Handyman and volunteer Chris Galloway, left, and another volunteer install the play yard equipment.
WINNSBORO – At the Fairfield County Animal Control and Adoption Center, most days begin and end the same way for the dogs — inside a kennel.
The shelter staff spends their days tirelessly working to meet the basic needs of the animals in their care but space and enrichment have always been limited.
Hearts Unleashed, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting shelter animals, applied for, and was awarded, a $13,000 grant from Petfinder, managed by VCA Charities, supplies and labor to build three 20 x 20 ‘meet and greet’ areas to help facilitate and increase adoptions and three 50 x 50 outdoor play yards for the dogs to gain time outside of the kennel they live in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
These play yards are much more than just fenced in areas, they are opportunities for the shelter animals to run unencumbered, decompress, and show their true personality – outside the kennel stress. It’s also a great place to get memorable photos and videos that can be used to network with rescues, adopters and the public.
Many dogs who come to the shelter have only known an isolated life, chained outside, confined, or neglected without water, without proper nutrition, and without love. Structured outdoor enrichment is not a luxury for a dog, it is necessary for their wellbeing, and we hope that these yards will start their healing.
This project has been more than just being awarded the funding. It is truly powered by heart. The dedication of the Hearts Unleashed team to keep showing up, knocking on doors, finding ways to support the shelter and all of the animals in their care, is heartwarming.
One very special volunteer, handyman Chris Galloway, has stepped forward to help lead the build. He first stepped up to foster during the recent cold snap. An animal lover, he expressed a willingness to do more, to help in any way that he was able. The progress has been steady and sometimes slow, as most meaningful work is. But with every fence post set and every section completed, we move closer to something transformative.
Much research has that been done, consistently shows that enrichment for shelter dogs reduces stress behaviors. Dogs who receive regular outdoor time are calmer, more social, and far more adoptable! With just a few minutes of freedom, a dog presents to potential adopters in a way that shows how they would behave in a family. And sometimes, that alone makes the difference.
Once the build is fully complete, these play yards will
allow staff and volunteers to:
conduct meet-and-greets in a neutral, comfortable setting; provide structured
play and decompression time; improve behavioral observations, and increase overall adoption success.
This is what community partnership looks like …everyone coming together with
a common objective to improve the environment for these forgotten animals.
We will continue to seek grant funding, volunteers, fosters, rescue partnerships and homes with a shared belief that shelter dogs deserve more than survival — they deserve moments of just joy.
“Building these yards has turned out to be a much bigger project than we originally anticipated. The amount of time that it has taken and the challenges getting it done will be worth the effort,” said Heather Feltner, founder of Hearts Unleashed. “
These yards will serve the dogs of Fairfield County for years to come.
“When we finally see the dogs we love dearly running free, tail high, smiling and playing,” Feltner said, “that alone reminds us why we started this in the first place.
“Hearts Unleashed is proud to stand beside the Fairfield County Animal Control and Adoption Center as we continue building solutions, one project at a time,” Feltner said.
“And thank you to Chris Galloway, the Handyman, of Blythewood for his perseverance and dedication of time to see this project through,” Feltner said.
