Dog days of summer
By GARY WILLOUGHBY
Aiken SPCA executive director
For those of you who enjoy going out to dinner and being able to bring your dog out with you, we’re happy to announce the third Dog Days of Summer to benefit the Aiken SPCA.
This year, the venue has changed, but the purpose is still the same: helping raise funds to feed our dogs and cats while feeding ourselves at the same time.
This year, Rose Hill Estate, one of Aiken’s most treasured and historic destination spots, is offering the Aiken animal-loving community the opportunity to dine out with our pets beginning Wednesday, June 2, and every Wednesday evening thereafter for the duration of the summer.
There also will be a room at Rose Hill dedicated to displaying information and materials about the new shelter project and available naming opportunities for anyone interested in knowing more about it. If you want to purchase a brick or tile in memory or honor of a loved one or pet, you can learn more about it at Rose Hill all summer long. A portion of all proceeds from the Wednesday dinners will go directly to benefit the animals waiting for their permanent homes at the SPCA shelter. And with nearly 200 hungry mouths to feed right now, every little bit helps.
Built in 1900, Rose Hill is the first property in Aiken listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is the most originally intact former Winter Colony estate.
If you have visited Rose Hill, you already know it as a quintessential expression of old Aiken and Gilded Age architecture. If you’ve not yet had the chance to enjoy this beautiful Aiken gem, come out and join fellow animal lovers on Wednesday evenings.
Rose Hill Estate is located at 221 Greenville St. in downtown Aiken between Barnwell and Edgefield avenues, just north of Richland Avenue and a little east of Laurens Street. Use the parking lot at rear located at the corner of Greenville and Edgefield.
Dining begins 5 p.m. and will take place in the Beer Garden and courtyard by the Stable Restaurant. Bring your pet. Menu will be casual fare, and no reservations are needed. However, if planning to bring a large group, give the staff a heads up. Call Rose Hill at 648-1181. For more about the SPCA, visit www.aikenspca.org or call 648-6863.
Donations needed:
As we enter the beginning of kitten season now, we are in desperate need of canned cat food. Any brand is fine and you are welcome to bring it to the shelter at 401 Wire Road or at our thrift store at 404 Richland Ave. E., whichever is more convenient. We also have donation bins at SuperPetz on Whiskey Road and Boots, Bridles & Britches on Pine Log Road. We are also always in need of Whiskas dry cat food, Pedigree dry dog food and any brand of canned dog food.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Animals in need of homes, TLC
Some special animals at the Aiken SPCA need some special owners.
The SPCA is caring for a mostly-blind poodle named Dynamo, a horse and a pot-bellied pig, and staff would love to see them go to good homes. The three were recently transferred to the nonprofit shelter from the Aiken County Animal Shelter after Animal Control picked them up as strays.
Each need a little extra TLC.
Dynamo is about 8 to 9 years old. He is neutered, and Adoption Coordinator Sybil Altman said she suspects he can see just a bit as he has shown he can navigate around Altman’s office fairly well.
“He was obviously someone’s dog. He is very friendly. I haven’t heard him bark, and he does seem to be house trained,” she said. “I probably wouldn’t recommend a household with small kids.”
The horse, who is about 25 to 30 years old, was found wandering around Aiken County. Altman said County Animal Control responded after receiving several calls.
The mare is thin, and Altman said her coat, hooves and teeth need some attention. There is a chance her owners may show up to claim her. If not, she will available for adoption in a few weeks.
Every morning, staff members take her from the stall at the back of the SPCA’s property to the canine agility field for exercise. Dogs have been in the fenced-off field next to her, and she does not appear to be skittish around them.
“She has definitely been alone for a while,” Altman said. “But she is as sweet as can be.”
The pot-bellied pig was found abandoned in a trailer with a number of dogs. She was spayed Wednesday.
Altman estimates her age at 5 years.
She also needs special care as her physical condition is relatively poor.
For more information, call the Aiken SPCA at 648-6863.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Stamp series advocates for local shelter animals
Aiken SPCA staffers brought dogs to the Aiken post office on Laurens Street for the debut of a stamp series honoring shelter animals just like them.
Aiken Postmaster Joseph Hart III and Summerall Station Site Manager Vince Robinson uncovered a poster with the “Animal Rescue: Adopt A Shelter Pet” stamp series Friday morning on the sidewalk outside the Laurens Street post office.
“I think they’re very cute,” said Hart. “I hope we sell enough of these stamps to benefit animal rescue charities and the local SPCA. I hope it will help find some of these animals homes.”
Gary Willoughby, SPCA executive director, and the SPCA’s Sybil Altman and Joan Irvine brought along a Jack Russell terrier mix, a black-and-white Lab mix and a mixed-breed golden dog to attend the ceremony and remind post office patrons that the SPCA has many fine animals in need of good homes.
“I think they’re great,” Willoughby said of the new 44-cent stamps. “It’s another opportunity to remind people of the importance of adopting animals. These are 10 examples of dogs and cats adopted from shelters. Also, the canceled stamps will have another message stamped in ink, so there’s another reminder. On top of that, the Postal Service has partnered with Halo Food Co. to donate a million pounds of pet food to shelters across the United States.”
The stamps were created by photographer Sally Anderson-Bruce, who shot photos of 10 adopted shelter animals in her hometown of New Milford, Conn. The stamps are being sold in cards of 20 for $8.80.
“I think they’re going to be great,” said post office patron Skip Townsend. “They’re for an excellent cause and helping excellent people. I think the post office is to be commended.”
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
SPCA seeks donations for new Willow Run facility
The Aiken SPCA’s new 20,000-square-foot facility on Willow Run Road, which plans to offer a multitude of animal-centric services, will not be possible without the community’s support, directors said Tuesday.
SPCA Board of Directors President Barbara Nelson, Executive Director Gary Willoughby and General Gifts Committee Chair Sharon Brown officially launched the animal welfare organization’s capital campaign to fund the construction of the $4.2 million facility.
They gathered at the dog park, which opened last fall, and pointed to adjacent acres where the adoption and regional spay/neuter clinic will be built.
“This will become a community destination,” Nelson said.
The SPCA has raised $3.2 million so far in donations and pledges, and Nelson hopes to have the remaining balance secured in another year. The capital campaign rests on the sale of memorial bricks and tiles.
The bricks will be placed in public areas around the exterior of the facility, and photo tiles will be mounted on the walls inside the adoption and education center.
SPCA directors anticipate the new facility will increase the capacity to house homeless pets by 50 percent, and the new spay/neuter clinic will perform more than 12,000 sterilizations per year, compared to the current average of 2,500 sterilizations.
Nelson said dogs available for adoption will no longer live behind chain link fencing in kennel runs. They will instead live in “suites” that are a minimum of 8 feet by 8 feet and enclosed with glass.
“The dogs will not be able to look at each other directly, which cuts down on territorial behavior and barking,” she said.
Cats will live in “colonies” complete with benches, climbing trees and access to enclosed, outdoor rooms. The two colonies will house up to 15 cats each.
The new facility will be built with durable materials to ensure it will be “serviceable for a very, very long time. We want to build a shelter that is here 50, 60 years,” Nelson said.
A geothermal loop system will cut down odor, and low E-glass solar panels will cut down on utility costs.
On top of all of that, the new building will also house a humane education center for school-age educational programs and tours, classes for new adopters and training for assistance and therapy pets. The SPCA will also introduce two new programs upon completion of the facility – a pet protective custody program and prison cell dog program.
Brown said the new facility will be “absolutely marvelous.”
“It seemed to me that this is a project we can all share in,” she said.
