The Friends of the Animal Shelter – Aiken County (FOTAS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), volunteer organization created in 2009 to supplement the resources of the Aiken County Animal Shelter in the care of over 4,000 homeless and abandoned animals consigned to its care each year. FOTAS is wholly funded by private donations.
The mission of FOTAS is to support the Aiken County Animal Shelter by promoting animal welfare, responsible pet ownership, and the elimination of euthanasia of all adoptable animals.
Aiken Choice “Best of Aiken” Awards
Best Pet Rescue Organization and Best Pet Friendly Event: Woofstock Doggie Derby Day.
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications
Aiken veterinarians Holly Woltz and Cindy Brown are helping FOTAS with its Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) program and have already fixed close to 300 community and feral cats for local residents.
“I became partners with FOTAS and the County Shelter because I’ve seen the gut-wrenching consequences of cat overpopulation,” said Dr. Woltz, Chief of Staff for Veterinary Services. “The numbers are still too high with these feral cats, and the shelter has a limited budget…stretched to a tiny thread to meet many needs. Since we can spay/neuter these animals for FOTAS at a very low price, I volunteered our services. FOTAS needs every penny!”
TNR is regarded as the most humane and effective way to control feral cat population growth. Using this method, all the feral cats in a colony are trapped, neutered/spayed and then returned to their territory, where they continue to thrive on their own. Young kittens that can still be socialized, as well as friendly adults, are placed in foster care and eventually adopted out to loving homes.
Dr. Brown, who practices at Aiken Animal Hospital, also began volunteering her practice’s services to FOTAS late last year, and says by all accounts TNR seems to be working.
“Any time that FOTAS volunteers or the County Shelter calls for help, we accommodate their needs whenever possible to help the stray animal situation in Aiken,” she said.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of education to aid in the [cat overpopulation] problem and we will continue to help spay and /or neuter as many stray animals as we can,” she added.
Since launching the TNR Program in 2013, FOTAS has paid for the surgeries of more than 870 community cats.
“The TNR program is a socially responsible and compassionate approach to serving these cats and the public,” said Dr. Woltz. “As a result, cats live healthier and more peaceful lives.”
The County also provides traps and can do a limited amount of spay/neuter surgeries for feral and community cats. If you need financial assistance with spay/neutering your domesticated cat or dog, the County has vouchers you can apply for at the shelter and FOTAS can also help through the Fix-A-Pet Program.
Please donate to FOTAS to support the TNR and Fix-A-Pet programs, as well as provide other assistance to the homeless animals at the County Shelter. To make a donation, you can go to our website, FOTASaiken.org, or bring your contribution to the shelter at 333 Wire Road in Aiken. And while you’re there, visit our adoptable animals. The shelter is still at full capacity and the steady stream of homeless animals being brought through our doors has not let up. If you are looking for a cat (or dog), NOW is a great time to find a furry companion at the County Shelter.
Their lives are in our hands…
Holly Woltz DVMCindy Brown DVM
If you are thinking about adding a cat or kitten to your home, now is the time to do it. Not only is the shelter filled to the brim with felines, but the adoption fee for all spay/neutered black and tuxedo (black and white) cats this month is just $10. That includes all vaccinations, spay/neuter surgery and microchip!
Twenty-one kittens, many of which are black or tuxedos, are playing or napping in the lobby of the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS), waiting to be adopted and taken to their forever homes. Just outside, in the cat adoption facility, are 19 adult cats also hoping to be adopted. We also have eight shelter cats at the PetSmart store in Aiken that need homes, plus many more housed at the intake section of the shelter, eager to get their chance on the adoption floor.
You might be wondering, “Why are the black and tuxedo cats singled out for this month’s $10 special adoption fee?” Well, there are two reasons we focused on them. First, we currently have a lot of cats and kittens sporting these coat colors; and second, black cats are often overlooked by adopters. In fact, black felines are only half as likely to be adopted as cats of other colors.
Apparently, despite the fact that we are living in the 21st century, this sad statistic exists because people still associate black cats with bad luck. This myth dates back to the Middle Ages when black cats were associated with witchcraft. In truth, many cultures associate black felines with virtue and nobility. Black cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt and are considered lucky in Japan, England, Scotland, Italy and France.
Need more evidence that black cats are awesome and far from harbingers of ill luck? Come to the Shelter at 333 Wire Road and visit these regal animals to see for yourself.
