Tag Archives: volunteers

Dogs, essay, Foster, FOTAS, News, Transfer, Volunteers

My pack does much of the fostering work

Posted on by Angel Hartline
18
Feb

I foster because I love dogs, all dogs. The Aiken County Animal Shelter has a big need for short term fosters for dogs being transferred to a sister agency in the north. Fortunately, I can foster often because my own pack of dogs helps with all the work.

There are five dogs in my pack, all rescues themselves. They range in age from one to 16 years old and in size from 15 to 85 pounds. The pack includes Max, a German Shepard; Annie and Scout, my terrible terriers; Foxy, my sweet, gentle large Chihuahua mix; and Bitsy, my fabulous 16-year-old Jack Russell terrier.

The pack is the natural social order for dogs, which is why they are so good at helping these frightened, dislocated dogs. They have never let me down. Here’s how it works. Once a dog has been selected for transfer to a sister agency in the north, I pick up my foster dog at the Shelter and do a quick assessment of their temperament on the ride home—the dog is typically anxious and frightened (what, another change?). I let them out of the car into the fenced driveway and give them a few minutes to look around and sniff the scent of my other dogs. Then, I let the pack out of the house. Intimidated at first by the rush of dogs, the foster often hides under the car. Once the original hoopla has calmed down, the newcomer comes out to meet the pack. One by one, my dogs introduce themselves with a friendly sniff and then go about their normal routine.

The foster dog learns the pecking order quickly, first making friends with big Max and sweet Foxy. When the foster is ready for a little fun, it romps with Scout, the youngest and roughest player of the pack. Annie takes her time making up her mind about the new arrival. Bitzy, on the other hand, is the mother of the group; she licks the new arrival clean and teaches it to behave while being groomed.

Sam Cato's German Shepherd, Max, cuddles a foster dog.
Sam Cato’s German Shepherd, Max, cuddles a foster dog.

I keep a very large crate in my kitchen for all newcomers until I am certain they are housebroken. I feed the foster dog in the crate during the twice-a-day feeding times to avoid any issues over food, and I always crate a new dog at night. Other than that, the foster dog moves in and out of the house all day with the pack; it never takes long to fall into the routine. There are occasional mishaps from time to time, like mistaking a chair leg for a chew toy, but those incidents are few and far between.

Is it hard to give them up? It is, but I know I am helping the foster dog become calmer and more sociable for the trip north and for their new family. Sometimes I am lucky enough to get a photo of one of my fosters with their new family.

That makes it all worthwhile.

Here’s the takeaway: don’t be afraid to foster because you already have dogs. Your canine pals will do most of the work and give a foster dog the greatest gift of all — to be part of the pack.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Sam Cato, FOTAS volunteer and foster

 

By the Numbers

February Adoption Special: dogs & puppies $35, cats & kittens $10

 

Pets of the Week

RALLIE

POTW RALLIE FEB 18
Mixed breed, male, 1 year old, brown with white, 57 pounds – $35

 

PANDORA

PANDORA POTW FEB 18
Domestic Shorthair, female, 6 months old, brown and gray Tabby, 2.2 pounds – $10

 

 

Adoption, Cats, essay, FOTAS, News, Volunteer, Volunteers

FOTAS volunteer Leah Holt gives unwanted cats a second chance at health and happiness

Posted on by Angel Hartline
28
Jan

Over the last 16 months, FOTAS Volunteer Leah Holt has given three unwanted cats the happiness and security that comes with having a forever home. She adopted all three from the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS), including Boots, a young, scrawny black cat; Footie, an 11-year-old, chunky Tuxedo cat; and Nutmeg, a six-month-old, blind Siamese kitten.

“When I retired and moved to Aiken, I made the decision to take care of animals and devote my time to making their lives better,” she said.

Boots and Nutmeg were strays, and Footie was surrendered by his owner because taking care of the large feline was “too much responsibility.” Holt gave Boots to her great granddaughter, who immediately changed his name to “Black Tiger”, and Footie and Nutmeg live with Holt and her two toy Poodles, BJ and Chrissie.

The quartet of furry friends sleeps on Holt’s bed. Footie dozes by her head, Nutmeg curls up between her stomach and knees, and the dogs are on either side of her, snoring under the covers. “I have to be careful when I roll over,” she jokes.