For more information on the memorial bricks and tiles, call the Aiken SPCA at 648-6863.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Pets to hit track during annual Paws For Cancer dog walk
The Aiken Relay For Life will get a helping hand from its four-footed friends Saturday at the 11th annual Paws For Cancer dog walk.
Dogs and owners will gather for Paws For Cancer at 8 a.m. Saturday at the H. Odell Weeks Activities Center walking track, and the walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. Dogs less than 50 pounds will walk at 8:30 a.m., and dogs more than 50 pounds will walk at 9 a.m. There will be refreshments and snacks for sale, and all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.
Registration is $25 per dog, which includes a Paws T-shirt and a goodie bag. Forms for advance registration are at local veterinary clinics and PetSmart, according to organizer Kathy Iwert. Iwert is team captain of the GlaxoSmithKline Relay team, which takes over the event management this year from 2010 Relay Co-Chair Holly Woltz.
“It’s a chance to get out with your dog and interact with other dogs and dog owners. I’ve been a walker in Paws For Cancer for probably the past five years, but he’s no longer with us,” Iwert said, referring to her dog.
It’s not all dogs at Paws, either; Iwert said they have one cat among the 45 to 50 animals registered for the walk. All animals, canine or feline, must be on a leash during the walk.
Southern K-9 Solutions will give dog obedience demonstrations at the walk, and Iwert hopes to have the Aiken SPCA and Molly’s Militia on hand with adoptable animals.
For more information about Paws For Cancer or for registration forms, call Iwert at 541-6398, or e-mail kathleen.r.iwert@gsk.com.
The Aiken Relay For Life will be from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Friday, May 21, at Aiken High School. There is still time to register a team and raise funds for the event. For more information, visit www.relayforlife.org/aikensc.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Celebrating 75 years of animal welfare in Aiken
This Thursday, April 22, the Aiken SPCA celebrates its 75th birthday. The organization was founded in 1935 by four women who were seasonal residents from New York City.
Mrs. William Breese, Miss Louise Ford, Mrs. Fitch Gilbert and Mrs. Arthur Iselin saw a need for helping animals in Aiken and created the Aiken County Society for Preventing Cruelty to Animals in an effort to find homes for homeless pets in the county.
In their hometown of New York City, they were familiar with the ASPCA, the group that runs commercials nationally that you’ve likely seen, and they took some of their ideas to start a group here in Aiken.
Everyone might not realize that the Aiken SPCA isn’t affiliated with the ASPCA, and the Aiken SPCA receives no funding from the ASPCA.
The timing was not the best for starting a charity back in 1935. The country was right in the middle of the Great Depression, with unprecedented poverty and unemployment.
Thankfully, these ladies found other people to help through fostering and adopting, and this laid the foundation for the organization we have today.
In the early years, some of the Aiken events were even featured in The New York Times, highlighting our annual dog shows in the Times’ social pages as far back as 1938.
The Aiken SPCA was actually the sponsor of what was billed as the largest polo pony show of its kind, held in Aiken in April 1939, with well-known Aiken names participating, such as Pete and Dunbar Bostwick, William Chisholm and Thomas Hitchcock Jr.
In the early years, many animals in shelters weren’t even spayed or neutered, rather just kept there to keep homeless pets from wandering the streets as a public safety issue. Some, but not many, were adopted out to homes, unaltered, with the hopes of at least keeping the girls and boys separated.
Through the decades, technologies improved and pets that were adopted began to be “fixed” and tattooed for identification in their ears. More and more people brought their dogs and cats inside their homes to join the family. People started fencing their yards, so “Fido” didn’t wander off.
For many years, the Aiken SPCA was located on Banks Mill Road, a little south of South Boundary.
Some of you reading this story may have been to this site, where today a beautiful home and stable sits. One of our supporters recently told me about a nice donkey that just passed away a few years ago which she adopted from the Aiken SPCA at that location in 1979.
In 1981, we moved up to our current site at 401 Wire Road by building a new shelter and a small spay and neuter clinic thanks to some generous donors.
In 1989, we added a three-stall horse barn on our site thanks to even more help from local philanthropists.
At our new site, we moved from tattoos to microchipping pets, helping make it much easier and faster to reunite a lost pet with its owner.
Fast forward to present day and we’re looking to soon build the new Aiken SPCA shelter and regional spay and neuter clinic that is designed to last 60 years or more.
You’ve likely heard about many of the wonderful components of this project that will improve the quality of life for homeless animals and for others coming through the clinic.
More than 400 residents have signed up dogs to come out and play at Aiken’s first dog park, a great partnership among the City of Aiken, the Aiken SPCA and private supporters.
Seeing all of the dogs playing in the splash pool or chasing a tennis ball down the hill is always a great sight to see.
Looking back at our history, thinking about the thousands and thousands of dogs, cats, horses, pigs, goats, rabbits, birds and others that we’ve found homes for through the years, gives us a great sense of pride.
The support of our wonderful volunteers and generous supporters are the main reason we have lasted all these years.
We’re excited about the future of animal welfare here in Aiken and beyond.
Thank you all in your efforts to help the Aiken SPCA help animals these past 75 years.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
SPCA sets up barn tour
The SPCA’s Annual Barn Tour is this coming Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s event will go to a new part of Aiken, the southern equestrian corridor, where you will see nine lovely barns on roads with names like Boyd Pond Road, Gone Away Lane and Storm Branch Leg. As unique as the road names are, the barns are even more special.
The best part is that you get a perhaps one-time chance to see these privately owned barns, graciously offered to the SPCA for this fun event.
You’ve probably driven by many of these farms and wondered what they were like on the inside. This is your chance to find out firsthand, while benefitting the animal shelter and spay/neuter clinic.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the main shelter at 401 Wire Road, at the new downtown Aiken Thrift Store at 404 Richland Ave. or Southside at Auto Tech, 460 Silver Bluff Road. Tickets can also be purchased over the phone by calling the shelter at 648-6863 or at the barns the day of the event.
With your tickets, you will also receive a map of all of the barns, plus a description of what to expect to see at each location, along with a booklet filled with the day’s schedule of events to see.
There will be a freestyle dressage demonstration and a display of natural horsemanship, and even some arena polo will be available for viewing.
For those who want to see a glance into the future of animal welfare, there will be an informational display about the new Adoption Center and Regional Spay and Neuter Clinic to be built soon on Willow Run Road. Complimentary lunch and dessert can also be found along the route, in case your stomach starts to rumble.
There will be a variety of interesting things going on at each barn. They can be seen in any order.
There will be nine beautiful barns to tour, exciting events, good food, fantastic animals to meet and mingling with hundreds of fellow animal lovers all supporting a great cause while having fun at the same time. It doesn’t get much better than that.
The SPCA also still needs a few more volunteers the day of the event to help with parking and checking tickets. For more information or to help out, call the shelter at 648-6863.
Don’t miss out on a chance to help the Aiken SPCA in a fun way. You’ll be talking about the sites you see for a long time afterward.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Barn Tour aids SPCA animals
Explore several barns on Aiken’s Southside and help the animals at the Aiken SPCA.
The nonprofit organization presents its third annual Barn Tour on Saturday, April 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and invites the public to tour at their leisure nine barns in the equestrian corridor off Silver Bluff Road to benefit the dogs and cats that call the SPCA home until they are adopted.
A map of the tour is available upon ticket purchase with proceeds going to shelter operations.
“We just say, ‘Go enjoy the barns,’” said Ann Kinney, who helps with marketing at the SPCA. “They can go in whatever order they want or follow the suggested route on the map.”
Kinney said a person does not have to be a seasoned horse person to enjoy the tour. They can simply be interested in the architecture of the barns or intrigued by a farm’s operations.
