A Good Day for Shelter Dogs, Cats

From The Aiken Standard

By HALEY HUGHES - Staff writer - email:hhughes@aikenstandard.com

Thursday was a big day for animals at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

The ribbon was cut on the new cat shelter, a free-standing building housing two cat colonies, and more than 20 dogs were loaded onto a horse trailer bound for a no-kill shelter in Massachusetts.

Members of Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) beamed with excitement as they gathered the small crowd in front of the cat shelter to thank those who made it possible whether through donations of time, money or materials. The cat shelter was paid for by donations and money raised by FOTAS and was equipped by the same means.

Wolf Construction built the structure, which is dedicated in memory to owner Ernie Wolf's cat, Murphy Brown.

John Wade Plumbing Inc. donated the plumbing.

No longer are the cats confined to wire cages. The colonies allow the cats to roam in open, air-conditioned rooms complete with climbing trees, toys, window sill rests, benches and cat beds. One colony keeps the adult cats while the other keeps the kittens. Both colonies have a pet door leading out onto a covered, open-air porch space, which exposes them to sunshine and fresh air.

Visitors have room to sit on the benches or down on the floor and play with and pet the cats.

"We now have a safe, healthy, proper environment for our cats," said FOTAS President Jennifer Miller.

Animal Control Chief Enforcement Officer Bobby Arthurs said the cats weren't sure what to do when first introduced into the colonies in June but soon grew comfortable in their new surroundings.

"It is working out really well for them," he said. "We do get a lot of compliments on it."

Volunteer Terry McGrath announced the day's first cat adoption just minutes before the ribbon cutting. A family with three young girls took home Chester, a gray and white kitten. She estimates that 80 percent of people who visit the cat shelter adopt at least one cat.

The dogs had their day, as well.

A total of 26 dogs left the shelter Thursday for the no-kill Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, Mass. They were helped onto a horse trailer equipped with a video feed, hay for them to bed down in and buckets of water to keep them hydrated during the 1,000-mile trip.

Transportation was provided at no cost by Fairway Horse Transport out of New Hampshire.

Arthurs said each load transferred up north means more space opens up here and more animals have the chance to be adopted.

Members of FOTAS, who helped load the trailer, believe each dog will be adopted out within a month. They credit the region's aggressive spay and neuter campaigns with keeping pet numbers manageable and demand for shelter dogs high.

FOTAS Celebrates One Year Helping the County Shelter

From The Aiken Standard

Submitted Article

Happy Birthday, FOTAS!

Barely a year ago, three women decided to move beyond animal control policy to animal advocacy and formed a new nonprofit. They committed to help Aiken County transform conditions at the county Animal Shelter through a public charity. On July 29, 2009, Friends of the Animal Shelter Inc., (FOTAS) was founded. Its primary mission: To reduce the number of companion animals dying at the county shelter.

The problems were huge. Five- or six-thousand unwanted, neglected, and abused cats and dogs were coming through each year. Most were housed in cages and overflow pens for five days, put down, bagged and dumped in the landfill. Many in the Aiken community were unaware that the county shelter and the Aiken SPCA were not the same place.

Others thought that "the County" dogs went to be "put down," not a place to adopt a pet.

After 20 years, a decaying Public Works facility was grossly inadequate for the population it served and wrong for Aiken's identity as an "Animal friendly community." Additionally, it was difficult for citizens who cared to find a way to help.

It's been a busy year.

FOTAS' volunteer program is about to celebrate its first birthday, and the dogs are getting out of their cages more days at least for a little while.

FOTAS continues to transfer a few lucky dogs to a no-kill shelter in Massachusetts.

On Halloween, the FOTAS mascots handed out thousands of treats for dogs and humans while promoting spay/neuter.

The equine community held three events to raise awareness and money in October, January and April.

In November, FOTAS expanded the previous county shelter open house and held a vendor-supported pet fair to encourage visits and boost adoptions.

The shelter's holding pens now have concrete floors and a shade roof. The big dogs up for adoption have a big yard to run in with a modest picnic shelter for their handlers.

Since the second one, FOTAS' benefit breakfast at Applebee's is practically a tradition. Until June, when numbers shot up, County shelter adoptions were up, and the kill-rate was finally dipping below 90 percent. Soon, our biggest and our proudest accomplishment so far will be announced to the public. We don't want to spoil the surprise. . . it was a good year.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way in which its animals are treated," Mahatma Gandhi once said.

In Aiken, we tell our visitors that "character comes first," and offer them a list of its attributes. And here we are, FOTAS and the Aiken County Animal Shelter, celebrating our first year and hoping that one day the way we treat all our animals will reflect who we truly want to be as a community.

Spay or neuter your pets, and rescued animals need patience, loving guidance and are well worth the time.

Animal Shelter Group Requests Additional Funds

From The Aiken Standard

By HALEY HUGHES - Staff writer - email:hhughes@aikenstandard.com

A presentation by Aiken County's Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) detailed some "vital needs" at the shelter to County Council's Development Committee.

FOTAS members gave a PowerPoint presentation to the committee Tuesday and to a standing-room-only audience that highlighted the shelter's role in the community and what steps the nonprofit group thinks need to be made to improve conditions at the shelter, lessen the number of animals euthanized and help reduce the number of stray animals roaming the county.

FOTAS member Joya DiStefano said that in June 1990 - when the shelter was built - animal control officers were dispatched to 200 calls, and 100 animals ended up at the shelter. In June 2009, officers were dispatched to 588 calls, and 665 animals ended up at the shelter. The shelter has not significantly expanded over the course of that time period despite the increase in numbers.

DiStefano said it surprises her that a community like Aiken that is so friendly to horses and hounds doesn't take much notice of the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

"I don't think that's who we are. It is amazing for us to be willing to tolerate the status quo at the shelter," she said. "Nine out of 10 animals are euthanized."

Pictures showed cats living in cages, dogs peering from behind the fencing of their cages, chipping paint and fly strips hanging from ceilings.

"We hear that people want to volunteer, but they don't want to go to the shelter because it breaks their hearts," DiStefano said. "We are looking for a shelter that people are attracted to."

Progress is being made, however. The shelter has instituted a volunteer and foster program. FOTAS was established. A new industrial washer and dryer units were donated, as was a commercial washtub, and the pet spay or neuter voucher program has proved to be popular among County residents.

There is still work to be done, FOTAS members said.

The group asked the committee to consider recommending that funds provided for the County's spay or neuter voucher program be increased to $60,000 from $30,000 to "incentivize responsible pet ownership." Representatives also asked for $1 million for a shelter expansion.

"People cry foul because it's their tax money, but think of it as an investment," DiStefano said.

"We are looking at getting money for the shelter," Councilwoman Kathy Rawls said. "We know how bad things are. We appreciate all the things you have done to improve the situation."