Leah Holt at home with her adopted County Shelter cats Footie and Nutmeg, and dogs Chrissie and BJ.
Leah Holt at home with her adopted County Shelter cats Footie and Nutmeg, and dogs Chrissie and BJ.

Before retiring, Holt managed a drug store, co-owned a wholesale food franchise with her husband and, during the last 15 years of her working life, took care of hospice patients.

Holt has been around animals and owned pets since she was a child. But when her dog, BJ, was nearly killed by a motorcycle in 2014 and she committed months toward nurturing him back to good health, she came to a new realization.

“That’s when I understood how I could have a positive impact and make a difference by helping animals, “she said. “That’s what we’re put here for –to help those in need.”

Now Holt volunteers at the shelter by walking the dogs and spending time with the felines in the cat facility, and every Saturday evening she takes care of the ACAS cats being showcased at the Aiken PetSmart Store on Whiskey Road.

Her reward for volunteering? Seeing unwanted and discarded animals placed in good homes. Plus, when she returns to her house at the end of the day, she gets a boisterous welcome from her growing gang of adopted pets.

“I think shelter animals truly appreciate their home more,” she said. “In the shelter they’re scared and confused. But when they come out, they don’t have to worry so much, and they’re very thankful for another chance at a joyful life.”

Their lives are in our hands.

by Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications

By the Numbers

In 2017, 198 Heartworm Positive dogs received at the shelter were saved and successfully adopted with incurred treatment costs paid by FOTAS. Please remember to give your dogs monthly heartworm preventative.

Pets of the Week

bain high energy dogBAIN: Retriever mix, male, 4 years old, tan and white, 51 pounds – $0 (adoption fee has been paid for by FOTAS donor)

Sapphire POTW JAN 24SAPPHIRE: Domestic Shorthair, female, 9 months old, gray/black Tabby, 1.8 pounds – $10 (available at PetSmart Store in Aiken)


Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Donate, Foster, FOTAS, Heartworms, Spay/Neuter, Volunteer

Resolving to do better by our animals

Posted on by Angel Hartline
29
Dec

It’s that time again—the end of one year and the promise of a new one. Most of us (myself included) resolve to be better—to exercise more, lose weight, spend less time on our cell phones—and although our resolve is genuine, our willpower and attention span are, shall we say, less than perfect.

My own New Year’s resolutions fail because they are “self” centered, involving changes to my own behavior. When my resolve wavers, so what? Do those extra five pounds matter to anyone but me?

My theory is this: resolutions to take action for the greater good—to help make a life a bit better, happier, easier—are easier to keep and harder to abandon.

There are so many worthy ways to spend your time, but if you happen to love animals the way we do at FOTAS, then we can resolve, collectively, to do better by the thousands of homeless animals in Aiken County.

Let’s resolve to spay or neuter our animals … all of them.

If our own animals are fixed, then let’s lobby our friends, relatives, and neighbors to fix their animals.

Imagine … a spring and summer at the Aiken County Animal Shelter when staff and volunteers are not inundated with, literally, hundreds of unwanted puppies and kittens.

Imagine the Shelter with empty kennels because no new unwanted babies were born to fill them up.

Imagine a world where every home has a pet, and every animal has a home.

It is possible to do; it’s been done in many other communities. Why do you think our sister rescue agencies in other parts of the country have the space to take our unwanted animals? Because everyone fixes their pet as a matter of course.

It’s the right thing to do.

Let’s resolve to volunteer our time at the Shelter.

There are so many ways to help—greeting visitors, walking and socializing dogs, loving-up the cats, fostering animals approved for transfer or providing a safe, healthy home for mamas and their babies, working off-site adoptions, social media, and fundraisers.

The list is endless. Tell FOTAS what you want to do, and we’ll find a place for you. Volunteering at the Shelter is a great way to spend your free time and make friends, and at the end of the day, you will have made a difference in the life of some unfortunate animal.

Let’s resolve to vaccinate our animals and make certain they are protected from fleas, ticks and worst of all, heartworms. Too many animals suffer needlessly, particularly when treatment options are so affordable.

