Like the Blind Men and the Elephant

There is an old teaching tale about four blind men who encountered an elephant.  The first blind man clasped the elephant’s trunk and declared, “Why an elephant is just like a fire hose!”

The second blind man, running his hands around the elephant’s leg said, “How wrong you are!  An elephant is just like a tree!”

“Fools!” exclaimed the third blind man patting his hands along the animal’s broad side, “An elephant is very like a wall.”

And of course the blind man holding the tail was absolutely certain that an elephant was best compared to a rope.

This allegory offers a perspective on the problems of animal control, animal welfare, and animal advocacy in Aiken County.  This is not to suggest that we are blind to the issues, but that our convictions about solutions are determined by where we focus our attention.

No one can deny that uncontrolled and irresponsible breeding is the primary source of thousands of unwanted dogs and cats who arrive at the Aiken County Animal Shelter every year.  It makes an aggressive spay/neuter program seem the obvious solution. 

An unaltered pair of dogs can produce more than 67,000 offspring in 6 years and for cats the numbers more than double.  This suggests that spay/neuter, though absolutely essential, is far from sufficient to handle our overpopulation problems.  The unwanted litters of puppies and kittens, with and without their mothers, will arrive at our county shelter into the foreseeable future.  To give any of them a chance at a good life, we have to keep them healthy; our current facility’s holding area cannot.

Economic downturns can cause surges in intake for our County Animal Services.  Witness the young man who’d lost his job and had to leave the area suddenly.  He sobbed as he surrendered his dogs; one he’d had since he was a child.  Shouldn’t we be able to assure beloved pets a better chance for a new home?  But adoption space is so limited.

FOTAS is proud of the public/private partnership that defines our relationship with Aiken County Government, Public Works and Animal Services.  Together we have forged an incredible team.  To reduce intake we subsidize and promote spay/neuter throughout the county.  To promote adoptions we recruit volunteers to work with the shelter animals and match them with the right homes.  Together we identify and approve foster homes for kittens and puppies.  We hold community events to raise money and educate the public about the need for all of the above.

FOTAS and Aiken County are working together to provide the public and our animals with an adequate shelter.  If we get it right, with aggressive spay/neuter, it should be the last county shelter we’ll need.  Long term we will reduce intake.  Short term we will increase adoptions from an attractive humane environment.

We need foster homes.  We need volunteers.  We need money.  We needn’t argue about the elephant; but if he’s homeless, we need to provide him the best care we can.

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 411 Wire Road.  For more information, contact “info@fotasaiken.org” or visit FOTAS on line at www.fotasaiken.org.

Aiken County Animal Shelter:  “By the Numbers”

For October 31st thru Nov. 6th    

Dogs taken in: 48

Cats taken in: 22

Dogs adopted: 7

Cats adopted: 1

Dogs euthanized: 65

Cats euthanized: 50

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week”

HAPPY – Border Collie mix. 6yrs

LUCKY- Young adult

   Gentle, intelligent, ready to go for a run! Only $35!

                                                                           Big green eyes and lots of love.  Ready to go home. Only $35