Back in Black -- a very special color indeed

Back in Black: the Beauty of a Black Pet

By Joanna Dunn Samson

as seen in the "Aiken Standard" 5/18/14 edition

Black is the chicest of colors.  Coco Chanel once said, “A woman needs just three things; a black dress, a black sweater, and on her arm, a man she loves.”  Gianni Versace said, “Black is the quintessence of simplicity and elegance.”

The black robes of a judge symbolize morality and justice.

The black robes of priests and pastors symbolize a connection with God.

In the 1960’s, a new generation of young people challenged conventional ways of thinking, and black became the color of individuality and intellectual rebellion.

Black is an artistic color.  “Black is a force,” said impressionist painter Henri Matisse, who said he always chose black when he didn’t know what color to lay down on the canvas. 

So if black symbolizes elegance, simplicity, justice, spirituality and art, then how come black dogs and cats take 4 times longer to be adopted from a shelter than their lighter counterparts?

The rescue world calls it “Black Dog Syndrome,” a well-known, but little understood, phenomenon.  Black dogs and cats are often passed over by potential adopters for a variety of relatively vague reasons, like indistinct facial features and “generic” body types – issues compounded by poor lighting in many shelters – and size: large black dogs are even harder to adopt out.

Here’s an even more perplexing fact: a large majority of the black dogs at shelters who do not get adopted are Labrador retriever crosses, yet year after year, Labs top the list of the most popular breeds in the country.  They are friendly, playful and promiscuous in their love of humans.  They are goofy, good-tempered animals – an excellent choice for families with children.

Here’s another fact: the traditional black Lab is far and away the most popular and prevalent color of the breed – possessing sleek, muscular bodies that shine like polished ebony.

So why do black lab mixed breeds endowed with the same admirable and lovable qualities have so much trouble finding forever homes? 

It makes no sense.  Take a tour of any animal shelter, including the Aiken County shelter, and you will often find medium to medium-large sized Lab crosses with bubbly, affectionate personalities, just waiting for a family to love, entertain and protect.

Black dogs and cats are victims of an irrational prejudice and a genetic formula that determines color.  Despite negative portrayals in literature and ancient folklore (think black cats and witches or the black hounds of hell), there is not a shred of evidence that black dogs are more aggressive or untrustworthy than their lighter colored brethren. Ninety-nine percent of the time, aggression is a function of abuse and poor training – not a function of color.

FOTAS is a network member of the Best Friends Animal Society, which is dedicated to rehoming shelter animals all over the country, and Best Friends has designated the month of May as national “Back in Black” month.

In honor of this national promotion, the Aiken County Animal Shelter has reduced adoption fees for black dogs to $33 and for black cats to $13 through May 31.  This fee covers spaying and neutering, all necessary vaccinations and microchipping.

Two black Shelter puppies, Brooke and Logan, were recently adopted by this young woman and her mother.  Why don’t you come on over to the Aiken County Animal Shelter like they did and take home your next best friend.  By the end of the day, you will be snuggled up on the couch watching American Idol with a happy black bundle of pure love.

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 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 5, 2014 - May 10, 2014

25 dogs and 10 cats  SAVED

Year to Date:  

351 terrific pets   SAVED

ADOPTION SPECIALS MAY 1 - MAY 31:

BACK IN BLACK -- black dogs $33 -- black cats $13

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

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

SMOKEY   Lab mix, male, 3 yrs old, 42 lbs.  Only $70 

SAVANNAH  Domestic short hair -- female -- 2 yrs old  Only $13

FOTAS -- Newest Board Members

A New Day – A New Board

By Joanna Dunn Samson, FOTAS Director

as seen in the "Aiken Standard" 5-4-14 edition

What does a retired international businesswoman, a bank president, a veterinarian, and a priest have in common?

They all serve on the FOTAS Board of Directors.

It took us 3 years to convince Caroline Simonson to join the Board.  Caroline was one of the first volunteers recruited by Jennifer Miller in 2009.  She devotes 4 mornings a week, every week, to the shelter walking and socializing dogs, assisting new volunteers, and helping evaluate dogs for transfer.

Before she and her husband Bill moved to Aiken in 2004, Caroline worked at the New York Stock Exchange, raised a daughter and worked for an international company that sold cars and vehicles to the military, diplomats and embassies.

 “After I moved to Aiken, I volunteered with other community organizations, but once I started working with FOTAS,” says Caroline, “I knew I had found my calling.”