Let’s resolve to adopt all of our pets from the Shelter.

The Shelter takes in over 4600 animals every year—they all need homes. Other rescue agencies can close their doors when they are full, but the County shelter cannot; it is obligated by law to take all comers.

FOTAS and Shelter staff go the extra mile with attention, exercise, training and medical care to make every adoptable animal happy and more sociable, because we know those animals will be better pets and family members when they go home with you.

No other rescue organization in the County saves more lives than FOTAS … none.

These are resolutions worth keeping. Let’s do them together.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

 

Some Recent Happy Adoptions at the Aiken County Animal Shelter

 JESSICA STORY OF GRANITEVILLE ADOPTED GOLDIE DEC 23    RUDOLPH THE PUPPY WAS ADOPTED BY THE DOWLING FAMILY, AIKEN    BEAGLE MIX MARLIN WAS ADOPTED BY THE WILLIAMS FAMILY , AIKEN ON DEC 23

By the Numbers
54 Adoptions between December 18 and December 23! Thank you.

Missed our Christmas adoption specials? No worries! 
January Adoption special – dogs/puppies $35, cats/kittens $10

Pets of the Week

LACEY POTW DEC 31
LACEY: Retriever mix, female, 2 years old, black, 63 pounds – $35

CLARENCE POTW DEC 31

CLARENCE: Domestic shorthair kitten, male, 3 months old, black & white, 3 pounds – $10

Adoption, Cats, Dogs, Donate, Foster, FOTAS, Spay/Neuter, Transfer, Volunteer

FOTAS: Christmas spirit, gratitude and saving animals

Posted on by Angel Hartline
21
Dec

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 column to tell you about initiatives designed to save the lives of more animals and to report on our progress. We have written about the special people who have made a difference in the lives of the Shelter animals, and we have showcased particular dogs or cats who had captured our hearts and needed a little extra “ink” to find them that perfect home.

This Christmas Eve, however, we are not going to use this space to report or convince or to ask you for help; instead, we are simply going to thank you … all of you:

Chairman Gary Bunker and the County Council, County Administrator Clay Killian, and Assistant County Administrators Ashley Jacobs and Brian Sanders for being responsive and responsible public partners;

Councilwoman Kathy Rawls, believed in our mission from the very start and helped us build the successful public/private partnership between the County and FOTAS;

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

The County Shelter staff—the intake administrators, adoption coordinators, vet assistants, 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 who arrive at the Shelter abused, mangled and injured, giving them a second chance;

The FOTAS volunteers, who work on bookkeeping, social media, and special fundraising events; who work with FOTAS Fix-a-Pet and curbing the population of community cats; 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 greet the public and man the front desk, 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 (84% so far this year) is directly related to their efforts; and

Last but not least, you, the Aiken community, who have supported our efforts with enthusiasm and generosity, adopted your pets from the thousands of deserving animals who end up in the Shelter, and who are working to end the excessive population of homeless animals by spaying and neutering your animals—you have designated the Shelter as your community shelter, and we could not be prouder.

The Board of Directors of FOTAS—Jennifer Miller, Mary Lou Welch, Edythe Hubler, Frank Townsend, Dr. Charlie Timmerman, Caroline Simonson, Ellie Joos, Ellen Priest, Grant and Heather Wiseman, Shanna Ryberg Pearsons, Jeri Barrett, Allison Tyler, myself, and FOTAS Program Director Kathy Jacobs, wish you and your family Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

Their lives are in our hands.

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

By the Numbers

December specials – dogs/puppies $35, cats/kittens $10

January through November: FOTAS and the Aiken County Animal Shelter saved 3,706 dogs and cats.

Please adopt and help us save 4,000 by the end of 2017!

Pets of the Week

MARIELLE: Shepherd mix, female, 3 years old, black w/white, 31 pounds –$0 (adoption sponsored by FOTAS donor)

MARIELLE POTW DEC 24 2017

MILA: Domestic medium-hair cat, female, 1 year old, gray, 6 pounds – $0 (adoption sponsored by FOTAS donor)

MILA POTW DEC 24 2017

 

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

FOTAS volunteers get back as much as they give to shelter animals

Posted on by Angel Hartline
15
Dec

With Christmas just a week away, FOTAS Volunteer John Berk reflects on what he will be doing on the holiday. His children are coming to visit and he and his wife, Sally, have plans to celebrate with them. But he also plans to make another stop.

