Tag Archives: dogs

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Donate, Foster, FOTAS, Volunteer, Volunteers

Two hours a week – you can make a difference at the County Shelter

Posted on by Angel Hartline
12
Jun

I hate this time of year. While the rest of Aiken settles into the steamy, sleepy tempo of summer, FOTAS volunteers and County staff shift into hyper-drive at the Aiken County Animal Shelter to care for the inevitable onslaught of puppies, kittens and owner-surrender animals that crowd the intake wing and stress county resources to alarming levels.

Every summer, the County Shelter is filled to capacity, and this summer promises to be no exception. The Cat Adoption House is packed. Every dog kennel is occupied. Yet day after day, more homeless dogs and cats are picked up or surrendered to the shelter.

“As I walked through the aisles last Saturday,” says Jennifer Miller, President of FOTAS, “every single dog looked up at me with longing and hope – desperate for some human love and attention, desperate to be out of the stressful kennel environment, desperate for a home of their own. It breaks my heart because it never ends.”

And although we at FOTAS work like crazy – through print, television and social media, through our daily efforts to make the animals more adoptable, through our transfer programs – to find these animal homes, we can’t keep up. Even though last week was a record week for adoptions and transfers, 58 to be exact, the Shelter took in even more animals. The crisis continues, week after week, month after month throughout the summer and into the fall.

And here’s the thing: at the very time intake is so high, our volunteer ranks are thin because of vacation schedules and family commitments. That means that even though our cherished core volunteers and fosters are working non-stop, there are just not enough to give all of those dogs and cats the care and attention they need and deserve.

We need more people! I know you love animals or you probably wouldn’t be reading this article. So, help us out – join Team FOTAS. Volunteer at the Shelter, one or two hours a week, that’s all we ask.

One or two hours a week: you can walk and love up the dogs, play with the puppies, cuddle with the cats in the Cat Adoption House, help the handlers with dog playgroup sessions, greet visitors and potential adopters in the air conditioned comfort of the Shelter’s cheerful front lobby – there are so many options.

Just one or two hours, that’s it.

Please do not walk away from those unfortunate animals longing for love and attention. They ended up at the Shelter through no fault of their own, but it is our responsibility, as a community, to care for them.

Call the FOTAS Hotline 803-514-4313, go to www.fotasaiken.org , or email info@angelhartlinedesigns.com to help volunteer, foster, or donate.

Their lives are in our hands.

 

Ivy and Janson are waiting for someone to take them for a walk.
Ivy and Janson are waiting for someone to take them for a walk.
Adoption, Dogs, FOTAS, Military Veterans, Service Dogs, Veterans

County Shelter animals give comfort and aid to U.S. Veterans

Posted on by Angel Hartline
31
May

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

“There is a special bond that dogs and humans share,” says William Collins, a local U.S. veteran who served overseas.  “A dog can make a huge difference in a person’s life.”

The dog that changed William’s life is a four-year-old, shepherd mix named Buddy that he adopted from the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS). The calm canine goes everywhere with William and helps him to cope with the long-term, after effects of war.

“Buddy has changed my life for the better,” William says.  “He has allowed me to live a healthier, more functional and fuller life.  Buddy is a safe place for me and I depend on him to help me with some of the difficulties and challenges I face on a daily basis.”

Because it recognizes that servicemen and women can benefit from the companionship of a shelter cat or dog, FOTAS has decided to make its half-price adoption discount for U.S. veterans and active U.S. military personnel a year round program. FOTAS sponsors half the adoption fee, so dogs are $35 and cats just $17.50. The discount was launched on Veteran’s Day of last year and due to the positive response, FOTAS decided to make it a permanent offer.

It is a small way for us to thank the men and women who serve our country.

FOTAS also helps find service dogs for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other health issues that can result from military service. Working with dog training specialists like Veterans K9 Solutions Inc. in Augusta, FOTAS has provided service dogs to about 15 veterans over the past few years.

“These people [veterans] are my heroes, and any help they can get from FOTAS and the shelter is very much appreciated” says Jerry Lyda, co-owner and founder of Veterans K9 Solutions in Augusta. Jerry is a veteran himself and started his nonprofit training organization after he saw his buddies come back from Vietnam with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other war-related ailments. He focused on training canines from shelters to assist veterans “because it saves two lives – the person and the dog.”

Luckily, most veterans don’t suffer from PTSD or other war-related illnesses. They just come to the Shelter to add a furry companion to their home. But for those that do, the dogs can be a godsend.

