Tag Archives: volunteers

2022, Foster, fostering, kennel stress

FOTAS Doggie dates and sleepovers help reduce kennel stress

Posted on by Bob Gordon
15
Feb

Kennel stress can wear heavily on a shelter dog. Enduring the echo of barking dogs, getting out for limited walks and playtime, and having to look out at the world through metal bars is tough on animals used to being free or with their owners.

Adoptable Bell with Volunteer Lisa Raphaela before heading to Lisa’s home for a sleepover.

The Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) has some of the best facilities you can find: indoor/outdoor kennels, water bowls that refill automatically, soothing music pumping through and central air conditioning and heat. But even with such wonderful facilities and our volunteers and staff spending as much time as possible with these homeless animals and running playgroups every day, there is no way to duplicate the love and security of a home.

That’s why we are asking County residents to participate in our Doggie Dating and Overnights program.

“Overnights take them out of the four walls,” said Marie Gunter, who has taken six different dogs home for sleepovers over the last few months. Four of them — Christopher, Orion, Thatcher, Ducky — were adopted shortly after their home experience with her. She and her husband, Harvey, adopted their fifth doggie guest, Bowie, who they renamed Zeus. The sixth, Hayward, is still looking for a good home.

“The dogs come in and get hugs and kisses from us and get to know our four dogs,” Marie said. “I think spending even a brief time in a home helps them become more relaxed.”

The Simons have been taking in County Shelter dogs overnights for many years. Olga and her daughter, Nicole, often come to the shelter to take brilliant photos of the shelter dogs for Facebook and other promotional materials. They often take a shelter dog home with them to spend the night or weekend. Not only is this break from the shelter a relief for the dogs that bunk with them, but the Simons family also can see and record how their furry guests get along with their dogs and cat. When they took in Romero for an overnight stay, they discovered the injured dog got along with their kitty. That valuable tidbit of information helped Romero get adopted to a forever home, where he now lives with two cats.

Volunteer Lisa Raphaela also is a veteran of County Shelter dog sleepovers. She and her five dogs have hosted overnights with a number of shelter canines and they’ve all found great homes.

Adoptable Ducky with Marie Gunter.

“So far, I’m batting a thousand,” Lisa said with a grin. “They learn to use my doggy door to go out and potty with the other dogs and develop better social skills. It also gives them a bonding experience with one human they can trust. I think all these home experiences help build their confidence.”

If you can help by taking a dog home for a sleepover, stop by the shelter, 333 Wire Road, or call 803.642.1537, option 3. What better time to take a shelter pet on a Doggie Day Date or Doggie Sleepover than Valentine’s month?

“Just try it,” Marie said. “Bringing these dogs home does as much for me as it does for them. “I love animals and it gives me the satisfaction of helping an animal in need without actually adopting them.”

2022, Dogs, Foster, fostering, FOTAS, kennel stress, News, Volunteers

Fostering saves lives, helps homeless pets get adopted

Posted on by Bob Gordon
17
Jan

When you put a leash on Little Bit, he wouldn’t move. The 28-pound, tan Terrier mix just shook and gazed up at you with a forlorn look on his face. The poor dog was overwhelmed with being on the Aiken County Animal Shelter’s adoption floor and just wanted to curl up in his kennel and be left alone.

After a couple of days, Little Bit began to trust the staff and volunteers enough to walk a short distance before stopping and resisting the leash, his eyes pleading to be picked up and carried back to his kennel. Each day, he was progressing – but very slowly.

Little Bit gets comfy before going home.

Despite Little Bit’s shyness and poor leash etiquette, visitors to the shelter began asking to see him. His smaller size and cute looks drew potential adopters. However, when he backed away or flinched when they tried to pet him, they either asked to see a different dog or left the shelter disappointed.

Then Rob and Stacy Wagner took Little Bit home to foster him during the four-day Christmas break. This time, the change of environment did him good. Being away from the noise and stress of the shelter helped him to relax and build confidence. He was a new dog when he returned to the shelter on Dec. 27, walking on his leash with confidence, greeting people and looking so happy! The result of his newfound poise and self-confidence? Little Bit was adopted that day.

