Monday, January 27, 2014

New Shelter is a Place of Hope

New Shelter is a Place of Hope
By Joanna Samson, FOTAS Director
As seen in the "Aiken Standard" on 1/26/14

Last Monday, my good friends Tom and Len picked me up to take me out to the new Aiken County Animal Shelter.  The last time I had been there, the new shelter was an almost completed shell – the triumph of its full potential not yet evident. I was anxious to view its progress.

We took a left into the newly paved parking lot at 333 Wire Road and pulled into a freshly painted parking space.  Tom turned off the engine, and the three of us sat in silence, lost for words.

Gone were the piles of construction debris, dump trucks, rolls of wire, unpacked boxes of equipment, piles of lumber and rolled up fencing material lying on the ground, electricians wiring outside fixtures, carpenters installing signs and outdoor cage banks, and painters touching up trim.

Instead we gazed upon a simple structure consisting of three separate long rectangular buildings placed side by side - the Lynn Carlisle Main Administration Building in the center with tall glass doors for public entry, flanked on one side by the Animal Control building and on the other by the Adoption Center – and connected in the middle by two walkways for staff and public access.  

The previously hectic construction activity had yielded to a few landscapers placing sod and an electrician on a ladder in a walkway checking a lighting fixture.  The new Aiken County Animal Shelter, painted in peaceful shades of cream and aqua with accents of soft coral colors on the trim, was dazzling in the soft glare of the Carolina sun in January.

I was overwhelmed by gratitude – to Kathy Rawls and rest of the County Council who staunchly refused to back down from its commitment to ensure a basic humane standard of care for the thousands of homeless animals charged to its care each year; to the countless FOTAS volunteers and supporters who believe that it is their responsibility to find all of the adoptable animals a loving home; to the founders of FOTAS whose patience and persistence and vision of humanity never waivered from the daunting task in front of them; to the County’s administrators and architects who made the collective vision the reality before us.

The new Aiken County Animal Shelter is not a Taj Mahal.  It is a beautifully simple structure built on a modest budget with both public and private funds and resources.  It is a structure built with design considerations that prioritized function and a healthy environment without sacrificing aesthetic concerns.  

It is a testament to what can be accomplished when government partners with private citizens to make the world a better place.

It is a testament to a community joined by dedication and hope.

In the next few weeks, as Bobby Arthurs, the County shelter staff and FOTAS begin the arduous process of moving the animals under its care to their new home, I know that today’s peace will give way to the chaotic sound of as many as 200 animals being cared for under one roof.

But that’s okay: the internal peace of knowing we all – the County, FOTAS and the entire community – did the right thing will endure.

I recently found these lovely words written by author Jim Willis:

“I looked at all the caged animals . . . the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. And I was angry.

"God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?"

God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly.

"I have done something. . .


I created you.” 

Thank you citizens of the Aiken community, for this compassionately noble effort.

Photo below is of Sandy Staiger, FOTAS volunteer and artist painting a mural in one of the new Shelter's multipurpose rooms.

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”

Jan. 13, 2014 - Jan. 18, 2014

8 dogs and 0 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

41 terrific pets adopted

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 
**All adoption fees include:  spay/neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.


ROSCOE   American Bulldog mix,  male, 1 yr old, 39 lbs  Only $70 



















CLINT EASTWOOD   Tabby -- Male --5 mos. old, 7 lbs  Only $35





Sunday, January 19, 2014

Finding Your Lost Pet -- The importance of microchipping

Finding Your Lost Pet
By Joanna Samson, FOTAS Board of Directors
As seen in the Aiken Standard on Jan. 19, 2014
On Monday, November 4th of last year, a young German Shepherd named Bashka went missing in an area near Chukker Creek Road.  Although the dog was sighted in the area later that day, she continued to elude the efforts of her heartbroken owner to find her. 

Three days later, Elisa Denaberg, a friend of the owner’s, took steps to marshal the vast communication network of the incredibly animal-friendly Aiken community to find Bashka.  First she contacted Linda McLean, a Master of the Aiken Hounds, who emailed the hunt membership a BOLO (“be on the lookout “) for the pretty tan shepherd last seen in and around Anderson Pond Road.  Elisa also posted the same information on the Aiken Hounds Facebook Page.

Word spread.  Someone calls a friend, who calls another friend, who calls their sister, who tells someone else, who spots the dog at a local farm during a riding lesson – you know how it goes.  The search net got wider and wider.  