Here are just some of the black and tuxedo cats and kittens (most babes are about 2 months old) available for adoption:
Granger: male, short hair, black kitten – loves to be held, purr monster Iago: male, short hair, black cat – large, 8 years old, velvet fur, regal Danny & Ernie: brothers, short hair, black kittens – tiny, always wrestling Burt & Carol: siblings, long hair, black kittens – cuddly fur balls, purring machines Nin: female, short hair, black cat – petite, 3 years old, gorgeous face Adelaide: female, long hair, black kitten – white undercoat, sweet and cuddly
Ricky and Turner: brothers, classic tuxedo kittens – rambunctious, climbers Sweet Pea: female, coat has more white than black – tiny, 2 years old, loves people
As noted, the shelter is at capacity and more strays and homeless animals are coming in all the time. If you are looking for a cat (or dog), there is one looking for you at the County Shelter. Please go there today and meet your new furry, loving companion and give them a good home.
Their lives are in our hands…
Bobby Arthurs, Aiken County Animal Shelter manager, holds Ricky and Turner
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.
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.
During the period from spring to early fall, an explosion of newborn kittens occurs across the country, and Aiken County is no exception. Currently, an average of two to three kittens a day are being dropped off at the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) and that rate is only going to increase in coming months.
Kittens are cute, fluffy and impossible not to love. But they also are some of the most vulnerable and at-risk animals in our shelter because they require so much time and special attention. This is especially true if their mother is no longer around to wean them.
That’s why the ACAS and FOTAS are urgently seeking volunteers to foster these baby felines.
The shelter needs people to take home and care for kittens until they are old enough to be adopted. This includes spending time with the tiny babes to help socialize and prepare them for their ultimate forever home. Although it can be a lot of work, fostering is also a rewarding experience. These volunteers are saving lives and helping kittens find families.
“To hold these tiny creatures in your hands and experience them responding to kindness having had little to no human contact is amazing,” said Cindy Paulson, one of the shelter’s kitten foster volunteers. “And looking down at them with their little alien-like ‘ET’ eyes so full of trust and wonder makes me feel like in the scheme of life, with all its craziness, I am doing just a little something to make a difference.”
FOTAS and the shelter not only provide fosters with food and other supplies; they are always available to provide guidance and support.
“FOTAS is there right by my side helping me, and they are sincerely as involved with each little kitten as I am,” Cindy said. “I am not alone in this and they make me feel confident with how to properly care for the kittens.”
Becoming a kitten foster is simple. Just come to the shelter at 333 Wire Road in Aiken and fill out a foster application. After your form is received, you will be contacted for a site evaluation, just to assure that the animal will be in a safe environment. Once the site evaluation is completed and you are approved, FOTAS will get you started.
“The reasons to foster kittens are many,” said Muf Fuller, another kitten foster mom. “They make you smile when you are greeted in the morning with multitudes of mini mews; laugh when they tumble and pounce on each other; and sigh when they nestle with each other as they sleep. But the most rewarding part is when you receive notice that a family has decided to adopt one or more of these little bundles of energy and joy.”
For more information about fostering kittens and other shelter animals, please call (803) 514-4313 or send an email to volunteer@angelhartlinedesigns.com.
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.
It’s 9:15 in the morning at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, and two dogs are in the play yard: a female, yellow lab cross named Cheyenne and a young, lanky brindle dog named Hawkeye. Cheyenne and Hawkeye were identified the day before as helper dogs for the morning’s play session based on their canine social manners and affability. Two FOTAS volunteers, Caroline Simonson and Darling Rios, are the in-yard handlers in charge of the morning’s play session. In the background, Ali Waszmer, Director of Program Development and Lead Trainer, and Kodi Sadler, Lead Trainer, from Dogs Playing for Life, a non-profit organization that teaches shelters how to create and manage play sessions to improve the quality of life for its canine residents, stand by to guide Caroline and Darling through the process.
And so it begins. Ali or Kodi refer to their notes from the previous day’s play assessments and begin calling for specific dogs, which are retrieved by a volunteer runner and brought to the gate. Over the next two hours, dogs are moved in and out of the yard or directed to a smaller, adjacent yard depending on their play style and physical condition. At any given time, as many as 15-18 dogs romp, frolic, chase each other around the yard, or watch contentedly from the sidelines.
As the session winds down, Darling, who is now the lead handler in the yard, begins calling for runners to take remaining dogs back to their kennels. By noon, close to 40 dogs–virtually every available dog from the adoption floor and selected dogs from the intake wing–have had an opportunity to play and blow off steam in the yard. An almost eerie silence settles over the shelter as the dogs, happy and relaxed, settle in for well-deserved naps.
“Shelter life is stressful enough for the dogs,” says Ellie Joos, the FOTAS on-site event coordinator who organized the 4-day clinic with Dogs Playing for Life. “They are social animals, yet for a whole host of safety and practical reasons they are kenneled separately, and over time, their energy and frustration levels rise. Play groups provide an effective outlet for the dogs to socialize in a controlled setting. Four to six volunteers can satiate every dog’s physical and emotional needs in one or two short sessions in a way that walking dogs individually around the property just can’t do.” She shakes her head and laughs. “The transformation is nothing short of amazing!”