Joe Shaia, another local war veteran, adopted Laila, a two-year-old, Shepherd/Retriever mix, from the County Shelter two months ago. Joe was stationed in Afghanistan and came back with severe PTSD. But since training and spending time with Laila, he’s finding it easier to cope with his illness. Joe has difficulty being in areas with a lot of people, but Laila acts as a buffer and always has his back.

“She means a lot to me,” Joe says. “She helps me get out in the public and out of my safe zone and gives me something positive to focus on.”

For more information about the U.S. Military Services/Veteran Half-Price Adoption Program at the ACAS, please go to www.fotasaiken.

Their lives are in our hands.

William Collins with his service dog Buddy

Laila goes everywhere with Veteran Joe Shaia

 

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Donate, Foster, FOTAS, Volunteer

The County Shelter is full and needs your help!

Posted on by Angel Hartline
26
May

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

It’s a rainy Tuesday morning and although the Shelter opened its doors less than an hour ago, the staff has already taken in two litters of homeless kittens. A Siamese mix is weaning three of the kittens and a Calico is cuddled with six babies, two of them breathing heavily and needing medical attention.

“I didn’t know what to do,” says the elderly Aiken woman who brought in the Siamese mom and her brood. “I’d love to keep them but I already have four cats and two dogs at the house.”

An hour later, a woman and her young son bring in two Spaniel mix dogs that they say wandered onto their farm. Still later, an elderly man arrives with a chubby, brown Tabby in a wire cage. Then, just before noon, another man surrenders six kittens. He says they were born under his porch but the momma cat was hit by a car and killed.

This seemingly endless parade of homeless animals is not unusual these days. The Shelter is at full capacity and the combination of warmer weather and longer daylight hours means more animals are breeding. Springtime also signals the arrival of “kitten season”, a peak time of feline births that will continue through September.

But while the extremely high intake of animals makes for challenging times at the Shelter, there are many ways you can help, including:

  • Take advantage of our May half-price special and adopt a pet. This month, all cats and dogs that have already been spay/neutered are just half-price at the shelter. The adoption fee for cats (normally $35) is just $17.50 and for dogs (normally $75) is only $35!
  • Volunteer at the shelter. We need all sorts of help, especially dog walkers and people to show the animals to visitors. We have cats and kittens that need cuddling and care; dogs that need to be walked, washed and shown to visitors; and puppies that need to be socialized and loved. Come to 333 Wire Road and fill out an application.
  • Foster shelter animals at your home. To get homeless animals prepared for adoption and open up space on the adoption floor, we are seeking fosters to temporarily take in animals. Come to the shelter and fill out an application, and we’ll get you started on this rewarding journey.
  • Get your dogs and cats on heartworm preventative treatment ASAP. Way too many dogs that are picked up or surrendered at the shelter test positive for heartworms. Please get your pets on a year-round preventative right away. Heartworms is a mosquito-borne condition and the buzzing blood suckers are already out and about. Consult your veterinarian for which preventative best suits your pet.

And, of course, be sure to spay/neuter your pets. This is where the overpopulation problem starts. Typically, dogs and cats are mature and efficient breeding machines at just four months of age. Both FOTAS and the County offer financial assistance to qualified pet owners for this surgery – including a voucher program, FOTAS Fix-a-Pet and a TNR (trap, neuter, release) plan. Getting your pet fixed should be a top priority. In fact, it is your duty as a good citizen of Aiken County.

Their lives are in our hands.

For more information, please go to www.fotasaiken. You can also call (803) 514-4313 or send an email to volunteer@angelhartlinedesigns.com.

Adoption, Dogs, FOTAS

Ox-a big black dog with a big soft heart

Posted on by Angel Hartline
06
May

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

His name is Ox, well, because he is big as an ox. He has a big, sleek muscular body; a great big ol’ head; and a big twinkle in his big golden eyes. When he’s happy (which is just about all the time) he has a big goofy smile with a big goofy tongue that hangs out of the side of his mouth.

Our buddy Ox does everything in a big way. He waits patiently (okay, maybe “patiently” is stretching it a teeny bit) for his walk and his time in the play yard, where he tears around in a fit of joy, romping with his friends, checking in with the handler in the yard for a quick scratch behind the ears, chasing his best pal Russell at a speed that defies his 60 pounds of muscle, stopping for a little splash in the pool, and doing his canine duty to greet newcomers to the yard with a sniff, a lick and a mad wiggle that says “No worries here, friend, just lots and lots of fun!”