On Monday, one week after she went missing, Bashka was found through the collective efforts of friends, friends of friends, families of friends, acquaintances and total strangers and returned to her grateful owner.

Bashka was lucky – her owners and their friends were quick to take advantage of the community network to bring her home. 

But what if your pet is not so lucky?  What can you do to increase the odds that your beloved pet will be found and returned home?

The answer is: microchip your pet.  The microchip system of pet identification has evolved in response to the thousands of pets and their owners who were separated by the fury and destruction of Hurricane Katrina.

The microchip is programmed with a unique identification number that is registered to the pet’s owner.  The microchip, which is about the size of a grain of rice, is implanted in the loose skin between the shoulder blades of the pet by way of a painless injection.  

If a stray animal is picked up, the animal control officers (or any veterinarian) can scan the animal with a hand held reader, retrieve the identification number, check the microchip registry database and if - and this is very important – if the owner has properly registered the microchip so that all contact information is current, the pet can be promptly returned home.

Aiken County’s Animal Control Officer, Bobby Arthurs, believes in microchipping.

“When we pick up an animal,” says Arthurs, “we scan it immediately.  If there is a microchip, and the owner’s registration is current, we can contact the owners and take the animal home right away. The pet does not have to be taken to the shelter and processed, saving the owners and pets a lot of heartache and stress.” 

The national statistics regarding the return of microchipped pets support Arthurs’ belief.  According to a 2009 article in the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association, a study of 7700 stray animals at animal shelters showed that only 22% of dogs without microchips were returned to their owners, compared to about 52% of the dogs with microchips.  Only 1.8% of cats without microchips were reunited with their owners, compared to about 39% of cats with microchips.

So here’s the takeaway: you should microchip your pet.  

The Aiken County Animal Shelter will microchip your pet for only $23 (Aiken City Animal Control and the SPCA have a similar program).

Once you have microchipped your pet, be sure to register it with the company who manufactured the chip.

If you have previously registered your pet, be certain to keep your contact information current.

Microchipping is easy, painless and inexpensive.  But most important, it can save your pet’s life and save you the anguish of losing your special friend.


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”

Jan. 6, 2014 - Jan. 11, 2014

16 dogs and 0 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

33 terrific pets adopted

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 
**All adoption fees include:  spay/neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.


ELTON JOHN   Lab/retriever mix,  male, 2 yrs old, 28 lbs  Only $70 
RIHANNA  Domestic short hair kitten -- female --5 mos. old, 10 lbs  Only $35


Sunday, January 12, 2014

All Kindnesses, Whether they are Large or Small, Count for our County Animal Shelter

Large or Small, All Kindnesses Count for our County Animal Shelter
by Edie Hubler, FOTAS Board of Directors
as seen in the Aiken Standard on Jan. 12, 2014

I’m at a loss for words.  For those of you who know me, you are probably chuckling.  For me to be at a loss for words is a miracle.  But really, I just can’t say enough about you -- the members of the Aiken community.

This past holiday season has reinforced in my mind just how much you, the Aiken community, is embracing your County Animal Shelter (which is currently located at 311Wire Road and soon to relocate to a brand new shelter at 333 Wire Road).   From donations to volunteering to adoptions to running fundraisers to organizing transfers of adoptable animals to shelters up north, FOTAS and the County Shelter couldn’t do it without your support.  

As a member of the board of the Aiken Newcomers’ Club, I am so touched that although earlier in 2013 they purchased a tribute plaque to be placed in the lobby area of the new shelter, once again they generously donated funds for the Spay/Neuter effort spearheaded by FOTAS. 

I attended Carol & Rich Stamm and Dean & Jenny Spiro’s 4th annual New Year’s Day party in Cedar Creek.  The invitation to the party said this:  “No hostess gifts please, but if you must, consider donating to FOTAS or our furry friends at the County Animal Shelter.”  I was overwhelmed when I saw over $200 in monetary donations as well as many bags of food on their front porch.

Beth Barranco’s parents, Connie & Stan Bryant of North Augusta, wanted only gifts for the County Animal Shelter for their Christmas presents.  As you can see from the photo of Connie, Santa listened.  Connie & Stan delivered their “gifts” to the Shelter on Monday, Dec. 30.


This generosity will feed many animals in the Shelter in the months to come.