New to the tour this year are equestrian demonstrations and complimentary lunch, coffee and dessert.
Specific barns on the route will show arena polo, natural horsemanship or freestyle dressage.
Stop five is Sharer Dale’s Greystone Farms, where lunch will be served. Other barns will offer coffee or dessert.
SPCA Executive Director Gary Willoughby said several hundred people have attended in previous years, much to the delight of Aiken SPCA staff.
“They (the barns) are impressive to a lot of them because of their detail,” Kinney said.
Tickets include a $5 coupon to the SPCA Thrift Store on 404 Richland Ave. E. Tickets are $25 each and are available at the SPCA, 401 Wire Road, the thrift store and Auto Tech, 460 Silver Bluff Road. For more information, call 648-6863.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Fun at the Dog Park
The Aiken Dog Park has proven to be very popular, in spite of opening it during a time of year when the weather never seemed to cooperate. However, it appears that our dogs don’t mind a little cold weather, rain or mud when they get a chance to run around and play with new friends in a big park.
So far, around 200 people have purchased a tag for their pets to come out to our more than 2-acre dog park on Willow Run Road in Aiken, the site where our new facility will be built. The park is open to anyone regardless of where they live, and so far more than half of the memberships are from outside of Aiken City limits in places such as Graniteville, New Ellenton, Barnwell and Ridge Spring.
The splash pool has turned out to be a favorite feature of the park. Dogs are diving in the pool, chasing a tennis ball or playing with a buddy they just met. Some dive in even when part of the pool iced over during our last cold snap.
Three o’clock in the afternoon seems to be “prime time” during the week. I’ve counted more than 20 dogs and their owners at the park at one time. We’ve been very happy that so far, everyone has behaved and played nice. It is a lot of fun to watch big groups of dogs running up and down the hills, diving through the pool, all in pursuit of a ball or Frisbee. We see a lot of regular visitors that visit nearly every day. Full Story…..
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Aiken park opens to pet owners, pups
Aiken’s dog park is open to the public though the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony and pet fair have been postponed until next year.
Already, dogs and their owners have been taking advantage of the park’s fenced-in terrain and shallow splash pool and about a dozen people have purchased the dog park membership tags, which are required to be worn by all canines when they visit the park.
“The park is officially open,” said Gary Willoughby, executive director of the Aiken SPCA. “The pool is up and running, the City of Aiken has put out the trash cans and benches, but it’s still pretty muddy because it’s been raining so much.”
Inclement weather, including heavy rains and cold temperatures, is what pushed back the grand opening ceremony and pet fair, which was scheduled to happen earlier this month.
The Aiken SPCA Board of Directors is looking at March for the event, when the weather might be more suitable. The pet fair will also be held at the time of the grand opening ceremony.
The Aiken Dog Park is a joint project between City of Aiken and Aiken SPCA. It is located at 199 Willow Run Road, behind the Willow Run Industrial Park.
The park is open seven days a week from sunrise until sundown.
Full Story…..
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Puppy, kitten doesn’t make good gift on Christmas Day
The calls have already begun coming in. “I want to get my kids a puppy for Christmas. Can you hold it until Christmas Eve?”
We certainly understand that kids love puppies and kittens, and many would be very happy to see one as a member of the family on Christmas morning.
However, if you take a step back and think about it, there probably isn’t a worse day to introduce a new member of the family into your house.
Animals need routine and take time to adjust to life away from a shelter and into your new home. On Christmas, you’re much more likely to have a house full of people, a big Christmas tree with lights and decorations, unwrapped toys and wrapping paper all around the house. Not exactly the best environment for a young puppy trying to find his way in a new home.
We also have to look back when we were kids. The excitement of opening our presents was one of the most memorable parts of the day. However, we all remember discarding one toy, when we opened a new, more exciting toy. The puppy may end up being the one discarded when the new video game system or new bike grabs little Johnny’s attention.
Holidays are typically stressful times in the home, too. There is nothing like reliving an old family argument that happened 20 years ago with people you only see a couple times of year to make you grab for some more of the spiked eggnog and start looking at your watch hoping it is time to go. Now, add in a little puppy or kitten that knocks over the tree, or pees on the rug, or chews on mom’s new fuzzy slippers that Santa brought her.
Next thing you know, the pet is back at the shelter as fast as someone heading back to the mall to exchange the outfit that Grandma bought them. The kids are heartbroken, the parents are frustrated; although the carpet cleaning guy enjoys the extra money around the holidays from the service calls. Full Story….
Opening of Dog Park, pet fair postponed
Construction delays exacerbated by the heavy rains and below-freezing temperatures expected this weekend have set back opening day at the Aiken Dog Park and postponed the City of Aiken’s companion pet fair.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Saturday will be postponed until further notice, said Barbara Nelson, Aiken SPCA president.
The park will open as soon as the fence is fully constructed, which could be as early as the middle of next week, she said.
The 2-acre park on the site of the future SPCA Adoption Center and Regional Spay and Neuter Clinic has been designed through a joint effort between the City of Aiken and the SPCA, Nelson said.
The park features a doggie splash pool, rolling terrain with trees and areas for large and small dogs.
The Dog Park will be open to all dog owners, regardless of residency.
The pet clinic for City of Aiken residents that was to accompany the opening has also been postponed, Aiken Public Safety Director Pete Frommer said.
Public Safety has concerns about parking in areas that were saturated after Wednesday’s rainfall.
“It’s expected to be very cold, and we really want people to enjoy the day and would like to have a good turnout,” Frommer said.
The rain date for the pet fair has not been determined yet. It will most likely be held after the holidays, Frommer said.
For more information on pet fair registration, call Aiken Public Safety at 642-7620.
Pet owners interested in using the park and purchasing the $10 dog park membership tag should call the SPCA at 648-6863.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Dog park prepares for next week’s opening
A dedication ceremony for Aiken’s first dog park will be held next Saturday at 10 a.m.
The dog park is a joint project of the City of Aiken and Aiken Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It is located at 199 Willow Run Road, behind the Willow Run Industrial Park.
The City has put about $30,000 into the park, which has been set aside to pay for the cost of the fencing. Aiken SPCA has also invested about $30,000 into the project. Money is also being donated to the park by a local family in celebration on their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.
Both big and small dogs are welcome at the pet playground. The facility will have a specific area for large dogs and a place for smaller dogs. It will also include a common area where any dog can roam free.
Officials with the park said it will also include a square, 30-foot by 30-foot splash pool. The pool will be 10 inches deep and will resemble a ground-level swimming pool. The splash pool will cost about $16,000. Pet owners will be required to register their dogs with the SPCA or the City of Aiken Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism before they are able to bring them to the facility.
The dog park will be located next to the future home of the Aiken SPCA facility. Aiken SPCA officials are planning for construction of the shelter to begin a the end of the year.
The 20,000-square-foot facility will have the capacity to house 140 dogs and cats and will average 700 adoptions per year. It will include space for the City’s Animal Control, a regional spay and neuter clinic that would serve the City, County and other neighboring communities and an education and training facility for residents and their pets.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
SPCA brings Santa in for pet pictures
What does your pet want for Christmas? Find out by letting him or her sit on Santa’s lap and put in a wish list with the jolly big man.
This Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Photos with Santa will be taken for your pets at Cold Creek Nursery. The event is a fundraiser for the Aiken SPCA.
Photographer George Grieve will take photos of your pets with Santa among a festive holiday background. One 5×7 will be $20. Additional photos will be available for additional charges.
The fundraiser is of great importance to the SPCA.
