Tag Archives: abused and neglected animals

2020, animal abuse, ANIMAL CRUELTY, Dogs, Dr. Lisa Levy, FOTAS, injured animals, neglected pets, News, surgeries

A Song of Survival: The Ballad of Willie Nelson

Posted on by Bob Gordon
09
Sep

I came into work one morning several months ago to find that Animal Control had brought in a medium-sized, black dog who could not stand up. After examination, I found that his back legs worked fine but he could not use either front leg. X-rays revealed that his right front leg had an old gunshot wound just above the elbow that had shattered the bone. The bone had healed as best it could and felt stable when touched. The left front leg was normal on x-ray but had nerve damage.

He was happy and not in any pain, so I planned to keep him a few days, hoping his owner would claim him. But if not, we would euthanize him.

Amazingly after two days, he started to walk on the gunshot leg, but still could not use the nerve-damaged leg. The staff fell in love with him and named him Willie Nelson (because he howls and “sings” when he wants attention). He continued to get stronger on the right leg, but his left leg would collapse every time he tried to put weight on it. We made the decision to amputate the left leg and he healed beautifully.

The day before he was to go up for adoption, he suddenly wouldn’t stand. We x-rayed the leg again and found it had fractured through the area where the gunshot wound was. Because it had not healed well, it couldn’t withstand the strain of bearing the extra weight of him being three-legged. My husband, Dr. Michael Wells, and I decided to repair the fracture with metal pins, which we planned to leave in place for stability. Two of our kennel crew, Brandon and Chase, fostered him while he healed.

Unfortunately, the bone was too soft from all the previous damage and the pins kept backing out. Despite several attempts to reset them, they finally came out completely.

Our next step was a cast, which Willie hated but learned to tolerate. Finally, the day came to remove the cast. Willie walked on his leg but after only a few minutes there was an audible crack. The leg had broken again!

Willie Nelson’s custom-made cart allows him to run and play, despite losing his front legs.

We were heartbroken and out of options. Willie went home to spend a last night with his foster family and we planned to put him to sleep the next day.

That night was pretty depressing at our house. For four months, we had worked with Willie and it was devastating to lose him. I asked my husband, “What if we buy him a custom-made cart?” I talked to Brandon and Chase the next morning and they agreed to adopt Willie if we would purchase the cart. We worked with an awesome company called, “Eddie’s Wheels,” which gave us a shelter discount and built him a cart in just two weeks.

Meanwhile, after talking to Brandon and the people at Eddie’s Wheels, we decided to amputate his broken leg as he would never use it and we didn’t want it to be a source of pain for him.

Willie is still adjusting to his cart but doing great. He is one of the happiest dogs I have ever seen, exhibiting a positive spirit every day of his trying journey.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Dr. Lisa Levy, Aiken County Animal Shelter Veterinarian

2020, animal abuse, ANIMAL CRUELTY, Chained dogs, Dogs, FOTAS, neglected pets, News, SOCIAL MEDIA

Frightened, Sad Shelter Dog Reminds Us We Can Still Make a Difference

Posted on by Bob Gordon
23
Jul

At a time when we might feel helpless in a world out of control, Kai’s story reminds us we can still make a difference.

His fear also hits home. There’s a lot of scary going on.

Maybe that’s why this traumatized dog with a broken heart became a social media celeb in just one day. More than 68,000 people around the globe shared his post. Another 25,000 offered tears, donations, and prayers.

KAI was saved by a rescue that specializes in helping dogs traumatized by abuse.

As one reader in Virginia put it: “The comments under Kai’s post restore my faith in humanity at a time when I need it most.”

At the time of our first post, Kai was a sad frightened dog in the corner of his kennel. Fear like we haven’t seen in a long time. When he heard a noise while eating, food fell from his mouth.

Now, through your sharing, Kai can rest peacefully in the lap of his foster hero Jessica, with Southern Tails for Precious Paws Rescue in Charleston, SC. She is an expert in healing dogs who’ve been beaten and abused.