“I’m sure I’ll be at the shelter on Christmas morning walking the dogs and visiting with the cats,” Berk said. “It’s a constant need that we serve. I don’t think Christmas feels any different to these animals in need.”

FOTAS Volunteer John Berk enjoys walking and spending time with shelter dogs like Arthur.
FOTAS Volunteer John Berk enjoys walking and spending time with shelter dogs like Arthur.

Berk came to Aiken 20 years ago, ready to retire after a successful career as a plant manager for a large corporation. An avid and skillful golfer, he used to spend much of his time on the links. But about four months ago, at the urging of a friend, he decided to sign up as a FOTAS volunteer. After completing a short application and taking a two-hour orientation class, he hit the ground running and immediately felt at home.

“Once you walk one of these dogs, it’s hard not to come back,” he said. “I get great satisfaction from giving comfort and a little bit of happiness to a dog or cat that really just wants to be loved and accepted.”

Another new FOTAS volunteer who has found a second home at the animal shelter is Jackie Edel. A professional horse rider and trainer most of her life, Edel and her husband, John, moved from Connecticut to Aiken 11 years ago.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Edel said. “But everyone was so friendly and welcomed me right away. I’m really impressed with how much effort people put in to get the dogs exercise and feeling more confident. And how hard they work to get them adopted.”

Volunteer Jackie Edel works with the County Shelter dogs nearly every day.
Volunteer Jackie Edel works with the County Shelter dogs nearly every day.

Edel has always been around animals and currently has four dogs and a cat at home. But it wasn’t until she and her husband decided to downsize from their farm to a smaller house, freeing her from her horse care duties, that she decided to give volunteering a try.

With her experience and comfort level around animals, she’s already become a star volunteer. She’s at the shelter nearly every day and even helps with play group, an advanced program in which dogs are brought together to interact and burn off energy in the shelter’s large, fenced-in yard.

But Edel’s favorite part of volunteering is seeing the dogs and cats finding their human matches and getting adopted.

“I certainly have become attached to some of the dogs, but I’m just so happy when they go to good homes,” she said.

If you would like to become a FOTAS volunteer, please stop by the County Shelter, 333 Wire Road, or call the FOTAS hotline, (803) 514-4313.

Their lives are in our hands.

above article written by Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications

BY THE NUMBERS

December specials – dogs/puppies $35, cats/kittens $10

Through November, the Aiken County Animal Shelter received 4,475 dogs and cats, and 3,722 were saved.

Please adopt and help our community shelter save 4,000 by year end!

PETS OF THE WEEK

BOO: Hound mix, female, 7 years old, black and red, 45 pounds – $0 (adoption sponsored by FOTAS donor)
BOO: Hound mix, female, 7 years old, black and red, 45 pounds – $0 (adoption sponsored by FOTAS donor)
STAR: Domestic shorthair cat, female, 1 year old, gray and black Tabby, 6 pounds - $10
STAR: Domestic shorthair cat, female, 1 year old, gray and black Tabby, 6 pounds – $10
Adoption, Dogs, Foster, FOTAS, Military Veterans, Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs

Service dog Blue brings blessings to veteran who adopted him

Posted on by Angel Hartline
08
Dec

Wherever Reverend Bill Kline goes, Blue is close by his side. A veteran who suffers from many health problems, Kline adopted the four-year-old, 62-pound Siberian Husky just three months ago from the County Shelter. However, the pair quickly developed a strong connection and now Kline can’t imagine being without his large canine companion.

“Blue’s my lifeguard,” Kline said. “It’s amazing how he can tell if I’m not feeling well. If I’m down in the dumps, he’s always right there to comfort me. He even knows when my blood sugar level is too low or too high. He’ll lick my hand and let me know that I need to check it.”

Blue, who was adopted from the Aiken County Animal Shelter, is in training to be a service dog for a local veteran.
Blue, who was adopted from the Aiken County Animal Shelter, is in training to be a service dog for a local veteran.

