It's Like Buy 1 Get 1 Free this Week at the County Shelter!

When you are eleven, joy is supposed to last forever. Then young Julian lost his dog to the horrors of Parvo. The boy was devastated.

Julian’s parents wanted to get him another dog without the risk of another calamity, so they chose the Aiken County Animal Shelter, where all of the dog’s health needs: heartworm testing, shots, worming, and spay or neuter, would be taken care of, along with a micro-chip, for one low fee.

The family went to Petfinder.com and found the right dog: a big, solid, pit-bull mix, and the shelter was even offering a half-price special. They could have it all for only $35.

Mom, Dad, Julian, his 8-year old sister Heather, and the “Ruler-of-the-Roost,” Bella, a year-old “Yorchiwini” (Yorkie+Dachsund+Chihuahua), all piled in the car to go get their new dog.  But when they arrived, they were told that dog had already been adopted.

“Would you like to see some others?” asked FOTAS Volunteer and Adoption Counselor, Caroline, “We have some fantastic dogs available.”

Out came Arthur, a beautiful, loveable, rambunctious bull terrier mix.  They went all together into the play yard.  Arthur didn’t care too much about the family, or the children.  Arthur wanted to play with Bella.  Bella did not like his game.  Arthur was overbearing, and she couldn’t seem to get him to recognize her station in life.  Arthur was not going to work.

Next came Luke.  Luke was a big powerful Bulldog-Pit-Sharpei mix, two years old.  Julian took one look and smiled the biggest smile in weeks.  Luke deferred to Bella and loved playing with the children.  It looked like a perfect match; until the case card read “Not good with cats.”  The cat was at home, her home.

What about Diesel?  He was a lovely boxer. Four years old and he had raised Luke.  They had been surrendered together and Diesel shared the pen with Luke.  Luke was playing with the children.  Luke was playing with Bella.  When Diesel came down to the play yard he joined the fun and frolic.  Bella, completely in charge of the two big dogs, thought either one would do just fine.  But what about the cat?

The information on the card was wrong.  That cat business pertained to another dog.  Luke was fine with cats.  Now the dilemma was what to do about Luke’s life-long partner Diesel?

“Buy one, Get one free!” said a happy boy when the family decided to take both dogs. 

Luke pats Bella on her head with his big paw. Bark!  And the chase is on!  The big dogs sleep in Julian’s room.  The cat reigns supreme.

Lessons from this happy tail:

You get a deal when you rescue a pet at the County Shelter – and you save a life.

County Shelter dogs and cats are health and temperament tested and volunteers work with them daily.

Dogs are pack animals.  If you must leave your dog for prolonged periods, you’d do better with two.

Buy one; Get one free - this week only!

tagline:  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”

May 20^th thru 24^th, 2013

Brought in:  43 dogs and 63 cats

Adopted:  11 dogs and 4 cats 

Put down:    36 dogs and 43 cats!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

HALF PRICE thru June 8^th!

CLEO

 

CLEO & IZZY – 8 mos.  Bull Terrier mix with the sweetest hearts.  Take the pair! $35 ea!

IZZY

NALA  – Young gray tabby with big green eyes! She’s a sweetheart!  Half-price, only $35! 

 

*All adoption fees include: Spay/Neuter, heartworm test, all shots, worming, and microchip

Sasha and Suzanne, a Love Story

On March 24, 2013, a woman pulled her blue car into the Graniteville Cemetery and led a regal golden German shepherd out on a leash.  The woman walked into the cemetery, unleashed the dog, then ran back to her car and drove away.

The dog waited in the cemetery for the owner to return. She waited. No one could get near her. The story made Crime Watch and Facebook.  Suzanne was at the beach and decided she would see if the dog was still there when she got back to Graniteville.

Suzanne is a nurse, a concealed weapons trainer, and a dog-lovin’ single mom with four children, three under the age of ten.  When she first set eyes on the abandoned dog, she began a vigil at the cemetery.  She would establish ties with the animal.  But Suzanne was not alone, either in her concern for the dog or her attempts to catch her.

“It was like a three-ring circus up there,” she said, “People would come and drop whole bags of dog food on the headstones.  They’d leave pizza, hot wings, and leftover meals.  The cemetery board wanted her out of there.”

One guy brought his wife, a camera and a pit-bull who was to…run the elusive dog down, while his wife caught the heroic capture on camera?

Suzanne, young Jeremiah, Mr. Wayne and her neighbor Mike spent countless hours coaxing the poor dog.  Suzanne would get off work, get the kids, and stay at the cemetery until dark.  They named the dog Sasha.

When Aiken County Animal control was called, Chief Bobby Arthurs enlisted Suzanne’s aid.  She knew where the dog would run.  The first try with a tranquilizer dart sent Sasha to the woods where she disappeared and slept it off.  The next day, it took five men and a net to capture her.

Sasha was impounded.  She would have to be retained for five days.  She would be tested for heartworm.  What if the test was positive? Suzanne was already committed to giving Sasha a home with her, the kids and their other two little rescued dogs.  She didn’t want Sasha to have to stay in the shelter.  Our current shelter cannot keep dogs healthy.  They do the best they can, but it is not a place for vulnerable animals. 

Sasha tested negative for heartworm. Suzanne went to the shelter every one of those five days and took Sasha out of her pen and walked her, petted her, and helped her remember how to play.  When she brought Sasha home she had kennel cough.

Sasha has her own crate, like a private cave, in Suzanne’s bedroom.  The door is usually open.  Sasha is never alone.  She goes to work with Suzanne, if her oldest daughter is not home, and their big Suburban is now Sasha’s car.  She loves the kids and her two “brother dogs.”  But Suzanne is Sasha’s number one human now, and the feeling is obviously mutual. See “Sasha’s Rescue” on Facebook.

 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”

OUR PROGRESS!

MARCH	2012	2013
Received	333	297
Adopted	83	50
Transfers	56	89
Owner return	21	18
Euthanasia %	53%	42%!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

SNIPES - Pure Beagle. 1 yr.  22 lbs.  This sweet boy needs to get out of this cage! Only $70

EARTH –  2 yr.  Green-eyed tabby.  He so badly wants a forever home!  Only $35!

 

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