We
keep coming back to what Gandhi said: "The greatness of a nation and
its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
What about a large rural county; can they be judged as well? Four
years ago this week, Friends of the Animal Shelter, Inc. was created to
confront that very question. How great can a home community be when it
is handling thousands of its unwanted animals like refuse?
FOTAS
started in 2009
raising money and making upgrades to the existing facility: a roof and
floor for the overflow pens, a large dog play yard, a lovely adoptable
cat house, laundry equipment, grooming tub, stainless cage banks for
surgery patients. We established a volunteer program, a foster care
program, and a transfer program. We helped Aiken County residents
confront the dirty secret that well over 5,000 animals, most of which
were adoptable pets, were arriving at the county shelter annually and
almost all of them were dying there. But with all the work that went
into our current county animal control facility, everyone who actually
went there knew the upgrades were mostly lipstick on a pig. Aiken
County needed, and justly deserved, a new county animal shelter.
FOTAS,
since its inception, has seen itself as an ally and partner of county
government. Animal control is a public obligation, a component of
health and safety; animal welfare and advocacy is not. A community has
to determine who they want to be, how they want to operate in and on the
world in terms of its relationship to the innocents and dependents
within it. FOTAS has given animal advocates in our community a voice
and the resources to leverage that voice. And God smiled upon that
effort by providing a team of county employees, elected officials, and
shelter staff to join forces with the will of the Aiken County
community, and to chart the way to a brand new Aiken County Animal
Shelter, along with the programs to support its success.
FOTAS
paid for the study to determine the appropriate course to an adequate
county shelter. When it was determined that a new shelter was the only
effective and efficient way forward, FOTAS paid $125,000 for the
architectural and engineering plans. This was 25% more than the
original figure agreed upon. The county found the perfect piece of
property on the corner of May Royal and Wire Road, and on March 3rd
of this year we broke ground with a high-spirited ceremony. The
building is expected to be completed by the end of the year. FOTAS has
undertaken the responsibility to "Fit, Furnish and Finish" the facility.
The Fit, FURnish and Finish fundraising campaign is underway, and
there are numerous opportunities to participate and to contribute. For
more complete information, contact FOTAS or go to the
website.
We
can be excited about our new building, but FOTAS also realizes that a
building alone is not the answer. Without a cultural shift to make
responsible pet owners part of the fabric of our community, no building
will ever be large enough. To that end, FOTAS established the Spay
Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP) one year ago. SNAP now partners with
the County Voucher Program and the SPCA Albrecht Center and hundreds of
dogs and cats have been fixed, meaning literally thousands fewer
unwanted animals.
We have so much to be grateful for in the last four
years, and as FOTAS begins its 5th year, so much to look forward to.
This time next year, our new County Shelter will be humming. We hope
to encourage more and more community pride and involvement. Our vision
is that no adoptable pet will have to die there. FOTAS is one
reflection of Aiken County's moral progress - and its greatness. Join
us. Please help. We still have a long way to go.
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”
The WEEK of July 8th thru 14th ‘13
Brought in: 73
dogs and 44 cats!!
Adopted: 17
dogs and 1 cat
Put down: 43
dogs and 36 cats!
Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week”
 |
| SISSY – Hound mix. 1.5 yrs. A sweet, playful forever friend! Yours for only $70 |
DALE – Tabby kitten. He is
adorable! Your new baby for only $35
DALE – Tabby kitten. He is
adorable! Your new baby for only $35
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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.