Plentiful adoption options exist

Senior Jamie Vaughn has cared for and helped support animals since she was 10 years old. Recently, Vaughn began working at a local vet, and experienced first hand these previously abused and abandoned animals.

“We [have] always had cats and everything and it was really good to be able to help and socialize them, and actually watch their improvement and take care of them to the point where you can see their improvement and how they grow,” Vaughn said.

Unfortunately, Vaughn finds many animals are overlooked. According to the Charleston Animal Society, in 2022, almost nine thousand animals entered shelters in Charleston. Eight thousand of those animals were considered saved, with the other thousand being euthanized or lost in other outcomes.

“It’s really easy for animals to have so many issues just from where they come from…We had a lot of feral cats who needed a lot of attention. We took care of them, and we had babies who couldn’t take care of themselves and we’d have to bottle feed them, and every couple hours give them medication. We had very special needs animals, and it was rewarding to be able to provide for them,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn believes these animals need extra attention and care due to the circumstances they have been put through. The shelters can only do as much as providing a home for them. The rest is up to people adopting them into their home, to begin a new life for them. The life these animals live in the shelters isn’t comparable to a loving home.

Many people consider adopting to be a big step, a commitment they might not be ready for. Another option known as fostering has gained in popularity, that many people such as administrator Hannah Brisini, participate in.

“I think fostering is a great start, especially if people are still considering whether they want to take on the full responsibility of owning an animal, “ Brisini said. “Fostering is a good kind of trial period; any typical fostering is usually about at least two weeks of time for you to be able to learn what the dog is like, get them kind of adapted to home life.”

This process of fostering an animal provides that animal with a second chance at life.

 “I think one of the largest benefits is just seeing them come out of their shell and realizing that humans can be bright and they can treat you with love and they can give you a wonderful life,” Brisini said.

Brisini finds animals have already lived a difficult life, and through fostering, they can find a loving home.

Regarding the financial aspect of adopting, it is already on average much cheaper to adopt a shelter animal, than to buy from a breeder.

“Their fees are obviously about half of what you would typically spend with a breeder, but still a good chunk of money is going to go helping other dogs that are currently in their care, in the vet with huge medical expenses, or it’s going to continue to pay the salaries of these people that are giving up hours and hours on end, going out, when they get a phone call that an animal is stranded on the side of the highway, they are going to immediately to go save that animal,” Brisini said.

Brisini knows her money is going to the right place, and knows her money is worth spending to help the animals in need.

“When you are adopting an animal through them, your money is obviously going to the rescue, but a portion of that is also going to help additional animals,” Brisini said.

“I think it just makes you feel a little bit better knowing that that’s where your money is going.”

Brisini found themselves loving the process of adopting and fostering. I think that’s a great first step and it’s also just a great way that you might end up falling in love with, and then you get to decide if you want to continue that rather than adopting on your own or just continue fostering which is what we’ve done,” Brisini said.

Aldwin Roman, Vice President of Operation and Strategy at Charleston Animal Society, finds there are many ways to support these animals in need.

“You can give the gift of your home. By taking these animals into your home, you give us room to rescue other animals. So that’s one of the number one ways someone in our community can help. You can adopt,” Roman said.

If people want to offer their home, but not permanently, fostering is another option.

“Consider fostering, it’s temporary. If you can’t make the commitment to take an animal forever or for a long period of time, [you can] take an animal for a week or two or three weeks. That also provides us with help because we can only hold so many animals in the shelter,” Roman said.

Even if adopting or fostering isn’t possible, donations to the animal society are just as important and welcomed.

“It allows us to spay and neuter the animals that we adopt out, and allows us to vaccinate and provide the daily care, feeding and watering, and everything else that we provide for them,” Roman said.

Roman and the Charleston Animal Society have been pushing for a “No Kill South Carolina” as a community effort. Many shelters claim the “No Kill” status, but not every shelter actually accepts every animal.

“It’s very easy for an animal shelter anywhere to close their doors basically and say, Well, I’m only going to take in when I have room for nothing else I’m going to pick and then that way, I’m not going to euthanize anything for aggression or medical because I’m not taking in anything that has aggression or medical issues,” Roman said.

Charleston Animal Society aims to save every treatable animal in South Carolina.

“We make the commitment to save every healthy and treatable animal. That is what we say makes a no kill community, a community where the animal organizations are saving every healthy and treatable animal, not a specific number or metric,“ Roman said.

Charleston Animal Society wants to spread their efforts and push for people around the community to share the same mindset as them when it comes to saving the lives of animals.

“We want to make “No Kill South Carolina” not just one community, we want all the communities together to be saving every healthy and treatable animal. It’s not about one organization, or one rescue shelter. It’s about all of the shelters within the community,” Roman Said.