Caroline Simonson with two of the Shelter dogs

Frank Townsend is the president of the Aiken County Southern Bank & Trust.  An Aiken native, Frank is married to Beth, and has four lovely children - Frank, Jr., Pinckney, and the twins, Wallace and Wright - and two shelter cats, Charlie and George.

FOTAS appealed to Frank to join the Board because of his deep ties to the Aiken community and his financial expertise, skills important for a growing non-profit organization raising money in the community for various activities.  We also were impressed with his optimistic, soft-spoken manner, so we made a full court press.

 “Jennifer Miller was very persuasive,” says Frank “I was appalled by the huge intake and euthanasia numbers in the County.  I knew I wanted to help.  I just couldn’t say no.”

Dr. Charlie Timmerman is a highly respected veterinarian who started his own small animal practice in Aiken 42 years ago.  He is married to Colleen, who works closely with FOTAS’ Lenny’s Brigade and Fix-a-Pet programs.  They have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

It’s obvious why we were so keen on Charlie: the depth and breath of his veterinary experience with small animals was and has been essential.  He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy with a measured response to problems.  We need that.

“I believe in getting involved,” says Charlie, “and I believed I could make a difference in the well-being of the shelter animals by working with FOTAS.”

We assured Charlie that working with us would not interfere with his time with his grandchildren, his quail hunting and most importantly, any Clemson games.  Maybe we secretly crossed our fingers as we made that promise, but Charlie’s adroitly managed to work it all into his rich and busy life.

Father Grant Wiseman moved to the Diocese of Upper South Carolina in 2009 with his wife Heather and his twin daughters, Audrey and Abby.  Aside from being the rector for St. Thaddeus in Aiken, Grant is very active in governance of the Diocese and serves as a trustee of the Gravatt Camp and Conference Center and Dean of the Gravatt Convocation.

Grant, Heather, Audrey and Abby have fostered in excess of 300 puppies over the past 5 years.  Aside from his and his family’s obvious dedication to helping the County’s homeless animals, Grant is a kind, optimistic and practical man also with deep ties to the community and extraordinary organizational experience.

“Our family strongly believes that puppies who spend the beginning of their lives being held, named and loved are far more adoptable than those who are not,” says Grant.

He’s right – virtually all of their puppies have gone on to find loving homes through our transfer partners.

 “This is a great Board,” says Jennifer Miller.  “They are movers and shakers in the Aiken community and have been instrumental in the evolution of FOTAS to an organization able to make an enduring difference.  They work together beautifully as a team, which makes the hard work of FOTAS not only productive, but pleasurable.  I am grateful for their commitment.”

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 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”

Apr. 21, 2014 - Apr. 26, 2014

26 dogs and 6 cats  SAVED

Year to Date:  

287 terrific pets   SAVED

ADOPTION SPECIALS MAY 1 - MAY 31:

BACK IN BLACK -- black dogs $33 -- black cats $13

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

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

DOODLES   Australian Cattle Dog/Blue Heeler, male, 6 yrs old, 51 lbs.  Only $70 

FULMER  Domestic short hair -- male -- 4 yrs old, 10.3 lbs  Only $35

A Day of Celebration at the new Shelter Ribbon Cutting

A Cause for Celebration

By Jennifer Miller, President of FOTAS

as seen in the "Aiken Standard" 3-23-14 issue

FOTAS was created in 2009 in response to the alarming number of stray and abandoned animals in Aiken County and the hopelessness of their plight.  At the time, because of the sheer number of these animals, “Animal Control” consisted of a futile attempt to reduce the homeless population by euthanasia.

The conditions at the shelter were abysmal.  It was not unusual for 200 animals to be crowded in a dark, airless building built in the 1980’s to house half that number – dogs were often packed 2 to 3 to a cage, and cats were held in small cages in a room the size of a closet in the back of the building.  Because of the open waste trenches and lack of air exchange, it was difficult, if not impossible, to keep the animals healthy. In short, a trip to the County shelter in those days was a near certain death sentence: despite the Herculean efforts of the shelter staff, 95% of the thousands of dogs and cats consigned to the shelter each year had to be euthanized.

Shortly after we created FOTAS, it became clear that any solution to these problems would be short-lived without a larger, better shelter to keep the animals healthy while we worked to find them a home.  Accordingly, the construction of a new shelter became FOTAS’s primary goal.

