FOTAS -- Newest Board Members

A New Day – A New Board

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

as seen in the "Aiken Standard" 5-4-14 edition

What does a retired international businesswoman, a bank president, a veterinarian, and a priest have in common?

They all serve on the FOTAS Board of Directors.

It took us 3 years to convince Caroline Simonson to join the Board.  Caroline was one of the first volunteers recruited by Jennifer Miller in 2009.  She devotes 4 mornings a week, every week, to the shelter walking and socializing dogs, assisting new volunteers, and helping evaluate dogs for transfer.

Before she and her husband Bill moved to Aiken in 2004, Caroline worked at the New York Stock Exchange, raised a daughter and worked for an international company that sold cars and vehicles to the military, diplomats and embassies.

 “After I moved to Aiken, I volunteered with other community organizations, but once I started working with FOTAS,” says Caroline, “I knew I had found my calling.”

Caroline Simonson with two of the Shelter dogs

Frank Townsend is the president of the Aiken County Southern Bank & Trust.  An Aiken native, Frank is married to Beth, and has four lovely children - Frank, Jr., Pinckney, and the twins, Wallace and Wright - and two shelter cats, Charlie and George.

FOTAS appealed to Frank to join the Board because of his deep ties to the Aiken community and his financial expertise, skills important for a growing non-profit organization raising money in the community for various activities.  We also were impressed with his optimistic, soft-spoken manner, so we made a full court press.

 “Jennifer Miller was very persuasive,” says Frank “I was appalled by the huge intake and euthanasia numbers in the County.  I knew I wanted to help.  I just couldn’t say no.”

Dr. Charlie Timmerman is a highly respected veterinarian who started his own small animal practice in Aiken 42 years ago.  He is married to Colleen, who works closely with FOTAS’ Lenny’s Brigade and Fix-a-Pet programs.  They have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

It’s obvious why we were so keen on Charlie: the depth and breath of his veterinary experience with small animals was and has been essential.  He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy with a measured response to problems.  We need that.

“I believe in getting involved,” says Charlie, “and I believed I could make a difference in the well-being of the shelter animals by working with FOTAS.”

We assured Charlie that working with us would not interfere with his time with his grandchildren, his quail hunting and most importantly, any Clemson games.  Maybe we secretly crossed our fingers as we made that promise, but Charlie’s adroitly managed to work it all into his rich and busy life.

Father Grant Wiseman moved to the Diocese of Upper South Carolina in 2009 with his wife Heather and his twin daughters, Audrey and Abby.  Aside from being the rector for St. Thaddeus in Aiken, Grant is very active in governance of the Diocese and serves as a trustee of the Gravatt Camp and Conference Center and Dean of the Gravatt Convocation.

Grant, Heather, Audrey and Abby have fostered in excess of 300 puppies over the past 5 years.  Aside from his and his family’s obvious dedication to helping the County’s homeless animals, Grant is a kind, optimistic and practical man also with deep ties to the community and extraordinary organizational experience.

“Our family strongly believes that puppies who spend the beginning of their lives being held, named and loved are far more adoptable than those who are not,” says Grant.

He’s right – virtually all of their puppies have gone on to find loving homes through our transfer partners.

 “This is a great Board,” says Jennifer Miller.  “They are movers and shakers in the Aiken community and have been instrumental in the evolution of FOTAS to an organization able to make an enduring difference.  They work together beautifully as a team, which makes the hard work of FOTAS not only productive, but pleasurable.  I am grateful for their commitment.”

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 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”

Apr. 21, 2014 - Apr. 26, 2014

26 dogs and 6 cats  SAVED

Year to Date:  

287 terrific pets   SAVED

ADOPTION SPECIALS MAY 1 - MAY 31:

BACK IN BLACK -- black dogs $33 -- black cats $13

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

**All adoption fees include:  spay/neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.

DOODLES   Australian Cattle Dog/Blue Heeler, male, 6 yrs old, 51 lbs.  Only $70 

FULMER  Domestic short hair -- male -- 4 yrs old, 10.3 lbs  Only $35

A Day of Celebration at the new Shelter Ribbon Cutting

A Cause for Celebration

By Jennifer Miller, President of FOTAS

as seen in the "Aiken Standard" 3-23-14 issue

FOTAS was created in 2009 in response to the alarming number of stray and abandoned animals in Aiken County and the hopelessness of their plight.  At the time, because of the sheer number of these animals, “Animal Control” consisted of a futile attempt to reduce the homeless population by euthanasia.

