasks. But most litters arrive at the shelter without their mother and the kittens need nourishment and care. Older kittens need fostering, too. Before being put up for adoption, they must be socialized and learn to trust humans.

Nuka gives some love to fellow foster kitten Mischief.

Fran and Don have fostered four litters of kittens in the last year, but they also take in “singlets” or kittens that are found alone. Recently, they saved a kitten named Nuka. Nuka was just 2 or 3 weeks old when he was found on the side of the road, weak and suffering from a sever upper respiratory infection. He also had difficulty standing on his own. Fran took in the kitten and the ACAS gave him antibiotic to treat the infection. His condition was touch and go, but eventually he recovered. The probable scenario is that Nuka’s back leg was injured when he was dumped from a moving vehicle.

“We are so grateful that Fran and Don stepped up to save this kitten’s life,” said ACAS Adoption Coordinator Hillary Clark-Kulis. “They gave him the one-on-one, 24-hour care needed to recover from his illness and injury.”

Now, Nuka is happy, healthy and best buddies with Mischief, another foster kitten saved by Fran and Don.  But with more than 200 strays and surrendered pets arriving at the shelter in just the first two weeks of June, it won’t be long before another kitten arrives that desperately needs their help.

If you can help foster for FOTAS, please call (803) 514-4313.

Their lives are in our hands.

By the Numbers

From June 1-14, the ACAS received more than 200 strays and surrendered pets.

 

Pets of the Week

PHANTOM

Mixed breed, male, 2 years old, black & white, 50 pounds – $35

 

PENNY

Domestic Shorthair kitten, female, 2 months old, orange/white Tabby, 1.5 pounds – $10

 

 

animal abuse, Dogs, essay, Foster, FOTAS, News, Training, Volunteers

Terrified Stray Dog Keegan Learns How to Love Again

Posted on by Angel Hartline
27
May

He wouldn’t let anyone pet him for two weeks.

Keegan, a 2-year-old, mid-sized, black Retriever mix, was picked up as a stray in Graniteville and being at a strange, new place full of barking dogs was terrifying. Having no idea how to behave in such a situation, he shut down completely.

It’s not an uncommon scenario at the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS). Many homeless dogs and cats brought to 333 Wire Road in Aiken are traumatized before they arrive and have extreme difficulty adjusting to their surroundings.

Keegan overcame his fear to find a new home, but it took time. patience and a lot of human love.
Keegan overcame his fear to find a new home, but it took time. patience and a lot of human love.

“Dogs like Keegan want to be loved, but they don’t have the experience of being loved,” explained Jackie Edel, a FOTAS volunteer who took on the task of fostering Keegan at her home.

While not ready to be adopted in his current condition, the Shelter staff and FOTAS team thought Keegan could gain confidence and learn to trust people in a quieter environment, where he could experience more one-on-one training.

Keegan had to be carried into the house but slowly began accepting Jackie’s direction. Watching the behavior of Jackie’s own four dogs, and being accepted by them, also turned him around. If her dogs – Corgis Maisie and Heath, Border Collie Gabby and Australian Shepherd Julia – trusted and loved Jackie, maybe he could, too.

Jeff Martin and Yellow Retriever Nala help Keegan feel welcome in his new home.
Jeff Martin and Yellow Retriever Nala help Keegan feel welcome in his new home.

“My dogs are older and know the drill,” Jackie said. “They helped him tremendously. I remember the first time Keegan hopped up next to me and licked my face, I almost passed out. I was so surprised and happy for him!”

Once Keegan accepted Jackie, he was ready to meet and accept new people. Jackie brought him for visits to the shelter, walks in the park and downtown, and to FOTAS events like the annual Woofstock Festival. Keegan also hung out with volunteers under the FOTAS tent at the Aiken Charity Horse Show.

Keegan in Jackie Edel's car, learning to socialize with her dogs.
Keegan in Jackie Edel’s car, learning to socialize with her dogs.

It was during this period that FOTAS volunteers Jeff and Bonnie Martin started to notice Keegan. While promoting FOTAS’s programs at the horse show, Bonnie was handed Keegan’s leash and asked to watch him for a little while. That was all it took. Keegan’s sad eyes and timid licks on her hand sealed the deal.

The next day, Bonnie and Jeff introduced Keegan to Nala, their 9-year-old yellow Lab, and the meet and greet was a success as the dogs happily played together. The Martins weren’t really looking for another dog, but that was before they met Keegan and learned about his struggles.

“We made a breakthrough this morning,” Jeff said with a big smile about a week after adopting Keegan. “He took a treat right from my hand instead of waiting for me to put it on the ground. He’s so appreciative, we love having him and he’s doing better each day.”

Their lives are in our hands.

 — by Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications

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By the Numbers

May 1-23: The County Shelter received 435 stray animals and surrendered pets in just three weeks (more than 20 per day). Please spay and neuter your pets and don’t surrender them to the shelter this month unless you have no other options.

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Pets of the Week

BUTCH and SPIKE POTWBUTCH & SPIKE: Chihuahua mixes, males, 8 years old, 17 pounds – $35 each


CADEN POTW 052718CADEN: Domestic Shorthair, male, 5 months old, Siamese mix, 5 pounds – $10