It's a question the staff at the animal shelter gets asked many times.

"Why do some pets have to be put to sleep?"

The reasons are varied that the shelter has to euthanize or put to sleep animals, said veterinarian technician Tammay Bolen, who works for the Barnwell County animal shelter.

The shelter has limited room for animals and a lack of sufficient people willing to adopt. The shelter tries its best to find owners of lost pets with the help of name tags, rabies, or microchip information, she said.

Some animals impounded are sick or injured. Those that are too sick or injured must be euthanized if no owner claims them, Bolen said.

Finally, some animals are euthanized if they are deemed too dangerous. Some present a direct threat to humans or are overly aggressive towards other animals. These are unsafe to adopt out, Bolen said.

A constant message the shelter sends the community is for residents to spay or neuter their pets to reduce the number of unwanted animals that end up as strays or at the shelter.

Bolen said millions of pets are killed every year because there are too many new puppies and kittens born each year to be adopted.
The animal shelter is located at 57 Diamond Road behind Hamilton Dicks watermelon shed which is U.S. 278.

All animals are taken care of by BCAS staff including veterinarian Shannan Miller and Bolen.

However, volunteers also take the dogs out for walks or foster some animals.

There are other areas for residents to help the shelter.

BCAS is always in need of donations of money or supplies or more volunteers to help with the animals. The shelter also needs more foster "parents" for the animals too, Bolen said.

The cost of adoption at the animal shelter is $65 which covers the first set of shots, de-worming, micro-chipping, rabies vaccinations and spaying or neutering, she said.

The shelter currently has four animal control officers who bring animals to the shelter. These officers work for the area municipalities, Barnwell, Williston and Blackville as well as for the county, Bolen said.

The shelter only has 13 kennels on the inside and 12 on the outside for dogs, so their room is limited, Bolen said.

The animal shelter is in constant need of the following items: 

• Retractable leashes
• Light bulbs
• Toilet paper
• First aid kit
• Puppy and kitten food
• Dog and cat food
• Kitty litter
• Large plastic storage containers
• New or used pet toys
• Industrial size mops and buckets
• Brooms, squeegees, yard equipment,  lawnmowers, rakes, leaf blowers
• Cleaning products
• Office supplies – stamps, envelopes, paper, printer ink
fundraising ideas
•Volunteers – walking dogs, shelter chores, and fundraisers
•Money donations