You see, Ox has a big presence and an even bigger personality – he exudes good will from every pore. Yet Ox, like so many of his brethren at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, has been betrayed by the human race. Ox was dumped by his owner in a rural area east of Aiken. He spent his days roaming the streets and scrounging for food. Whenever a car passed, Ox would perk up and run to the road, tail wagging frantically, like he was thinking “Maybe it’s my human! I knew they’d come back for me.”

But of course, they didn’t. A kind local family took him in, had him fixed through FOTAS Fix-a-Pet, and tried to find him a home. They were unable to do so, and eventually they surrendered Ox to the County Shelter with a heavy heart.

An examination by the Shelter veterinarian, Dr. Lisa Levy, revealed that Ox is heartworm positive. But he was sweet and willing and otherwise healthy, so FOTAS paid for his heartworm treatment. He was moved to the adoption floor the same week that FOTAS and the Shelter implemented canine play groups in the yard as a way to socialize the dogs, allow them to blow off some steam and relieve the stress of confinement.

Ox’s transformation in play group has been nothing short of amazing. In two short weeks, he has gone from a dog climbing out of his skin with desperate, pent-up energy to a happy, affectionate dog who plays all morning with robust abandonment and then trots calmly back to his kennel for a nap.

Ox needs a home. This 2 year-old bundle of love with the big personality and the big smile has an even bigger heart. He needs someone to love and someplace to play. He’s great with kids and other dogs.

Please don’t wait – claim our big boy for your own. Maybe you can be that person in the car Ox has been waiting for so long.

His life is in our hands.

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Above:  Ox, Ellie Joos, the FOTAS On-Site Events Coordinator, and Emily Heath take a break in the play yard.

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, FOTAS, Volunteer, Volunteers

FOTAS volunteers make a difference for the County’s homeless animals

Posted on by Angel Hartline
06
May

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice-President

On any given day at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, FOTAS volunteers greet visitors, answer the phone, assist the County Adoption Coordinators, and coordinate on-site programs such as the Dog Ears Reading Program, birthday parties, yard sales or special events such as the Woofstock Dog, Cat & Music Festival (to be held in the fall of this year.)

FOTAS volunteers also work with the animals every day. Some cuddle and visit with the cats and kittens. Some walk the dogs on the trails around the property, often stopping by the lobby to hang out and hobnob with other volunteers and visitors. Some walk the dogs that have just had surgery. Some wash and groom dogs, while others play with the puppies in the segregated puppy pen.

In the newest program at the Shelter, FOTAS volunteers create and manage play groups in the yard consisting of multiple dogs on the adoption floor, giving them a much needed opportunity to socialize with their own kind and blow off some steam.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of FOTAS – through their and the County’s efforts over the past 7 years, thousands of animals have been saved and the euthanasia rate at the Shelter has dropped from 95% to 30%, an extraordinary accomplishment by any measure.

Is it perfect? No.

Can it be better? Yes, but until everyone in the county spays and neuters their cats, and the shockingly high intake numbers at the shelter come down, we need more people like you to commit time and resources to the 4,700 abandoned, homeless, abused and neglected animals that pass through the Shelter doors every year. We need such dedication from the community just to sustain this level of progress, much less build on it.

The Shelter and FOTAS particularly need more help in the summer months, when intake at the Shelter skyrockets and our volunteers take much needed time off to vacation with their family or beat the heat.

If you’ve ever thought about volunteering to help animals, now is the time. Perhaps you and one of your older children could volunteer together. Pick a time that works for you during operating hours at the Shelter, and we’ll make it work.

Tell us what interests you. Dog care and handling? Cats? Working at the front desk with other volunteers to greet the public? Short-term or long-term fostering? Fostering is a great way for your family to care for a dog or puppies without the commitment of owning a pet. There are so many possibilities, and the work you do with and for the animals makes an enormous difference in the lives of these unfortunate souls.

Don’t wait – call the FOTAS Hotline at (803) 514-4313, or email us at info@angelhartlinedesigns.com.

Their lives are in our hands.

 

Judy with Sandra July 24 2015 ref

Above:  FOTAS Volunteer Sandra Procter comforts Judy, a sweet shelter dog.

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Above:  Young FOTAS Volunteer Holly Heiens with Munchkin the cat.

