An elderly
woman comes out to the Aiken County Shelter.
She tells Denise and Caroline, FOTAS Adoption Coordinators, that she is
looking for a dog. She lives alone. They take her back to see the adoptable dogs
and the one that attracts her weighs 80 pounds.
They learn
that the woman recently lost her husband.
She says that she wants a guard dog.
They also learn that she has rheumatoid arthritis. “Perhaps a Chihuahua; at least it will bark,”
they say. But the lonely woman can’t walk a dog, and goes home happy with a lovely
cat.
For the last
four years FOTAS volunteers have been working with shelter staff to make the
most of the adoption opportunities for the thousands of dogs and cats that end
up at our county shelter.
The objective
is not to just find them a home, but to get them into the right home. Bringing a new animal into any home takes
partially a leap of faith, but so many things can be done to make it a good
decision.
At the County
Shelter, the FOTAS volunteers and shelter staff work to assure that every
animal is physically and mentally healthy.
The dogs on the adoption floor have to be non-aggressive and heartworm
free. All animals older than four months
that leave the shelter have been wormed, vaccinated, micro-chipped and spayed
or neutered.
FOTAS
volunteers, like Caroline and Denise, invest many regular hours exercising and
training the dogs, or sitting and socializing the cats and kittens. They teach dogs leash manners and
attentiveness to simple commands like “sit.”
The cats learn to trust or trust again, curling up on an available lap
in their lovely cat colony provided by FOTAS.
There are so many
wonderful dogs, puppies, cats and kittens waiting for a forever home at our
County Shelter. What’s more, “experts”are ready to help interested people make the
right decision:
Will the
animal get along with other pets at home?
Bring them along for a meet-and-greet.
Wondering how the new pet will behave with children? Bring them, too, and spend time playing together
in the play yard.
“How will this
dog do with cats?” The back patios of C.A.T.S. (Cats at the Shelter), is a good
place to see how the canine candidate responds to the feline behaviors on
exhibit.
Denise and
Caroline have helped some of those grieving over the loss of a beloved dog
discover that it is too soon to fill the painful vacancy. They have also helped bring joy back into a
home with a new best friend.
If you, or
someone you know, are ready for the rewards of a companion animal, FOTAS urges
you to come to the County Shelter to adopt.
Go to the fotas website to access Aiken County Animals on Petfinder.com for a preview of the lovely animals available. Then come on out and let us help.
Or if you love
cats and dogs part-time, come on out, volunteer and help us provide the perfect
pet for someone else. Find love at the
shelter!
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”
July 22nd thru 28th, 2013
Brought in: 83
dogs and 98 cats!!
Adopted: 9
dogs and 2 cats
Put down: 47
dogs and 106 cats!
Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!”
BAMA is a 9 month old boxer party mixer. What a wonderful alert regal look!
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| SO many beautiful cats & kittens. Here today, gone tomorrow. Find a new friend; save a life... |
*All adoption fees include: Spay/Neuter, heartworm
test, all shots, worming, and microchip.
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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.