The year began with the rescue of 10 German Shepherds from horrible conditions. It was part of massive cruelty operation in Georgia, in which Charleston Animal Society assisted.
In February, six horses were brought to Charleston Animal Society for rescue. Four of the horses were Marsh Tackies, one of the most endangered horse breeds in the world, These horses played a significant role in South Carolina history. (Photo Jeanne Taylor / jtpetpics.com)
The Rachael Ray FoundationTM began a relationship with Charleston Animal Society in March, providing funding for two lifesaving programs: the spay neuters of free-roaming cats and Pit bulls in our area. Later in the year, the foundation became a Paws in the Park sponsor.
WCBD-TV Anchor and Charleston Animal Society Board Member Carolyn Murray hosted the inaugural “Applause for Paws” Gala at Hotel Bennett in Charleston. 350 animal lovers attended! (Photo King & Fields)
April – June
Big news came to Charleston Animal Society in June with the Petco Foundation’s announcement that it would continue to support the No Kill South Carolina (NKSC) program with a $400,000 investment. NKSC is one of the boldest animal care initiatives ever undertaken in the USA. Thanks to the efforts of NKSC, funded by Petco Foundation: 9,806 fewer dogs and cats entered South Carolina open-admission shelters between 2016 and 2018. 18,590 fewer dogs and cats were euthanized in open-admission shelters during the same time period.
New animal welfare legislation passed the Statehouse in May and was signed by the Governor in June. While improving standards of care for animals in several key ways, two key provisions, humane tethering and shelter standards, had to be dropped. Those items will be revisited in 2020. (Photo Jeanne Taylor)
A major milestone was reached in June, when Pounce Cat Cafe made their 1,000th adoption! All of the cats at Pounce come from Charleston Animal Society. Since millions of tourists visit Charleston each year, this means many of those cats are now living in loving homes in faraway places.
In March, the rescue of Rocky the puppy went national after North Charleston Fire Department Captain Paul Bryant arrived on the scene. Rocky was trapped beneath a pile of rocks and it was Captain Bryant who managed to reach in and pull Rocky to safety. The puppy was brought to Charleston Animal Society, where Captain Bryant soon came to his rescue again and adopted the puppy.
July – September
The Pick Me! SC Statewide Adoption Event was a huge success, managing 1,556 adoptions in one weekend July 12 – 14. The event was organized by No Kill South Carolina, a program of Charleston Animal Society. It was sponsored by Petco Foundation and Bobs by Skechers.
Helping Hands for Rural Paws celebrated its one-year anniversary in July. The program deploys Charleston Animal Society’s mobile veterinary and spay/neuter clinic (“Simon’s Rig”) to targeted rural communities. By the end of year one, the clinic had traveled more than 4,800 miles, performing more than 5,200 FREE spay-neuters, vaccinations and medical procedures in McClellanvile, Awendaw, Edisto Island, Hollywood, Ravenel, Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island.
Before Hurricane Dorian’s winds died down on September 4th, 332 animals had been evacuated out of harm’s way by Charleston Animal Society and its partners. “We are the lead emergency responder for animals in South Carolina and along the I-95 corridor,” said Charleston Animal Society President & CEO Joe Elmore.
October – December
It was all hands on deck in December as shelters across South Carolina began the month with record levels of overcrowding. Hundreds of dogs and cats were on death’s doorsteps when Charleston Animal Society’s No Kill South Carolina program launched a statewide holiday emergency adoption event that ran throughout the month and saved hundreds of lives. Shelters across the state agreed to offer free or low-fee adoptions to help save lives.
A Rabies alert went out in 2019 after months of skyrocketing rabies cases in South Carolina. People are urged to take caution when encountering animals they don’t know, including kittens, puppies and other friendly looking animals.
Cold temperatures and wet weather couldn’t stop hundreds of animal lovers from turning out for Charleston Animal Society’s Paws in the Park walk and run in November. The event raised money for the shelter’s medical fund.