I staffed the FOTAS table at the 4th Annual FOTAS Hunter Pace fundraiser on Dec. 30.  Hosted by Sarah & Jim Wildasin at their Fox Nation equestrian center in Windsor and organized by Gina Salatino and Melanie Oldham, I marveled as I watched the train of horse trailers pull into the farm and 91 riders embark on the hunter pace course in which jumps were sponsored by local businesses and individuals, as were the bag lunches for the weary riders. The funds raised at this event will go a long way in helping FOTAS meet the needs of the Shelter, find homes for many of its animals, and fund spay/neuter surgeries of pets in Aiken County.

Why are these events and acts of kindness important to celebrate?  Because the Aiken County Animal Shelter is our community shelter – we are all responsible for the fate of the County’s unfortunate animals if we are ever to achieve the FOTAS goal of never having to euthanize another adoptable animal.  

Simply put, without our collective help and generosity, many innocent animals will die needlessly again this year, and the next and the next after that.


Please know that your help and contributions are a godsend.  Together, we can all make a difference.  Contact us at www.FOTASAiken.org or 803-514-4313.

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”

Dec. 30, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2014

15 dogs and 2 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

17 terrific pets adopted

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 
**All adoption fees include:  spay/neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.


HOWARD   Lab/retriever mix,  male, 
1 yr old, 48 lbs  Only $70 


SIMON  COWELL  Domestic short hair -- male -- 7 yrs old, 10 lbs  Only $35


Monday, January 6, 2014

New Shelter is Part of a Proud Community Partnership

A Proud Community Partnership
By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director
as seen in the "Aiken Standard" on January 5, 2013

The Friends of the Animal Shelter – Aiken County (FOTAS) is, by its very nature, a private charitable organization created for one purpose: to supplement the limited resources of the Aiken County Animal Shelter to improve the lives of the animals who are consigned to the County’s care.

The job of the Aiken County Animal Shelter is daunting. It provides animal control and adoption services for the largest County in the State of South Carolina.  It is required by law to pick up stray dogs and cats and to accept all dogs and cats surrendered to the shelter by County residents and by City residents to the extent space is unavailable at designated City facilities. In 2012, the County took in 4800 animals, and the intake number for 2013 is expected to be equally distressing. Needless to say, the euthanasia numbers, by necessity, are haunting.

FOTAS takes its job as the private partner seriously.  It created a large network of dedicated volunteers to help with the animals squeezed into the frightfully overcrowded shelter.  It organizes off-site adoptions, foster care and transfers to no-kill facilities in other parts of the country.  It organizes donations of food, blankets and funds to help the dedicated staff at the County shelter address the day-to-day needs of a facility strained way, way past its design limits.

Perhaps the proudest achievement of the County/FOTAS public/private partnership is the new shelter under construction on May Royal Drive that when complete in February, will meet modern standards for humane care for the thousands of homeless animals that pass through its doors.

FOTAS worked closely with the County every step of the way.  It helped develop design criteria, funded the cost of the architectural plan ($125,000), and helped with the selection of the project architect. 

FOTAS volunteer Bob Bye, serves as the project construction manager, saving the County an additional $30,000 dollars.  

FOTAS has also funded the kennels, cage banks and equipment for the new shelter.

Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of this public/private effort has been the extent to which the community has rallied around – its generosity of spirit, resources, and donations to FOTAS and the thousands of unwanted animals in the County has been nothing short of breathtaking. 

And of course, all of the countless, dedicated volunteers of all ages and all walks of life from the Aiken Community who walked dogs, played with cats, helped with adoptions, managed databases, created and managed the FOTAS website, Facebook Page and prepared blast emails, wrote thank you notes, and prepared mass mailings - these are the folks that form the bedrock upon which the County/FOTAS partnership thrives.

When the new County shelter opens next month, it won’t be flashy or grand, but it will be a healthy, humane shelter built by all of us in the Aiken community.

As well it should be.  The new shelter will be able to manage the County’s current intake, but unless those numbers are reduced, all our noble efforts will be for naught.  Success depends upon the collective commitment of the whole community to a robust spay/neuter program.

We at FOTAS believe the Aiken community is up to the task and the day is nearly at hand when more people will visit their community shelter to adopt or volunteer rather than to surrender their unwanted pets.

That day can’t come soon enough.


Join us in the next phase of our work. Contact us at www.FOTASAiken.org or call us at 803-514-4313 to see how you can make a difference.

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”

Dec. 23 - Dec. 28, 2013

16 dogs and 4 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

742 terrific pets adopted

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!


Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 
**All adoption fees include:  spay/neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.




TEXAS   Hound,  male, 3 1/2 yrs old, 36 lbs  Only $70 


SHYRA   Domestic medium hair -- female -- 6 yrs old, 12 lbs  Only $35