When this photo of ACAS dog KAI was posted on Facebook along with his sad story, more than 68,000 people around the world shared it. Within hours of the post, KAI was rescued by an expert who specializes in healing dogs traumatized from abuse.

What’s more, three other struggling dogs got homes too, from the 500 plus emails the Aiken County Animal Shelter woke up to that morning, all asking to adopt Kai.

Please take a minute and take it in. You saved four dogs by sharing one post. That’s power. That’s goodness. That’s the love that changes everything.

Whatever you may think about social media, at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, where over 4,000 unwanted animals were received last year, this communication tool and the sharing of our Facebook posts (especially during this chaotic time) has been a blessing in helping us to continue to save so many lives. Your sharing of a FOTAS Facebook post could be the one that saves that shelter pet’s life.

Thank you. Their lives are in our hands.

— By Martha Anne Tudor, FOTAS Volunteer

2020, animal abuse, ANIMAL CRUELTY, Chained dogs, coronavirus crisis, County Animal Control, County animal laws, County tethering ordinance, FOTAS, neglected pets, News

Community Outreach More Vital than Ever During Difficult Times

Posted on by Bob Gordon
30
Jun

While catching up on paperwork early Thursday morning, Patrick Miller, Supervisor of Animal Control in Aiken County’s Code Enforcement Division, is asked what he likes most about his job.

“Helping people is the most rewarding part of what I do,” he says. “It’s just human nature to feel good from giving back to the community and helping people out. That’s the highlight of all the officers’ days.”

County Animal Control Officers like Larry Callahan (left) and Daniel Godwin provide swivel systems and runners that ensure dog owners are complying with the County’s tethering ordinance.

Miller, who has been an animal control officer since 2013, is usually on the road taking calls from dispatch. On an average day, he is checking on stray dogs, livestock on the loose, nuisance complaints and potential pet neglect and abuse. However, since the crippling economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, community outreach has become an even bigger part of Miller’s day.

“COVID-19 has impacted County citizens a great deal,” he explains. “More people are out of work and our community outreach has stepped up. I have a lot of folks right now who can’t afford gas. People sometimes say, ’Can you give us a hand with some food?’”

FOTAS helps by providing pet food, legal and humane dog runners and dog houses to the officers, which they then give to citizens in need. FOTAS also directly gives assistance through its partnership with Meals on Wheels, providing food for senior citizens’ pets.

Miller and his fellow County Animal Code Enforcement officers have to balance enforcement with community outreach. They must help out folks in need while at the same time protecting the welfare of pets and other animals that are neglected and abused.

“Part of our community outreach is explaining laws and helping folks comply to them,” Miller says. “I’d say about half of the people we talk to still do not know that dogs cannot be on a chain. That’s one of the biggest issues we deal with weekly – and FOTAS helps by getting us runner cables.”

Code Enforcement Officer Patrick Miller saves a dog from drowning. A flash flood nearly took the life of the poor pup who was attached to a short, heavy chain when the water rose up to his nose.

Officer Miller is well-respected by his peers and colleagues for how diligently he looks out for animals and his kindness to people and their pets. But he has seen enough neglect and abuse to last a lifetime and will not hesitate to rescue a pet from a bad situation and charge the offender accordingly.

“At the end of the day, what makes you feel good about your job is that you helped the animal and gave it a second chance at a good life,” he said.

Their lives are in our hands.


— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2020, ANIMAL CRUELTY, Chained dogs, County Animal Control, Dogs, Dr. Lisa Levy, FOTAS, injured animals, neglected pets, News

Animal Cruelty: If You See Something, Say Something

Posted on by Bob Gordon
12
May

Animal cruelty comes in many forms and is more common than we want to believe. It can be seen in such diverse ways as physical abuse, neglect of basic care, abandonment, dog fighting, and animal hoarding. It can be as blatant and evil as intentionally hurting or torturing an animal, or as a result of ignorance and pet owners never learning the basic needs or proper care of an animal.