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

Warm weather increases the dire need for fosters

Posted on by Angel Hartline
08
Apr

By Joanna D. Samson, Vice President, FOTAS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Their lives are in our hands.

 

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

Adoption, Dogs, Foster, FOTAS, Heartworms

The Shelter, FOTAS and the case of the scrawny yellow dog

Posted on by Angel Hartline
05
Apr

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President.

When the Aiken County Animal Control officer picked up the scrawny yellow dog roving the County roads, they were taken aback by his condition. His left eye was damaged. His coat was dull and matted. He had lost patches of hair all over his body, revealing irritated, scabby skin underneath. He was hungry and dehydrated. He had no collar and no microchip.

At the Shelter, Dr. Levy examined the frightened stray, and hard as it is to imagine, his condition was worse than it appeared. His left eye had collapsed. He was infected with Demodectic mange. He was heartworm positive. Under normal circumstances, the combination of these three costly and chronic medical problems, coupled with his overall bad health, might have led Dr. Levy to conclude that it was more humane to end his suffering – after all, the Shelter must care for close to 5000 animals a year, and it is difficult enough to find the resources to care for the healthy ones.

But the plight of the scrawny yellow dog tugged at Dr. Levy and the staff’s heartstrings. Although shy at first, he was affectionate, desperate to please, and even more desperate to be loved. Everyone– Dr. Levy, the Shelter staff, and FOTAS—agreed this dog needed to be saved. So when no one claimed him after the mandatory 5-day hold, we named him Seamus (pronounced Shaa-mus) and set about to save his life.

First, Dr. Levy surgically removed Seamus’ collapsed left eye. He came through surgery like a champ.

Second, the Shelter began treating Seamus’ Demodectic mange, which is the non-contagious form of mange that can be cured with daily medication for 60-90 days.

Finally, although Seamus tested positive for heartworms, because of his age (Dr. Levy estimates he still young, probably about a year old), it is unlikely that the heartworm microfilaria (the heartworm larvae spread through the bite of a mosquito) has had an opportunity to develop into advanced heartworm disease.

Accordingly, Dr. Levy concluded that Seamus’ heartworms could be treated through the “slow kill” method, which involves administering an initial course of antibiotics, followed by monthly ivermectrin (HeartGuard), which is the same oral medicine every southern dog should take to prevent heartworms.

The Shelter and FOTAS have provided the resources to restore Seamus to good health, but his ultimate recovery depends upon you, the community.

Seamus desperately needs to recover in a home environment, because the inevitable stress of life in a crowded, public shelter will exacerbate his mange and compromise his immune system. Ideally, a forever home would be best. Short of that, if someone could foster him until he finds a forever home–that will work, too. The Shelter will provide his mange medicine and regular checkups, and FOTAS will pay for his heartworm treatment for 6 months.

Please, help us find the sweet, shy, 1-year-old, 45-pound Seamus a place to live, a home, and people to love him and care for him – all the things he deserves, but never had.

His life is in our hands.

Cats, Dogs, Foster, FOTAS

FOTAS Transfer Program is Vital to Our Mission

Posted on by Angel Hartline
01
Apr

FOTAS and Aiken County have developed a network of no-kill rescue facilities in other regions of the Country that are willing and able to take the County’s Animal Shelter dogs, puppies, cats & kittens and place them in forever homes. FOTAS organizes and funds the transport of the transfer animals to the other rescue facilities as needed.

The Transfer Program has proven to be an important aspect in our ability to save more animals.

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Adoption, Dogs, FOTAS, Service Dogs, Veterans

The Redemptive Power of Spontaneous Love

Posted on by Angel Hartline
26
Mar

By Joanna Dunn Samson, Vice President

On the morning of New Year’s Eve, Matt Cummins called his wife Meghan at work to tell her he was going to the Aiken County Animal Shelter to check out the dogs. He didn’t intend to adopt a dog from the shelter—after all, they were waiting for a purebred German Shepherd puppy from a breeder in Georgia—he was just curious. So he hopped into his car and drove from his home in Graniteville to the shelter on Wire Road.

Annie is a 2 year-old, Doberman/shepherd cross who, by New Year’s Eve, had been at the Shelter a very long time. A favorite among the staff and FOTAS volunteers, they were surprised she had not been adopted. Annie is, in the words of one of the volunteers, an old soul: quiet, sweet, wise and attentive. Because a long stay at the shelter is not a good thing for all sorts of reasons, she needed to find a home–fast.