“We are trying to do a lot for the spay/neuter services … the programs funding the service is running out of money and there are many people who can’t pay full price but so many people are stepping up to get their pets spayed and neutered. It really helps reduce the number of animals coming into our shelter and the county shelter. On average, $50 can pay for one animal to get fixed,” said Gary Willoughby, executive cirector of the ASPCA.
The community has an opportunity to receive a holiday treasure while helping the animal over-population problem faced by shelters. No reservations are necessary, simply show up on Saturday with your pet and take home a holiday memory.
Cold Creek Nursery is located at 398 Hitchcock Parkway.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Animals overdue for a home.
A few years ago, the Aiken SPCA Board of Directors made the decision to become a limited-admission, no-kill facility. That choice was welcomed in the community by staff and the facility’s visitors.
There is, however, one downside to running a shelter like this. Animals can stay in the shelter for their entire lives if no one chooses to adopt them. This reduces the number of animals that can be rescued each year. There are lots of reasons why some animals live at the facility for much longer than others.
First, big dogs – particularly, large mix-breed dogs – aren’t typically adopted quickly. A purebred boxer, German shepherd or golden retriever won’t stay for long, but mixes are less coveted by potential adopters.
Other dogs blend in, such as black lab mixes or hound mixes, and tend to get overlooked by many people. Many long-term residents get passed over, too, because there are usually cute puppies in the shelter and lots of people prefer very young puppies over a full-grown, 60-pound dog they don’t know.
The SPCA has the luxury of getting to know these dogs well by seeing them every day and knowing that these long-term residents will make great pets. Our dog with the longest time spent in the adoption area is currently Little Bit. She’s a boxer/bulldog mix that came to the shelter as a neglect and cruelty case. She was extremely underfed, heartworm positive and had been abused. She came to the SPCA in January 2008. She was fed well, cured of heartworms and began to trust people again. She’s a great dog who has been overlooked for far too long.
Two other large dogs – Rottweiler mixes, Buster Brown and Tyrone – look intimidating but are also sweet dogs who have spent the past year waiting for their chance at a forever home. They may be large and powerful, but you’d be hard-pressed to find nicer dogs with whom to share your home. Full Story……
SPCA nixes 2009 Westmuttster show
Westmuttster, the Aiken SPCA’s annual dog show fundraiser, has been canceled this year.
SPCA Executive Director Gary Willoughby said he and the board of directors hated to call off the event this year but decided the planning process would be too overwhelming in the midst of everything else the nonprofit organization is taking on.
“There is so much that goes into that,” Willoughby said. “It takes so much time and so many committees. We believe it is better to cancel than to have a negative show.”
The SPCA is in the middle of a capital campaign to raise several million dollars for its new facility off Willow Run Road, planning the Dec. 12 opening of its dog park and had recently held its Fur Ball.
“Taking on another thing would just be too much,” Willoughby said.
Westmuttster is scheduled to return November 2010.
The popular dog show featured shelter mutts and purebreds going nose-to-nose in categories such as Prettiest Eyes, Best Tail Wagger, So Ugly It’s Cute and Grandparents and Granddogs.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Dog park construction on schedule.
Soon local pups will have a place to roam free. Aiken’s first dog park is scheduled to open on Dec. 12.
The dog park is a joint project of the City of Aiken and Aiken Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Barbara Nelson, president of the SPCA, said work for the park is on schedule. A driveway made of gravel was recently completed at the site, located on Willow Run Road behind the Willow Run Industrial Park. Nelson said the next step for the project will be to install a 5-foot chain-link fence around the park. The 2.3-acre dog park will include separate areas for small and large dogs.
A 30-foot by 30-foot square-shaped splash pool also will soon be installed at the site. The pool will be about 10 inches deep and will resemble a ground-level swimming pool, according to Nelson.
“Dogs are going to love to splash around in it,” she said. Pet owners will be required to register their dogs with the SPCA or the City of Aiken Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism before they are able to bring them to the facility.
Nelson said the registration will ensure what pets are being taken to the park and that they have been vaccinated. The registration will cost a small fee.
The City has put about $30,000 into the park, which will pay for the cost of the fencing, said Nelson. Aiken SPCA has also invested about $30,000 into the project.
The splash pool will cost about $16,000. The money is being donated by a local family in celebration on their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Children are our future.
We’ve all heard Whitney Houston singing “The Greatest Love of All,” written by Michael Masser and Linda Creed, in which she reminds us that the “children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.”
No matter who sings it, though, the message of children being our future is obvious but important to remember. That philosophy isn’t lost on the Aiken SPCA, which is best known for rescuing and adopting homeless pets, its spay-and-neuter clinic and its busy thrift store in downtown Aiken; however, investing in the community’s children is every bit as important to the group.
The SPCA works hard at the shelter to bring around shy or formerly abused dogs. The shelter can get rid them of fleas, have heartworms treated, put weight on a skinny dog and other things to make pets more adoptable and quicker to adjust into a new home. Low-cost spaying and neutering are provided to pet owners to help reduce the pet overpopulation problem in the area.
While these things are important and worthwhile, at the end of the day, the shelter still needs great people to adopt, volunteer, donate, take the initiative to have their pets spayed and treat animals in their homes with respect and love, which will be returned without conditions.
How does the SPCA try to make this happen? It looks to the children. They are more open to new ideas and taking in new information. Teaching kids about how to safely approach a dog they don’t know and to make sure their family dog doesn’t spend its life at the end of a chain are just a couple of examples of what is share with them. More Details…
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Keep the donations coming to keep animals’ bellies full
Have you ever gotten that phone call at the last minute letting you know that 10 people are coming over tonight for dinner? You immediately start worrying that you won’t have enough food to feed everyone. (You probably also want to pull your spouse aside and ask them exactly how they thought inviting 10 people to your house for dinner tonight without speaking to you first seemed like a good idea, but that’s another conversation for another day.)
At the Aiken SPCA, we’ve got lots of mouths to feed. Some days we have as many as 200 dogs and cats looking to us to provide them with breakfast and dinner each day. As you can imagine, that’s a lot of kibble to have on hand at any one time.
We sometimes get to “cook” for goats, horses, rabbits, birds, iguanas, ferrets and pot bellied pigs. Our kennel staff “chefs” are responsible for preparing specialized meals for all of these animals and boy can they eat!
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Event to benefit animal groups.
It’s a day the whole family will be able to enjoy. The Hooves and Hounds extravaganza at Equine Rescue of Aiken will have something for everyone, and is serving as a fundraiser to benefit Equine Rescue of Aiken and the Aiken SPCA. The event will be held Sept. 26 at Equine Rescue of Aiken’s Haven Hills Farm from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“I really wanted to hold an event to showcase our horses,” said Larkin Steele, Equine Rescue of Aiken. “The Hooves & Hounds Extravaganza will be a family day for horses, cats and dogs and the Aiken SPCA.”
A number of activities will be featured during the event that include dressage demonstrations (one of the horses is a rescue horse), dog agility demonstrations, a silent auction, a tack sale and children’s activities including pony rides and face painting.
“There will be a dressage demonstration by Andrea Sirrenberg Hunt, who will be riding a horse that was going to be euthanized, and is now doing third level dressage,” said Steele. “Beverly Zimmer will be coming to do a demonstration. We have another woman who’s coming to do demonstrations with her horses and dogs.”
The silent auction will feature a variety of items, thanks to the generous support of the community, said Steele.
The event is open to the public, there will be food, and there’s no admission charge.
Equine Rescue of Aiken Haven Hills Farm is located at 532 Glenwood Drive, Aiken.