Magnolia, who was tied to a tree deep in the woods and left to die, is now healthy, safe and loved by her adopter, Rachel.

Magnolia was left in the woods to die
Recently, a beautiful German Shepherd was rescued from certain death when kids playing in the woods found her tied to a tree. The collar around her neck was embedded into her skin and she was weak from lack of food and water. The kids alerted their parents, who immediately called Aiken County Animal Enforcement. Officer Patrick Miller brought the injured Shepherd to the Aiken County Animal Shelter, where she could be cared for and treated for her deep neck wounds.

The shelter’s veterinarian, Dr. Lisa Levy, had to surgically remove dead tissue to close the deep gash in her neck. The sweet dog was named Magnolia and quickly became a staff favorite. As soon as she was healthy enough, Magnolia was moved to the adoption floor. She was adopted to a young Smyrna, GA woman who drove 185 miles to get her.

“We go on a lot of walks and Magnolia likes to just chill and cuddle when we’re home,” said Rachel Zeisel. “She’s my girl.”

Lois arrived at the shelter so emaciated, she could not stand and walk on her own.

Lois arrived too weak to walk
A starving, seven-year-old hound mix was rescued by Animal Enforcement Officer Mark Graham. He had to carry her into his truck because she was so weak. She had so little muscle in her hip muscles due to lack of nutrition and exercise, she could not walk on her own. Based on pressure sores on her body, this poor dog was likely chained and slept on concrete.

The staff named her Lois and started her on a diet of at least three meals per day. She now has a soft bed in her kennel and is able to stand on her own. Lois is making great progress. But the wounds from her abuse are still healing, so she’s not quite ready for adoption.

If you see animal neglect or abuse, call the authorities
If you see something, say something. Call your local animal control agency as soon as possible if you witness suspected cruelty to animals. If you live in Aiken, call (803) 502.9000, extension 3704. Or email enforcement@aikencountysc.gov.

Lois has been through hell, but she’ll soon be ready for adoption and can look forward to a new, better life with people who will love and protect her.

Document the case as well as you can with dates, times, specific details and, if possible, video footage and photographs from a cell phone. All of these things can help appropriate agencies during an investigation they do of the suspected cruelty.

Their lives are in our hands.


— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2020, Adoption, Children, Dogs, fostering, FOTAS, Junior FOTAS, News, Volunteers

Job Shadow Day at the Shelter with Logan Heath

Posted on by Bob Gordon
06
May

One of my favorite programs offered within the Aiken County School System is Job Shadow Day. Students are encouraged to follow an adult at work to learn first-hand what they do each day. This was the first year that a local student asked to shadow me at the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS). I was so excited!

Logan Heath prepares for his Shadow Day with FOTAS Programs Coordinator Kathy Jacobs.

Logan Heath, a member of our Junior FOTAS after-school program at Tall Pines STEM Academy, arrived at 8 a.m. and we had plenty to do. I explained that we needed to walk the shelter and take inventory. We had to visit all the new dogs and cats and start making plans for them. It also meant preparing them for foster homes, calling foster families, flea-treating dogs, bathing puppies and making sure all adoptable pets were walked and shown love.

I noticed Logan’s eyes get big when he saw a new mother dog and her puppies. He had never seen puppies that little before. The mother dog was so sweet and let me take out a puppy for Logan to hold. We then called super foster mom Girl Conger-Wolcott to come pick up this litter.

Next, we saw a new puppy that looked so sad all curled up in a bed. We called Betsy Holmes and asked if she would foster him. She immediately said yes and was on her way. Logan and I bathed the puppy, found some food and toys and got ready for Betsy to arrive. Logan asked if he could name the puppy Alex, so we did. It suited him!

Tall Pines STEM Academy student and Junior FOTAS Volunteer Logan Heath bonds with Derry.

Logan has a dog but no cats, so he really wanted to spend time with a kitty. We had a super snuggly cat that enjoyed playing and getting some couch time. We talked about how playing and getting human attention can help a pet be more adoptable and less fearful of new people.

