Waiting is hardest part

Since the beginning of 2008, well more than 1,000 animals have been adopted from the Aiken SPCA.

Dogs and cats joined their new families. We've seen pot-bellied pigs be born onsite, each finding loving new homes. Countless birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, a Nile monitor lizard and even a chinchilla attracted someone's attention and were adopted from us.

During that time period, a few animals never quite drew anyone's attention and have spent this time at the shelter. The great part of working for a group that keeps all adoptable pets until they are adopted, without time limits, is that you really get the opportunity to know them, to work with the shy ones, heal the heartworm-positive ones and socialize the ones who are scared and don't show well in a shelter.

The downside is that occasionally a great dog or cat will spend too much of its life waiting each and every day, hoping today will be their lucky day. The competition is intense, as the SPCA is always receiving cute kittens and puppies in the shelter. Even adult dogs, if they are really small, will barely stay long enough for us to give them a medical check and a name.

Big Boy is a victim of what I like to call the "last of his litter" syndrome. He's a hound mix who has been at the shelter for the vast majority of his life. He and his brothers were city strays who were never claimed. As you can imagine, they were cute hound puppies, and the others were quickly adopted. Big Boy just never drew anyone's attention and soon grew into a big, goofy dog with floppy ears. He's spent more than a year at the shelter, sometimes going to an off-site adoption event to show him off and being seen six days a week by potential volunteers, without capturing anyone's heart enough to take him home.

Ivan is a beautiful Siamese cat who has been at the shelter even longer because he is shy at first and doesn't always show well in a noisy shelter environment. Every few weeks, someone sees his picture on Petfinder and calls about him. We explain his shyness and that we believe he will be just fine once he is adopted. They come to the shelter, meet him and either adopt a different cat or leave empty-handed. Ivan has to wait a little longer.

A new day arises, and there's new hope for the long-term residents. Staff members and volunteers show up and begin the cleaning, feeding and other preparations for opening another day for adoptions.

Maybe today will be the day for Big Boy, Ivan or one of the other pets that has been at the SPCA too long already.

Six days a week, the shelter's doors open at 11 a.m. Sometimes there is a line waiting to come in and look, while other days the parking lot is empty. We highlight pets we hope to get adopted in stories like these, in our newsletters, at off-site adoption sites and over the Internet. The SPCA promotes them in person to potential adopters walking through the doors. Maybe today.

To learn more about Big Boy, Ivan, Little Bit, Angel, Black Jack, Anya, Rock Star or any of the long-term residents at the shelter, call 648-6863 or visit www.aikenspca.org.