For more information about the Hooves & Hounds Extravaganza, call 643-1850 or you can access their website at www.AikenEquineRescue.com.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
SPCA membership has its perks and privileges
The Aiken SPCA adopted nearly 700 animals in 2008. They came in all shapes and sizes, ages from 8 weeks to more than 10 years old.
While they vary in size, breed, temperament, personality and looks, they share one common thing. They are part of the Aiken SPCA family for the rest of their life.
What does that mean to an adopter?
First, your adopted pet comes with a microchip that offers you ease of mind that if it ever gets lost and picked up by animal control or turned in to a local veterinarian, a quick scan of the animal will register it back as an alumnus of the Aiken SPCA, which will help get it returned to its owner quickly.
If the previous owner didn’t want the pet anymore and didn’t bring it back to us, like they were supposed to do, the microchip assures that the dog or cat will come back to the Aiken SPCA, no matter where it was found.
Just last weekend, a boxer was found wandering in a small town in Georgia, more than 50 miles from our shelter. With a quick scan of the dog, we were notified. Now, the dog is back with us and is doing great.
Another important part of adopting from an animal welfare group like the Aiken SPCA is you get a lifetime support system for that adopted animal.
If you are having difficulty house training, need a referral for obedience training or other kind of advice to make the transition easier, we are only a phone call away. Full story..
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Grant aids Aiken SPCA’s Spay and Neuter Fund.
The Aiken Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is the recipient of a challenge grant, which will help low-income households spay and neuter their pets if they have not been able to receive a voucher.
Linda Darden, a seasonal resident of Aiken who helped found Vermont’s North County Animal League, will match up to $5,000 of 2009-10 donor contributions to the Aiken SPCA Spay and Neuter Fund.
Board President Barbara Nelson wrote in an e-mail that the SPCA will use the funds generated by Darden’s challenge grant to assist those individuals who are not able to obtain a spay/neuter voucher from the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
Because of the program’s popularity, the County Shelter has begun rationing vouchers to 25 a month and one per household. Officials are afraid the money allocated will be depleted before the end of the fiscal year.
It has happened before. The $30,000 that Aiken County Council earmarked for the program last fiscal year ran out in nine months. Full Story…
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Area society seeks help for the SPCA.
The CSRA Vegetarian Society (CSRAVS) has teamed up with the Aiken SPCA to recruit volunteers for the SPCA’s animal welfare and protection programs.
Members of CSRAVS recently attended an orientation session at the SPCA’s no-kill shelter on Wire Road. There they took a tour, made friends with dozens of homeless animals and signed up for volunteer opportunities ranging from dog walking to cat socializing to fundraising.
Sean Woods, founder and organizer of CSRAVS, said the Vegetarian Society is trying to help spread the word about the SPCA’s need for volunteers. He said the orientation session was advertised by e-mail to the more than 100 CSRAVS members.
“CSRAVS has a base of people who are very committed, and a lot of them are interested in animal welfare issues,” he said. “At the same time, we knew that the SPCA really needs volunteers. It seemed like a win-win for everybody.”
Gary Willoughby, executive director of the SPCA, agreed.
“We appreciate the interest,” he said. “It’s really great of the CSRAVS members to turn out. We hope we’ll have more chances to work with the Vegetarian Society in the future.”
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
New Aiken SPCA uses innovative designs for shelter
By BARBARA NELSON
Aiken SPCA president
Do you want to adopt a shelter animal but find yourself unable to make the trip to the facility because you feel bad seeing them confined behind chain linked fenced kennels surrounded by gray concrete walls that echo with the sounds of barking dogs?
Have you ever wondered if there is a better way? Well, there is, and the new Aiken SPCA to be built on Willow Run Road will be it.
Innovative shelter architects and building product manufacturers are teaming up with shelter professionals to design and construct cageless facilities aimed at improving the physical health and behavior skills to the homeless animals that are up for adoption. Really good facilities, like the new SPCA will be, are also educational and offer job opportunity.
The building is animal centric, meaning that the pets have views to the outside world, while staff and support are in the interior. Adoption floor dogs and puppies will live in suites with doors, window light and piped in classical music, comforted by beds, special toys for mental stimulation, frequent exercise and human socialization. Dogs will go out for daily exercise, agility and training to prevent the development of depression and behavioral problems.
Adoption floor sociable cats will live in colonies of 10 to 12 individuals in large rooms with lounging areas along walls, ceiling and floors. They will be able to walk through a cat door to the outside porches that face visitors arriving at the front doors. People will enter the colonies and interact with cats so they can have a chance to observe behavior. Cats that prefer only a companion or two share space in glass-walled mini colonies with plenty of interactive toys. Kittens have separate space across the lobby hall in their own spacious mini-colonies.
The new center is designed with state-of-the-art ventilation systems that pull in 100 percent fresh outside air that is exchanged 12 to 15 times per hour, virtually eliminating disease transmission and odors. This reduces medical costs for treating sickness, reduces euthanasia rates and vastly improves the health and well being of people working and visiting the facility.
In dog adoption, pets are paired up in 8′ x 8′ glassed suites with beds raised off the floor and are walked three times a day by trained volunteers who teach all sorts of good skills. In a short period of time, the animals are housetrained and may even know some basic obedience commands, which increases their chances of adoption and decreases the chances they will be returned.
The new building has room for volunteer training, lockers and cleaning up. All of this makes for happy people who want to spend more time at the shelter or dog park and who feel good about spreading the word about the fun and good work they are doing. An animal shelter doesn’t have to be a sad place to go; instead it can be the highlight of the day and a place for the community to meet, take classes and visit with others as well as the animals.
New shelters designed and built like the future Aiken SPCA become community destinations and learning centers that offer pet therapy training, obedience classes, job training and science education for school age children interested in the life sciences.
In fact, the Regional Spay and Neuter Clinic has purposely been designed to encourage visitors to observe preparation and surgery through glass windows, making education one of the important elements and functions of this new facility.
Want to learn how you can help with this project?
Call the shelter at 648-6864 and ask to speak with Executive Director Gary Willoughby.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Vet care is not optional.
Thousands and thousands of us own pets in this area. The vast majority understand that the responsibility of pet ownership doesn’t stop with a bowl of food and water. Pets can be expensive and that fact must be considered before taking on the responsibility.
This fact is something we try to review with any potential adopter when they want to add a new cat or dog to their family household. It’s also important to remember this if you find a dog or cat in the woods, on the side of the road or if you answer a “free to good home” ad in the paper.
About 10 times a day, every single day we are open, we receive a call from a pet owner who hasn’t thought these facts through. Some are wanting free or low-cost vaccinations because they have a pet and tell us “I don’t have any money to go to a vet.” Other, more troubling calls are the ones from people with a sick or injured pet. They often want free medical care for this animal because they also “have no money.”
As you might imagine; these calls are very frustrating to our staff members. The people answering the phones are certainly not wealthy people themselves, but they love their pets and know that as soon as they take a pet into their home, they are committing part of their personal budget to provide care, shelter and food for the animal they adopted. Full Story..
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Waiting is hardest part.
Since the beginning of 2008, well more than 1,000 animals have been adopted from the Aiken SPCA.
Dogs and cats joined their new families. We’ve seen pot-bellied pigs be born onsite, each finding loving new homes. Countless birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, a Nile monitor lizard and even a chinchilla attracted someone’s attention and were adopted from us.
During that time period, a few animals never quite drew anyone’s attention and have spent this time at the shelter. The great part of working for a group that keeps all adoptable pets until they are adopted, without time limits, is that you really get the opportunity to know them, to work with the shy ones, heal the heartworm-positive ones and socialize the ones who are scared and don’t show well in a shelter.
