Fall 2026 is the target date for the first class at Clemson University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. A recent funding increase is keeping the project moving forward, just as South Carolina continues grappling with the effects of a statewide and national veterinarian shortage.

South Carolina is just one of 22 states without a veterinary college. Founding Dean, Dr. Steven Marks said Clemson has a great history of training students in the curriculum that would be pre-veterinarian. These students – approximately 200 of them in 2022 – left South Carolina to attend schools in different states.

“The veterinary profession is incredible – it’s emotionally rewarding,” said Marks. “There is something special about the human-animal bond that crosses across all parts of society. And there is something special about Clemson University that people will only experience if they come here. We are excited to share the first glimpse of Clemson’s College of Veterinary Medicine.”

FUNDING INCREASE

Clemson’s Board of Trustees approved to increase the Phase 1 budget for the construction of facilities at the College of Veterinary Medicine to $110,466,000 to reflect the total funding provided by the State of South Carolina in the FY23 and FY24 budgets.

The Board previously authorized $10M in Phase 1 funding through the FY23 appropriation. Clemson announced the establishment of the state’s first college of veterinary medicine in July.

The additional funds enable the University to continue planning and design activities, begin initial site work, and award early release packages for long lead time items such as HVAC equipment, electrical transformers and switchgear, and structural systems. Initial site work for the College is scheduled to begin in April, with a planned completion for Fall 2026 when, pending accreditation, the University expects to enroll its first class.

“This new college is a great opportunity to unify the state for animal care and the human-animal bond. We have some top priorities to ensure we’re helping our state that relies on animal agriculture,” said Marks, who added that there is a deficit of veterinarians across almost all counties in South Carolina. “We’re fortunate right now to have this opportunity.”

PLANS COMING TOGETHER

Architectural drawings show a multi-building campus with walking paths connecting the different units.

“The veterinary school will be a graduate degree,” Marks said. “They will try and attract undergraduate degree holders from degrees like animal science, pre-vet, zoology, chemistry, really any science, and then parlay that into a curriculum that provides a doctorate of veterinary medicine.”

Students in traditional veterinary schools typically undergo years of preclinical study followed by clinical years in a teaching hospital, according to Marks. At Clemson, however, students will go directly to local veterinary hospitals for training and clinical study.

Marks hopes that this method, known as a distributed model, will provide students with abundant practical experience and a unique advantage once they enter veterinary practice.

“My vision is that we will create a day one-ready veterinarian,” Marks said. “When students finish their degree of veterinary medicine, they will be prepared to go into any practice and be able to work on any species, large animal, farm animal, small animal or exotic species.”

LEARN MORE APRIL 17

You can learn more about the Clemson University’s College of Veterinary Medicine on April 17 at Charleston Animal Society’s Celebration of Lifesaving Success. Dean Marks will be the guest speaker at the event, which will be held at the Charleston Marriott Hotel from 6pm – 8pm. Seating is limited, so RSVP today at RSVP@CharlestonAnimalSociety.org.

Follow Clemson’s College of Veterinary Medicine on Facebook and Instagram-@ClemsonVetMed and visit their website for updates. Clemson. edu/veterinary-medicine.

By Josh Witten, Ph.D.

The Darlington County Humane Society (DCHS) was founded in 1996 to improve the conditions at what was then known as the Darlington County Pound. Located at the end of a dead-end access road marked by only two small signs, the shelter and animals were positioned to be kept out of sight and out of mind.

Now, DCHS is a No Kill South Carolina partner organization and is engaged in a comprehensive effort to rethink
how animal services are provided. Visit Darlington County today and you will see new programs, engagement with local stakeholders, and construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility.

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

Since 2015, DCHS has helped save the lives of over 19,000 dogs and cats. Every year, DCHS cares for one animal for every 20 Darlington County residents. As with shelters across the country, 2023 was particularly challenging with a 13% increase in intakes at DCHS, particularly for stray dogs.

Building partnerships has been one ingredient in the shelter’s success. DCHS has teamed up with the Best Friends Network, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), Charleston Animal Society, as well as countless shelters and rescues to increase their live outcome rate to 83% in 2023 from 72% in 2021. DCHS was named the “Most Pawductive” shelter in the Pee Dee region during the 2023 Pick Me! SC adoption drive.