And here’s the best part: watching a dog in play group gives staff and FOTAS more information about the dog’s behavior, which can potentially broaden that’s dog’s adoption prospects. Plus, meeting a happy, relaxed dog for the first time is a far better experience than meeting a dog that is frantic from lack of rigorous exercise and limited social interaction.
It’s a win-win situation for everyone. How cool is that?
For more information on the extraordinary Dogs Playing for Life program, go to DogsPlayingforLife.org. For more information on, or to participate in, the FOTAS play group training at the County Shelter, contact FOTAS at info@FotasAiken.org.
Their lives are in our hands.
photo above: Kathy Jacobs, FOTAS Program Coordinator, and Kodi Sadler of Dogs Playing for Life manage a play session at the Aiken County Animal Shelter while other volunteers and spectators watch on.
By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Director of Communications
With spring kitten season already upon us, now is a good time to become better aware of the County’s Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) feral or community cat program.
Two months ago, the Aiken County Council County passed a return to field resolution that made TNR a best management practice.
TNR is considered to be the most humane and effective way of controlling feral cat population growth. Using this method, all the feral cats in a colony are trapped, neutered/spayed and then returned to their territory, where they continue to thrive on their own or sometimes caretakers provide them with food and shelter. Young kittens that can still be socialized, as well as friendly adults, are placed in foster care and eventually adopted out to good homes.
“Euthanizing all community feral cats does not reduce the cat population and instead just creates a vacuum effect in which more cats come into the colony and take the place of those felines that are gone,” said Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) Manager Bobby Arthurs. “So, now the county is following the steps of hundreds of other communities that have reduced their homeless cat population through TNR.”
TNR is offered by clinics and veterinarians throughout the state and country. Bobby said the ACAS veterinary staff only has the capacity to do a strictly limited amount of surgeries per day, so if you plan to bring in a feral cat to be spayed/neutered, please call ahead to make an appointment.
Statistics show that an unaltered male cat and an unaltered female cat and their offspring are capable of producing 781,250 kittens in a seven-year period. But this overpopulation can be avoided by trapping and immediately neutering and vaccinating community cats against rabies. Once fixed, the free-roaming community cats can be humanely returned to the field instead of being euthanized at the shelter.
FOTAS, through its fund raising efforts and Fix-a-Pet Program, has paid for 803 community cats’ spay/neuter surgeries. It has also provided traps for people to catch community cats through its Fix-a-Pet Program (originally named Lenny’s Brigade). Kathy Bissell, who led the pilot program in 2012, says that when you remove the cats’ reproduction drive and females no longer have the stress from pregnancy, they do well living in a cat colony.
“The nuisance behavior often associated with feral cats is dramatically reduced through TNR, including aggressive behavior, the yowling and fighting that comes with mating activity and the odor of unneutered males spraying to mark their territory,” she said. The mantra of TNR advocates is, ‘No litters, no odors and no noise.’”
Other advantages of TNR:
It immediately stabilizes the size of the cat colonies by eliminating new litters.
It lessens the number of felines flowing into local shelters, which results in lower euthanasia rates and increased adoptions of cats already in the shelters.
The returned, fixed cats prevent unneutered cats from moving in and starting a new cycle of overpopulation.
The fixed feral cats continue to provide natural rodent control.
TNR is the most effective and humane way to reduce the numbers of unwanted cats in the community and received at the shelter. Last year 1,286 cats had to be euthanized at the shelter and by doing TNR — and working together — we can reduce that number.
Their lives are in our hands…
Above photo: Ellen Parker of Aiken brings a community cat to the shelter to be neutered. Later, she will return the fixed cat to its colony. If you are bringing in a feral cat to be spayed/neutered, please call ahead because the ACAS veterinary staff can only do a strictly limited amount of such surgeries per day.
It is Saturday morning at the shelter, and everyone is making final preparations before the doors open at 11:30 sharp. The cats and dogs have been fed and watered, and volunteers have already walked many of the dogs before visitor traffic gets too heavy.
The shelter staff and FOTAS volunteers are in high spirits on this fifth day of March, eager to help dogs and cats find good homes and assist visitors with finding a furry companion. At the front desk, two adoption assistants warm up their computers and prepare for the busy rush they hope will be coming their way. When the doors open, people slowly trickle in; but by the afternoon, the lobby is filled with people and at least four volunteers are needed to escort groups through the dog and cat adoption facilities. By the time the dust settles and the doors close at 4 p.m., ten dogs have been adopted.
“It was an amazing day!” said FOTAS Program Coordinator Kathy Jacobs. “Wonderful families came to adopt, some bringing their dogs with them, and, thankfully, we have dedicated volunteers and staff that work together to make things run smoothly.”
