The nonprofits that support Fairfield’s Shelter animals
WINNSBORO – For years, the cards have been stacked against Fairfield County’s shelter animals. The myriad problems were overwhelming for both the overcrowded animals housed there and for employees in the sorely understaffed facility. The number of dogs housed there sometimes reached double the capacity the building was designed for. For the animals, the facility was cramped with dungeon-like living conditions at intake. For the dedicated employees who did their best to run it, there were never enough people to do all the work,
But for the tireless efforts of several behind-the-scenes animal welfare non-profits, things could have been even worse.
These groups have long worked to provide major support for the shelter staff and animals, picking up where the county’s funds left off. They’ve donated tens of thousands of dollars annually, hundreds of volunteer hours, and thousands of pounds of pet food. They also help arrange adoptions, rescues, transports, foster programs, and so much more, including assisting the shelter staff in providing and serving special Christmas meals for the animals each year.
The shelter’s Christmas season closed out 2025 on a powerful and hopeful note as the shelter’s community partners – non-profits, volunteers, area animal rescue groups, and shelter staff – came together in a herculean effort that created life-changing outcomes for dozens of Fairfield shelter animals. In a single month, six animals found forever homes, while an extraordinary 82 dogs and cats were transferred into rescue programs, giving them a second chance beyond the shelter walls.
These outcomes not only produced critical capacity relief, but also showcased a coordinated effort by Fairfield’s nonprofit animal welfare organizations who for years have stepped up every day and when it mattered most.
While there are numerous individuals in Fairfield County who help, give, and support the shelter in many ways, this article takes a closer look at the several local nonprofits providing critical animal welfare resources to the shelter and for animals throughout the Fairfield community.
So, who are these organizations and what specifically do they do behind the scenes?
Hearts Unleashed was founded in August, 2025 and is a 501(c)(3) partner to Fairfield County Animal Control and Adoption Center. The group is focused on providing volunteers, fostering engagement, establishing and managing rescue partnerships, hosting adoption events, and engaging the community in their work.
Much of what Hearts Unleashed does is attract grants to the shelter. The group recently secured a $13,000 Ready for Rescue grant from VCA Charities to build play yards and meet and greet areas at the shelter to facilitate adoptions and fostering.
Hearts Unleashed secured a $1,000 grant from Petfinder for the shelter’s newly launched Doggie Daycation program.
The group matched a $2,500 heartworm treatment grant awarded by Hoof and Paw, raising over $5,000 to treat heartworm positive shelter dogs.
Heather Feltner, founder of the group and the current Fairfield County Animal Shelter Rescue, Foster, and Volunteer Coordinator, said she started Hearts Unleashed to better support the county and shelter overall.
“Our mission is to stand beside Fairfield County Animal Control, the shelter team, and the community to ensure that every animal has a chance at a brighter future,” Feltner said. “We unleash love and compassion for all the animals passing through the shelter.”
Feltner also worked with Royal Canine to provide a truckload of pet food that will be used to establish a food bank for those in need and have pets to feed.
“The hope is that this will assist families in caring for their animals and, in turn, reduce animal surrenders to the shelter,” Feltner said.
New amendments to the county animal ordinance that were approved last week by a majority of county council as well as amendments recommended by an animal ad hoc committee have also lent a higher level of support and care for all animals in the county, requiring them – among other improvements – to be registered and microchipped. Hearts Unleashed plans to host several free microchipping events for county residents. The first is scheduled to take place on Feb. 28 in Winnsboro at the Town Clock. For more details about the event as they become available, go to Hearts Unleashed’s website: heartsunleashed.org.
Because of Roscoe (BoR) founded in 2018, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to raise awareness, provide resources and support Fairfield County in any way that serves pets. Most notably, BoR initiated a spay/neuter program known as SNIP, that has provided over 1,400 free spay/neuter surgeries to the residents of Fairfield County. This program also includes access to low-cost vaccines, microchipping and provides transports for animals to and from their surgeries. The monthly SNIP van offers appointments on the second Monday of every month, picking up the pets in the parking lot of the Fairfield County Animal Shelter and returning them the next morning. A small, fully refundable $20 deposit and a completed registration form are needed to reserve one of these limited appointments. The schedule for the year has already been posted on Because of Roscoe’s website at www.becauseofroscoe.org.
The BoR team is often seen out in the community providing free straw, dog houses, food and treats to families in need of animal supplies. Founder, Samira Yaghi, has been in the forefront of volunteering within the community for nearly a decade, facilitating rescue placement for thousands of animals, and developing the volunteer and foster program for the shelter that is still in place today.
The BoR website states: “We will keep showing up! We will educate, provide resources, and fight for better lives for forgotten and neglected animals.” The website is full of helpful resources for animal families who need resources.
A Helping Paw of Fairfield, founded in September of 2025, provides pet food and pet health care assistance to Fairfield County senior citizens and others facing unexpected life challenges. They realize that for many seniors, pets are their main source of companionship and comfort. By working with families, this organization helps keep pets in their homes, which reduces the number of pets entering the shelter.
Founders Barbara Pierce and Laura Thomas were driven by a simple shared passion: a love for animals and a desire to support the county’s seniors. They saw a need in their community and decided they wanted to do something.
“For us, it’s all about the Fairfield County pets and their people,” said Pierce. Their work involves the Fairfield County Council on Aging, the animal shelter, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department Home Alone Program, St. Luke’s Church Food Pantry and the Fairfield County Food Bank. For more information go to their website at www.ahelpingpawff.org
Hoof and Paw Benevolent Society – South Carolina is a 501(c)(3) formed in 2012 to assist and improve spay/ neuter programs in Fairfield County. Over the last 14 years, they have grown into one of the leading animal advocacy groups in the state. As their membership grew, so did the support they provided. Fairfield County has always been the heart of the organization and an ongoing priority.
Hoof and Paw spends tens of thousands of dollars annually assisting the shelter – more than $15,000 to provide spay and neuter services last year for Fairfield’s shelter animals and $4,000 for animals in the community; $4,000 to $5,000 for medical emergencies, $3,000 for heartworm treatment, and $2,000 for pet food assistance through Christian Assistance Bridge.
“Our outreach is broad and we are dedicated to helping as many animals as we possibly can not only in Fairfield County but the entire state with an emphasis on dogs, cats, and horses,” Hoof & Paw President Kathy Faulk said about the group’s work. “We are proud of the work we do and grateful for the opportunity to do it!” she said.
To support their work, Hoof and Paw organizes fundraisers with efforts through Giving Tuesday, Midlands Gives, an annual auction, and donation letters and grant applications. They provide financial support to numerous nonprofit animal welfare organizations across the state including Hearts Unleashed, Because of Roscoe, Christian Assistance Bridge and the Fairfield County Animal Control and Adoption Center. For more information, go to their website www.hoofandpaw.org
In their own effort to improve the fortunes of Fairfield animals, last month a majority of Fairfield County Council passed amendments to the county’s animal ordinance and an ad hoc committee made a number of recommendations that have the potential to make life better not only for shelter animals but for all animals in Fairfield County.
While Fairfield’s animal welfare organizations have worked hard to assist the shelter staff in reducing the shelter’s animal population, longtime understaffing at the shelter has been a major impediment to a well-oiled operation. Recently, however, the county hired four additional full-time employees and resumed allowing inmates from Fairfield County Detention Center to work at the shelter – two fulltime trustees from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. weekdays, and three on weekends and holidays from 8 – 11 a.m. These hirings have provided adequate staff to get the work done.
Anyone who would like to volunteer their time or make donations to the shelter, can contact Heather Feltner at [email protected].
