This Tuesday, Dec. 1, is a global day of giving – an opportunity for people to contribute to the greater good in support of charities that are important to them. GivingTuesday was started in 2012 and always takes place on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. FOTAS is participating in this wonderful event and has a generous donor who will match donations up to $7,500.
Like most organizations, FOTAS and the Aiken County Animal Shelter (ACAS) have felt the negative impact of the 2020 pandemic. We had to suspend our big fundraising events this year due to the COVID-19 crisis. The annual FOTAS Playing Fore the Pets golf outing and Woofstock Doggie Derby Day are scheduled to carry on in 2021, but it hurt having to cancel them in 2020. With the pandemic causing such chaos, every dollar you donate is more important than ever and greatly appreciated.
Where your donations go
All FOTAS donations go directly to programs that help save the homeless pets at the ACAS.
Your donations pay for:
• Specialized surgery and physical rehab for adoptable dogs and cats who arrive abused, injured or sick
• Medical treatments such as those for heartworm positive dogs
• Medical equipment and facility improvements at the shelter
• Transports of shelter pets who are not locally adopted. to rescues in the northeast Without these transports, our shelter would be overcrowded and at risk of having to euthanize adoptable pets.
• Fenced-in play yards for incoming dogs
• Flea and tick treatment, leashes, toys collars, beds for the shelter animals
• Spay/neuter for community cats and pets whose owners need financial assistance
• Humane runners to get pet dogs of chains
• Food for community pets in need
• Adoption fees for active military and veterans
We are thankful to the Aiken community
The shelter took in more than 4,000 abandoned, neglected and abused animals last year and continues to receive high numbers of homeless pets in 2020.
But thanks to your donations, the euthanasia rate at the ACA has dropped from 71% in 2013 to less than 5% in 2019. To put it another way, the save rate at the shelter is 95%, a complete turnaround from where we were when we started out 10 years ago. In fact, every adoptable animal has been saved over the last three years.
How to donate to the homeless pets at the county shelter
To donate to FOTAS, please go to our website, FOTASAiken.org. We are a volunteer-based organization and a registered 501c3 public charity and all donations are tax deductible. FOTAS is a recipient of the Secretary of State of South Carolina Angel Award – one of ten, out of 14,000 organizations, recognized as representing the most efficient and effective charities in SC.
Thanksgiving is a time to reach out. We give thanks to our community – volunteers, donors, adopters, the county council, and county staff – as we head into GivingTuesday to continue our life-saving programs.
Their lives are in our hands.
— By Bob Gordon, FOTAS Communications Director