Crypto is another dog who benefitted from fostering over the holiday break. Yvonne and Colin Brookes took the 48-pound mixed breed home and used the four days to help him decompress and learn to wait, sit and offer his paw on command. Like many of our fosters, Yvonne posted photos and videos of Crypto’s training and other activities on social media. Such promotion of shelter dogs thriving in a home often helps them get adopted.

“Crypto’s been at the shelter for so long…he keeps getting overlooked yet he’s a huge softy and lives for cuddles,” Yvonne posted on her Facebook page. “He is perfectly housebroken, sleeps in his crate all night long, and loves car rides and woodland walks. He is a very quick learner and just wants to please.” Since returning from his fostering experience, Crypto is in higher spirits and doing well. He can be adopted to a loving home for just $35.

Crypto loving life with his foster mom, Yvonne Brookes.

If you live in Aiken County and would like to become a FOTAS foster, please email info@fotasaiken.org or call us at (803) 514-4313. Or just stop by the shelter, 333 Wire Road in Aiken. It is easy to sign up and get paired with a shelter dog!

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director

2021, Dogs, FOTAS, kennel stress, Volunteer, Volunteers

Pioneer volunteer Procter: ‘Nothing beats the joy of seeing animals adopted’

Posted on by Bob Gordon
03
Jan

We have countless wonderful volunteers who serve important roles at the shelter. Some greet people in our lobby, some help with events, some foster, others walk dogs or help with PetSmart cats.
That being said, I would love to tell you about our Sandra.

Sandra Procter was there to help train me eight years ago, when my son and I came to volunteer for the first time. I immediately loved her and wanted to volunteer on the same days she volunteered. I credit her as the reason I felt so comfortable coming back. She is one of the many surrogate grandmothers my son has been lucky to gain through volunteering. She has a warmth to her that draws not only people to her, but the dogs as well.

Sandra was one of FOTAS’ first volunteers. Over the years she has done it all – walking and bathing dogs, fostering at home and recruiting and orienting other volunteers. She and her husband Dick have adopted two Shelter dogs, Ellie and Sophie, and one Shelter cat, Maggie. They also make peanut butter and green bean treats for the dogs. We are careful how many treats we give our dogs (tummy aches), and Sandra is the only volunteer authorized by our veterinarian to make homemade treats. They get so excited when they see her coming! They start licking their lips and wagging. Sandra speaks to each, telling them how wonderful they are.

Recently, it was raining hard and Sandra and the other dog walkers got drenched! I sent them a thank you and Sandra replied, “It was my pleasure! Can’t disappoint the poor dogs that look so forward to us taking them for a walk and spending time with them.” Sandra is truly beautiful inside and out!

What motivates someone to volunteer three days a week for more than a decade?

“There are many reasons,” says Procter. “Happiness is when a shy dog looks you in the eye and comes to its kennel door excited to see you knowing it will get a walk, hugs and maybe even couch time. Nothing beats the joy of knowing one of these animals has been adopted and now has a good home. You think, maybe, just maybe, I had a part in making that happen.”

As Procter reflects on 13 years as a volunteer, she notes, “There are people friends, too. The staff is so dedicated, caring and supportive. Volunteers bond quickly. I look forward to seeing all my FOTAS family.”

Procter gives one of her doggy cookies to shelter dog.

“Opening a kennel door and having a little face look up at you as if you are the best person in the world is a feeling like no other,” she added. “A walk in the sunshine, the smell of the woods, a previously neglected or abused creature stopping on the trail to give you a hug, what could be better than that? It makes your day.”

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Programs Coordinator

2020, Cats, Donate, donations, FOTAS, Fundraisers, News, shelter construction, Volunteer

Ernie Wolf: FOTAS Volunteer Makes Houses for a Good Cause

Posted on by Bob Gordon
06
Aug

It has been my honor to be one of the founders and President of FOTAS since 2009. Before FOTAS was founded, I saw a stray animal problem in Aiken County and didn’t know what to do about it. I began to advocate for the homeless animals in the county and was joined by an unexpected and wonderful cohort who also cared deeply about the fate of those animals: Ernie Wolf.

I met Ernie, a retired mechanical engineer, in the early days. Ernie and I didn’t understand the magnitude of our undertaking when we began a campaign to help the animals. FOTAS was formed in 2009, and Ernie was one if its original volunteers. Ernie loves cats. His former cat, Murphey Brown, and his current cat, Murphy Wolf (adopted from Aiken County Animal Shelter), were and are his best friends and the apples of his eye. Ernie swears each cat is (and was) the most intelligent cat he’s ever met and could outsmart any dog.

