Aiken County Animal Shelter Takes In As Many Animals As It Adopts

AIKEN, Sc. (WRDW/WAGT) — Animal shelters are notorious for being overcrowded, and the only way to solve this problem before putting dogs to sleep is to help them find forever homes.

This week, 23 dogs and 17 cats were adopted from the Aiken County Animal Shelter, but all of their cases continue to fill.

They’ve partnered with Friends of the Animal Shelter to help homeless animals find their fur.

Aiken resident Charles Rudnick says, “We just lost a longtime dog my wife owned and were trying to find a pal.”

Over the past few months, the shelter has struggled with overcrowding.

Hillary Clark-Kulism, adoption coordinator at the shelter, says, “It’s always a difficult time for us because it always seems like there are more animals that need help than we have. houses waiting for them.”

With summer in full swing and an economic downturn, they need adopters. They have decided to partner with Friends of the Animal Shelter for a second year in a row.

“It was my wife who suggested for today that we come and see and because we have kept an open mind about adopting a new dog,” Rudnick said.

“Empty the Shelter” is set up by the Bissell Pet Foundation.

In addition to halving adoption prices, they pay for pets to be spayed, spayed, vaccinated, microchipped, and treated for fleas and heartworms,

“We held this event and today is the culmination of it so we hope to get a lot of adoptions out of it,” Clark-Kulis said.

But, the shelter does not see the same result as before.

We probably took in as many as we adopted during that time,” Clark-Kulis said.

Most pets are adults, which makes the adoption process more difficult.

But, they are grateful that the community stepped in to help them.

“We’ve been very lucky with the support of the community that we haven’t had to euthanize animals for space in nearly five years,” Clark-Kulis said.

If you missed the event, the shelter says not to worry, their doors will still be open next week with low adoption prices.

You can go to https://www.aikencountysc.gov/DspOfc?qOfcID=CEDAS for more information.

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