We created a public/private partnership with the county. FOTAS raised funds through private donations to pay for the shovel-ready plans, architect fees, cage banks, kennels, the cat adoption house and shelter equipment. The county used public funds to build the building. 

Finally, on March 3^rd, after years of planning and development, the new Aiken County Animal Shelter opened its doors to the public.

Bucky with his new family, adopted this week

So many people supported the efforts to make our collective dream a reality: County Council, the County Administration, the devoted shelter employees, and the army of FOTAS volunteers who walk dogs, play with the cats, foster puppies, help with transfers and assist with fundraisers. 

We are also forever indebted to you, the members of our community, for your support and financial generosity.

However, the completion of this shelter is just the first step in achieving our ultimate goal to never have to euthanize another adoptable pet in Aiken County.  There is still so much to do. 

• We must reduce the population of unwanted animals through public education regarding pet responsibility and the provision of affordable spay/neuter services.  The ultimate success of the new shelter depends upon maintaining and reducing current intake numbers. 
• We must find ways to increase adoptions on the local level and transfers of adoptable pets to our partner shelters in other parts of the country.

• We must continue to recruit and train volunteers and raise money for future needs.

Please join us today at 2 p.m. to celebrate the grand opening of the new Aiken County Animal Shelter at 333Wire Rd.  We will be serving refreshments, free giveaways, and cutting adoption fees in half.  It will be our honor to share the happiness of achieving this important milestone with all of you in the Aiken community.

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 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”

Mar. 10, 2014 - Mar. 15, 2014

17 dogs and 2 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

110 terrific pets adopted

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

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

FRANCES   Dachshund mix,  female, 1 yr old, 22.5 lbs  Only $35 

FRISKY  Tabby -- male -- 5 yrs. old, 14.8 lbs  Only $35

A Day of Firsts

A Day of Firsts

By Joanna Samson, FOTAS Director

At 5 a.m. on March 3^rd, Sandy Larsen, the County’s Vet Tech, pulled into the parking lot of the new Aiken County Animal Shelter.  Because she was scheduled to feature a couple of the shelter’s residents at 6:20 a.m. on Channel 12, she was the first person to work that Monday morning.

It wasn’t just any Monday morning, however; it was the first day the County’s new shelter was open for business.  Sandy, who shares with Chief Animal Control Officer Bobby Arthurs the notable distinction of being the first and longest employee of the County shelter, was struck at once by the difference in the setting.

“The building was well-lit,” says Sandy, “warm, welcoming.  The old shelter was always dark that time of morning.”

“Then,” she continues, “as I walked from my car to the back door, it hit me.  I could see the dogs in their outside kennels in the Intake Wing.  Wow!  What a difference!  In the old shelter, the dogs would be inside barking like crazy because they were doubled or tripled up in a small crate and stepping on each other.  Here, they were quiet!  It was amazing.”

At 9 a.m., the first volunteers, Caroline Simonson and Sandra Procter, arrived to walk the dogs.  Caroline and Sandra have been FOTAS volunteers for years.  In fact, according to Jennifer Miller, the President of FOTAS, Caroline may well have been the first person to respond to her first calls for help at the shelter when FOTAS was formed in 2009.

When I asked Caroline about her impressions on that first morning, she too was struck by the remarkable change in the dogs.

“They were relaxed.  They each had their own kennel.  They weren’t fighting for space or defending their food.  They weren’t bored - they could lie outside in the fresh air and watch the world go by.”

“Plus,” says Caroline, “at the old shelter, there was one small play area with a dirt surface.  The new shelter has two large, grassy areas.  When we first released the dogs, they went wild with joy - rolling gleefully on the sod.  We couldn’t stop laughing.” 

By noon, all of the adoptable dogs were played-out, and peace had settled over the shelter.  The hounds were particularly happy to stretch out in the sun and snooze.

Then came the magical moment – the first adoption on the first day.  Brooke and Jacob Jones and their beautiful daughter, Charlotte, came to the shelter to look for a family dog. They found her:  Debbie, an affectionate black border collie crossbred with a white nose and a ton of personality.

“It was a perfect match,” says Annette van der Walt, the Shelter’s Adoption Coordinator.  “Debbie and Charlotte bonded immediately.  As Debbie piled into the car with her new humans, Brandon Anceume, the kind and perceptive shelter custodian who introduced the family to Debbie, and I high-fived each other and did the 'Happy' dance from the movie “Despicable Me.”