NEW SHELTER ON HORIZON?

The current shelter facilities, however, still resemble the Darlington County Pound of old. It is still best described as a series of unconnected mobile structures with few enclosed buildings that house animals. DCHS staff and volunteers spend countless hours and dollars replenishing water, wrapping blankets, deploying tarps, powering heat lamps, and running fans to keep animals from freezing or overheating to protect them from the extremes of South Carolina weather. These necessary efforts imposed by the existing shelter facilities limit the improvements that can be made by DCHS’s dedicated staff and volunteers.

Starting in 2018, DCHS set out to create a new facility that would be worthy of its staff, volunteers, community, and
the animals in their care. They broke ground in July 2023 on a new, $8 million animal adoption and education facility. Support for the construction of the facility has come from the Nemec-Abbott Foundation, Byerly Foundation, Sonoco Products Company, the State of South Carolina, A.O. Smith, Nucor of South Carolina, North Industrial Machine, and many community donors.

“This is a groundbreaking, citizen- driven project,” said Senator Gerald Malloy, Senate District 29. “Darlington County Humane Society has been led by compassionate servant leaders for decades and our community and our state elected officials recognize that the plan for progress they’ve put in place will have a lasting impact on our community for generations to come.”

A new lifesaving machine is ready to hit the roads thanks to everyone who voted for Charleston Animal Society in the 2023 Defender Service Awards! The contest included nonprofits from the U.S. and Canada.

In February, Charleston Animal Society received a customized Land Rover Defender 130 SUV from Land Rover after winning one of six categories in the 2023 Defender Service Awards presented by CHASE. The organization was given the “Defender Service Honorees Award,” which recognized previous finalists from 2021 and 2022 that didn’t originally win their categories, but were truly deserving with all they do to benefit their local communities.

“We are all grateful to Land Rover for its generosity in providing us with a vehicle so that we can more effectively navigate challenging situations and save more animals in harm’s way,” said Charleston Animal Society President and CEO Joe Elmore, CAWA, CFRE.

BETTER PREPARED FOR DISASTERS

Charleston Animal Society has the reputation as “road warriors,” responding to emergency calls for help in hurricanes, flooding, and horrific large scale cruelty operations. Time and again, national organizations and local shelters across the region call the Animal Society, especially when no one else will respond. Since 2020, Charleston

Animal Society has rescued 648 animals across seven states through 48 emergency transports.

“Even with that success – we are still challenged with situations where we don’t have the vehicles we need,” said Charleston Animal Society’s Bryant Taylor who oversees the shelter’s emergency transports. He recalls a puppy mill rescue where 150 dogs were trapped in a bad situation.

The rescue vehicles couldn’t reach the scene, so the dog carriers had to be taken to the animals on foot. A Defender will help in these kinds of situations, where every second counts.

“A Defender will increase our capacity to save lives by allowing us to drive through floodwaters, navigate tough terrain with its four-wheel drive capabilities and act as a mobile command station,” said Charleston

Animal Society Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Aldwin Roman, CAWA. “The Defender will allow us to carry more lifesaving supplies to more animals in more places.”

As Charleston Animal Society celebrates its 150-year Legacy of Care, the Land Rover Defender will allow for even more lives to be saved. “Land Rover is a model for corporate philanthropy. It is an honor to partner with Land Rover and fully engage in both our missions. We are very grateful,” said Elmore.

Back in 2018, Hank and Laurel Greer purchased a brand-new Mini Cooper for their travels around Charleston. After driving the vehicle for a few months, they realized it just wasn’t for them. Little did they know, this would lead to a groundbreaking fundraising event for Charleston Animal Society.

“We thought about just donating the car to the Animal Society,” Laurel explained. “But then we thought about it and said, ‘well, they’re not going to get that much for it.’” After talking it over, Hank and Laurel decided that the car should be raffled off. They worked with staff to launch the first-ever Charleston Animal Society car raffle and set a goal to sell 500 tickets for $100 each.

The raffle kicked off in November 2018 and sure enough, all 500 tickets were sold. The campaign raised just over $51,000 from ticket purchases and additional donations given by purchasers. The winners were Kevin & Debbie Noon from Ohio, whose daughter had purchased just one ticket for them. This was only the beginning.

