Exciting and Inviting Aiken County Animal Shelter Planned!

“Exciting and inviting,” is how the architect envisions the new Aiken County Animal Shelter, “It should meet the needs of today and be flexible enough to evolve over time.” 

Plans are finally officially underway!  Aiken County and FOTAS have selected the architectural firm McMillan, Pazdan & Smith to design our new County Animal Shelter.  The county signed the contract last week.

Already working with County Council on the new county complex, MPS Architects have also designed other county shelters in South Carolina and a private shelter in Greenville, and all of the end-users are very pleased with their facilities.

Last Tuesday, shelter staff and FOTAS’ president met with the architects and spent a few hours talking about the work, touring the current shelter, and defining realistic demands that will be placed on a new one.

They talked about space needs while standing in the cramped room that serves as the “office.”  From here, nine employees serve the public who may be dropping off strays, or unfortunate pets; searching for lost animals or adopting new

ones; bringing and retrieving animals for spay/neuter; or picking up foster care litters. They also answer calls, maintain records, hold meetings and eat. 

The tour proceeded through the “adoption section” where of the 17 cages only six have outdoor access.  In the back of the facility, the few cages that have guillotine doors to the outside are closed off to make two pens out of one because of overcrowding. 

The architects noted that there is no way to segregate healthy animals from the sick or vicious ones.  The cats in 5-day “quarantine” live in cages in one closet while surgeries are performed in another one.  Euthanasia takes place in the same open space that laundry is done and that holds the “post-operative” patients in cage banks.  There are no storage closets for bedding, food, or supplies.  There is no break room.  There is no hot water where the food dishes are “cleaned.”

Public demand has determined that a minimum of 35 adoption kennels, 35 quarantine and 15 isolation kennels are needed.

“But only if our programs continue,” says Chief Enforcement Officer, Bobby Arthurs, “Or we’ll be back where we are now.  We need to hammer down on spay/neuter and keep our transfers, foster homes and volunteers going.  We can’t slow down.”

Architect Cary Perkins is charged with ideas for the project.  She envisions a design that will be flexible to meet the needs for today and still evolve over time.  “We want it to be something the community will rally around and fall in love with.”  And it doesn’t have to be extravagant for that to happen. 

Cary believes it is always about the people, and she thinks our Aiken County team is the perfect group to work with: collaborative, dedicated, enthusiastic, and deeply committed.

“Clearly the staff is very good at what they do,” she says, “Because it is amazing the job they do in that space.”

Please support or join FOTAS in this remarkable journey.
  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”

For April 16th thru 22nd, 2012 

Received: 50 dogs and 42 cats

Adoptions:  12 dogs and 14 Cats!

Euthanized:  39 dogs and 35 cats

Aiken County Animal Shelter Pets of the Week

Adoption fees cover shots, worming, heartworm test, microchip and spay or neuter!

ISABELLA – 1 yr old Staffordshire Bull Terrier.   

As sweet as she can be.   $70 and this baby is yours!

BRISTOL –This guy is too sweet to stay any longer.   

4 yrs, a perfect darling is now $20!