City of Camden unanimously passed a new City Ordinance in November of 2009 that made it illegal to keep an animal (in this case a dog) on a chain, cord, rope or tether of any kind to a stationary item. You are able to put the dog on a "Runner" or some type of pulley system that enables the dog to move around freely without being tangled -- however they can not have on a choke or pinch collar on the "Runner". This is a great move for the City of Camden. Tying a dog and leaving them there is so physically and emotionally traumatic for the animal. Dogs that are tied are more aggressive when they become loose, and they also suffer mentally and develop negative behaviors such as food aggression, and form habits from boredom (such as digging, chewing, etc)

All in all, it's not fair to the dog. In extreme cases, the animals are neglected and left outside in inclimate weather and it is a shame. Hopefully this new Ordinance will improve the lives of many dogs in the community and will help lead the way to more laws to protect the animals in Kershaw County.

This week, "Sheen" was adopted! For those of you who have been to the shelter, you may have noticed (and been greeted by) Sheen, a Blue Pit Bull. He's still young, around 1 year old and came in through Animal Control as a neglect case. He was picked up because someone reported there was a dead dog on the property. Sheen was chained to a tree, and the other Pit Bull on the property beside him (who was also chained) had died. Sheen was emaciated and it was clear that he had been overbred (for selling Pit Bull puppies). We took him in and were able to clear up his medical issues and slowly but surely, the weight came on.

It was clear from the spark in his eyes, that he was a special dog. We taught him to walk on a leash, to play, to socialize with strangers and other dogs -- and he loves cats! We slowly introduced him to the other "Misfits" at the shelter. His new home became the "Meet and Greet" room and he greeted everyone who came through the door. He slept on the couches and decided he was to be an inside dog. One morning he was turned outside in the fenced in area and after he had played, immediately wanted back inside. He is such a funny dog!

Ron and Danny were able to find a home for him and he left on Tuesday to his new forever home. He is a true case showing how dogs, especially Pit Bulls, given a second chance, can have such a turnaround. We are so happy for him and can't wait to find out how he does in his new home!

Here's Sheen and Tyler, this was taken right before he left and he loves everyone!

There have been many exciting changes at the Animal Shelter! Our "Old Cat Room" has been cleared out and turned into our "Meet and Greet" room. This room gives potential adopters the opportunity to play with a puppy or dog outside of their kennel area but still inside the building (It's nice when it is chilly outside or raining!) and this is important because it gives the dog an opportunity to relax and their personality comes out!

We also have various equestrian items on sale in the "Meet and Greet" room, so if you are looking for blankets, girths, saddle pads, etc, come on down and see what we have. All of the proceeds benefit the shelter!

Today was an exciting day at the shelter (they are never boring that's for sure), we had Patsy Topping come down and pull 5 of our adult Lab mixes and put them on a horse trailer headed to New York where these guys will have a second chance for being adopted. We are so grateful and thankful for Patsy and her volunteers and for all of the hard work and long driving hours they have put into saving animals.

Another "Thank You" goes to Ron Danta and Danny Robertshaw (and their helpers!) for painting the Puppy Room! A new floor is also on the way and the new neon green sure has brightened up the room and it looks wonderful. They started Danny and Ron's Rescue and have and continue to do so much for the animals.

Here's Scully, a 2 year old Lab mix that came to the shelter in November. He has scars on his nose and was very timid and it was clear he came from an abusive situation. He was picked up by Animal Control as a "stray" and was never reclaimed. Over the past few months he has gained weight and confidence! He is one of the adults that are making the trip to NY and we are all so thankful and glad he has this second chance at life, he deserves it!

Here is a picture of some of the Horse Blankets for sale at the shelter in the "Meet and Greet" room. There are all different sizes and types of blankets available and very moderately priced.

And here is the Puppy Room! As you can see, the kennels are painted green and all of the white area was repainted as well. Since the area has to be cleaned so thoroughly multiple times a day, there aren't any floor paints that can withstand the cleaning supplies that are needed to ensure the floors are clean. This causes the paint to flake off over time. To get around this, Ron and Danny are purchasing tiles to floor the Puppy Room. We are so thankful for their generousity!

Also, be sure to check out WLTX out of Columbia on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm. They show "Pet Pause" which features different animal organizations each week. The WCAS is one of the organizations and we just had our airing this evening and there will be another Thursday morning (tomorrow) on the 6am News. This evening was "Gamble", a Husky mix puppy and  in the morning will be "Clyde" a very plump Domestic Shorthair and both need loving homes! WLTX Pet Pause and on the right side of the screen will be a box that says "Pet Pause Video" and after the Ads load, there are different episodes you can watch.

New Blog!

Thank you for visiting the Walter M. Crowe Animal Shelter's blog. Check back here for weekly updates on events and information that are going on at the shelter. If you haven't already, please take a look at our website, http://www.waltermcroweanimalshelter.org and feel free to contact us if you have any questions!