UPPING THE GAME

The Greers were excited by the success and decided to go even bigger, offering brand new cars to help support the animals.

The lineup has included a BMW X3 in 2020, a Tesla Model Y in 2021, a Lexus RX 350L in 2022, a Lexus RX 350h in 2023, and this year, a Lexus TX 500h F Sport — the first model of its kind.

To date, the raffles have helped raise a whopping $1.3 million to support Charleston Animal Society’s mission to end animal cruelty.

“The most touching moment out of all the car raffles was connecting with the winner of the Tesla — he was a military service member,” Laurel said, referring to the 2021

Tesla Model Y winner John Osborne, from Hanahan. “We feel strongly about people who serve our country, and we were so happy to have someone so deserving win.”

It goes without saying that Hank and Laurel are also touched by the number of animals who are helped with the funds raised from each raffle. Their support for Charleston Animal Society is unique, and although they are involved in several other worthy causes, animals have their hearts. “We made the decision that we wanted to give back during our lifetime,” Laurel said.

“The need is now; you can give part of your legacy now,” Hank reiterated. “The animals, Charleston Animal Society — this is our passion.”

Each year, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) publishes its U.S. State Animal Protection Laws Ranking Report. It is the longest-running and most authoritative of its kind, assessing the strength of each state and territory’s animal protection laws by examining over 3,600 pages of statutes. Each state and territory are ranked based on 20 different categories of animal protection.

Unfortunately, South Carolina is almost dead last, falling to #47 when it comes to the strength of animal protection laws here. Where does the Palmetto State fall short? “We are very disappointed to see South Carolina failing in almost every category of laws that protect animals,” said Charleston Animal Society Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Aldwin Roman, CAWA. “Hopefully this year’s ALDF report serves as a wakeup call to our lawmakers. We need to do better for animals.”

BOND-OR-FORFEIT LAWS

A new trend in 2023 was the enactment and clarification of “bond-or- forfeit” laws. When an animal is seized pursuant to an animal cruelty investigation, the owner still retains ownership, or their property interest, in the animal despite losing physical custody of the animal. Owners can always voluntarily surrender that property interest, but if they choose not to, the animal is put into legal limbo. They cannot — and should not — be returned to the owner until the animal cruelty charges are fully adjudicated or dismissed. But they also cannot be adopted out into new homes because the defendant still technically owns them.

Criminal cruelty cases can drag on for months or even years, meanwhile, the animal is languishing in a shelter. Keeping animals for long periods of time in a shelter — even the best, most well-resourced shelters — is harmful for animals’ psychological well-being and can cause them to be re-traumatized. This can lead to behavioral problems, making animals even harder to adopt out when the criminal case eventually concludes.

The most common legislative solution to these issues is bond-or-forfeit laws. Thirty-nine states plus the District of Columbia and Guam all have some form of bond-or-forfeit laws. These laws require that the defendant either post a bond with the court covering the costs of caring for the seized animals, or forfeit the animals, allowing them to be adopted out into new homes. South Carolina does not have this kind of legislation.

PROTECTION ORDERS

One continuing trend in 2023 was the passage of laws which allow courts to include animals in protection orders. Protection orders, more commonly known as restraining orders, are court orders protecting domestic violence victims from their abusers. Numerous studies have documented the link between animal cruelty and domestic violence. Offenders often use animals as tools in their abuse, exploiting the close

bond victims have with their companion animals. Abusers may threaten or harm an animal in order to control or psychologically torment the animal’s guardian. Sadly, this form of coercive control is extremely effective. South Carolina only allows protection orders for companion animals, not all animals.

CROSS-REPORTING LAWS

A continuing legislative trend is the creation and strengthening of cross reporting laws and veterinary reporting laws. Cross-reporting refers to laws which explicitly permit or require cross-reporting between various animal and human welfare organizations, such as requiring humane officers to report suspected child abuse or requiring elder protective service workers to report suspected animal cruelty. These laws recognize and respond to the link between animal cruelty and interpersonal violence. South Carolina does not have these laws on the books.

POST-CONVICTION POSSESSION BAN

After a person is convicted of animal cruelty, the court may prohibit the defendant from owning or possessing any animal for a period of time. In many states, this prohibition is statutorily authorized, or even mandated.

