New Improved Shelters Coming to the Lowcountry!
Sketch of the new Dorchester Paws
WRIT TEN BY: FERN WOODEN, STAFF WRITER
Imagine if we could all donate our spare change to better shelter animals’ lives, providing them a loving space while awaiting adoption. The Lowcountry emcompasses eleven counties, including Charleston County, Dorchester County and Berkeley County. Although 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us, two shelters in Berkeley County and Dorchester County found a glimmer of hope. Both Dorchester Paws and Berkeley Animal Center are upgrading to newer shelters within the next coming year. Saving animals is not an easy task, but the resources required can appear overwhelming to outsiders looking in. Dorchester Paws, built in 1972, is the only shelter in the county and is allotted a mere 15% of the county’s annual budget to cover the necessary costs to run the facility. The 48-year-old building often deals with flooding, which happens frequently in the Lowcountry. Each time the shelter floods or faces a threat of imminent rain, they are forced to relocate scared homeless animals to near-by middle school gyms. Imagine the stress that puts on both the staff and the cats and dogs involved! During inclement weather, staff members begrudgingly resort to emergency mode, focusing on crisis needs and restoring the shelter to placing primary animal care first. The shelter closes which causes animals to lack essential medication, an overwhelmed staff, and homeless animals turned away because they do not have the room. With an annual shelter repair budget of $3000, they often wonder how
they can provide the best care for each animal in a dilapidated building. Over 10 days, Dorchester Paws spent $1,400 on emergent repairs for the shelter this past May. Currently, the facility has 400 animals in their care with many in foster homes as the current building can only hold 181 animals. Executive Director Maddie Moore says the shelter’s state is a bigger problem than the Dorchester Paws itself. “The building’s condition causes a devastating ripple effect. Loving families looking to adopt see a depressing shelter and stray away or turn at the door,” said Moore. The animals are the ones paying the price, experiencing longer stay durations in the shelter. Moore notes it is not uncommon to see an animal in their shelter waiting for their forever homes three months at a time. Dorchester Paws confirmed themselves as a no-kill shelter in 2017 and does not euthanize to save space or money. They strive to provide each animal life-saving remedies such as heartworm treatments and prevention so every animal has a fighting chance to find happiness in their forever home. With two vets, Dr. Sally Price and Dr. Angela Price, two vet technicians and one volunteer working tirelessly in a windowless 15x15 square foot space, it is almost a miracle they can accomplish as much as they do. Is there a solution to these problems? Dorchester Paws is working on a campaign to build a new shelter because Dorchester’s animals deserve better. With the help of the county, the shelter is looking for a tract to provide a larger facility for current and incoming pets and a more