A shy but lovable Chihuahua, Anya, goes home with a great family that volunteers at the shelter; two ridiculously cute black Lab puppies, Claire and Cassie, ride home with a nice woman from North Augusta; Pancho, a Retriever/Setter mix with a long tongue, gets selected by a young boy from Aiken; Kaia, a Great Pyrenees mix, goes home with a war veteran from North Augusta; Monty, a fluffy and chatty adult Chow mix, is adopted to a family from Warrenville; Dee-Dee, a blonde Lab pup, is adopted by an Aiken woman; Lyndie, a white and brown Bully mix, finds a home with folks from Augusta; a sweet, tan Beagle, Honey, goes home with an Aiken woman and her two children; and another black Lab pup, Levi, is adopted by a woman from Grovetown, GA.
Since the shelter reintroduced Saturday adoption hours on Feb. 13, the community has strongly embraced the weekend adoption experience. In turn, FOTAS and the shelter staff have worked hard to make the adoption process not only a satisfactory experience, but a joyful one. Specials are usually offered on Saturdays, often tied to a fun theme. For example, on Feb. 13, the Shelter and FOTAS hosted a “Petcademy Awards” event, complete with free popcorn, a red carpet entrance and nominees for best VIP (Very Important Pet). Those that adopted nominated canines received a FOTAS swag bag that included a toy, leash, collar and dog treats. This Saturday, March 19, the shelter will celebrate “St. Catrick’s Day” and FOTAS will pay the $35 adoption fee for the first three people who take home a cat.
“Saturdays at the shelter are a lot of fun, especially when we get to see so many animals leave here with happy, new owners,” Kathy said.
For more information about FOTAS and shelter events and specials – including our Bully dog Hall of Fame half-price adoption special (last day is Saturday, March 19) and photo contest (deadline for entering photo of your Bully is March 20) – please follow FOTAS on Facebook and visit our website, www.fotasaiken.org.
Their lives are in our hands…
The Walker family, which volunteers at the shelter on Saturdays, adopted little Anya.
Lee Ellis of N. Augusta adopted Lab pups, Cassie and Claire.
Last weekend the stars were out at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, where many of the resident Stars came out to walk the red carpet and meet their adoring public. The excitement in the air was palpable.
“Everyone gets so excited about the Academy Awards,” says Ellie Joos, FOTAS Board member and volunteer, “but the real action is happening right here on Wire Road. The canine and feline stars at the Shelter are nothing short of phenomenal.”
Here are some of the winners of the 2016 Aiken County Petacademy Awards.
The award in the Most Affectionate category went to Trey, a 2 year-old black lab mix. Trey is very shy and a Hall of Fame love bug who would just as soon snuggle up to your leg than almost anything in the world, with the possible exception of eating.
“I am most grateful to the Academy for this award,” panted Trey, edging closer and closer to my leg. “I can’t wait to find a home where I can share all this affection!”
The Best Hugger and Kisser award went to Shakespeare, a 3 month-old golden puppy with a huge heart and a long tongue.
“Whoa!” cried Shakespeare, with a wiggle and a shake. “You mean I get an award for hugging and kissing? You think I could get one for scarfing down those tasty little beef treats?”
One of the biggest surprises of the day: 3 year-old, golden brindle Brutus took home an award in The Most Bashful in a Large Body category. Weighing in at 93 lbs, this big boy Hall of Famer and Pet of the Week is so shy, he’d like to spend his life with his head in your armpit. In fact, if you could fit his food bowl in your armpit, too, he’d be a happy man.
“Bffdd?*&&& hnnt!!f3 djjjfddd,” mumbled Brutus.
“Brutus thanks the Academy for its recognition,” interpreted Kathy Jacobs, his agent, “and he hopes one of his fans will take him to a forever home where he will always be safe.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Madam Mim, a 9 year-old, dark gray shaggy terrier mix who was found wandering the streets without identification and with cataracts, tumors, and broken teeth. A sweet, quiet dog, Miss Mimm said, “After the kindness of the folks at the shelter and the amazing medical care administered by Dr. Levy, the shelter vet, my faith in humanity has been restored. I look forward to living out my years basking in the love of my furever home.”
Finally, the award for Most Nurturing to Every Living Thing category went to Lindy, a 4-year old white bully mix with gray markings who loves all people, kids, dogs and cats she meets. Her acceptance speech was extraordinary.
“The world would be a better place, “ said Lindy, giving her fellow nominees a soft nudge, “if everyone would adopt a dog from the shelter and stay home and give hine-y rubs. Then, finally, the world will know peace.”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
Please don’t wait to make one of the Shelter stars the light of your life. Their lives are in our hands.
