Find Your Valentine In Aiken – Pet Adoption Event

Valentine's Day is coming up soon. If you're looking for unconditional love and loyalty, there's one sure place to find it. And that is going to be at this pet adoption event in Aiken this Saturday, February 10th.

On Saturday, Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS Aiken) and the Aiken County Animal Shelter are hosting "Valentine Mocktails and Pawderves." The event is from noon until 2 p.m. at the Aiken County Animal Shelter.

This fun, "Find Your Furry Valentine" adoption event includes "mocktails and pawderves," served by FOTAS volunteers.  It also features a special $14 adoption fee for "doggie bachelors and bacherlorettes." And you can't miss out on the doggie kissing booth!  This is a great photo opportunity and a chance to get kisses from the many amazing pups that are up for adoption.

The Aiken County Animal Shelter will have adoption counselors and volunteers on site to help you find your perfect match.  Bring your family and find the perfect best friend and Valentine you'll ever need!

The Aiken County Animal Shelter is located at 333 Wire Road in Aiken. The shelter is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Appointments are encouraged and can be scheduled by calling (803)642-1537 or by emailing info@FOTASAiken.org.

Friends Of The Animal Shelter (FOTAS Aiken) has been serving the area for 15 years.  They are a nonprofit organization that has partered with the Aiken County Animal Shelter. The organization helps raise awareness and educate the public about fostering, adopting, and volunteering.

FOTAS Aiken is a recipient of the Secretary of State of South Carolina Angel Award.  This award is given to 10 organizations out of 14,000.  The award recognizes organizations that are the most efficient and effective charities in South Carolina.

With the help of FOTAS, the Aiken County Animal Shelter saved over 35,000 pets between 2013 and 2022.  And none of this would be possible without the help of the community through donations, fostering, and adoption efforts.

Learn more about FOTAS Aiken HERE.

Not ready to adopt, but interested in fostering? Read more about the process and see some great local rescues below!

There are so many great animals that are without homes. Local animal shelters are filled, and local rescues are desperately trying to find safe places for the animals.  And now, since June is Foster A Pet Month, we decided to dig in on what fostering a pet entails.  We'll also share some of the great local organizations you can connect with to help!

Fostering a pet involves bringing a homeless pet into your home, feeding, sheltering, and preparing the pet for when it will go to its forever home. According to Georgia Homeless Pets, a foster parent loves and takes care of the animal as if it were their own. And it's a great way to enjoy love and attention from an animal without a permanent commitment.

Fostering a pet can be for a set amount of time, or until a home is found.  Whether you're considering getting a dog, but haven't fully committed, or you just want to make a difference, fostering can be such a rewarding experience. Even if you have pets already, you can still foster!

For many rescues, they don't have a physical location. Because of that, they rely solely on foster families to house pets.  By becoming a foster parent, you can make a huge difference.  It helps free up space in shelters, which helps save even more animals. And it also helps the animal get acclimated to life outside of a shelter or off the streets.  You can learn about the animal and help the shelter or rescue find the best home possible!

Fostering an animal is a truly rewarding experience. And it's a fact that animals are good for our health!  Snuggling with pets can help bring our stress level down and help with low mood.  Taking a dog for a walk helps you get more exercise.  Being around a pet, you'll experience a lot of love and laughter too!

Even if you're unable to foster a pet, there are still ways you can help.  Many rescues and shelters are always in need to donations (food, toys, cleaning supplies, blankets, etc.).  They often have a way you can contribute monetary donations to assist with veterinary care, spaying/neutering, and more. Many have volunteer opportunities as well.

PetFinder has a great article on the many things to know before you foster a dog or cat. Check that out HERE!

Rover.com also has "Dog Fostering 101" that really breaks down how to know if you're ready to foster, what's expected, how to prepare and more.  Check that out HERE!

Here are some local organizations that help with pet rescue and utilize a pet foster system.

Dog and Cat Networking Agents is a non-profit, foster-based rescue out of Evans, Georgia. They work to rescue as many animals as they can, and help get them the care they need.  You can see many of their adoptable animals on their Facebook page, and they often host adoption events as well to get the animals out in front of people.

For more information on fostering, volunteering, or adopting, CLICK HERE.

Team Stinkykiss - the Shelter Rescue Project, is a foster-based rescue in the CSRA.  They were founded in 2012 and they're a non-profit organization that's dedicated to rescuing and rehoming animals, with a primary focus on dogs from high-kill shelters.  They provide animals in-need with foster care until they can find forever homes for them.

Learn more about fostering and volunteering HERE!

Hands To Paws is a non-profit organization based out of Augusta.  Foster homes are essential for them to provide animal rescue.  They sponsor each animal that is in foster care, providing vetting, food, socialization and training.

If you're interested in volunteering or fostering, get more information HERE.

Best Buddies Rescue is a small volunteer run foster based dog rescue in Augusta.  Check out their adoptable pups they share on their Facebook page, and email bestbuddiesrescue2018@yahoo.com for more information on adoption, volunteering, and fostering.

LC Paws is a rescue primarily in the Lincoln County area. They help rescue animals, as well as reunited lost animals with their owners.

Learn more about them on their Facebook page.

Where The Wild Things Are Rescue is a non-profit rescue with a network of fosters and volunteers who rescue and rehabilitate dogs from Augusta and surrounding areas.

Learn more about them HERE.