Ernie Wolf, one of the pioneers of FOTAS, designed the Aiken County Animal Shelter’s cat facility

Ernie was instrumental in the construction of the first FOTAS project at the Aiken County Animal Shelter—a place to house adoptable cats. He designed, organized and lead the efforts to build the much-needed Cat House. (By the way, Ernie hated it when we referred to the facility as the Cat House because it is a euphemism for a brothel. That gave everyone, including the cats, a big laugh).

The unique design of the Cat House provides for both indoor and outdoor space for the cats, which allows them to move about freely among multiple play and perch areas. Volunteers and prospective adopters have a place to visit and sit with the cats in a more natural environment, which is a win/win for everyone.

When the shelter moved to the new facility in 2014, the Cat House was moved as well. Last year FOTAS refurbished and updated the Cat House, and today it is still a wonderful, unique, and successful adoption facility for the cats.

Ernie Wolf is selling his latest creation, a decorative birdhouse, and donating the proceeds to FOTAS.

Fifteen years ago, Ernie met Linda Soyars when she was walking her dog outside his home. They became intimate friends and enjoyed a loving relationship until she recently passed away. Linda shared Ernie’s passion for animals and became a cherished FOTAS volunteer herself. She was a special, kind person who will be missed by all of us.

In memory of Linda, Ernie has built another house in her honor, this time an exquisite, handmade bird house to be displayed as an indoor decorative piece. Ernie wants to sell this extraordinary, beautifully crafted Birdhouse and donate the proceeds of the sale to FOTAS. (Please call the FOTAS Hotline, (803) 514-4313, if interested.)

Ernie is not done developing building plans for FOTAS. Just shy of his 92nd birthday, he is assisting FOTAS with the conceptual drawings for two much-needed meet and greet adoption rooms and an indoor training area at the shelter. Stay posted for coming updates!

Behind the scenes Ernie has dedicated countless volunteer hours to FOTAS. Thank you, Ernie. We also remember Linda and her devotion to shelter animals. Volunteers are the lifeline of FOTAS. They make it possible to help so many animals in need at the shelter, and we are deeply grateful to them all.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Jennifer Miller, FOTAS President

2020, Adoption, donations, FOTAS, Have a Heart, Save a Heart, Home-to-Home adoption program, News, Spay/Neuter, TNR Program, Transfer, Volunteers, Where your donations go, Where your donations go

FOTAS and 11 Years of Progress at the Aiken County Animal Shelter

Posted on by Bob Gordon
30
Jul

On July 29, 2009, the South Carolina Secretary of State officially approved FOTAS as a charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to the care of the homeless, abandoned, and abused animals consigned to the County Shelter, kicking off the beginning of an extraordinary public/private partnership with the county and a new, comprehensive approach to caring for homeless animals. It was a massive undertaking. At the time, more than 6,000 animals a year passed through the doors of the county’s tiny, antiquated shelter. Only 5% made it out alive.

FOTAS helps fund the TNR program, which has been so effective in curbing community cat overpopulation in the Aiken County

All of that has changed in the past 11 years. With the opening of the new shelter in 2014, the FOTAS/county partnership solidified and blossomed. FOTAS volunteers are an integral part of the shelter’s operations (it is estimated that FOTAS volunteers provide the equivalent of ten full-time positions). FOTAS donations supplement the shelter’s budget and programs and provide supplies such as leashes, toys, flea and tick prevention, and medicine for heartworm positive dogs. FOTAS has created a network of transfer partners in other parts of the country (where kennels are empty because everyone fixes their pets) where we send dogs (and pay the incurred transport costs) who could not find homes locally. The transfer program saves thousands of animals every year.

We also attack the problem of overpopulation of homeless pets. FOTAS supplements the county’s spay/neuter financial assistance program for county residents who need it, as well as funds to support the TNR (Trap Neuter Return) program to address the problems of community cats. We hire a mobile spay/neuter van to go to hot-spot areas around the county (the FIDO Fix-a-Pet program) to provide free spay/neuter surgeries for citizens who need financial assistance.

