Most people only think of the Aiken County Animal Shelter as a place to bring lost or unwanted pets for rehoming. But it is much more than that. Through its partnership with FOTAS, the shelter provides community outreach programs that help people and their pets, and works to prevent dogs and cats from ever having to be surrendered and put in its kennels.
In fact, we just hosted our first pet food assistance drive-thru event last Saturday. Local residents in need of food for their dogs and cats were invited to drive up to the shelter, where FOTAS volunteers placed bags and cans of pet food in the trunks of their cars. This event helped folks in financial need feed their pets and avoid surrendering them to the shelter during tough economic times. More such events are planned for the future. Thankfully, many generous people donate pet food to the shelter specifically for folks in financial need.
Another program FOTAS and the County Shelter provide to the community is Fido Off-the-Chain, which provides humane runners and tethering for people who don’t have fenced-in yards. When County Animal Code Enforcement officers visit homes where dogs are chained or tethered with limited mobility, they often provide runners that keep the dogs contained in the yard but allow them to run and play while ensuring their tether doesn’t get wrapped around a tree, post or other object.
“We’re not just working in the community,” said County Animal Code Enforcement Officer Rod Burks. “It’s our community, too. We love the animals, so it’s important for us to provide solutions and educate people about local regulations and responsible pet ownership.” FOTAS purchases these runners, and more are needed all the time.
FOTAS’s Home to Home program is another resource that helps county residents keep their pets out of the shelter’s kennels. It is provided for people to use free of charge – a marketing tool designed for pet owners who need to rehome their pet but do not want their dog or cat to endure the stress of being surrendered to the shelter. With Home to Home, residents can promote their pets on the FOTAS website and Facebook page and communicate with prospective adopters to find new homes for their animals safely and conveniently.
Programs like these, and others, help our community members and their pets in need. They also keep pets out of the shelter, where a surrendered dog or cat can sometimes endure emotional stress or even shut down. We will continue to develop community outreach programs that further establish the County Shelter as a helpful resource rather than just a destination for unwanted pets.
The shelter is currently full. We have wonderful pets who desperately need loving homes. So, please visit the Aiken County Animal Shelter, 333 Wire Road, and visit our homeless dogs and cats. To see all the pets available, go to FOTASAiken.org. Dogs are $35 and cats and kittens are only $10.
Their lives are in our hands.
— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director