Kline was a medic in the Navy for 41 years, but his major health issues began only a year ago when he had a stroke, developed diabetes and was diagnosed with heart problems. His wife, Julia, is his “rock” and helped him through this difficult time. But he is still recovering and requires the physical strength that a dog like Blue can provide.

Blue is in training to be Kline’s service dog, helping him to get around and assisting him with tasks such as picking up items dropped on the floor, bringing him bottled water and fetching his diabetic kit. He’s also learning how to alert people if Kline falls or gets hurt, as well as how to use his body to help his owner get back to his feet. Blue attends classes offered by Veterans K9 Solutions and is expected to graduate early next year.

Named for his stunning eyes, Blue arrived at the County Shelter as an injured stray. He had been shot in the face and a bullet was removed from his chin. But once Blue recovered from his wound and was added to the adoption floor, it became increasingly apparent that he was a special kind of dog. Not only was he extremely calm and confident, but he also showed a natural drive to help and protect people.

Jerry Lyda of Veterans K9 Solutions is an expert at finding service dog talent and has worked closely with FOTAS and the County Shelter to find animals to assist folks who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other war injuries. When he visited the County Shelter and saw Blue, he knew right away that this Husky was a star in the making. He also had a hunch Blue would be perfect for Reverend Bill Kline.

“Blue and Reverend Bill are doing awesome,” Lyda said. “The bond between those two is amazing. I knew Blue was a winner – thank you so much for treating his injuries and making him available for adoption.”

FOTAS and the Shelter are proud to support veterans and active military personnel by helping to provide Veterans K9 Solutions and other organizations with service dog candidates. FOTAS also sponsors free adoptions for veterans as well as men and women currently serving in the U.S. military.

Their lives are in our hands.

above Article by Bob Gordon, FOTAS  Director of Communications

By the Numbers

December Specials – dogs/puppies $35, cats/kittens $10

Saturday, Dec. 16 – Adoption event:

free photos with Santa Claus and your new pet!

Pets of the Week

THOR POTW DEC 10
THOR: Mixed breed, male, 8 months old, brown and white, 32 pounds – $35
POTW TINY TIM
TINY TIM: Domestic shorthair cat, male, 2 months old, orange Tabby, 1.8 pounds – $10

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

FOTAS needs your Christmas spirit

Posted on by Angel Hartline
03
Dec

“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 for gratitude, for family and friends. It’s a time to rejoice our faith. It’s a time for love.

It is also a time for charitable giving, and if your mailbox is anything like mine, it’s filled with requests from worthy local charities for year-end contributions. They all do good works, but you can’t give to them all. How do you decide?

I am going to take a leap of faith here—that if you are reading this column, you care about the plight of abused, abandoned and homeless animals. If that’s true, then FOTAS, the private partner of the Aiken County Animal Shelter, is the right choice for your charitable urges. Here’s why.

FOTAS provides critical assistance to 5000 Shelter animals a year. In the first ten months of this year, 3456 animals have been saved. That’s an average of 340 animals a month. No other organization comes close to saving that many animals—day after day, month after month, year after year.

FOTAS has funded the design, construction and equipping of a wellness and isolation building at the Shelter to isolate and treat contagious, treatable illnesses—a much-needed project that has been two years in the making and is close to completion. FOTAS also purchased a new anesthesia machine for on-site surgeries and a commercial dishwasher that properly sterilizes feed and water bowls. It arranged for the donation of an x-ray machine and paid for the setup and training of medical clinic personnel.

FOTAS goes the extra mile to find every animal a home.

FOTAS Super Foster Manuela Segre-Amar holds puppy Rose
FOTAS Super Foster Manuela Segre-Amar holds puppy Rose

It aggressively markets adoptable animals through print and social media and transports animals to off-site adoption events in a van donated by FOTAS. It supplements adoption fees for active Military Personnel and veterans and pays for heartworm medicine for HWP dogs adopted from the Shelter (150 this year).

FOTAS developed a network of rescue partners in other parts of the country and organizes and pays expenses for transfers of adoptable animals. FOTAS recruits foster families (and funds their provisions, if necessary) to provide interim care for animals approved for transfer and longer-term care for animals in “a family way.”