Tiffy is adopted following mouth surgery. This poor kitten was rescued after being thrown from a moving car.

Our Home-to-Home program allows folks who can no longer care for their pets to use the power of our social media to find loving homes without subjecting their beloved pets to the trauma of surrender to the shelter (it’s been a huge success during the COVID crisis!) FOTAS works with Animal Control to provide dog houses and humane runners for dogs who are tethered to chains, as well as dog food and other supplies to help folks in a bind.

Biz and Eddie Mann adopted Snowflake (now named Keaton) from the ACAS in July.

FOTAS also helps with the improvement of the physical facilities at the shelter. In addition to funding the medical wellness and isolation pod for animals with curable infectious ailments, plans are currently underway for a building that will house two, much needed adoption rooms and a training area.

In 2017, FOTAS was one of ten (out of 14,000) charitable organizations to be awarded the Angel Award by the Secretary of State, which recognizes the most efficient and effective nonprofits in the state. Plus, for the second year in a row, FOTAS and our signature event, Woofstock, received the Aiken Standard Choice Best of Aiken Award.

We have managed to do all of this with only one paid staff member and an army of volunteers. Has it worked? You bet it has. For the past two years, FOTAS and the county achieved their goal of not having to euthanize any adoptable pet.

None of this would have been possible without you, the generous Aiken community, who have donated your time and money and welcomed shelter animals into your hearts and homes.

Thank you and God Bless. Stay safe.


–By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

2019, Dogs, FOTAS, News, Volunteer, Volunteers

A New Year’s Resolution to Satisfy the Soul

Posted on by Bob Gordon
31
Dec

When Joanne Goble’s husband of fifty plus years died, she knew she had to get out of the house and stop feeling sorry for herself. That “something,” she decided, should satisfy her lifelong love of dogs. She called the Aiken County Animal Shelter and signed up for a volunteer orientation class.

Joanne Goble cuddles mixed breed Glenda.

That was in early 2018. Today Joanne works with the dogs on the adoption floor, mans the front desk, helps the staff with clerical duties, fosters puppies—anything she can do to help, she does.

By the way, Joanne volunteers all day, five days a week. She is 82 years old.

Here’s the thing: for all the things Joanne does for the shelter, she gets so much more in return.

“There’s an inner peace,” says Joanne, “that comes from putting my energy into a dog and knowing I’m making a difference in his or her life—that I can help a confused, homeless animal find a home and a loving family. You can’t imagine what that means to me.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about Joanne’s story and her commitment to the shelter in these final days of 2019 as I prepare my list of New Year’s resolutions for 2020. I don’t know why I bother because the list is the same every year: exercise more, eat less, clean my closets, and organize the piles of papers on my desk. Moreover, I suspect that this year, like the years before, despite my initial enthusiasm, I will get distracted and my commitment will wane with each passing week, and by spring, all that will remain of my lofty intentions will be a nagging, low-level guilt.

Joanne with Charlie, a three-legged dog.

Why is that? I’m no psychologist, but I’m going to hazard a guess here: self-serving resolutions that only involve physical activity and busy work do not nourish the spirit and are too insubstantial to inspire meaningful, enduring change.

What if, then, like Joanne Goble, we were to resolve to engage in activities that demand commitment to others, to a cause greater than ourselves? Activities that make a difference in the lives of overworked shelter staff and homeless animals? Activities that call forth love and compassion to make an abandoned puppy feel safe, to comfort a scared, trembling dog, or to keep a motherless kitten warm? Based on the experience of Joanne and so many FOTAS volunteers, those resolutions might just be winners.

On Tuesday night, as the ball drops on Times Square and the party favors pop and confetti fills the air, why not usher in the new year with a resolution to make a difference? To exercise your heart, your humanity, your body, and your civic duty, and in the process, help save the lives of thousands of vulnerable animals?

Joanne and one of her favorite Pibbles relax and socialize on the shelter couch

“I can honestly say that volunteering at the county shelter has saved my life,” says Joanne. “I look forward every day to a new challenge and the fellowship with other FOTAS volunteers and shelter staff.”