The conditions at the shelter were abysmal.  It was not unusual for 200 animals to be crowded in a dark, airless building built in the 1980’s to house half that number – dogs were often packed 2 to 3 to a cage, and cats were held in small cages in a room the size of a closet in the back of the building.  Because of the open waste trenches and lack of air exchange, it was difficult, if not impossible, to keep the animals healthy. In short, a trip to the County shelter in those days was a near certain death sentence: despite the Herculean efforts of the shelter staff, 95% of the thousands of dogs and cats consigned to the shelter each year had to be euthanized.

Shortly after we created FOTAS, it became clear that any solution to these problems would be short-lived without a larger, better shelter to keep the animals healthy while we worked to find them a home.  Accordingly, the construction of a new shelter became FOTAS’s primary goal.

We created a public/private partnership with the county. FOTAS raised funds through private donations to pay for the shovel-ready plans, architect fees, cage banks, kennels, the cat adoption house and shelter equipment. The county used public funds to build the building. 

Finally, on March 3^rd, after years of planning and development, the new Aiken County Animal Shelter opened its doors to the public.

Bucky with his new family, adopted this week

So many people supported the efforts to make our collective dream a reality: County Council, the County Administration, the devoted shelter employees, and the army of FOTAS volunteers who walk dogs, play with the cats, foster puppies, help with transfers and assist with fundraisers. 

We are also forever indebted to you, the members of our community, for your support and financial generosity.

However, the completion of this shelter is just the first step in achieving our ultimate goal to never have to euthanize another adoptable pet in Aiken County.  There is still so much to do. 

• We must reduce the population of unwanted animals through public education regarding pet responsibility and the provision of affordable spay/neuter services.  The ultimate success of the new shelter depends upon maintaining and reducing current intake numbers. 
• We must find ways to increase adoptions on the local level and transfers of adoptable pets to our partner shelters in other parts of the country.

• We must continue to recruit and train volunteers and raise money for future needs.

Please join us today at 2 p.m. to celebrate the grand opening of the new Aiken County Animal Shelter at 333Wire Rd.  We will be serving refreshments, free giveaways, and cutting adoption fees in half.  It will be our honor to share the happiness of achieving this important milestone with all of you in the Aiken community.

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 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”

Mar. 10, 2014 - Mar. 15, 2014

17 dogs and 2 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

110 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.

FRANCES   Dachshund mix,  female, 1 yr old, 22.5 lbs  Only $35 

FRISKY  Tabby -- male -- 5 yrs. old, 14.8 lbs  Only $35

The New Aiken County Animal Shelter is Now Open -- It's the Place to Be!

The New Community Animal Shelter – the Place to Be

By Joanna Samson, FOTAS Board of Director

as seen in the "Aiken Standard", 3/2/14 issue

This is a big weekend for the Aiken County Animal Shelter, FOTAS and in particular, the 200 animals living at the old county shelter on Wire Road.  They are finally moving to the new County shelter after years of planning and a little over a year of construction.

The new shelter has been designed to properly house and care for the 200 animals that are currently crowded into a space designed 25 years ago for a maximum capacity of 100. In designing the new shelter, the County and FOTAS’ primary focus was to ensure that the animals were housed in a healthy environment to increase their prospects of adoption.

The most important defense against the spread of the disease among the animals in the shelter is proper air exchange and waste removal, so state of the art mechanical and plumbing equipment has been installed to address those issues.

While the physical improvements in the new shelter are noteworthy, the impact on FOTAS volunteers and County staff cannot be overstated; they will no longer report to a dreary, noisy institutional building to do God’s work. 

The new shelter is cheerful – colorful graphics of dogs and cats grace the walls of the lobby, along with inspirational quotes, like “In a perfect world, every pet would have a home and every home would have a pet.”

Volunteers can walk and play with dogs in two spacious playpens, located outside of the adoption wing far from the goings and comings of animal control.  All dogs and cats have access to the outside from their kennel runs or crates, a major improvement over the dark, indoor kennels at the old facility.

