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This just breaks my heart. :(
AIKEN --- For every 10 dogs placed at the Aiken County Animal Shelter, nine will be euthanized.
That statistic prompted the formation of the Friends of the Animal Shelter earlier this year and a pet fair scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the animal shelter, said Joya Di Stefano, secretary/treasurer for the organization.
"This is a horrific situation," she said. "Pet owners have to understand these cats and dogs have to be spayed and neutered. The county cannot provide homes. The public has to do that."
Aiken County outpaces Augusta Animal Services and Columbia County Animal Care and Control by percentage of animals euthanized.
Aiken County took in 5,283 animals in fiscal year 2009, and 4,828 were euthanized, Mrs. Di Stefano said.
The Augusta shelter took in 12,849 animals last year, and 9,427 were euthanized, said director Diane Downs. Columbia County took in 5,703 animals in 2008, and euthanized 2,244, said manager Linda Fulmer.
Friends of the Animal Shelter seeks to educate the community about how they can help the growing number of homeless animals, save animal lives and provide much needed financial assistance to the shelter.
The key issue is a lack of resources to expand the facility for the growing number of strays, said FOTAS president Jennifer Miller. The Aiken County Shelter opened in 1987 with 13 adoption kennels. At the time, the shelter took in 100 animals in a month's time, she said. In one month alone, the shelter takes in more than 550 animals on average.
"The current shelter facility built over 20 years ago cannot keep up with the tremendous growth," Ms. Miller said.
Aiken County Animal Shelter Chief Officer Bobby Arthurs said the economy has played a role in the increase in animals taken in this year and last year.
"We've received a lot of surrenders from owners who move or can't assess the needs of the animals," he said. "We have to have more adoptions to decrease the number of animals we euthanize."
Since spring, the animal advocacy education group has worked to raise funds for expanding the facility, with $3,000 raised so far, Mrs. Di Stefano said.
The organization also hopes to have several events, such as Saturday's pet fair, to raise awareness about donating to the animal shelter, spaying and neutering pets and the benefits of owning pets, she said.
Reach Stephanie Toone at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or stephanie.toone@augustachronicle.com.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Friends of the Animal Shelter Pet Fair will offer two adoptions for the price of one pet, spay/neuter coupons, prizes, dog groomers and trainers on hands and free food.
WHERE: Aiken County Animal Shelter, 411 Wire Road
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday
COST: Free
more information: Call the shelter at (803) 642-1537
Euthanized animals by the numbers
9,427: number of animals euthanized out of 12,849 brought in to Augusta Animal Services in 2008
4,828: number of animals euthanized out of 5,283 brought in at the Aiken County Animal Shelter in fiscal year 2009
2,244: number of animals euthanized out of 5,703 brought in Columbia County last year
Source: Friends of the Animal Shelter, Columbia County Animal Care and Control and Augusta Animal Services
Comments
This just breaks my heart. :(
Please people do not adopt 2 for the price of one unless you can actually take care of these animals!!! If you can't afford food for yourselves then you can't afford food for an animal! Adopting a pet is not a decision to be made on a whim, make sure you have the ability to give that animal a GREAT home with lots of love! Owning an animal is not something to be taken lightly it is a huge RESPONSIBILITY! It sickens me to the very core of my being to imagine these poor animals being killed just because they do not have a home, I look at my own 3 dogs and cannot handle the thought that they could have been one of those statistics since they are rescues... There should not be such a thing as kill-shelters anymore, I don't care if there isn't any room...make room!
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