FOTAS addresses the cause of high Shelter intake: rampant overpopulation of dogs and cats. Since 2013, FOTAS has paid for over 2427 spay/neuter surgeries and neutered and returned to field 880 free-roaming community cats.

Since its inception in 2009, the Shelter’s live release rate has increased from a dismal 5% to 82.9%. That’s literally thousands more animals saved annually thanks to the substantial supplemental resources (both financial and manpower) provided by FOTAS.

Last month, the South Carolina Secretary of State honored FOTAS as one of the ten “Angel” charities in the state. FOTAS spends 83 cents of every dollar on its charitable purpose, which means you can be certain that your donations will make a difference.

The success of FOTAS is a testament to the generosity of the Aiken community, but there is still so much to do. Please send your much-needed donations to FOTAS, PO Box 2207, Aiken SC 29802 to help us continue the good work.

Their lives are in our hands.

 

By the Numbers

On Tuesday, Nov. 28, the County Shelter received 26 strays and owner-surrendered animals.

December Adoption Special: cats/kittens $10, dogs/puppies $35

Pets of the Week

BOJACK: Shepherd mix, male, 8 years old, brown, 43 pounds, calm and sweet – $35
BOJACK: Shepherd mix, male, 8 years old, brown, 43 pounds, calm and sweet – $35
DEUCE: Domestic Medium-haired cat, male, 1 year old, black and brown Tabby, 5 pounds, very friendly - $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart)
DEUCE: Domestic Medium-haired cat, male, 1 year old, black and brown Tabby, 5 pounds, very friendly – $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart)
Adoption, Cats, Foster, FOTAS, Spay/Neuter, Volunteer

Feral kittens and the Good Samaritan

Posted on by Angel Hartline
17
Nov

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Vice President

One morning, you come downstairs to the kitchen, turn on the coffee maker, and open the back door to check the weather. Then you hear it: faint, pitiful mewing sounds coming from the crawl space under the porch. You grab a flashlight and go out to investigate. What you find breaks your heart: six tiny feral kittens, eyes still closed, mewing for what? Food? Mama? Warmth?

What do you do?

mother cat and kittenThe Good Samaritan in you wants to spring into action and rescue the little snuggle nuggets, but is that the wisest course?

“It isn’t, at least not right away,” says Hillary Clark-Kulis, the Adoption Coordinator for the Aiken County Animal Shelter. “Odds are mama has gone out to feed herself and will be returning soon to care for her babies, and it is always better for little kittens to be cared for by their mama. She can properly clean and feed them around the clock. We advise waiting and watching for mama to return. Patience is the better part of valor in these cases.”

Raising little kittens is tricky business. They need to be fed every two hours around the clock. They cannot eliminate waste on their own, so cleaning and massaging in just the right places is required to allow them to process their food. Mama’s milk also provides crucial antibodies. When the kittens are weaned to hard food, mama teaches them how to be little cats, how to fend for themselves, how to hunt.

kitten bottle feederAssuming mama comes home, the best thing you can do is support mama until the kittens are weaned. Provide her healthy cat food and clean water, maybe a box with soft towels for a warm dry place to nest.

Feral cats are often fearful of humans, so speak softly, move slowly, try to befriend her, get her accustomed to friendly human contact. FOTAS can provide you with the appropriate supplies if needed.

After about five weeks, call the Shelter and make an appointment to bring mama in to get vaccinated, spayed and returned to field (no cost to you), and the kittens to be vetted and put up for adoption (unless the kittens are too feral, in which case, they too can be vaccinated, spayed and returned to field.)

Let’s rewind: what if you watch the little kittens all day and mama doesn’t return, then what do you do?

Now it’s time to collect the little kittens and bring them to the Shelter. Dr. Levy will assess their health, then FOTAS volunteers will foster the kittens at home. That means two weeks of bottle feeding every two hours, watching their temperature, keeping them clean until their eyes open and they can eat on their own. Once they pass that critical stage, the little snuggle muffins can be socialized until they are big enough to be adopted.
“Taking proper care of new-born kittens requires skill and patience, but there are experienced FOTAS volunteers we call upon for help,” says Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Director. “We couldn’t do it without them, and we always need more volunteers!”

Call the FOTAS hotline at (803) 514-4313 or the County Shelter at (803) 642-1537, when your Good Samaritan is called into service.

