Animal shelters across South Carolina are bursting at the seams with adoptable animals, a situation triggered by an unprecedented number of owner surrenders and strays arriving.
The situation prompted three of the Palmetto State’s animal advocacy groups, South Carolina Animal Legislative Coalition, South Carolina Animal Care and Control Association and No Kill South Carolina 2024, to declare a state of emergency.
“Nearly every shelter in the state, including the two largest shelters, Greenville County Animal Care and Charleston Animal Society, are at the breaking point and need help now,” said No Kill South Carolina 2024 Chief Project Officer Abigail Appleton. “These and other lifesaving organizations are critically overcapacity and there’s no sign of it letting up. We must move these animals into homes now, especially as we enter the peak of hurricane season.”
The situation is reflected in both of Aiken County’s animal shelter operations.
At the privately operated SPCA Albrecht Center, executive director Susan Gainey said they are beyond capacity with a record number of animals.
“The issue also is not only do we have a huge influx of animals coming in, but our adoption numbers have slowed significantly,” she said. “People are concerned about the economy, or they’re having housing crisis and issues are continuing effects of the pandemic. We are helping everyone we can, but it’s not enough. We have limited numbers of kennels, with limited numbers of fosters.”
The numbers are also overwhelming Aiken County Animal Shelter. Bob Gordon, with Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS), the volunteer group that supports the county-run shelter, said they are struggling to keep up with the high intake of dogs.
“Most are strays, but folks are also surrendering their pets due to personal issues – including poor health, financial challenges and lifestyle changes (new job, divorce, moving). Adoptions have been slower than usual this summer and walk-in traffic has declined. Last month, we averaged four adoptions per business day. So far this month, our average number of adoptions per day is three,” he said.
Although a privately run facility, SPCA Albrecht Center has a contract with the City of Aiken’s animal control department to take in animals. The center is most used by people surrendering a pet. Gainey said, during the current crisis, they’ve had to turn people away.
Gainey said it will take two steps, one long term, one short term, to get state animal shelters out of the state of emergency now and avoid them in the future.
Long term, she said people need to spay and neuter their pets. She also said the state needs better animal welfare laws to prevent this in the years ahead.
“Short term, we just need people come in and adopt. And if you can’t adopt, you can foster. Fostering is free. It’s a short-term commitment,” she said. “I know for various reasons people are not in a position to adopt but fostering you can open your home up to a homeless animal for a week, two weeks, a month. And that will relieve the stress that we have here at the facility.”
Gordon agrees that adopting or fostering is the most immediate need. Just 55 of the 195 animals that came to the shelter this month were adopted locally, while 41 were placed in foster homes.
“To try to keep up with intake and save all adoptable pets, we network with rescue partners in the northeast. FOTAS funds these transfers. So far this month, we’ve found homes for and transported 49 dogs and 2 cats to rescues,” he said.
Both centers are offering special adoption fees to encourage more people to adopt.
SPCA Albrecht Center, at 199 Willow Run Rd., is waiving adoption fees this month for anyone who adopts an adult dog or cat.
Aiken County Animal Shelter, at 333 Wire Rd., is offering dogs and puppies for $35 and cats and kittens for $10.
Available animals at both locations can be viewed at their websites:
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a general assignment reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