Then the stars aligned just right for a little magic. Matt was seated in the lobby of the shelter waiting to speak to someone at the desk at the same time Annie walked by on her morning stroll with a volunteer. Annie saw Matt, stopped, and pulled her handler over to Matt. She dropped her head in his lap and gazed up at him, with a look that said, “You. You’re the one.” She was right.

“I knew immediately she was the dog for me,” says Matt. “There was no doubt in my mind. I don’t know what possessed me to go to the shelter that day, but I swear, it must have been fate.” By 5:00, after calling his wife and attending to a critical errand, he and Annie were on their way home.

Wait—this story gets better. Two days earlier, FOTAS had contacted Jerry Lyda of Veteran’s K9 Solutions about Annie because we believed she might make a good service dog for his program. Jerry asked Sylvia Igoe, a long-time FOTAS volunteer and foster who trains with Jerry, to assess Annie’s potential as a service dog.

“What we look for in a dog,” says Sylvia, “is a certain temperament. Is she people oriented? Calm? Focused on me or distracted by her environment? It didn’t take me long to conclude that Annie was a natural: inherently kind and instinctively protective. I called Jerry and said, ‘We have to find a veteran for this dog!’”

Sadly, no veteran was looking for a dog at the time, so despite her qualifications, Annie needed to stay at the shelter until one came along. Then, two days later–call it coincidence, call it fate–Matt Cummins walked into the shelter and fell in love.

Matt Cummins is an army veteran.

I call it the work of angels.

As we celebrate the greatest miracle of all this Easter, take a moment to pray that the County’s abandoned and homeless animals discover the healing powers of home and love and belonging, because what we give to them, they give back to us in spades.

Just ask Matt Cummins.

Their lives are in our hands.

Adoption, Dogs, Foster, FOTAS

Diary of a Foundling

Posted on by Angel Hartline
26
Mar

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS VP

Day 1

I can’t remember how I got there; I only remember I was scared out of my wits. I was on the side of a road. It was noisy. Cars and trucks flew right past me . . . so close! My mind went blank. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t stop shaking.

A car pulled over, and a lady got out and ran over to me. I tried to make myself little because, well, I don’t know, I was confused. She held out her hand, and I inched over to her, hoping she was a nice lady. She scooped me up, clutched me to her chest, and sprinted back to her car.

Inside the car was quieter, but still, I was worried. I didn’t want her to put me back on the road, so I sat quietly so she would know I was a good girl.

When the car stopped, I started to shake again, afraid of the road. But she took me inside a place called a shelter and handed me to another lady, who took me in her arms and said, “Poor baby! Look at that! She’s lost an eye.”

I did? An eye? I didn’t think so. I lost a ball once in the yard . . . but an eye? Nope, didn’t ring a bell.

The next thing I know, I’m on a steel table and a lady wearing a white coat poked and prodded and looked into my ears and then flashed a light on my face. After a few seconds, she clicked off the light, scratched behind my ear and said, “Well, puppy, you never had an eye to begin with, did you?”

Exactly! What a relief! The only thing I ever lost was a ball, and truth be told, it was that blasted cat’s fault. It was all too much. I needed a nap.

Day, uh . . . well, some other day

After the whole eye thing was resolved, another lady named Foster picked me up and took me to a nice house with a big yard and two other dogs, who were a little miffed at first, but in no time we were all great buds and chased each other all over the yard just for fun. I had my own soft bed and great food twice a day (never enough food, but I didn’t complain.)

Another day

After a bunch of glorious days, Foster put me in the car one morning without my pals. She seemed sad, so I laid my head on her lap to make her feel better. We drove back to the shelter, where there was another big car with other dogs in crates. Uh oh. Now I was worried.

But Foster hugged me and told me what a good girl I was and how I was going to the best place ever. Could there be any place better than at Foster’s with my pals? I didn’t think so, but I knew Foster would never let anything happen to me. I licked that salt water off her face, hopped into the crate, and settled in for a nap. I was ready for the best place ever. I was ready for a home.

Every year, hundreds of puppies are abandoned in Aiken County. FOTAS and the Shelter provide medical care and place many of them into foster homes until they can find homes locally through the shelter or with a transfer partner.

Their lives are in our hands.

In the photo above, thanks to FOTAS, the one-eyed foundling is growing up in her forever home in New Jersey.