We then went to the kennels to meet the adoptable dogs. He really wanted to walk a cute dog named Derry. When we put the leash on, she rolled over and smiled. I told Logan she is what we call “perfection on paws.” Derry and her puppies were found dumped on the side of the road. How could a dog go through so much and still be so sweet?

Logan said his grandmother was picking him up after we were done and she was looking for a canine companion. When his grandmother arrived, he asked if he could show her a dog. He walked into the kennel and got down on the ground with Derry. His grandmother asked why he thought she should adopt her and Logan said, “Because she is amazing.” Without hesitation, she replied, “Okay then, let’s bring her home.”

Logan and his grandmother, Kimberly Parker, adopt Derry — a dog that was found dumped on the side of the road with her puppies.

We are hoping to put all this social distancing behind us soon. We miss our Junior FOTAS volunteers! Young people like Logan make a huge difference in the lives of the shelter pets. We hope that children in Aiken County will stay connected with us by emailing lists of their favorite pet names, sending videos reading to their pets and submitting fun animal-themed pictures or videos that we can share with our Facebook followers. (Please send your submissions to info@FOTASAiken.org.)


— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2020, animal abuse, Chained dogs, County animal laws, Dogs, fostering, FOTAS, injured animals, neglected pets, News

The Discarding of Countless Litters in Our Community Is Sad and Unacceptable

Posted on by Bob Gordon
24
Mar

“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”
— Immanuel Kant

Last month, a very kind couple arrived at the shelter with a litter of puppies. They explained that they had been caring for the five-week-old pups for a week or so. We were all saddened to hear that someone tied the pups in a garbage bag and left them on the side of the road, in front of the couple’s home. They would have ignored the bag, but thought they saw it moving. Carefully opening the plastic bag, the couple discovered sad, hungry, filthy puppies inside. The pups were hungry and terrified.

Who does that? Not only could the puppies have died an agonizing death but somewhere there is a mother dog mourning her missing puppies – a mama dog who likely will be having another unwanted litter in the future.

Celeste arrived at the shelter starving to death but somehow recovered completely and was adopted.

This litter was extremely lucky because the couple that found them cared. They stopped, they bathed them, and they fed them.

How often do we drive by a cardboard box or bag on the side of the road? Sadly, I now wonder how often there are puppies or kittens in that box.

As I am writing this, a nice couple walked into the shelter with a crate holding two puppies. They said they were driving and looked out their window and saw the crate with puppies in the woods. They turned their car around to investigate. Two small and social puppies sitting in a crate with a blanket looked up at them with relief in their eyes.

“I have two rescue dogs and two rescue cats…I felt bad when I saw them, they could’ve died there,” said Angela Franks.

Patty the kitten lost her eye to a bad infection because she was discarded like trash.

Every day, another homeless dog or cat arrives at the shelter “damaged”. By that, I mean they come in shot, hit by a motor vehicle, tossed out of a car, or abandoned in the woods or by the road.

Staff and volunteers are continually confused as to why people would hurt or abandon an animal when there are resources around such as the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) and FOTAS. We have an easy to use site where we can post your pet to rehome at no charge. The County also offers vouchers to help assist those who cannot afford to fix their pets and FOTAS helps through our Fix a Pet program. There is absolutely no reason for the countless litters we see discarded and neglected in our community.

The shelter takes in 300 to 500 dogs and cats each month. The struggle is finding homes for all these pets and yet it is so very easy to prevent these high numbers. Kitten season is quickly approaching and the staff is already preparing by stocking up on formula, baby bottles and supplies. Soon we will have kittens coming in around the clock and never enough foster homes to bottle feed them.

These two puppies, left in the woods to die, were saved by a local couple and brought to the ACAS.

We are desperate for foster homes for litters of puppies and kittens as well as foster homes for those recovering from medical procedures. If you are interested in fostering or becoming a volunteer, please contact FOTAS at info@FOTASaiken.org or stop by the ACAS.

