COLUMBIA, S.C. — In the past two years, Stephanie Blackman has helped families find their new best friend, walked dogs, and played fetch.
Blackman says her job as a helper at the Columbia Animal Shelter is easy: she just needs to love animals and help them find homes.
I just love interacting with the animals, giving them some time out of their kennel, and also helping people find a pet they can take home,” Blackman said.
There’s a lot more the Columbia Animal Shelter does than just take in lost pets. They do their best to find good homes for animals and make sure the pets stay where they belong, at home.
Victoria Clary, superintendent, says it’s all about help and getting to know people.
“We really value and believe in opening up access to care in areas that are needed, to see spay and neuter numbers increase,” she said.
The shelter offers tools like the PEP Fix & Return initiative to help pet owners take care of their pets and not give them up because they can’t afford to. These are available through community outreach and internal programs.
“Some people in the community need help as pet owners.” It’s always our goal to make it easier for people to get care, Clary said.
The shelter has created a number of projects to help pet owners and make the shelter less crowded:
- Pet Food Pantry: Assistance for families needing temporary food support for pets.
- Foster-to-Adopt Program: Gives potential adopters a trial period with pets.
- Volunteer Opportunities: Like Stephanie Blackman, community members can give their time to walk dogs, socialize cats, and support staff.
The shelter’s work has helped cut the number of animals it takes in each year from 7,000 to almost 4,000, but it is now overcrowded and has to house almost 150 dogs.
“I think it’s safe to say that we’re pretty crowded right now.” “Of course, that will come and go in waves,” Clary replied.
The animals can get sick or hurt in the small space, especially those that stay for a long time.
“Being locked up for long periods of the day with lots of different sounds and smells around you is not fun,” she said.
There is a role for everyone, whether they want to foster, adopt, or help.
“You’re not just getting an animal from here — you’re also becoming part of a family,” Blackman said. “There are always people available if you have questions. If you need pet food, or just any support — you’re not doing it on your own.”
The Columbia Animal Shelter has monthly deals and lower adoption fees to help make adopting an animal easier on your budget.