“It was silly,” says Annette, giggling, “but we were so, so happy.”

It’s a brand new day at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, so come on over: adopt, volunteer, or just visit.  We’d love to see you.

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 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”

Mar. 3, 2014 - Mar. 8, 2014

9 dogs and 1 cat adopted

Year to Date:  

91 terrific pets adopted

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

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

LOLA   Shepherd mix,  female, 2 yrs old, 49 lbs  Only $70 

BEN STILLER  Domestic short hair -- male -- 7 yrs. old, 10 lbs  Only $35

Moving On Up to the New Shelter

Moving on Up

By Joanna Samson, FOTAS Director

as seen in the Aiken Standard 3/9/14 issue

It finally happened.  As of last Sunday, County staff and FOTAS volunteers had completed the move from the small, outdated, dilapidated shelter to the beautiful new Aiken County Animal Shelter down the road.

The Cat House and the cats had been moved earlier in the week.

Then, on Sunday FOTAS volunteers walked many of the adoptable dogs the short distance to their new quarters in the Adoption Wing, while other FOTAS volunteers moved puppies and older dogs by truck.  County staff moved all of the intake dogs by truck to the Animal Control Wing.

By 3:00 p.m., all the animals had been moved and were safely nestled in their new digs.

It was a glorious, euphoric moment.  FOTAS volunteers and County staff were a little breathless with exertion, but they were all smiles.

And the four-legged residents?  The change was astounding.  The dogs wagged their tails and relaxed in their outdoor runs, enjoying the fresh air.  Despite all the activity and all the people, the shelter was the closest thing to peaceful that a building housing that many animals can be. Really.

Oh sure, there was the occasional hoopla over the escape artist who jumped from kennel to kennel until finally cornered, or the puppies yipping for dinner, or the little Chihuahua cross barking for attention, but by and large, the anxious, high-pitched barking so common in the old shelter because the dogs were all crowded together in close, inside quarters was absent.

I knelt in front of the kennel of an 8-month-old, little white and red pit bull named Pete, who showered my outstretched hand with big, wet kisses.   I thought: “You know what, Handsome? You’ll be okay in this place. Here you’ll have more time and a better chance for some lucky soul to overcome their uneasiness about pit bulls and fall madly in love with you.”  I leaned my forehead against his cage and choked back tears.  

But wait! We aren’t finished! Now that we’ve provided a clean, inspiring, happy community shelter for the animals, we need you, the community, to do your part.

Please: come to your community shelter and adopt your new pet.  Don’t be afraid you will be overwhelmed by despair. On the contrary, you will be able to take your time and find that perfect animal in a hopeful, cheerful setting.  Remember, every pet that finds a home makes space for another animal on the adoption floor, potentially saving two lives.

Please: volunteer your time with FOTAS.  We desperately need volunteers to sit behind the desk to greet the public, answer the phone and help the Adoption Coordinator.  

Okay, meet and greet not your thing?  We will find a job for you that makes you happy: walking the dogs, playing with cats and puppies, grooming, helping with the gardens – there are so many possibilities.

Pick up the phone now and call the FOTAS hotline at (803) 514-4313 or contact us at info@fotasaiken.org, and we’ll get you started.  I promise you’ll be glad you did.

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 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”

Feb. 24, 2014 - Mar. 1, 2014

9 dogs and 1 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

81 terrific pets adopted

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

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

PETE   Pit bull/boxer,  male, 8 mos old, 43 lbs  Only $70 

SIMON COWELL  Domestic short hair -- male -- 7 yrs. old, 10 lbs  Only $35

The New Aiken County Animal Shelter is Now Open -- It's the Place to Be!

The New Community Animal Shelter – the Place to Be

By Joanna Samson, FOTAS Board of Director

as seen in the "Aiken Standard", 3/2/14 issue

This is a big weekend for the Aiken County Animal Shelter, FOTAS and in particular, the 200 animals living at the old county shelter on Wire Road.  They are finally moving to the new County shelter after years of planning and a little over a year of construction.

The new shelter has been designed to properly house and care for the 200 animals that are currently crowded into a space designed 25 years ago for a maximum capacity of 100. In designing the new shelter, the County and FOTAS’ primary focus was to ensure that the animals were housed in a healthy environment to increase their prospects of adoption.

