The ultimate recycling program reuses pets

When you think about the Aiken SPCA, you probably don't think about recycling. However, being environmentally responsible through a variety of ways such as recycling is a big part of the culture.

At the shelter, we recycle all cardboard, plastic bottles, paper, aluminum cans, metal, wood and anything else that we can keep out of a landfill. Our supporters even bring us their aluminum cans to recycle and earn money to help run our shelter.

Another recycling program is our thrift store at 220 Park Ave. in beautiful downtown Aiken.

The building is many years old and had many other uses before we moved in.

Everything in the store is recycled after originally being bought new by someone who donated to us once they didn't need it anymore. Then someone else comes along and gives that item new life, keeping it out of a local landfill and raising money to support the shelter at the same time.

Many of you know that the thrift store is the SPCA's single largest source of income for the shelter. Recycling with a thrift store is not only a good thing to do, but we couldn't survive as an agency without it.

While keeping cardboard and used toasters out of landfills is noble and makes us feel good, it is not our most rewarding recycling effort by a long shot. We are in the business of recycling pets.

Dogs, cats, horses, pigs, goats, ferrets, birds and others who were once pets get a chance to be a loved pet again once they come through our door.

The SPCA is recycling a chinchilla right now! Like most of the items in our thrift store, these pets have lots of use left.

They will make great couch potatoes, jogging companions or will scare off that pesky door-to-door salesman who rings your doorbell just when you sat down for dinner.

We offer a wide variety of "recycled pets" such as LueBertha, pictured here. She's a full-figured little 8-year-old mixed breed dog that's spent most of her life in a home.

Now, she's spent several months at our shelter waiting for the chance to live the next chapter of her life in a new home. This little 20ish-pound girl may have a little gray in the muzzle, but she will make someone the ultimate recycled pet.

Follow the Aiken SPCA online

You can now keep up with the latest goings on at the Aiken SPCA on your favorite social networking sites. You can follow our "tweets" at www.twitter.com/aikenspca. Join our Yahoo group at http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/aikenspca/. We're on Facebook as a "cause" and as a charity under the name aikenspca. You can become a fan, offer your story of how you recycled a great pet from the shelter and learn about volunteer opportunities and special events.

If you prefer to get your information in a more traditional way, you can still call the Aiken SPCA at 648-6863 or visit 401 Wire Road.