Passionate about pets? Consider adoption during Adopt a Shelter Dog Month

Tucked down a tree-lined road in Moncks Corner sits the Berkeley County Animal Center — a small facility that handles a big number of animals without homes.

The small staff of seven full-time employees faces a daily challenge of caring for and providing assistance to more animals than the shelter can accommodate. With space for only 130 animals — 56 dogs and 68 cats — the shelter usually takes in between 400-500 animals per month, according to Executive Director Heather McDowell. Last year, the number of animal intakes totaled 3,922.

Taking on the daunting task of overcoming overcrowding requires a dedicated network of staff and volunteers with a passion for animals.

Managing Director Debbie Allen said the shelter is so full to capacity that it no longer accepts “owner surrenders” — when residents drop off their animals — and the shelter has to turn these people away.

With October dubbed as Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, the center is doing its best to get the message out how the adoption process is easy and affordable. Interested pet owners can come to the shelter during adoption hours to pick an animal or attend one of the many adoption events held throughout the year either at PetSmart or local community events.

Volunteer Bryan Bain said, “We’re really trying to raise awareness that this is the place to come for adoptions for people who live on Daniel Island.”

THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEERS

The center relies heavily on the assistance of volunteers who help perform a variety of tasks from cleaning and feeding to taking care of the animals. It benefits greatly from the support of two nonprofit groups — Friends of Berkeley Animal Center, which raises funds, and Berkeley Animal Center Penny Paws, which handles foster homes and adoptions.

Bain, a Daniel Island resident, said for years he had been involved with his son’s Boy Scout troop. But when his son headed off to college, younger parents took over leadership positions in the troop, and he joked he was “left without a job.”

“My wife and I both feel it’s important to be involved in the community,” said Bain. Lee Ann Bain is currently president of the Charleston Tour Association and serves with the Daniel Island Historical Society as well.

“We’ve always rescued our animals and care deeply about that cause — we have three rescues currently in our home,” he said. “I started volunteering for Charleston Animal Society but quickly realized they really have everything they need. Berkeley Animal Center, on the other hand, obviously needs all the help they can get.”

Volunteer groups coordinate the off-site adoption events, which allows the small staff to stay and tend to the many responsibilities that need immediate attention at the facility.

Opportunities for volunteers to interact directly with the dogs are available through Doggie Dates and Rover Nights. Doggie Dates allows people to take dogs out on a hike, to get some exercise, or to take them to a public place to get them used to being around people. Since the shelter is closed to the public on Sunday and Monday, Rover Nights lets volunteers take a dog home on Saturday and keep them overnight for a couple days. “It helps us learn a lot more about the dogs,” said McDowell.

The shelter also receives help once or twice a week from inmates at the Berkeley County Detention Center.

FOSTERING LOVE

Right now, there are an equal number of dogs at the shelter and in foster care.

“Our volunteer organization is incredible,” said McDowell. “It’s been a really good thing.”

The ASPCA recommends that puppies and kittens that are under 8 weeks old go into a foster home instead of going to the shelter, so the work of foster volunteers is essential when it comes to raising these young animals.

With Hurricane Dorian in September, the shelter sent out more than 100 animals into foster homes in about six hours on one day.

“This was the third year in a row that we had to find homes for the animals because of the mandatory evacuation,” McDowell said.

MEETING MEDICAL NEEDS

The shelter sees at least one medical case per week, according to McDowell. For example, recently a woman brought in puppies that she found in a crate on the side of the road. They had been out in the sun, and they seemed healthy at first but developed severe sunburn in the following days that affected their skin. They had to undergo multiple rounds of treatment to heal their wounds, but eventually the puppies were all adopted.

One of the biggest expenses that the shelter has is heartworm treatment. “We don’t have the funds to treat heartworm here,” said McDowell.

They send the majority of their cases to the Heartworm Project in Columbia, because of the low cost, but there is often a waiting period for availability. Between waiting to have the treatment done, and then keeping the dog calm for a minimum of four weeks after the treatment, a dog with heartworm can be at a foster home between three to four months.

Spaying and neutering animals is a high priority in order to help control the animal population.The shelter is able to offer the service at their onsite facility, but veterinary offices such as the Daniel Island Animal Hospital will also assist to spay and neuter shelter animals.

Although BAC is a kill shelter, the employees care passionately and do everything they can to find good homes for the animals.

HOW TO HELP

Allen explained that the shelter is just like any other department in Berkeley County that submits a budget each year for approval. “We have an amazing county council that supports the shelter,” she said.

Despite this support, there is only one animal shelter for all of Berkeley County, which is larger than the state of Rhode Island, and the many resources are needed to provide a healthy, safe and loving environment for rescued, abandoned or neglected animals.

Residents of Berkeley County can give back by adopting or fostering a pet, volunteering their time, or donating money and items from the center’s wish lists. Every little bit helps, and donations to the shelter are tax deductible.

Bain said his goal is to spread the word as much as possible about the shelter in the Daniel Island and Cainhoy communities. “Berkeley Animal Center is OUR animal shelter and we should do everything we can to support them and make sure every adoptable animal finds a home,” he said.

BY THE NUMBERS:

400: Number of pets that have been adopted this year

3,307: Number of animal intakes through August 2019, according to the data online at Shelter Animals Count, a database that tracks statistics on sheltered animals, with 5,488 participating shelters nationwide.

WISH LIST

The shelter is always in need of donations. Find specific items on their multiple Amazon Wish Lists. Here are some of the top needed items:

• Dog food

• Natural puppy dog food

• Non-clumping cat litter

• Regular and heavy duty pet training and puppy pads

• Kong classic dog toy

• Puppy chew toys

• Dawn dishwashing liquid dish soap

• Drawstring trash bags

• Bounty paper towels

• Clorox wipes

CONTACT INFO

Berkeley Animal Center is located at 502 Cypress Gardens Road, Moncks Corner, SC, 29461.

Call 843-719-5050 or visit berkeleyanimalcenter.org

Adoption hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 12-5 p.m.; closed Sundays.

Call 843-719-5050, visit berkeleyanimalcenter.org or find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BerkeleyAnimalCenter/.

IF YOU GO

Daniel Island Farmers Market Shop and Adopt Berkeley County Animal Center adoption event Saturday, October 26, from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Daniel Island Farmers Market 294 Seven Farms Drive

There will be puppies and kittens available for adoption. Donations of any kind will be accepted and appreciated, including food, treats, cleaning supplies and toys.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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