The most important defense against the spread of the disease among the animals in the shelter is proper air exchange and waste removal, so state of the art mechanical and plumbing equipment has been installed to address those issues.

While the physical improvements in the new shelter are noteworthy, the impact on FOTAS volunteers and County staff cannot be overstated; they will no longer report to a dreary, noisy institutional building to do God’s work. 

The new shelter is cheerful – colorful graphics of dogs and cats grace the walls of the lobby, along with inspirational quotes, like “In a perfect world, every pet would have a home and every home would have a pet.”

Volunteers can walk and play with dogs in two spacious playpens, located outside of the adoption wing far from the goings and comings of animal control.  All dogs and cats have access to the outside from their kennel runs or crates, a major improvement over the dark, indoor kennels at the old facility.

This new facility, a testament to the progress that can be made when public entities and private citizens partner to make the world a better place, is a concrete demonstration of the County’s move from euthanasia as its primary means of controlling the homeless pet population to a system based on animal advocacy.  

But this new facility is not a magic bullet to address the distressing overpopulation of unwanted animals in the County. We must continue to reduce the intake numbers at the shelter (4800 last year alone) through systematic, targeted spay/neuter and educational programs. If we do not, the new shelter will also be overwhelmed by the sheer number of the County’s homeless animals. We cannot allow that to happen.

In the meantime, FOTAS and its volunteers will continue to work like the dickens to find homes for the County shelter’s animals through increased foster families, off-site adoptions and transfer programs.

If you are considering adopting a pet or volunteering, now is the time and the new community shelter is the place. When you are adopting, the shelter is a pleasant place for you to meet your prospective new best friend.  As a volunteer, you can walk and socialize the animals, greet potential adopters in the cheerful new lobby, help organize transfers, and man off-site adoptions.  

Call or contact FOTAS today at (803) 514-4313 or at info@fotasaiken.org.  You will be glad you did.

FOTAS Volunteers work with the AIKEN COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, 333 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”

Feb. 17, 2014 - Feb. 22, 2014

6 dogs and 3 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

81 terrific pets adopted

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

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

FREDDY   Labrador retriever,  male, 2 yrs old, 51 lbs  Only $70 

BEN STILLER  Domestic short hair -- male -- 7 yrs. old, 10 lbs  Only $35

Felines are Masterpieces

“The Smallest Feline is a Masterpiece”

By Edie Hubler, FOTAS Board of Directors

as seen in the "Aiken Standard" 2-23-14 issue

That’s how Leonardo da Vinci spoke of cats.  They are special, just ask any other cat lover.  These beautiful creatures are agile, graceful and meticulous about their grooming.  While dogs live to please their humans and will do almost anything for food – sit, stay, roll over – cats by their nature are much more independent.  A good cat would consider a demand to perform a trick for food beneath him, and he would never, ever deign to respond to a reprimand. A cat could care less about packs or their human’s desire to be the pack “alpha.” A cat bestows its affection on a deserving human, and once they do – that cat becomes their friend for life.

Most Saturday mornings, Becky Reindl is walking dogs at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. She frequently takes her niece, Hope Dyches, who likes to spend time with the cats. Becky also fosters cats from the County Shelter and delights in talking about the experience.  

“Kittens start to play as soon as they can stand up,” says Becky, “but they fall down a lot because they have no balance. When they play, a kitten will stalk up to pounce on another unsuspecting kitten, but because they misjudge the distance they can jump, the stalking kitten misses and ends up pouncing air. Watching my foster kittens play and grow has provided me with countless hours of entertainment.”   

Becky’s current foster cat, Merlyn, plays with a mamma dog & four puppies she is fostering.  Merlyn jumps on the dog’s tail, then runs under the sofa to hide. The startled dog gives chase, but is too big to crawl under the sofa.  In the meantime, Merlyn, who has already crawled out from under the sofa unseen, sneaks up behind the dog again and pounces.  He’s a strategic hunter, that Merlyn.  

Then there’s Romeo, an affectionate 6 year old Serbian red cat who was adopted by Bobbie and Ron Kastet when he was a kitten.  Bobbie fell in love with the little red kitten at first sight, who greeted Bobbie with a kiss – hence the name Romeo.  He models like a pro for Bobbie’s camera, and purrs like an engine. Because Romeo also retrieves balls & toys, the neighbors claim he is really a dog in a cat’s body.  

