Aiken County, You Made Us Proud Last Weekend

A woman arrived at the FOTAS booth at the “Wild Read” Festival.  She had just finished walking her dog and then a shelter dog, on the “Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound” trail at the County Shelter.  We had five adorable shelter puppies up for adoption, two brindles and three Ridgeback-mixes.  She fell in love with one of the male Ridgebacks and left to get her husband.

Meanwhile Betty comes by and is entranced by one of the male Ridgebacks.  She knows her daughter and son-in-law have been looking for just the right puppy.  She goes off to get her daughter. 

When they come back, the original woman and her husband look to be adopting the very puppy that was THE ONE.  But destiny had already determined the outcomes for two lucky dogs and two lucky homes. 

But that moment when it appeared that the perfect pup might have gotten away provoked a cell-phone picture of the remaining sibling to be sent to Betty’s son and daughter-in-law.

The festival ended and the pups went to foster care before the family received an enthusiastic affirmative decision on the other puppy.

FOTAS wants to celebrate and congratulate our wonderful Aiken County community for the way it came out last weekend to these two kick-off events dedicated to improving the lives of our citizens.

On Friday evening Dr. Sybil Davis hosted a reception and orientation for the initial participants in “Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound.”  The ten-week program encourages people to come out to our County Shelter and walk some marked trails with a dog. 

As the name suggests, this program promotes both human and canine health as well as community involvement with our animal shelter.  It encourages participants to either bring their own dog that might benefit from exercising with them, or pick a county shelter companion who would definitely benefit from time out of its cage learning to walk on a leash.

On Saturday the Aiken Womans Club launched a month-long celebration of reading with its “Wild Read” Opening Calls at three library branches and “Pawsitively About Dawgs Festival” at the Aiken County Public Library

 The Aiken Woman’s Club is a local volunteer community service organization and member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, “…an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.”  They accomplish this mission by volunteering for projects in six major areas: arts, conservation, education, home life, international outreach and public issues.

Aiken’s “Wild Read” is organized around Jack London’s classic dog story The Call of the Wild, hence the kick-off theme and the opportunity to tell such a heartwarming tale.

FOTAS volunteers work with the Aiken County Animal Shelter, 411 Wire Road. For more information, email info@fotasaiken.org or visit www.fotasaiken.org.

Aiken County Animal Shelter:  “By the Numbers”

For September 26th thru Oct 2nd  2011

Dogs taken in: 60

Cats taken in: 70

Dogs adopted: 19!

Cats adopted: 1

Dogs euthanized: 30

Cats euthanized: 70

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week” 10/7/11

 

FRISBEE – About 9 mos, 42 lbs. A very sweet and a little shy spaniel/beagle mix gal.

LUCAS -10 weeks old and cute as a bug!

 For more photos visit http://fotasfhotos.blogspot.com