Their lives are in our hands.

By the Numbers
Jan. to Sept. 2017: FOTAS Fix-A-Pet and the Aiken County Animal Shelter spayed/neutered 864 community/feral cats that were returned to field.

Pets of the Week

REMINGTON: Retriever mix, male, 2 years old, light brown and white, 46 pounds – $35
REMINGTON: Retriever mix, male, 2 years old, light brown and white, 46 pounds – $35
ERIK: Domestic shorthair cat, male, 1-1/2 years old, light orange Tabby, 10 pounds – $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart)
ERIK: Domestic shorthair cat, male, 1-1/2 years old, light orange Tabby, 10 pounds – $10 (available at Aiken PetSmart)
Adoption, Children, FOTAS, Volunteer

Children are the future of FOTAS

Posted on by Angel Hartline
28
Oct

By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS Vice President

“I believe the children are our future,
Teach them well and let them lead the way.”
Whitney Houston

If FOTAS had a poster child, it would be Noah Jacobs. Noah and his mother, Kathy Jacobs, have been volunteering at the Aiken County Animal Shelter since the new shelter opened in 2013. (Kathy is now the full-time FOTAS Program Director). Noah was eight years old at the time, and like his mother, has a magic touch with animals. Whenever an adoptable dog is identified as “kid friendly,” it means that it has passed the Noah Jacobs “kid friendly” test, which has proven to be a tried and true endorsement.

Noah, who is twelve now, attends the Tall Pines STEM Academy. The Academy is mission oriented, and last year, the students in Noah’s class selected FOTAS and the Aiken County Animal Shelter as one of their missions. The students asked Kathy and Bobby Arthurs, the Shelter Manager and Chief Animal Control Officer for the County, to make a presentation to the class.

Tall Pines STEM Academy students visit the Aiken County Animal Shelter to learn more about FOTAS.  Students include: Karylle Hambrick, Dylan Seeley, Kahlei Morris, Noah Jacobs, Christian Grove, Gabey Marshall, Blake Scott and Sydney Ledere
Tall Pines STEM Academy students visit the Aiken County Animal Shelter to learn more about FOTAS.  Students include: Karylle Hambrick, Dylan Seeley, Kahlei Morris, Noah Jacobs, Christian Grove, Gabey Marshall, Blake Scott and Sydney Ledere

Kathy and Bobby, along with a couple of adoptable dogs, made the trek to the school and talked to the students about the work and dedication involved in caring and finding homes for the thousands of homeless animals that come through the Shelter every year. The students rallied to the cause, and over the next month, raised money and in-kind goods (pet food, leashes, etc.) to donate to the Shelter.

Cool.

Over the course of that year, the Principal Griffin would call Kathy from time to time to come and pick up a stray dog on the property, and Kathy would drop off the current FOTAS Newsletters.

Then, this past September, Kathy attended the Academy’s open house to meet Noah’s teachers. When she walked into the English Language Arts room, to her surprise and delight, she discovered that the walls were covered with essays written by the students on how kids can make a difference for homeless animals, along with countless pictures of dogs and cats drawn by the students.

“My son tells me nothing!” says Kathy, and when she questioned Noah, he told her they had even had student debates on what FOTAS does and how it could do more. (Not to worry, says Noah, he totally educated the class on all the important things FOTAS does.)IMG_0295

Very cool.

It gets better. The staff, teachers and students at the Academy have become active supporters of FOTAS and the Shelter: homework assignments to write essays on the FOTAS mission, contributions to FOTAS fundraisers, teachers and their children volunteering at the Shelter.

The kids at the Academy are required to complete eight hours of community service before the end of the year. Kathy has scheduled three service days for students to serve their hours at the Shelter reading to the animals. On the first service day last Wednesday, eight children participated.

Beyond cool.

With programs and interest like this, developed early in life, there is hope the next generation will carry on our work and solve, once and for all, the vexing problem of overpopulation of unwanted pets.

Their lives are in our hands; but soon their lives will be in the hands of our very capable children.