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2019, animal abuse, County Animal Control, Demodex, Dogs, FOTAS, neglected pets, News

Dede Blossoms After Love and Care at the County Shelter

Posted on by Bob Gordon
01
Oct

Dede was wandering the backroads of the county in the sizzling heat of July when she was picked up by animal control officers. Her condition was shocking: aside from being terrified and dehydrated, she was completely hairless and bleeding.

DEDE when she first arrived at the shelter.

She was, as you can see from the featured photo, hard to look at without grimacing with horror and heartbreak, with outrage that someone cared so little about this sweet dog that they didn’t provide medical care when it was needed and then abandoned her to starve and die when her condition became critical.

Because we try not to think the worst about people, we’d like to believe that maybe someone loved her but just didn’t have the means to care for her—that they were victims of poverty or misfortune.

Sorry, but I don’t buy it. Dede suffered horribly, both physically and emotionally, because someone neglected her medical needs and then washed their hands of her when she needed them the most. That’s cruelty, plain and simple. It makes me furious.

DEDE after being treated for her Demodex.

Like most dogs, Dede’s capacity for gratitude and forgiveness is boundless—far greater than mine (I promise to work on that at church!) She has never complained, not once, and she has never stopped wagging her tail. She’s cheerful and kind. She loves people and children. She is great with other dogs. She has gone on several doggy-night-outs with staff and volunteers, and they all rave about her. She is a good size, weighing in at just 40 pounds.

Here’s the deal. Dede was diagnosed and successfully treated for Demodex mange, which is not contagious. Her coat has grown back in. However, once she was cured of mange, she continued to scratch and bleed, and Dr. Levy suspected she had some kind of allergy. FOTAS purchased allergy meds for her and it is working; she feels and looks good, but she may need to be on allergy meds for life. Although more in-depth allergy testing might identify a more targeted treatment, Dede’s doing just fine without it.

DEDE is now just waiting for her forever home.

FOTAS Program Director Kathy Jacobs has been treating her own dog for allergies for years, and he is a fluffy, happy dog.

“My dog’s allergy meds are not difficult to administer,” says Kathy. “It’s one more monthly pill along with flea, tick, and heartworm protection. Sure, it’s an extra expense, but it’s not a large one by any means.”

Dede is a special dog, and she deserves and needs a loving home. Will it be you? Her adoption fee has been sponsored. Call the Aiken County Animal Shelter at 803-642-1537 and ask for Hillary, Bob, or Amanda.

Their lives are in our hands.

–By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

BY THE NUMBERS

The Aiken County Animal Shelter has taken in 400 strays and surrendered pets so far this month.

PETS OF THE WEEK

LADY
Bulldog mix, female, 4 years old, tan & white, 75 pounds – $35

ECHO
Domestic Shorthair, female, 3 months old, tan & black Tabby, 2 pounds – $10

2019, Dogs, FOTAS, injured animals, kittens, neglected pets, News, Shelter staff, surgeries, surrendered pets

A Tale of Tails: A Little Bit Shorter Now

Posted on by Bob Gordon
18
Jul

We have all experienced that strange phenomenon where things seem to come in waves, or the old saying that things happen in “threes”. Well for the month of June that trend was tail surgery and it wasn’t three; it was five! I normally perform one or two tail amputations per year. But this particular month the tail injuries kept coming.

First there was Bolt. Bolt is a very energetic Pittie mix. After only a few days at the shelter he developed what we lovingly call “happy tail”. He wags his tail so much he hit it against the walls of his kennel causing the tip to bleed. Normally a wrap on his tail for several days resolves the problem. Unfortunately, Bolt was not a fan of having his tail wrapped and despite bitter apple spray and the dreaded cone of shame around his head, he still managed to get his wraps off. The tail wound kept getting worse and finally I decided to amputate his tail when it became clear that it would never heal. His facial features are a little like a Boxer’s, so we made his tail end match.

His tail healed beautifully and we may have prevented his forever home from having to deal with that exuberant tail knocking everything off the coffee table.

