Konstantin Vengerowsky/Clarendon Citizen
Shelter seeks Clarendon’s support
A half a dozen puppies run to Bailey Connor as she opens the gate to their pen and crouches down to pet them. Bailey, 14, volunteers at the animal shelter at least three days a week.
“I just love being around all the dogs, it brings a smile to my face,” she said.
The Second Chance Animal Shelter (formerly known as Clarendon County Animal Shelter) prides itself on being a no-kill place for dogs and cats. Since opening in the January 2007, the shelter has been called home by more than a hundred of these animals.
A no-kill shelter is an animal shelter where animals are only euthanized if they are too sick to be treated or too aggressive to be suitable for adoption. No-kill shelters reject euthanasia as a means of population control.
“We believe that every animal deserves a second chance,” said Bailey’s mother and Shelter Manager, Jenny Connor.
The shelter has 10 employees who take care of 87 dogs and 30 cats.
It is a non-profit organization, receiving most of its support from A Second Chance Thrift store located on 507 South Mill Street, which is staffed by another two employees. The second largest supporter has been private donations, membership dues and fundraisers.
“It has been by the grace of God and all the people who help us that we’ve been able to function,” Connor said.
She said that about 15-20 dogs get adopted locally per month, and another 30, mostly puppies, are taken North to rescue organizations. About 10 cats get adopted per month. Even with these numbers there is still limited space for others to come into the shelter, as requests are high.
“We have a waiting list for all the animals, our kitten waiting list is the longest,” she said.
Connor said that the kitten kennel contains 19, which is over capacity.
There are many ways that residents can help the animal shelter. The most obvious one is adoption. The fee to adopt is $75 for a dog or a puppy and $50 for a cat or a kitten. The adoption costs include spay or neuter, microchip identification and registration, 30 days of pet insurance, initial vaccinations, heartworm test (for dogs six months or older), feline leukemia test and de-worming.
In addition, those who adopt will receive detailed information about their pet, coupons, food samples and a collar and leash. It is recommended that if you adopt a dog or puppy to bring a towel or blanket. Cats and kittens must leave in a cat carrier.
Another option available is the foster care program for special-needs animals or those that need to be bottle-fed. Under this program, a pet that is taken in to a foster home belongs to the shelter for the first 60 days, after which the foster parent must decide whether they want to adopt the animal or return it. Connor said that in most cases people choose to keep the pet, and that there have been only a few cases where an animal was returned.
“We have to remember that a pet is not a sweater,” she said.
She encourages those who want to adopt to bring their other pets in to get acclimated with the animal.
Not everyone can adopt or foster, but there are plenty of other ways to help. Volunteering is another option. You can do everything from walking dogs to playing with kittens. There are about 10-15 dedicated volunteers at the shelter right now, according to Connor.
Another way to help is to become a member of the animal shelter, with a minimum fee of $25 per year. As a member you will receive newsletters and be invited to attend monthly meetings. You can also sponsor an animal, or make a donation in honor/memory of your pet. Another option is to become a Board Member of the shelter.
“There’s something for everyone to do,” Connor said.
The shelter is currently accepting Pedigree food for puppies, and Purina for cats and kittens.
Saturday, July 24, there will be a “Pig Pickin’ Extravaganza!” from 2-6 p.m. It will be held at the shelter, 5079 Alex Harvin Hwy., in Manning. It will be an afternoon of fun, games, food, music and good times. Balloon sculptures, cake walks, buggy and hayrides, face painting and 50/50 drawing are just some of the things on the agenda. The menu will include pulled pork, cole slaw, baked beans, potato salad, sweet and unsweet tea and more.
Every event and food item will be worth a certain number of tickets. Each ticket will be sold for $1 a piece on the day of the extravaganza.
For more information, contact the shelter at 803-473-7075. Donations should be made out to ASCAS(A Second Chance Animal Shelter) and sent to ASCAS, 5079 Alex Harvin Highway, Manning, SC 29102.