This new facility, a testament to the progress that can be made when public entities and private citizens partner to make the world a better place, is a concrete demonstration of the County’s move from euthanasia as its primary means of controlling the homeless pet population to a system based on animal advocacy.  

But this new facility is not a magic bullet to address the distressing overpopulation of unwanted animals in the County. We must continue to reduce the intake numbers at the shelter (4800 last year alone) through systematic, targeted spay/neuter and educational programs. If we do not, the new shelter will also be overwhelmed by the sheer number of the County’s homeless animals. We cannot allow that to happen.

In the meantime, FOTAS and its volunteers will continue to work like the dickens to find homes for the County shelter’s animals through increased foster families, off-site adoptions and transfer programs.

If you are considering adopting a pet or volunteering, now is the time and the new community shelter is the place. When you are adopting, the shelter is a pleasant place for you to meet your prospective new best friend.  As a volunteer, you can walk and socialize the animals, greet potential adopters in the cheerful new lobby, help organize transfers, and man off-site adoptions.  

Call or contact FOTAS today at (803) 514-4313 or at info@fotasaiken.org.  You will be glad you did.

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 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”

Feb. 17, 2014 - Feb. 22, 2014

6 dogs and 3 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

81 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.

FREDDY   Labrador retriever,  male, 2 yrs old, 51 lbs  Only $70 

BEN STILLER  Domestic short hair -- male -- 7 yrs. old, 10 lbs  Only $35

Adventures in Volunteering for FOTAS -- It's a Very Rewarding Experience

Adventures in Volunteering

By Georgianna “Girl” Conger, FOTAS Volunteer

as seen in the "Aiken Standard" on February 9, 2014

It was a call to my mother from her good friend Mary Lou that started it all for us.  “Could you please foster a sweet mama dog and her three pups for a few weeks to get them out of the shelter?” she asked.  

Well, it’s been three years and almost 150 mamas and puppies, and we are still helping FOTAS get these animals to the age and good health to get adopted to their forever homes.  It has been a glorious and heart wrenching adventure.  As a family we have this time together to take care of these dog families (and some just orphan puppies) while our lives seem to take us in different directions. 

Don’t get me wrong…it’s not all rainbows and butterflies.  There is a lot of stuff to clean up, then there’s the nursing of the sick little ones and the sometimes these precious souls leave us too early.  

It’s been said our hearts grow bigger when we foster dogs and cats in need.  It’s a good thing because when each of these animals leaves us to go to their new home a little piece of our heart goes with them.  I often wonder what would happen to the animals that we have fostered if we hadn’t taken them.  The truth is many would have never left the shelter.  The chances of them getting very sick are much greater when the pups stay in the shelter.

Volunteering for FOTAS, a most worthwhile organization, is a great way to step away from ourselves and make a difference in the lives of others (human, canine and feline).  

FOTAS’ foster families are are all incredibly selfless folks who have given their home and time to help these helpless puppies and dogs.  I have relished getting to know these amazing families as we share thoughts, puppy stories and of course the friendly rivalry of who can foster the most puppies.  

Getting to know the great staff at the shelter has also been a wonderful addition to our endeavor.  It takes a special kind of selflessness for a person to meet you at the shelter after hours (sometimes way after hours) to tend to a sick puppy.

The new county shelter is about to open, but the need for foster families will not abate.  The county deals with staggering numbers of animals coming in to the facility, and volunteers are needed more than ever!  

If fostering isn’t within your capabilities, then consider walking the dogs a few days a week.  How about a few minutes in the cathouse enjoying kitten love?  There are countless opportunities to volunteer at the new shelter including working at the front desk greeting potential adoptees, cutting the new walking trails, or landscape upkeep.

Volunteering is not about the recognition, but knowing in your heart you are doing something good for the world.  

When we first started fostering, I felt it wasn’t enough to foster just a few dogs, but I realized if I could make a difference for just one dog it was worth the time.  As the saying goes…”You may not change the world by fostering one dog but for that one dog you have changed the world”.

Georgianna Conger is a renowned sporting art artist who has lived in Aiken all her life.  She, her husband Randy Wolcott, their daughter Caroline and her mother, Courtney Conger are long-time supporters of FOTAS who have fostered hundreds of mama dogs and puppies.

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. 27, 2014 - Feb. 1, 2014

16 dogs and 2 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

72 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.

