AIKEN --- Forget the whole witch trial thing. In Salem, Mass., they're saving lives, particularly dogs from Aiken.
"It's such a great feeling," said Betty Bilton, the director of the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, referring to how her site accepts dogs from all over the East Coast to save for adoption -- most recently including dozens from the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
"It's been a big hit," said Todd Glover, an assistant county administrator for Aiken County.
Mr. Glover said the county started sending some of its dogs to the Salem shelter Jan. 31 after one of the county's animal control advisory board members mentioned she had a contact there. They found out that a horse transport company -- Fairway Horse Transport of New Hampshire -- periodically visits Aiken to drop off horses and would be willing at no cost to take dogs from Aiken on the return north to the Salem shelter.
"We're preparing for another transport in the next week or so," Mr. Glover said Friday.
He said the transports are helping with overcrowding at the Aiken County shelter. The dogs taken to Salem are in high demand, because, Ms. Bilton said, there isn't a stray animal problem there and people are often looking for such dogs instead of buying one at a kennel or pet store.
When it comes to dogs from Aiken, Ms. Bilton said they're not hard to find homes for. She said the Aiken dogs seem to be better-natured than some dogs they've received.
"The Southern hospitality even goes for the dogs," Ms. Bilton said.
Reach Preston Sparks at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.
ANIMAL SHELTERS BY THE NUMBERS
AIKEN COUNTY SHELTER
5,981: animals received in 2008
5,160: animals euthanized in 2008
86: percent of animals euthanized in 2008
53: average number of adoptions per month
500: average number of animals taken in per month
NORTHEAST ANIMAL SHELTER, IN SALEM
350: number of animals adopted out on average per month
100: amount the shelter hopes to increase adoptions per month
40: number of animals the shelter receives per month
Sources: Todd Glover, an assistant county administrator for Aiken County; Betty Bilton, director of the Northeast Animal Shelter
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After having spent time working at the Aiken County Animal Shelter I know the vet techs are happy about having less dogs to put down. There are so many irresponsible pet owners in Aiken County that it is pathetic. It is so much less of a hassle to just get your pets spayed or neutered than to have animal control picking them up. I had seen the same owners come in more than once to pick up the same pet they had roaming that animal control picked up. Maybe the county could adopt a policy of spaying or neutering these pets after a 2nd or 3rd pickup and charging the pet owners as a fine. We know what some of these pets are doing as they roam. Making babies somewhere that somebody will dump.
This solution is fantastic! Way to go Aiken and Salem for thinking outside the box, and going that extra mile (or 1,000) for these animals! GREAT JOB!