To Be a County Shelter Foster Family is a Love Calling

If you move to Aiken, as foster-parents Marcia and Dan did, because you confused eventing jumps with the name of a town, life after that has to be an adventure in happenstance.

They lived in Chicago, and followed their serious event-riding daughter Sam to North Carolina. Then Sam was jumping “Aikens” in Blythewood, SC, and said they “just had to see it.”  Confusing names, Marcia and Dan took a look at the town called Aiken and immediately fell in love. That was about 1999.

Preferring to board their horses, Marcia and Dan bought a townhouse.  Sam and her then-fiancé followed and bought a small farm in the eventing district off of Shaws Fork. 

“He could be happy wherever there was a computer and pizza delivery,” Marcia said, “but out here there’s neither.”  So the two couples swapped houses, and that is how Dan and Marcia ended up on Linger Longer Farm.

Visiting a local veterinarian’s office, the couple saw a picture on the wall of two lovely and very sad Labradors who needed a home.  They had a farm, and decided to add the dogs.  They were told that the dogs had only just been taken to the county shelter.  Dan and Marcia bee-lined it to the shelter only to be told in the most offensively officious manner that no such dogs were there.  They weren’t even allowed to look.

Marcia said, “I was so upset that I vowed would never set foot in that place again.” 

Ten years go by, a lot changes, and there was an article in the Aiken Standard about fostering puppies.

“What caught my attention,” Marcia said, “It said that if you foster puppies they won’t be put down.” 

That’s true, unless the animals are seriously sick, if you foster an adoptable animal, the County Shelter staff and FOTAS will see that it finds a home.

Marcia and Dan went immediately to the shelter to sign up to be an approved foster home.  They started with two puppies.

“There were all these people at the house for a Super Bowl party that year,” Marcia says, “and I remember being so proud of those puppies.”

Since then, they figure that they have fostered about 100 dogs, adults, puppies, mothers with puppies. 

It isn’t always easy.  Homeless, motherless puppies, especially if they have to stay in the current shelter because there aren’t enough foster homes, are so very vulnerable to disease, particularly Parvo.

Dan and Marcia were lucky with the first 3 or 4 litters, but eventually they had to learn the signs of trouble, how to intervene, and to continue to try to save as many as they can.  They love it.  They even got their pastor and his family involved in fostering.  And every so often, they take a break. 

The Foster Care program understands.  This is a commitment with emotional highs and lows.  You do what you can when you are ready.

“We all have our gifts,” Marcia says.

Adoptions are half price until March 2nd. 

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”

February 4^th thru 10th  

Received: 82 dogs and 19 cats

Adopted: 22 dogs and 3 cats

Put down:  7 dogs and 14 cats

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!”

BUFORD - 10 yrs.  This elegant hound warrants a smoking jacket to join you by the fire.  $35!

  

ANN – 3 yrs. Her eyes glow in a lovely face.  $35 

                              

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

Dog Adoptions HALF-PRICE until March 2nd!

FOTAS Celebrates Our “Animal Nut” and an Adoption Event

Birgit’s Max is 13 years old now and his age marks the time since Birgit began rescuing animals in Aiken County.  Molly’s Militia had Max when Birgit adopted him.  She brought him home to her husband and two other dogs, and then started fostering dogs herself.

Birgit spent eight years fostering dogs for Molly’s.  She fostered adult dogs, and puppies, dogs with behavioral issues, dogs and puppies with health problems.  Some were not adoptable and stayed on; some didn’t make it and broke her heart. 

After eight years Birgit took a badly needed break, but she couldn’t stay away.  When she started fostering again, she would help the SPCA some, but mainly worked with the Aiken County Animal Shelter. 

“My heart has always been with the Aiken County Shelter,” she said, “At times I had as many as 20 dogs!  So when FOTAS started their volunteer program with the County Shelter, it was natural to get on board.”

When asked how many dogs have come through her home, she doesn’t know; she’s lost count.  She had to stop doing the puppies because she could no longer handle the emotional devastation of parvo losses.

But Birgit still specializes in the tough cases: the skinny ones from neglect or abandonment, those heartworm positive, the sick ones, and abuse cases with trust issues.

“Gosh, people aren’t perfect,” she says, “But they expect animals to be.” 

Birgit currently has eight permanent resident dogs, along with horses she doesn’t ride, cats, her foster cases, and a husband who gives her the support she needs to do what she does which is love and care for them all.

“If you have a partner,” she advises, “They have to be supportive or it won’t work.  You really need the support.”

Since joining up with FOTAS three years ago, Birgit has become the captain of the FOTAS adoption events.  Once a month she loads the kennels and crates, table, sign boards, and bin of leashes, treats, bowls, food, water, newspapers, towels and toys, the donation jar, envelopes and brochures into  her truck and heads out to the county shelter. 

She picks the dogs, puppies, cats and/or kittens for the event, loads them and their paperwork, and heads for Petsmart.  By 10am she is set up in the store where she and her assistants will stay until 3pm, hoping for a good home for their charges.

This month, Birgit will be heading a special FOTAS adoption event sponsored by Brusters Ice Cream in front of Publix on Whiskey Road,  July 28^th from  11 to 3pm.

Herbie Brown, the FOTAS Rescue Waggin’ will be there with adoptable dogs.  Brusters will pay the adoption fee for the first adoption.  They will also provide a free ice cream cone and “doggie sundae” for every adoption that day.

Come on out.  Learn about volunteering, fostering, adoptions and transfers.  Eat some ice cream.  Meet Birgit, who says of her role in it all, “It’s what I do; it’s part of me.”  She’s a star.  

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”

STRIPE - 1yr, boxer mix.  The volunteers adore this guy!  Your best buddy for $70

 



DELILAH, tortoise tabby & SAMSON, golden boy – 5 yrs.  They love each other and hope to stay together. Only $35