The downside is that occasionally a great dog or cat will spend too much of its life waiting each and every day, hoping today will be their lucky day. The competition is intense, as the SPCA is always receiving cute kittens and puppies in the shelter. Even adult dogs, if they are really small, will barely stay long enough for us to give them a medical check and a name.
Big Boy is a victim of what I like to call the “last of his litter” syndrome. He’s a hound mix who has been at the shelter for the vast majority of his life. He and his brothers were city strays who were never claimed. As you can imagine, they were cute hound puppies, and the others were quickly adopted. Big Boy just never drew anyone’s attention and soon grew into a big, goofy dog with floppy ears. He’s spent more than a year at the shelter, sometimes going to an off-site adoption event to show him off and being seen six days a week by potential volunteers, without capturing anyone’s heart enough to take him home. Full Story..
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC
Saturday dog wash helps shelter pets thrive.
By RACHEL JOHNSON
It’s time to de-stink your pup.
The third Aiken SPCA Dog Wash of the summer will be held on Saturday at Cold Creek Nurseries from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. All dirty dogs are invited to come and get pampered.
Pampering stations will be set up in the parking lot at Cold Creek Nurseries. Different grooming options are available for the dogs. The works includes a wash, nail trimming and ear cleaning. The cost of the works package is $30 for dogs more than 100 pounds, $25 for dogs between 30 and 100 pounds and $20 for dogs less than 30 pounds.
Other spa day options include a sudsy bath for $13, a nail trim only for $7 and an ear clean only for $5.
On Saturday, the SPCA will be microchipping and selling T-shirts, and a groomer is expected to be on hand to sell flea and tick prevention medicines.
The dog washes serve as a fundraiser held by the Aiken SPCA to provide vital resources for the animal shelter.
“All of the money raised goes directly for the operating costs of the SPCA,” said Linda Strojan, secretary of the Board of Trustees for the Aiken SPCA. “The shelter depends on it. I am excited for Saturday and hope we have a good turnout for it. We had record numbers at the July dog wash.”
For those unable make Saturday’s wash, the final Aiken SPCA Dog Wash is scheduled for Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cold Creek Nurseries, 98 Hitchcock Parkway.
For more information, call Aiken SPCA at 648-6863
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
McDonald’s to help SPCA spread the word
The Aiken SPCA and McDonald’s have teamed up to educate the public on spaying and neutering.
Starting soon, Tom Powers-owned McDonald’s will be filling takeout bags and lining trays with pamphlets that promote the no-cost or low-cost spay and neuter programs available in Aiken County.
The partnership started when SPCA staff dined in a McDonald’s and struck up a conversation with Powers.
“They gave me ‘the 9,000 animals enter shelters and 7,000 don’t come out’ information,” Powers said. “I said, ‘Ya’ll need to tell people about this.’”
The pamphlets that will be handed out in the fast-food restaurants draw attention to that statistic and provide information on the Aiken County Animal Shelter and SPCA’s low-cost spay and neuter voucher programs, which are available to qualifying households.
Animal advocates believe that spaying and neutering cuts down on the unwanted pet population.
“We are always trying to spread the news of spaying and neutering,” said Barbara Nelson, president of the SPCA’s board of directors. “It is the responsible thing to do, and it is affordable.”
Nine thousand fliers have been printed, and Powers plans to distribute them to customers on the busiest days at the McDonald’s on Richland Avenue, Whiskey Road and York Street.
“Hopefully people will take advantage of the programs available,” Nelson said. “It is good that there are businesses and people that support us.”
For more information on the SPCA’s voucher program, call 648-6863.
For more information on the Aiken County Animal Shelter’s voucher program, call 642-1537.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Belvoir to host inaugural clinic
The inaugural Belvoir Farm Hunter Clinic, benefitting the Aiken SPCA, gives riders a chance to give back to the community while improving their skills as a horseman.
The clinic will be held Aug. 15 and will be conducted by Belvoir Farm’s Mike Sharp at the Belvoir Farm South Equestrian Center in Windsor. Sharp has developed a number of outstanding riders and has conducted clinics in New England, the mid-Atlantic, Oregon and Kentucky. In addition to competing in Europe, he was the Chef d’Equipe for the Bermudan show jumping team.
“We’re going to work on getting everyone to get their horse to relax, so they’ll be able to perform at the highest level,” said Sharp. “I’ve done these clinics for years, and this will be the first one I’ve conducted in Aiken. Everyone needs a different perspective.”
The clinic is open to riders of all ages, levels and abilities, said Sharp. All riders who are going to participate in the clinic are required to wear approved protective helmets with a chin strap. The clinic sessions will last approximately 1¬½ hours.
Registration for the clinic will begin at 7:30 a.m., with session one starting at 8 a.m.; obstacles will be set at a 2-foot maximum. The second session will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and will feature obstacles 2 feet, 3 inches to 2 feet, 6 inches high. Session three will be conducted from noon to 1:30 a.m., with the obstacles set at 2 feet, 9 inches to 3 feet, 3 inches in height.
The cost of the clinic is $65 per rider, with 15 percent of the entry fees being donated to the Aiken SPCA. The maximum number of riders being limited to six riders per session.
Checks should be made payable to Mike Sharp, accompanied by a registration form and must be received by Aug. 7. For more information, call 646-5714 or 617-8353.
Don’t let puppy mills stay in business.
One of the toughest calls the Aiken SPCA gets is when one of our area animal control departments finds out about a suspected puppy mill and is going to investigate. What they find is often something you simply can’t un-see.
Puppy mills are different than good breeders who follow guidelines of organizations like the American Kennel Club and who are seeking to produce the best examples of a particular type of dog or cat. The mentality behind a puppy mill is different; money is the singular motivation for breeding animals.
Puppy mills found their origins on large scales in the Midwest post-World War II when farmers began looking for alternative crops and seeking to meet the growing demand for puppies throughout the country. Because of the condition in which the puppies live (lying in chicken coops, rabbit hutches or other areas not designed for puppies) and lack of veterinary care, many of the animals raised this way display physical and emotional issues.
Mothers are bred indiscriminately and far too often, and their puppies are often taken away too early to ship them out somewhere while still very young. Where are these dogs sold? These days, the Internet is a puppy mill breeder’s best friend. They either sell them directly or find a wholesaler to do the work for them. These puppies also show up in flea markets, classified ads, pet stores, even being sold out of the back of the truck or van in some parking lot. The buyer sees the cute puppy, buys it impulsively and finds out later that often the puppy has medical issues, emotional issues and other physical problems resulting from inbreeding, overbreeding and indiscriminate breeding. Full story..
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Whom do I call regarding concerns about animals in City and County?
Our phones ring off the hook each day with a variety of questions.
As a 74-year-old animal welfare organization that is well-known by many residents of the CSRA, the Aiken SPCA is usually the first point of contact when an animal question arises.
People call to report their dog or cat missing or that one wandered in their yard or was found in a parking lot or on the side of the road.
There is a network of people who help get the word out to reunite pets.
We take the information and post it at the shelter, as does Aiken County Animal Control. We inform City of Aiken Animal Control, as well.
At the new website, http://aikenpetsreunited.org, information and photos are posted there, as well as on www.twitter.com.
Local veterinarians also usually have space in their offices to post lost pet reports.
Local vets and shelters can also scan these found pets for microchips, which, if they have one, will greatly speed up the reuniting process.
The other types of calls we frequently receive are reports by people who are concerned for the well being of an animal.
It may be a thin horse in a pasture, a dog left outside without shelter, a potential fighting ring or a potential hoarder, someone who may have vastly more animals than they can properly care for.