Now is the time to resolve to join us in this important work—to satisfy your soul with good deeds. The shelter is packed, and we need male and female volunteers and short-term fosters.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Vice-President

PETS OF THE WEEK

CHIP: Carolina dog, male, 1 year old, tan, 32 pounds – $35

BELLE: Domestic Shorthair, female, 1 year old, orange Tabby, 6 pounds – $10 (Aiken PetSmart)

2019, awards, Board of Directors, Cats, Dogs, Donate, Events, FOTAS, News, Shelter staff, Spay/Neuter, Uncategorized, Volunteers

It’s a Party! FOTAS Celebrates Ten Years of Saving Lives

Posted on by Bob Gordon
28
Oct

On Saturday, November 2nd, FOTAS will host a party at the Aiken County Animal Shelter to celebrate its tenth anniversary partnering with the county and the shelter to save lives.

What a ride it’s been. In 2009, a few dedicated and concerned citizens banded together to form FOTAS in response to the dismal conditions at the old shelter and the bleak prospects for any animal unlucky enough to pass through its doors. At the time, a trip to the county shelter was a death sentence—91% of the 6,000 animals at the shelter were euthanized every year. Very few made it out alive.

Destiny, a 3- month-old kitten available for adoption, is ready to celebrate FOTAS’s 10th year.

The turnabout at the county shelter since 2009 is nothing short of spectacular. Since the formation of FOTAS, the euthanasia rate has dropped steadily each year, reaching a historic low of 6% in 2018, saving every adoptable animal. It’s a remarkable story of partnership, determination, commitment, and community involvement and support.

In fact, the South Carolina Secretary of State selected FOTAS as one of the ten organizations (out of thousands!) to receive the Angel Award, which recognizes the most efficient and effective charities in the state.

There are so many people to celebrate for this astonishing success:

The FOTAS volunteers, who work on bookkeeping, social media, special fundraising events, and FOTAS Fix-a-Pet; who organize and work on special fundraising and on-site events; who foster mamma dogs and cats and all their progeny, who care for animals designated for transfer; who shuffle animals to off-site adoption events; who walk the dogs, love up the cats, work with play groups, and show animals to potential adopters—the dramatic and steady increase in the Shelter’s live release rate since 2009 is directly related to their efforts to make the animals more adoptable

Paige Bayne, Director of Aiken County Code Enforcement, and the beloved Bobby Arthurs, Chief Animal Control Officer and Shelter Manager, who directly oversee and manage the Shelter operations with kind, thoughtful and dedicated attention to the welfare of the animals.

Blue, a handsome young mixed breed, can be adopted at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

The County Shelter staff—the intake administrators, adoption coordinators, vet techs, kennel techs and custodians—who make certain that all of those animals are properly documented and cared for with compassion and efficiency.

Dr. Lisa Levy, the Shelter Vet, whose medical prowess and big heart has saved the lives of hundreds of animals, and Dr. Mike Wells, who performs spay/neuter surgery on community cats for the TNR program.

The County Council and the County Administration for being the best public partners—ever—and working with FOTAS to save every adoptable animal.

And last but not least, you, the Aiken community, who year after year have supported our efforts with enthusiasm and generosity. You have designated the Shelter as your community shelter, and we could not be prouder.

Join us at the county shelter this Saturday, November 2nd, from 10:00 to 1:00 for a joyful celebration of our shared success in making the county shelter a model of public responsibility to our animals. There will be lots of free food and activities for adults, children, and their four-legged friends. Bring your party hat, and we’ll see you there.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

2019, animal abuse, Dogs, FOTAS, News, Training, Volunteer, Volunteers

Volunteers Teach Homeless Pets about Love and Acceptance

Posted on by Bob Gordon
17
Sep

This week, I had two people tell me they can’t volunteer because the idea of witnessing the injured, neglected and abused animals who need homes would be too much for them to handle.

I told them we take a more positive approach and embrace the opportunity to greet these pets in need. Because on the day we meet them, we know their lives are about to get so much better! It is an honorable mission to help them.

Senior dog JESSICA gets some love and attention from FOTAS Volunteer Nicole Simons.

When a dog or cat arrives at the shelter emaciated, ill, neglected or abused, staff and volunteers greet them with love and make them comfortable. Now that they are with us, it’s game time! Time for them to get well and start their new life of love, happiness and never knowing hunger or loneliness again. It’s a gift to be part of a team that can turn their lives around.

