Organization

The Animal Mission of the Midlands is a 501(c)3 charitable organization in South Carolina founded to promote pet adoptions at the City of Columbia Animal Shelter, to enhance conditions and outcomes for shelter-bound animals, to educate the people of the Midlands on pet and humane issues and to promote spay/neuters.

Smaller shelters throughout Columbia adopted out several hundred pets in 2006. The City of Columbia Animal Shelter is burdened with, by far, the majority of unwanted animals. While others turn animals away, the Columbia shelter never does. The good news is that like everyone else, last year was a very good year. In 2006, the total number of pets adopted from the Columbia shelter was 2,044 — that’s up 17% over 2005!

But the answer to overpopulation of animals is not as simple as promoting adoptions from shelters-- as much as we would like it to be. It is active and aggressive spay/neuter campaigns in every community. To fund this, the Animal Mission holds fund raising and membership activities that support program efforts.

For example, we sell engraved bricks throughout the year for our PawPath in Rosewood Park in Columbia. We hope it will grow to be a place of reflection for those who wish to honor, memorialize and think fondly of those people and pets who make life so wonderful!

Each Spring, The Animal Mission holds a concert and silent auction. For the past two years, Hootie & the Blowfish have been our headliners. This one night event netted $75,000 in funds in 2006, which allowed us to pay for $26,000 in free or discounted spay/neuters of Columbia pets that year. We plan to at least double that number in 2007-- that's over 1,500 surgeries for Columbia pets. Imagine how many unwanted cats and dogs will NOT be born in the coming years as a result of this commitment!

The Animal Mission follows all federal and state regulations and reporting requirements for public charities.