Scraps arrived with a badly injured tail but felt better after the dead tissue was surgically removed.

Then came the 3 kittens Scraps, Sagwa, and Ren. They came in about a week apart.

Scraps was first. About ¾ of his tail was black and hard, meaning all of the tissue was dead and had been for a while. After surgery, the poor little guy hardly had any tail left, but then again neither does a Manx cat. However, he was more playful after surgery, so I think he felt better without that dead tail.

Sagwa is a beautiful little Siamese mix. She came in with the last half of her tail just hanging on by a piece of skin and the bone exposed. She healed very quickly and was adopted within one hour of being put on the adoption floor.

Last of the kittens was Ren. He was the luckiest of the three as only about the last third of his tail was injured, so he was able to keep most of his tail.

Black kitten Ren goes home with his new family.

Finally, there was Magyver (yes, I spelled it wrong on purpose). He is one of my most challenging cases this year. He is a shepherd mix brought in by animal control with multiple areas on his body covered in maggots. In order for a dog to be that severely infested, they have to be weak enough to allow flies to stay on them long enough to lay eggs, which then hatch into maggots.

My two vet techs and I got to work and it took an hour to shave all the affected areas and flush out all those gross little things. After many years of practice there are not a lot of things that make me squeamish, but maggots are still one of them. (You’ve heard the expression “gag a maggot”. Well, I really think it’s the people who gag!)

X-rays revealed he had a fractured pelvis which is probably why he was reluctant to move to stop the flies. The next few days his skin felt like leather from all the scabs. He would not make eye contact and his eyes looked defeated.

Bolt looks better — and feels better — with a docked tail.

I wasn’t sure he was going to make it but slowly with medication he started to improve. Then his tail turned black and I knew the tissue was so damaged it could not be saved. So Magyver became my fifth tail amputation. As he healed, his spirits started to improve and after two weeks we finally got our first wag of that stump of a tail. I was so happy I almost cried. He was finally showing us he was happy to be alive.

The next day I got my first kiss on the face. His skin continued to heal and his hair is growing back. This amazing dog is in foster care and getting stronger every day. And that makes it all worthwhile.

–– By Dr. Lisa Levy, ACAS Veterinarian

2019, animal abuse, Dogs, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, injured animals, neglected pets, News, Spay/Neuter

Good Samaritans rescue discarded, distressed puppies

Posted on by Bob Gordon
10
Jun

On Friday, May 31, Lisa Brucchi walked out of her Windsor home into the blistering heat to check her mailbox. She was expecting an important letter from her mom and was eager to see if it had arrived. But as she walked up to her mailbox, she noticed a box on the ground. At first, she thought someone had just left some garbage there but as she got closer, she saw someone had done something much worse. Inside the box were nine puppies covered in their own feces and urine, panting heavily and crying for help.

“When I saw them, I just burst out crying and didn’t know what to do,” Brucchi said. “How could someone leave them out there like that?”

Nine overheated puppies were rescued by a nice couple and are recovering and being fostered back to health by a FOTAS volunteer.

She got them into the cool air conditioning of her home and called her fiancé, Glen Morrow. They brought the distressed pups to the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS), where they were put into some cool water to bring their temperature down. At first, the 3-week-old pups couldn’t open their eyes and their tongues were hanging out, but they slowly came around.

After the veterinary staff fully examined and treated them, a FOTAS foster took them into her home for extra care and monitoring. Being so young, the puppies aren’t quite out of the woods. But their prognosis is good – and Brucchi and Morrow’s quick actions are the reason they have a chance of surviving and living happy lives.

The same afternoon these nine pups were fighting for life in the hot sun, another good Samaritan, Tristan Stone, was driving to a business meeting when he saw two puppies walking along the side of the road. The pups looked confused and were nearly furless from mange. Stone took them to the ACAS and was informed that someone had reported eight puppies in the same area. He volunteered to go back and spotted three more – these were in better shape and from the same litter.