Almost immediately after they arrive, we are planning what is best for these homeless pets. Do they need a rescue or a foster? Do they need a quiet home or would an active family best suit their needs? Would another cat or dog give them comfort or are they best as an only pet?

When we pull into the parking lot first thing in the morning, we see tails wagging and cats running up to the feline facility windows to meow their “hellos”. They love us, and we love them. These animals don’t think about past experiences and we don’t focus on them either. Each day we are one day closer to finding them a happy, loving forever home.

MEADOW is a volunteer and staff favorite.

Take Meadow, a white furred, 6-year-old mixed breed. She’s endured a rough past and growled at us when she first arrived. She was beyond scared. But Karen DeCamp, one of our devoted volunteer trainers, showed Meadow love and she rapidly improved. She learned how great it is to be loved and is now the gentlest dog on the adoption floor! Meadow dances around and greets people who visit her kennel. She is ready to be adopted and your new best friend.

FOTAS Volunteer Jeri Wesner is one of our most dedicated dog walkers and I love seeing her when she meets a new animal. She always smiles brightly and tells the new dog, “It’s your lucky day!” Jeri has helped change so many dogs’ lives with her patience and positive attitude. She understands that we’re here to give these unwanted pets a second chance at a good life.

MEADOW was scared and growled at everybody when she first arrived at the shelter. But now she’s the sweetest dog on the adoption floor!

So, please don’t say that you can’t volunteer because it would be too heartbreaking. Dogs and cats aren’t like us. They forgive, bounce back and have the potential to give so much love to their future adopters.

Yes, we see kittens thrown from cars, dogs left tied to trees in the woods, puppies sick from neglect — you name it. But you need to see the silver lining. These animals are now safe and out of danger. We have the ability to make their lives better and find them homes. And when we do, it’s so rewarding!

As a volunteer, you teach these pets what love is and they quickly absorb the lesson! They forgive, they forget. Help be part of their future happiness. Volunteer and invest your time in these animals.

Their lives are in our hands.

— By Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Director

BY THE NUMBERS
The Aiken County Animal Shelter has already taken in nearly 200 strays and surrendered pets this month. Please spay and neuter your pets.

2019, FOTAS, News, Volunteer, Volunteers

FOTAS and Shelter Animals Lost an Angel

Posted on by Bob Gordon
04
Aug

“Every sunrise is an invitation for us to arise and brighten someone’s day.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway

Every so often in life, we are privileged to know someone whose kindness knows no limits and whose patience is bottomless. Someone whose humanity is so deep, they dedicate their life to helping the lost, the hopeless, and the forgotten. Someone who gives so much and asks for nothing in return.

Nanci Santos with one of her favorites, Bear. Nanci died on July 22, 2019 after a long battle with cancer.

That someone for us was Nanci Santos, a long-time FOTAS volunteer and supporter, who died on July 22nd after a long and brave battle with cancer.

Nanci was a constant and reliable presence at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. She walked dogs, helped with new programs, and assisted with FOTAS fundraisers like Woofstock. She helped develop the orientation process for coordinating and training new volunteers, sharing her own experience and knowledge with warmth and humor.

She had a lot to share, too. Typically, she arrived at the shelter before the other volunteers had finished their daily walks and visits with the animals. She visited every kennel on the adoption floor, performing a last-minute check for the afternoon, doing an occasional clean-up and distributing toys to the dogs—one, maybe two toys, even though we tried to persuade her that one was sufficient. Nanci wasn’t buying it, and we gave up trying to convince her.

Nanci loved spending time with the shelter dogs.

She also made certain that every dog had a blanket (at least every dog that wasn’t a known blanket-eater).

“She had a very high standard for putting down blankets,” says Ellie Joos, FOTAS Secretary. “She didn’t just toss them down. She placed the blankets on the pallets and tucked them in at the corners so they were smooth, sometimes adding a second blanket if she thought this dog or that dog needed some extra cushioning or warmth. That was the thing about Nanci—no matter how many dogs were on the adoption floor, she knew them all and figured out their individual needs.”

On any given afternoon, Nanci could be found sitting on a bench in the shade with a dog beside her.

Nanci gets a kiss from shelter dog Rocky.

“It was usually a dog that only an hour before had been so scared and shutdown, it would tremble in the corner of its kennel and not make eye contact,” says Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Director. “She’d be working her magic, stroking the dog and talking in soft tones, and the dog would be lying beside her, head in her lap, totally relaxed and content.”

