Augusta Animal Services (AAS) is giving locals an opportunity to help shelter some of the city’s four-legged residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The city’s south Augusta animal shelter closed to the public Monday amid the storm’s aftermath, and is slated to stay closed until next Monday, Oct. 7. The staff is currently only able to man the facility consistently enough to feed, clean and provide water for the animals, and as such cannot coordinate adoptions.
Wednesday morning, however, after receiving messages from people interested in temporarily caring for some of the potential pets, and upon learning that one of its rescue partners had also been getting calls about sheltering animals, AAS decided to launch a foster pet drive, explained outreach coordinator Rebecca Reece.
“We talked it over with a couple of volunteers,” said Reece about the drive, in which the AAS will open the animal shelter for a few hours on Thursday, Oct. 3, to allow those whose homes have power and running water to sign out dogs or cats for a one-week foster period. “That gets the dogs out of the shelter, gives them a chance to be in the home environment for a while.”
Those interested in providing a safe provisional home for a dog or a cat may come to the shelter between the hours of 9 a.m. to noon, participate in a meet and greet with volunteers and the animals—as staff will be busy cleaning the interior of the building—and see which pup or kitten may be a good fit.
“As long as the dog clicks with you and it’s what you’re looking for, you can just fill out some quick paperwork or make a copy of your driver’s license, and you can take the animal home with you,” Reece said, noting that the only staunch restrictions are that prospective fosterers must have working power and water in their homes, and must be 18 years of age.
Fostered animals may be brought back to the shelter on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The AAS stresses that since the shelter is closed, those who take in a pet will be committing to keep it at least until next Monday, and will not be able to return them before then.
Only adoptable dogs and cats that have been fully vaccinated and spayed or neutered are eligible, and those interested in adopting their houseguests for permanent residence after the foster week are welcome to do so.
“I’m hoping some of the people who foster will fall in love, and the animals won’t come back,” said Reece. “That’s my hope. But even if it’s just a foster, that’s still a wonderful thing. It still gets the dogs out of the shelter.”
The City of Augusta Animal Services shelter, which will be open for the foster pet drive Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon, is located at 4164 Mack Lane.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