These possession bans are one of the most effective ways to prevent repeat offenses. They restrict an abuser’s access to animals, drastically limiting the pool of potential victims. They also allow law enforcement to intervene quickly to protect at-risk animals. South Carolina has no such laws.

Editor’s Note: The information for this article came directly from the Animal Legal Defense Fund, aldf.org.

By Anna Lanford / Photography by @happy_clam_studios / happyclamstudios.com

JENNIFER RUSSELL ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A PHILANTHROPIST. A LIFE-LONG ANIMAL LOVER, JENNIFER LITERALLY STARTED PUTTING MONEY IN A SHOE BOX WITH A PLAN TO “DO SOMETHING GOOD” WITH IT. FAST FORWARD TO THE DAY A FRIEND INVITED HER TO ATTEND THE CHARLESTON ANIMAL SOCIETY APPLAUSE FOR PAWS GALA. JENNIFER SAYS SHE WAS SO INSPIRED BY THE LIFESAVING WORK SHE SAW, THAT SHE SPRUNG HER PHILANTHROPY PLAN INTO ACTION AND BID ON THE COVER OF CAROLINA TAILS MAGAZINE. THIS IS HOW CURIE AND NEWT (OUR COVER DOGS) HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN THE SPOTLIGHT!

FINDING TWO GOOD PUPS

Originally from the DC area, Jennifer moved to Charleston about 10 years ago. A few years later, her husband Rick serendipitously came across a couple of adorable beagle puppies in the most peculiar way. Rick was cycling on Johns Island when a massive rainstorm hit. Taking cover under a nearby carport, he was invited to come into the house

to ride out the storm when the homeowner asked if he wanted to see the litter of beagle puppies that he had. Rick knew that Jennifer had a soft spot for beagles. “Beagles have always been my favorite type of dog because I think they always look like puppies,” said Jennifer.

After the storm cleared, Rick headed home and told Jennifer about what he had discovered. Jennifer recalled saying to him that if she went out to see the puppies that she would be coming home with one… what she didn’t know is that she would actually come home with two! After paying a visit to the Johns Island home, Jennifer and Rick fell in love with two of the little puppies – the only girl of the litter and the runt!

Jennifer said that she always thought of beagles as very intelligent dogs, so she wanted the names they chose for them to reflect that. After pondering over a few options, they landed on Curie, after Marie Curie, and Newt, after Sir Isaac Newton. Today, Newt and Curie’s favorite activities include spending the day walking around the Pitt Street Bridge in Mount Pleasant and frolicking at the beach.

The pups have become such an integral part of Jennifer and Rick’s life that they were even included in their wedding party this past December. The dogs’ entrance was announced by the Peanuts theme song and they could be heard howling from where they were waiting outside the room, excited by all the commotion of the day before running down the aisle to deliver the rings.

By Abigail Appleton, PMP, CAWA, Chief Project Officer, No Kill South Carolina 2024

This is the year! No Kill South Carolina 2024 is in our final year as we create a statewide, sustainable, and compassionate approach to lifesaving. Our initiative has been a beacon of hope not just for the countless dogs and cats given the chance for life, but for the people who work and care for them as well.

We’ve seen shelters, communities, and volunteers coming together to save and improve the lives of animals. The journey to No Kill has been challenging, but the progress we’ve made together has been nothing short of remarkable.

The numbers speak volumes about the change that’s happening in South Carolina. The reduction in euthanasia rates, increased adoption numbers, and decrease in the number of animals entering shelters in the first place are
all signs that our No Kill South Carolina 2024 initiative is on the cusp of achieving our monumental goal.

We’ve done more than we ever thought possible. Can you believe together we’ve saved more than 780,000 lives since our project launched in 2016? That’s more than 3⁄4 of a million pets who were given the chance for life, and who enriched the lives of the people who love them.

Even more amazing, for the very first time in South Carolina history, less than 10% of cats entering SC shelters were euthanized last year. We’ve decreased feline euthanasia by an astounding 85%! South Carolina is officially No Kill for cats.