IMG_0300IMG_0355higher pixel pic of young students visiting ACASIMG_0303

November Adoption Special: cats/kittens $10, dogs/puppies $35

Pets of the Week

RILEY: Pointer mix, female, 1 year old, white and black, 44 pounds – $35
RILEY: Pointer mix, female, 1 year old, white and black, 44 pounds – $35
TAFFY: Domestic shorthair cat, female, 2 years old, gray and black Tabby, 7 pounds - $10
TAFFY: Domestic shorthair cat, female, 2 years old, gray and black Tabby, 7 pounds – $10

Adoption, Cats, Foster, FOTAS

FOTAS fosters and good Samaritans are saving kittens every day

Posted on by Angel Hartline
18
Oct

by Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications

Livie and her sibling were tossed out of a moving vehicle like pieces of garbage. A good Samaritan, driving behind the vehicle, witnessed the hideous crime and slammed on his brakes. He and his wife scrambled out of their car to see what they could do to save the kittens. But as they ran to Livie, a gray kitten, her sibling was run over and killed by a car coming the other way. Horrified, the couple scooped up Livie, blood dripping from her mouth, and sped to the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS).

LIVIE THE KITTEN - NOT LIVVYOnce at Shelter, Dr. Lisa Levy and her vet techs treated Livie. The left side of her face was scraped badly and her left rear leg injured, but she would be okay. Now, the five-week-old needed time to rest and heal.

Livie is just one of 227 kittens and 8 nursing momma cats that have been received by the County Shelter over the last two months. Some of these kittens are only a couple of weeks old and need to be bottle fed. When they are motherless and so young, they’re vulnerable and need constant care and attention – the kind of nurturing they can only get from a devoted foster family. But as fast as FOTAS recruits kitten fosters, more babies in need arrive at 333 Wire Road. Currently, there are 48 kittens being fostered by volunteers.

Because so many kittens have been received lately, ACAS staff members have taken kittens home to ensure their survival. Adoption Coordinator Hillary Clark-Kulis, Vet Tech Betty Milne-Erikson and Adoption Assistant Mary Calabro have all fostered litters of kittens during the last two months.
“I do it because these babies need to be saved,” Mary Calabro said. “It’s love for the innocent and the love they give back.”

Once the kittens are old enough to be spayed or neutered, they go on the adoption floor. But the fosters are needed to help these kittens get stronger and more comfortable with human touch and interaction.

“Without the foster program, many of these kittens wouldn’t survive,” said Hillary Clark-Kulis. “They are too little to spay or neuter and need constant bottle feeding or, if they’re old enough, have to be weaned from wet to dry food.”

FOTAS Volunteer Peg Seger and her husband, Ron, have been fostering kittens for two years and their latest assignment is a litter of five one-month-old strays. “If you love animals, fostering is a wonderful thing to do,” Peg said.

Jerri Smith just finished fostering three feral kittens for two weeks. By the time she returned them to the shelter for adoption, the six-week-old siblings liked to be held and petted.

“The longer they stayed with me, the less fearful they became,” Jeri said. “I enjoyed seeing them progress and it was fun and rewarding to help them learn and grow.”

Mindy Hand, another foster standout, just completed fostering three kittens that have since been adopted and is now nurturing and preparing two three-week-old kittens for adoption.

“Fostering takes a lot love and patience,” Mindy said. “But it is special knowing these cats are going to find families of their own after you’ve taken care of them.”

With so many kittens flowing into the shelter, FOTAS is in urgent need of more fosters. If you can volunteer, please call 803.514.4313 or send an email to info@angelhartlinedesigns.com

With your help, we’ll have more success stories like Livie, who recovered from her injuries and was put on the adoption floor on Thursday. Discarded like trash, this beautiful, gray kitten now has a second chance at a good life.
Their lives are in our hands.

By the Numbers


August 10 to October 10: The Aiken County Animal Shelter received 227 kittens and 8 nursing cats.
October Adoption Special: cats/kittens $10, dogs/puppies $35

Pets of the Week

Livie was thrown out of the window of a moving vehicle but thanks to good Samaritans, she made a complete recovery from her injuries.
RENO: Bully mix, male, 2 years old, white and brown, 50 pounds – $35
KENT PET OF THE WEEK
KENT: Domestic medium hair cat, male, 2 months old, black with light gray undercoat, 1.8 pounds – $10