Stone’s girlfriend, Hannah Williams, met him at the Shelter and she volunteered to foster the five pups until they recover and gain strength. They are about 3 months old and look like Beagle/Retriever mixes. Thanks to this caring couple, these babies are getting healthy and will be adopted in no time.

One of the nine pups abandoned in a box on a scorching day recovers after a cool bath.

The shelter received these 14 puppies in just a one-hour period. On the same day, it received 27 other strays and surrendered animals. This was during a short Memorial Day week in which the shelter took in 126 homeless pets.

Please spay/neuter your pets. If you live in Aiken County and need financial assistance, you can get vouchers at the ACAS, located at 333 Wire Road. If you can help us foster, please call the FOTAS hotline, (803) 514-4313. Also note our new adoption hours: 11:00 to 5:00 Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 11:00 to 7:00 on Tuesday and Thursday; and 11:00 to 4:30 on Saturday.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

BY THE NUMBERS
In the first week of June, the ACAS received more than 150 strays and surrendered pets. This follows receiving 519 homeless pets during the month of May.

PETS OF THE WEEK

LUKE
Mixed breed, male, 3 years old, brindle, 57 pounds – $35

BROOKE
Domestic Shorthair female, 2 years old, orange Tabby, 6 pounds – $10

2019, animal care education, Chained dogs, County Animal Control, County animal laws, Dogs, FOTAS, Junior FOTAS, microchipping, News, Spay/Neuter, surrendered pets

Animal Control Officers: Friends, not Dog Catchers

Posted on by Bob Gordon
15
Apr

by Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Director

I often go to area schools to talk to students about responsible pet ownership and proper animal care.

When we talk about how animals come into the Aiken County Animal Shelter, I tell the students that animal control officers as well as members of our community rescue and bring in stray dogs and cats. When asked by a show of hands how many believe animal control officers are mean, most will raise their hands. These young people have watched many animated movies and television shows that portray these community helpers as “dog catchers” – the cruel characters that drag Bolt and his friends into the dreaded animal shelter. What a misconception!

Officer Creel poses with Tall Pines STEM Academy students after talking to them about his job and giving them tips on how they can help homeless pets in their community.

Our community is very lucky to have officers that protect us and our pets from unvaccinated, sometimes aggressive animals. They look out for the neglected, abused and unloved pets in our area. They rescue dogs that have been left in the heat and cold without proper shelter, food and water. They bring in horses and pigs that have escaped their enclosures. These are the good guys.

Recently, Officer Brandon Creel attended our Junior FOTAS meeting at Tall Pines STEM Academy. He brought a catch pole, a scanner that reads microchips and demonstrated to the students how he and the other officers are trying to help. He explained that when officers use catch poles, it is as much for the dog’s protection as their own. Dogs can’t say “Stop,” but they can bite out of fear. If a dog bites an officer, not only will the officer be injured but the dog will have to go into quarantine. Therefore, the catch pole safely gets the dog into a kennel where they can decompress at the shelter. The scanner, he explained, helps officers identify and return dogs and cats to their homes without having to go to the shelter.

Officer Creel enjoys a light moment with students while teaching them about his job duties.

The officers also pick up scared strays, issue tickets to those who do not vaccinate, and educate the public about how to properly care for their pets. They save so many lives!

Officer Creel told the students that there are three things they can do to help: make sure their pets are vaccinated, ensure their animals are spayed and neutered, and speak up when they see an animal in need.

Aiken County is in good hands with this group of animal control officers. At the end of the work day, you will often see them visiting the dogs in their kennels, handing out pet treats and petting cats that need socializing. It’s their way of showing these animals that they do care about them and want them to be happy. Many of the officers have even adopted animals that they have rescued from the streets.

Their lives are in our hands.

BY THE NUMBERS
From April 1 to 10, the Aiken County Animal Shelter received 115 strays and surrendered pets. That’s more than 11 a day!

PETS OF THE WEEK
HUDSON: Terrier mix, male, 2 years old, 26 pounds – $35

SMOKEY: Domestic Medium Haired cat, female, 9 years old, 6 pounds – $10