What a joy for Sandy Larsen, Senior Vet Tech at the Aiken
County Animal Shelter, to arrive at work early on Monday morning, and hear on
the answering machine, “I saw this dog on channel 12. This is my number…. I got to have this dog.”
It starts her week off right.
Sandy has been getting up at 4am every Monday morning for
almost five years now so that she can give one more animal a chance to find a
forever home.
WRDW, Channel 12 has a segment called , “Take Me Home”
featuring adoptable pets in need of good homes.
Our Aiken County Shelter pets star on Monday mornings at about 6:20 am.
You may see a cat, dog, puppy or kitten. Sandy says that she tries to pick the animal
that has been there the longest and that has the personality for this opportunity. She has learned to avoid the hyperactive
ones.
“Once I took this young black lab, and he got so excited
when he saw Tim, the meteorologist, that he ripped the button off Tim’s
jacket.”
Although there has been recurring turnover among the anchor
women, Tim and Sandy have been doing this spot together since the beginning. One time Tim did the whole weather segment
with the kitten Sandy brought on his shoulder.
On Saturdays, Sandy and Denise, one of FOTAS’ volunteer
coordinators, have a game they play in anticipation of Monday’s potential
“star.”
“Who are you going to take this week?” asks Denise.
Sandy picks a candidate.
More often than not, that animal will be adopted before the shelter
closes on Saturday, and Sandy must choose again. It is her turn to spend time one-on-one with
an animal.
“It may sound crazy,” she says, “But you’d be amazed at how
much I can learn about a pet in the time it takes me to get them out of the
kennel, walk them to do their business, ride to the station, and then wait to
go on.”
She learns if they are housebroken, how they do on a leash,
how they ride in a vehicle, and how they deal with strangers and new
situations. She appears with them like a
proud coach.
The whole process pulls at Sandy’s heart. She wonders if they think they are going home
when they get in the truck. She recalls a dog called Amanda, “She sat close, put her
paw on my lap, and just looked out the window the whole way.”
Sandy swears that when these animals go on TV it is like
they know it is their time to show what a wonderful pet they can be. But you
don’t have to take her word for it.
Go to WRDW.com, go to “Community” and then click the drop down “Take Me Home.”
You may still see Uggy offering his belly in the lower right corner of
the screen.
Sandy and the shelter staff love to hear, “I saw this dog on
Monday morning; do you still have it?” Check it out.
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”
September 3rd
thru 9th
Received: 57 dogs and 30 cats
Adopted: 7 dogs and 3
cats
Put down: 31 dogs and 36 cats
Aiken County Animal Shelter “Pets of the Week!”
So much LOVE for so little $$!
 | |
| ANNABELLE-Yellow lab mix. 4 yrs. This dog is a doll on and off leash. $70 includes the love! |
 |
|
ORLANDO – 1yr. This elegant gentleman will be a soothing
companion. $35, purr-FREE!
|
*All adoption fees include: Spay/Neuter, heartworm
test, all shots, worming, and microchip
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Your comments and input are always welcome. We appreciate any suggestions or thoughts that will help FOTAS with their goal to help the Aiken County Animal Shelter become a happy, healthy place that never has to euthanize an adoptable pet.