Tag Archives: spay

An open Christmas letter from FOTAS

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President Every Sunday, the Aiken Standard allows us this space to tell you about the Aiken County Animal Shelter, FOTAS and the plight of the 5000 homeless animals consigned to the Shelter every year, and we are deeply appreciative for that opportunity. Over the years, we have used this […]

FOTAS: Going the extra mile

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President Did you ever wonder where every homeless, injured, stray or abused animal picked up in the County (outside of the City) goes? Or where a homeless animal goes if the “no-kill” shelter is full? Or where an irresponsible County resident takes their bewildered pet when they decide that […]

FOTAS needs your Christmas spirit

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice-President “Every charitable act is a stepping stone towards heaven.” Henry Ward Beecher It’s the time of year when the spirit of Christmas thrives. It’s a time of gratitude for our family and friends. It’s a time to rejoice our faith. It’s a time for love. It is also a […]

Tiffany’s story

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President My early days are kind of fuzzy—some time on a chain and lots of time fending for myself, raiding trashcans and laying low. But I’m not one to dwell on the past. What’s the point? Then these nice people took me in, fed me and tried to find […]

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection for those of us at FOTAS—a time to take stock of our blessings; to consider the remarkable progress we and the County have made in making the world a better place for Aiken County’s homeless, abandoned and abused animals; and in particular, to celebrate the many people who have […]

There’s more than one way to adopt a County Shelter cat

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications Cats are fascinating creatures. They entertain us with their acrobatics, keep our homes free of mice with their hunting skills, and head butt us and purr to share their love and happiness. Not to mention they clean and groom themselves, don’t need to be taken for walks and […]

The Hurricane Season

By Joanna D. Samson, Vice President of FOTAS By the time it hit the South Carolina Coast, Hurricane Matthew had been downgraded from a Category 5 to a Category 2 storm; but the 85 mph winds, 10-14 inches of rainfall and extraordinarily high storm surges nevertheless created life-threatening conditions and caused the wide-spread destruction of […]

Why am I here? What did I do?

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President Yesterday, I had a home. I had you. Today I am in a kennel in a place where there are so many other dogs. I can see dogs in the kennels across from me, but I can hear so many more. I can smell their fear and anxiety. […]

A heartbreaking week results in many amazing animals up for adoption

By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Programs Coordinator This has been a very heartbreaking week. In just six days, the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) received 150 homeless dogs and cats. Many of these animals were brought in by Animal Control Officers, who pick up the stray, neglected, abused or abandoned animals wandering our streets. Some were […]

Fix-A-Pet Program provides assistance for spay/neutering surgery

By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications While it is impossible to determine exactly how many orphaned dogs and cats live in the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) estimates that for cats alone the number is upwards of 70 million. That figure is staggering but the ASPCA […]