In essence, the answer to saving cats is easy: keep them out of shelters in the first place. We’re spaying and neutering cats that live or spend time outdoors and returning them to their outdoor homes. Over and over communities have adopted these strategies – over 80% of our communities have now eschewed the old trap-and-kill method of cat management because it doesn’t actually work to keep populations down. Trap- vaccinate-alter-return is the answer and there are over 300,000 cats whose lives were saved that can attest to that.

ON TO THE FINISH LINE AND $1 MILLION?

For the remainder of 2024 we’ll be focusing on canine lifesaving. Did you know that in 2020 and 2021 less than 10% of dogs entering SC shellers were euthanized? We know that No Kill for dogs is possible because we’ve already achieved it! In the post-pandemic world, we’re seeing an increasing proportion of canines entering shelters with medical or behavioral challenges. This isn’t a bad thing! It means that the animals coming to us are ones that truly need our help.

In our final project year, we’re wrestling with increasing challenges around adoptions, access to veterinary care, and economic worries — but we remain committed.

Keeping us motivated is the generous $1 million challenge offered by Petco Love. If South Carolina becomes a
No Kill State this year, Petco Love will donate $1 million to shelters around the Palmetto State!

Our amazing friends at Petco Love have made No Kill South Carolina possible from the very beginning and they’re standing shoulder to shoulder with us as we save more lives.

This homestretch represents a final opportunity for communities to unite, support local shelters, and make a
lasting impact on the lives of animals in need. Through adopting, volunteering, spreading awareness, or donating, everyone has a role to play in ensuring the success of No Kill South Carolina 2024.

Let’s keep the momentum going. The final chapter of our inspiring tale is still being written. South Carolina is leading the way and each one of us has the power to shape a brighter future for the animals who call our beautiful state home.

Together, we can make the dream a reality by the end of 2024.

Despite overwhelming odds that animal shelters faced throughout the country and in our state during 2023, Charleston Animal Society continued its record-breaking trek toward building the first No Kill State in the southern United States, from Atlantic to Pacific Oceans, and America’s Heartland. Considered internationally as a model of lifesaving success through animal sheltering and prevention strategies, Charleston Animal Society operates 24/7 to save lives and provide care to nearly 20,000 animals in need yearly.

Beginning early in 2023 and continuing throughout the year, Charleston Animal Society set multiple records, including:

• A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM for pet vaccines with the support of over 30 veterinarians

• A sixth-year-in-a-row national record for organizing the largest annual statewide adoption event for dogs and cats (Pick Me! SC)

• 12 years as the top-rated nonprofit in the state

  The Animal Society is focused on community impact by ending unnecessary euthanasia of dogs and cats, overpopulation of dogs and cats, and animal cruelty.

  The Animal Society topped the year off by winning a competition against 19 other nonprofits across North America, representing various causes, ultimately winning a Land Rover Defender to help with the Animal Society’s emergency rescue efforts,

It was an outstanding year for Charleston Animal Society, but only made possible by its 20,000+ members, mostly from the Greater Charleston area and Lowcountry, in addition to supporters from across the globe.

Animal sheltering involves a comprehensive or holistic approach to effectively enhance public health and safety and is so much more than a destination for unwanted animals. Thank you for your continued support as we move forward into 2024.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

As we enter the Animal Society’s 150th Anniversary year, the challenges of inadequate government funding and the nationwide veterinary shortage are just two of the main challenges the Animal Society is facing. Other challenges include the accelerated increase in unwanted large dogs (mostly pit bull-type dogs) entering shelters, weak public policy to reduce the overpopulation of animals, and unorganized animal control agencies. These agencies too often lack leading practices and data- driven public health and safety strategies and tactics.

As 2024 continues, Charleston Animal Society will call on your support to continue moving our community in a humane direction. Remember, YOU are Charleston Animal Society.

“We can’t change an animal’s past, but we can rewrite their future,” is the motto of Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary. Nestled in Hollywood, SC, the sanctuary is acres of rolling hills filled with dog runs and cat houses that are home to animals living out their final years in peace and tranquility. The force behind this animal Shangri-La is Helen Bradham who has rescued animals since her childhood in the 1930s. As Charleston Animal Society celebrates a legacy of care of 150 years – we want to hear from partners like Helen who have made Charleston a beacon of lifesaving success.