Romeo’s best friend is Pinot, a bassett/golden mix adopted from the County shelter by Dave & Linda Engleman.  Romeo and Pino have play dates and even sleepovers.  When Pinot comes for a visit, he “calls” Romeo and the cat comes running.  Pinot licks the top of Romeo’s head and Romeo kisses Pinot’s feet.  They sleep and eat together, and when they are lucky enough to be given a little ice cream, Romeo puts his paw inside the dish and feeds both himself and Pinot.  Don’t believe it?  Well, just look at the photo of Romeo feeding Pinot!

Ellie and Bill Joos, FOTAS volunteers, walk dogs at the County Shelter several days a week.  Although they love dogs too, they are particularly fond of cats and have two of their own - Sheba and Buddy. While at the Shelter, Ellie makes a point to also visit the adoptable cats (which she calls fluff balls) to help socialize them. She often posts photos on Facebook of the available cats at the County Shelter -- she calls it kitty lovin’.  

Please join our other FOTAS volunteers at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.  The dogs and the cats can always use a little lovin’ and we are looking for lovin’ homes for them too.

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”

Feb. 3, 2014 - Feb. 8, 2014

11 dogs and 3 cats adopted

Year to Date:  

72 terrific pets adopted

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pets of the Week!” 

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

MIA FARROW   American bulldog,  female, 2 yrs old, 38 lbs  Only $70 

BEN STILLER  Domestic short hair -- male -- 7 yrs. old, 10 lbs  Only $35

IT'S ALL IN THE FAMILY

IT’S ALL IN THE FAMILY

by Edythe “Edie” Hubler, FOTAS Board of Directors

Over the past weeks, we have written several times about the FOTAS foster program, where mama dogs and their puppies or dogs needing special attention are temporarily cared for in a loving home environment until they are ready for adoption.  We’ve heard about fostering from dedicated volunteers, from one lucky dog who was being fostered, and from a happy family who adopted a fostered dog.

This week and next we want to celebrate some of the children of foster families.  We asked Abby and Audrey Wiseman, Caroline Wolcott, Isabelle and Sean Igoe, Josh, Parker and Bailey Daniels and their parents to share how the experience has affected and shaped their lives.  These are two of their stories.

“The children have learned the responsibility of having to feed and care for pets, but more significantly, they have learned about life,” says Heather Wiseman, who along with her husband, Grant, and two daughters, Audrey and Abby, have fostered over 200 puppies. “Fostering has taught our family how to prioritize and think about what is most important in our lives.”

Her daughter Audrey says, “The puppies love us even though we are imperfect in so many ways.”  She says the love you see in their faces when they look at her melts her heart. “It’s an easy and fun way to help Aiken and the nice people at the shelter.”  She also thinks the puppies are funny when they howl.

Audrey’s sister Abby likes animals because they are different, but very much like us.  The puppies make her laugh because “they are so small that when they sneeze or shake their head, they fall over.”

Caroline Wolcott is the daughter of Randy and Girl Wolcott, who have sponsored close to 150 puppies and their mamas.  “The most fun about foster puppies is the age when they are just stumbling around and learning to walk.  It’s fun to watch them take their first little steps,” says Caroline.  She thinks it’s really funny when they get the “crazies” and run around their kennel.  “And then boom - they fall asleep.”

All these children are active participants in the care of these animals.  They pick up dirty newspapers, feed, give medications, bathe, and hold for the dreaded toenail clipping. All have seen first hand the miracle of birth. 

The positive effect of the fostering experience on these children has been so much bigger than simply performing a kind act for an animal.  It has taught them compassion, empathy, discipline and planning.  It develops their self-esteem because they know their role in socializing these puppies is an important factor in getting them adopted.  It brings them joy.

Sounds like a pretty good deal all around, doesn’t it?  Bring your family together; join the FOTAS foster program.  You and our many needful dogs and puppies will be glad you did. 

Call the FOTAS hotline at 803-514-4313, or email us at info@FOTASAiken.org.

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”

 

Oct. 28 - Nov. 2, 2013

 

15 dogs adopted

Year to Date:  

617 terrific pets adopted

 

THANK YOU AIKEN COUNTY COMMUNITY!

Aiken County Shelter “Pet of the Week!”

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

SUKI -- Shephard mix, female -- 11 months old, 55 lbs.    Only $38

C.C. -- domestic short hair, female -- 4 years old, 9 lbs.    Only $35