She had a gift for bringing the hard cases back to life, which in turn made them attractive adoption prospects. Without her intervention, many of those dogs might have shut down completely, spent more time on the adoption floor, and had a harder time adjusting to a new family. She made a real difference in their lives.

The animals made a difference in her life, too.

“As Nanci struggled with the long, ugly battle with cancer, her time at the shelter gave her solace, a reason to get up every day—even on the bad days,” says her husband, Steve. “She loved going to the shelter.”

The truth is, Nanci made a difference in all of our lives. The world will be a slightly dimmer place without her.

Godspeed, dear friend. You will be missed.

–– By Jennifer Miller, FOTAS President
and Joanna Samson, FOTAS Vice-President

2019, Adoption, awards, Dogs, FOTAS, News, Volunteer, Volunteers

FOTAS Owes its Success to Aiken Community

Posted on by Bob Gordon
02
Jul

When the 2019 Aiken’s Choice winners were announced for the Best of Aiken Contest (hosted by the Aiken Standard), FOTAS was voted the winner of the Best Nonprofit Organization and FOTAS’s annual Woofstock Doggie Derby Day was voted as the Best Pet-Friendly Event. We couldn’t be more touched and pleased, not only because of the recognition (always nice) but because we were selected by you, the community.

We know how many other worthy nonprofits operate in Aiken and that makes your selection of FOTAS even more meaningful.

FOTAS President Jennifer Miller and Gary Bunker cut the ribbon for the shelter’s animal wellness center.

FOTAS was formed 10 years ago in response to the heartbreaking plight of the homeless and abandoned animals in Aiken County. At the time, about 6,000 animals were consigned to the County Shelter each year: only 5% made it out alive. The County Shelter was old and outdated. There were no play yards and very few volunteers. There was no adoption program to speak of. In 2009, the founders of FOTAS dreamed of a day when no adoptable animal would have to be euthanized in Aiken County.

We’re so close. In 10 short years, intake numbers have dropped roughly 16 to 21% (still too many but making progress), but the save rate at the County Shelter has increased from a dismal 5% to a whopping 90%. The 10% we can’t save are too emotionally or physically damaged to make good, safe family pets. Maybe one day the number of animals too far gone to save will be reduced to a few rare instances. We can only hope.

The volunteers work hard but there are rewards to what they do each day at the shelter.

We could not have come this far and saved those thousands of animals without your – the community’s – support. You showed up in droves to let your elected County officials know that you wanted better outcomes for our homeless animals, and they listened. You volunteer at the shelter six days a week and on holidays, performing as many as 10 full-time jobs to supplement the County’s dedicated staff.

The adoption program is thriving thanks to the army of committed citizens who come every day to walk and socialize the animals. We are able to market our animals and go the extra mile to find every animal a home because you help us with social media, outreach, fostering and transfer programs. Moreover, thanks to our fundraising efforts and special events and your seemingly bottomless generosity, we are able to finance new programs, equipment and training for and at the shelter, as well as subsidize the costs of adoption, spay/neuter and other medical needs – all designed to increase the number of adoptions while reducing the population of homeless animals and thus the annual intake at the shelter.

Volunteer Pat Kahn comforts a new arrival.

We are humbled and proud that you have recognized our efforts and celebrate our success through these 2019 Aiken’s Choice Awards. But the truth is we owe it all to your generosity and support, and these awards honor you as much as they honor us.

With your continued commitment, we will reduce the population of homeless and unwanted animals; we will get those intake numbers down; and we will attain the goal of never having to euthanize another adoptable pet in Aiken County.

That is our pledge to you. Thank you and God bless.

Their lives are in our hands.

P.S.: Help! The shelter is overrun with kittens and puppies. If you’re thinking about a new pet, now’s the time.

–By Jennifer Miller, FOTAS President and
Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

BY THE NUMBERS
In June, the Aiken County Animal Shelter received more than 500 strays and surrendered pets. The shelter facility is currently full.

PETS OF THE WEEK

OLYMPIA
Mixed breed, female, 1-1/2 years old, 57 pounds – $35

BRANDON
Domestic Shorthair kitten, 2 months old, Tabby, 1.5 pounds – $10