These issues need to be investigated by the animal control department that has jurisdiction in the area.
Six Alley restaurants unite for SPCA
Restaurants in The Alley are joining forces this week to celebrate the dog days of summer with the first Alley Fest.
Organized by the owners of The Alley’s six restaurants, the event is a benefit for the Aiken SPCA and is a joint effort of Up Your Alley, Papa Russ’s BBQ, West Side Bowery, Davor’s Cafe, Aiken Brewing Company and Takosushi.
SPCA volunteers will man the entrances to The Alley from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday selling Alley Fest admission wristbands for $2, in different colors for minors and adults.
Adults with a wristband can carry open containers on the festival grounds from a Budweiser beer tent that will be set up in The Alley, courtesy of AB Beverage Company.
“This is going to be, we hope, the first of four or five events like this a year, each for a different charity,” said Russ Richardson, owner of Papa Russ’s BBQ. “We’re happy to be downtown and trying to create interest in being downtown. All the restaurants in The Alley like the SPCA – there’s something about this community and its animals – so it was a natural choice.”
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Get your dogs clean for a good cause.
Dirty dogs of Aiken are being called to freshen up.
The second Aiken SPCA Dog Wash of the summer will be held on Saturday at Cold Creek Nursery from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The dog washes are an annual fundraiser held by the Aiken SPCA and provide vital resources for the animal shelter.
“All of the money raised goes directly for the operating costs of the SPCA,” said Linda Strojan, secretary of the Board of Trustees for the Aiken SPCA. “The shelter depends on it. I am excited for Saturday and hope we have a good turnout for it. The July dog wash is one where all the dogs are dirty, hot and in need of a bath, so we hope they will all come.”
Pampering stations will be set up in the parking lot at Cold Creek Nursery. Different grooming options are available for the dogs. The works includes a wash, nail trimming and ear cleaning. The cost of the works package is $30 for dogs more than 100 pounds, $25 for dogs between 30 and 100 pounds and $20 for dogs under 30 pounds.
Other spa day options include a sudsy bath for $13, $7 for a nail trim only and $5 for an ear clean only.
“We usually raise about $2,000 at each event, and it is a really good opportunity for us to see animals – Aiken SPCA alumni – adopted from us,” said Gary Willoughby, executive director at Aiken SPCA. “The same core group of volunteers participate and it is really a social event with a lot of the same people and dogs returning.
“We get to know many of the dogs by name. It is also a good time for flea prevention,” he said. “The dogs go away healthier and happier then when they came. It is just a really fun atmosphere.”
Upcoming Aiken SPCA Dog Washes are scheduled for this Saturday and Aug. 15 and Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Cold Creek Nurseries located at 98 Hitchcock Parkway.
Contact Rachel Johnson at rjohnson@aikenstandard.com.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Don’t be surprised – there are rules for adoption, too
Most of us aren’t too crazy about a lot of rules. We have rules as kids as to when we have to go to bed, what we can eat, what clothes we can wear and at school it’s even worse. We even have to get permission to use the restroom; a hall pass is like gold for a school kid.
There are rules for when we can buy a car, even rules to follow at our jobs, in our marriages and in almost all other aspects in our lives. Now you want to adopt a dog or cat from the Aiken SPCA, and you find out there are rules there, too.
Believe it or not, some folks are surprised when they show up to adopt that there are rules the SPCA needs to enforce before pet adoption. The Board of Directors has developed a set of rules for the protection of the animals. Unfortunately, experience has proved that some people do not tell the truth about why they want to adopt and about their living conditions.
There are mean, unscrupulous people who only want an animal so that they can use it for pit bull fighting bait or other abusive treatment. There are also many people who have no clue what responsible ownership means and continuously lose dogs, then just go get another one to replace it. There are other people who are “collectors” and have too many animals, for which they cannot provide. There is a long list of reasons why potential adopters must be screened. Full story.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
The ultimate recycling program reuses pets
When you think about the Aiken SPCA, you probably don’t think about recycling. However, being environmentally responsible through a variety of ways such as recycling is a big part of the culture.
At the shelter, we recycle all cardboard, plastic bottles, paper, aluminum cans, metal, wood and anything else that we can keep out of a landfill. Our supporters even bring us their aluminum cans to recycle and earn money to help run our shelter.
Another recycling program is our thrift store at 220 Park Ave. in beautiful downtown Aiken.
The building is many years old and had many other uses before we moved in.
Everything in the store is recycled after originally being bought new by someone who donated to us once they didn’t need it anymore. Then someone else comes along and gives that item new life, keeping it out of a local landfill and raising money to support the shelter at the same time.
Many of you know that the thrift store is the SPCA’s single largest source of income for the shelter. Recycling with a thrift store is not only a good thing to do, but we couldn’t survive as an agency without it.
When you think about the Aiken SPCA, you probably don’t think about recycling. However, being environmentally responsible through a variety of ways such as recycling is a big part of the culture.
At the shelter, we recycle all cardboard, plastic bottles, paper, aluminum cans, metal, wood and anything else that we can keep out of a landfill. Our supporters even bring us their aluminum cans to recycle and earn money to help run our shelter.
Another recycling program is our thrift store at 220 Park Ave. in beautiful downtown Aiken.
The building is many years old and had many other uses before we moved in.
Everything in the store is recycled after originally being bought new by someone who donated to us once they didn’t need it anymore. Then someone else comes along and gives that item new life, keeping it out of a local landfill and raising money to support the shelter at the same time.
Many of you know that the thrift store is the SPCA’s single largest source of income for the shelter. Recycling with a thrift store is not only a good thing to do, but we couldn’t survive as an agency without it. More details
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Aiken has 60 newly bathed dogs
The dog days of summer seem to have arrived in Aiken, and the suds were flying.
The first of four summer Aiken SPCA Dog Wash fundraisers was held on Saturday at Cold Creek Nurseries, and nearly 60 dogs of all sizes and breeds were lathered up.
The dog washes are an annual fundraiser held by the Aiken SPCA and provide vital resources for the animal shelter.
“All of the money raised goes directly for the operating costs of the SPCA,” said dog wash coordinator Linda Strojan. “We usually do well, and the shelter depends on it. Many of the same people come back year after year.”
One of the return visitors is Pixie Baxter. She and her dog have been participating for years.
“We support the event because I think the SPCA does a fabulous job at finding homes for the animals … and they offer outstanding educational efforts for spay and neuter,” said Baxter.
Other attendees took part in the event for the first time and arrived in style. Marcia and Gary Frye brought their two four-legged friends Bailey and Rosie to indulge in a spa day, and the dogs wore their designer sunglasses/goggles.
“They like to profile,” laughed Gary Frye as Bailey and Rosie showed off their shades. “It’s just better for their eyes in the sun. This is our first time. My wife shops here and saw it in the paper, and we decided to come out.”
“We are proud to be the sole site of the SPCA dog washes. We just love this,” said Annette Weese, manager of Cold Creek Nurseries.
During the dog wash, the parking lot of Cold Creek Nurseries is home to several stations where dogs receive a nail trim, ear cleaning and a sudsy bath. Volunteers work tirelessly to make the event possible and keep the atmosphere light and fun.
“Where else can he (Rocket, a Bernese Mountain dog) go and get a bath from four women?” asked Megan Willoughby as she and a team soaped up the dog.
Spa day for the dogs includes a wash only for $13, $7 for a nail trim only, $5 for an ear clean only, $20 for the mini works (dogs less than 30 pounds), $25 for the works (dogs 30 to 100 pounds) and $30 for the extra works (dogs more than 100 pounds).