TINA FEY   Lab/retriever mix,  female, 6 1/2 mos old, 32.7 lbs  Only $70 

MADONNA  Gray tabby -- female --

1 yr. old, 7 lbs  Only $35

It's Best to Target One Area at a Time

Targeting One Area at a Time

By Edie Hubler, FOTAS Board of Directors

as seen in the "Aiken Standard " on Feb. 2, 2014

Patches is a 2-year old stray calico cat who lives in the woods behind Mrs. Smith’s house in Aiken.  Life is mostly good for Patches.  She plays in the woods, lies in the sun and sleeps under an old outbuilding when it’s raining.  Kindly Mrs. Smith sets out a bowl of cat food each day and Patches is never hungry.  Her days get stressful, however, when she has a litter of kittens to take care of because almost all of them are killed by hawks, dogs, disease and accidents.  There is nothing she can do about it.  One day, Mrs. Smith puts Patches’ daily bowl of cat food in a shiny wire box.  Patches has no idea why but she trusts Mrs. Smith and goes in the box to eat.  Suddenly the door of the box slams shut and Patches is trapped and scared.  Someone covers the box and takes it away.  She is terrified and sure she will never see her home again.  The next day Patches is brought back to Mrs. Smith’s back yard and let out of the box.  She doesn’t remember exactly what happened and her belly is really sore but otherwise she is ready to have some dinner and go lie in the sun—glad to be home.  She doesn’t know it but she’ll never have to worry about taking care of kittens again.

Not all of Aiken County’s stray cats are so fortunate, but FOTAS has spearheaded an effort to reduce our community cats  through  FOTAS’ Lenny’s Brigade Program.  In 2013,  FOTAS funded spay/neuter surgeries of 152 “community cats” through our Lenny’s Brigade volunteers, who trapped and brought them to surgery at the SPCA low cost spay/neuter clinic , and then released them in approved areas.  Dr. Kathy Bissell, who leads  FOTAS’ Lenny’s Brigade, stated “In the reality of the 21^st century, any reputable animal control or animal welfare group--private or public--that wants to decrease euthanasia rates on the cat side of the equation MUST embrace TNR (trap,neuter, release) for un-homed cats in their community.”

FOTAS also is leading  an effort to reduce our homeless dog and cat pet population through our FOTAS FIX a Pet program.  In 2013, FOTAS organized and funded 227 citizen owned pet cat and dog surgeries plus organized many pick ups in the county to get these animals to the surgery clinic at the SPCA.  

This year, from our FOTAS donations and fund raisers, we will continue and expand our targeted FOTAS Fix a Pet outreach.  FOTAS is committed to reducing the number of unwanted  pets  in our County  and thus reduce the number of animals coming into our shelter.

Last month,  Colleen Timmerman, Dr. Kathy Bissell and Carol Miller started planning this year’s FOTAS Fix a Pet program.  We will identify and prioritize specific hotspots in the County and concentrate its resources primarily on one hotspot at a time in order of priority. Once the population is under control in a targeted area, it will move it's concentration to the next area.

“It is a known fact that unless 75% of the dog and cat population in a specific area are spayed or neutered, you’ll never stop the unwanted  strays,”  says Dr. Charlie Timmerman, FOTAS Board member and local veterinarian. “ We’ll be starting with Wagner and moving on to other hot spots  in the County that have rampant unwanted  breeding,” says Colleen Timmerman, FOTAS Fix a Pet Chairperson, who will be working with Vicki Wright and Dottie Gantt, who work tirelessly in facilitating the spay/neutering of so many animals in need.  Our first pick up date in Wagner will be February 18.  For more information call 803-645-4021.

Please consider volunteering and/or making a donation to FOTAS’s Spay/Neuter programs..  Together we can stop pet overpopulation in Aiken County.  Having received over 4700 dogs and cats at our shelter last year, we need your help. www.fotasaiken.org or call 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”

County Shelter Fiscal Year 2013

Received:  4794 dogs and cats

Re-Homed:  1581

Euthanized:  3381

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

**All adoption fees include:  spay/neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip.

SYLVESTER STALLONE   Bull terrier,  male, 1 1/2 yrs old, 62 lbs  Only $70 

PRINCE WILLIAM  Orange tabby -- male -- 3 yrs. old, 8 lbs  Only $35

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

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