Upcoming Aiken SPCA Dog washes are scheduled for July 11, Aug. 15 and Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Cold Creek Nurseries located at 98 Hitchcock Parkway.
See video of these four-legged friends getting a bath at www.aikenstandard.com.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Shelters having problems in down economy
They are Amber and Bo, and they are looking for a home.
Amber and her brother, Bo, short for Bodacious, were returned to the Aiken SPCA on Christmas Eve after being adopted as puppies a few years ago.
The lively pair are full-grown at two years of age and look to be lab mixes.
Amber and Bo are victims of the worsening economy – they were surrendered when their owners could no longer afford to keep them.
“Both owners lost their jobs,” said Sybil Altman, SPCA adoptions coordinator. “And she thought it would be better to bring them back here.”
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, as many as 1 million dogs and cats are in danger of losing their homes because of the economic crisis.
But, it is not a new dilemma in Aiken, said shelter Executive Director Gary Willoughby, as some people who adopted before were living paycheck-to-paycheck and often had difficulties paying for pet needs.
Still, SPCA staff said Amber and Bo deserve a good home.
“Bo is Amber’s shadow,” Altman said. “It would be great for them to be together.”
If adopted separately, Altman said Bo would do best with another dog in the household for companionship.
“They have had a lot of lookers,” Willoughby said. Both dogs need yard with at least a six foot high fence.
The adoption fee is $75.
For more information, call 648-6863 or visit the shelter at 401 Wire Road.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Event raises funds for SPCA
The Aiken SPCA is a not-for-profit organization that’s made a difference in the lives of many, through saving lives, giving hope to others and by bringing people and pets together.
The SPCA’s second PAWS for a Cause celebration was held Saturday afternoon at David and Cindy Wigdahl’s Dahlwood Polo Farm.
“The event is hosted 100 percent by David and Cindy Wigdahl to benefit the Aiken SPCA and all of the homeless dogs and cats at the shelter,” said Tracey Souci, Aiken SPCA event coordinator. “This is the second year in a row they’ve done this event. They pay for everything. People come and bring food for dogs or cats, and either give a check or cash. It’s just a wonderful day for families.”
PAWS for a Cause also included a silent auction, with many of the items being donated from local businesses; a drawing was held for two trees from local nurseries, said Souci.
“We love generous supporters like the Wigdahls, who care so much about animals,” said Souci.
For more than 74 years, the Aiken SPCA has been impacting the community and the lives of others by placing pets in loving homes.
There were four dogs from the shelter at this year’s PAWS for a Cause, and it gave the dogs an opportunity to socialize with the people attending the event, said Souci.
“We didn’t want to put the dogs in kennels because it wouldn’t give people the opportunity to appreciate their personalities,” said Souci.
“The event served as a reminder that there are animals of all shapes and sizes available for adoption,” said Gary Willoughby, Aiken SPCA executive director.
There are about 75 to 80 dogs and 35 to 40 cats and kittens currently available for adoption at the Aiken SPCA shelter, he said.
Aiken’s altruistic nature to help others has manifested itself in those members of the community whose generosity has impacted the life of others.
“People like David and Cindy Wigdahl are so generous to do things like this,” said Barbara Nelson, Aiken SPCA president. “It’s a lot for them to take this entire facility and turn it into one big party and to generate funds for the shelter. These are the kind of people who make a difference.”
Contact Ben Baugh at bbaugh@aikenstandard.com.
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Website reunites lost pets with their owners.
A dog who had wandered off from his owners served as the impetus for Victoria Foulkes-Pyle to create a unique tool that will be a welcome resource for pet owners who are trying to reunite with their pets or for those who have found lost pets.
AikenPetsReunited.org is a new website that’s doing its part to help reunite pet owners with the members of their family who have lost their way. Foulkes-Pyle and Wes Funderberg, the City of Aiken’s web administrator, created the website, which is a free service.
Foulkes-Pyle had discussed the idea for the website with Aiken SPCA President Barbara Nelson and with the Aiken County Animal Shelter prior to creating the website, which is now available as a countywide resource.
“I found a dog while I was walking my dogs on a farm in Montmorenci,” said Foulkes-Pyle, who added that the dog has since been reunited with his owners in Windsor. “He had been running around, and I didn’t have any idea of how to put him back in touch with his owner. He had a collar on but there was no identification. He appeared to be lost and was a really nice looking dog. He came into the house without any problem or hesitation. I sent an e-mail out to a number of people that I knew, and they forwarded it out to a number of people they knew.”
Future plans call for the addition of a phone number as another way to help reunite lost pets with their owners for those people who don’t have access to the Internet.
Any pet that has been found can be listed on the website, said Foulkes-Pyle. Full story
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
SPCA Barn tour! 11th April 09
Satisfy your curiosity as to what lies behind the wide, sturdy doors of local barns with the Aiken SPCA’s second Barn Tour.
Tickets are available now for the Saturday, April 11 event showcasing nine area barns, with all proceeds benefitting the homeless dogs and cats at the nonprofit rescue group’s shelter.
SPCA Events Coordinator Tracey Souci said this year’s tour is “fun and funky” featuring small to large and fancy to quaint barns representing many of the riding and training disciplines of the Aiken horse community.
“It’s a way to learn something and have fun,” she said. “Horse owners can get ideas for their own barns and for people who don’t own horses, they can get a peek into the private lives of horse people. What’s down that long drive? How did the people get here and what do they do with their horses?”
Attendees will be given a map and the description of each barn once they purchase their tickets. The tour is self-guided and will take place from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Barns may be toured in any order.
Tickets are $25 each or two for $45. They are available at Malia’s, Auto Tech, the Aiken SPCA or at the Aiken SPCA Thrift Store. Only the Aiken SPCA can take payment by credit card.
For more information, call 522-2203.
Some of the barns that will be featured are …
Marvin Slosman’s Ridge Runner Farm
“Marvin is a passionate polo player and patron. He describes his barn as functional for horses first, but also comfortable for people. Marvin and his Argentine polo players enjoy the tradition of socializing with opposing players around the Asado/Argentine BBQ. Meet Marvin’s buckskin mare, La Gata, the ‘Queen of the barn.’ Be sure to walk through the attractive adjoining barn apartment.”
Joann and Fred Rawn’s Black Pearl Friesian Farm
“Drive the curving driveway through paddocks and oak trees to this graceful barn built by Fred Rawn construction. See their four elegant black Friesian horses and two adorable mini horses. Walk through the owner’s lovely, roomy apartment above the barn to see the expansive views from the balconies.”
Front Gate Properties, We’re selling the BEST Real Estate in Aiken, SC.
Break the chain that confines, restrains dog
By GARY WILLOUGHBY Aiken SPCA executive director If you are reading this article, you’re likely an animal lover who treats your pet like a member of the family. You feel that your dogs enjoy the fresh air outside, like you do. When the weather is nice, they want to be outside to play, get exercise and maybe chase a squirrel that is brave enough to hop in the backyard.Full Story!
Some pets are not quite ready…
Foster care has some parallels for cats and dogs. At the Aiken SPCA and at other animal shelters, we take in lots of animals who aren’t ready for “prime time” just yet. Like in sports, there are a wide variety of reasons why. Some dogs come in testing heartworm positive. Their previous owner didn’t spend the money to purchase monthly preventive from their veterinarian and now the dog has a disease that will be fatal, if left untreated.
For the full story.
The year 2008 wasn’t all bad
1/12/2009 5:21 PM
The year 2008 will be remembered for a lot of things that still sting. The mortgage crisis, record high gas prices, bankruptcy and the housing bubble bursting. Most of us couldn’t wait for 2009 to get here, in hopes of better times ahead. While … full story