SCARED DOG HUGS TIFT SHELTER DIRECTOR IN VIRAL VIDEO, GETS HOME IN NEW YORK CITY

NYC RESCUE GROUP HAS SAVED 3,500 TIFT DOGS

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Thanksgiving was special for one frightened, homeless Tifton dog, seen tightly hugging the Tift County Animal Shelter director 's leg in a video that went viral around the country.

The scared, mixed-breed pup named "Andy Cohen" found a home on Staten Island in New York City just days before Thanksgiving. 

Leah Robbins, volunteer rescue coordinator with Tift Animal Rescue, recorded a TikTok video showing the sad dog hugging the leg of Animal Shelter Director Candice Hernandez. The video received 50,000 views and attracted the attention of a writer for Newsweek magazine.

The dog was the focus of a Newsweek story released globally on Thanksgiving Day announcing that he found a home just in time for the holiday. 

"Andy Cohen" was brought to the Tift County Animal Shelter with three other dogs on Nov. 1 and given up for adoption by their owner. 

“The owner stated he was going back on the road as a truck driver and could no longer keep his four dogs,” Robbins told Newsweek. “They were quite heartbroken when they came to the shelter, all huddled together, scared. Andy Cohen was timid, crying like you saw in the video, and I’m sure, feeling abandoned.”

Andy Cohen and his cohorts were pulled Nov. 11 from the Tift County shelter by a rescue group, Waldo’s Rescue Pen, based in New York City and went into foster homes. The rescue group gave the dogs celebrity names during a special “Bravo TV” promotion, and Andy Cohen then got a home this week.

The other three dogs remain in foster homes. Robbins told the Tifton Grapevine that Emily Dyson started Waldo’s Rescue Pen in 2020 and has now rescued 3,500 dogs from Tift County.

“We could not make it without them,” Robbins said. “They are the reason we are staying alive. Emily has visited here a few times to help with transport and to share our shelter with her fosters and supporters to help them better understand our struggles here with overpopulation. She also encourages them to support our shelter and our Tift Animal Rescue fundraisers.”

Robbins said Dyson will be in Tifton this Saturday to help with the Sixth Annual Holiday Pet Portraits & Silent Auction, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at The Local at the Lankford, a fundraiser for Tift Animal Rescue Inc. Reservations are required for the brunch through the restaurant, but not for the photography sessions, which are $10 each. Daniel Shippey Photography is donating time and talent for the event. 

Robbins, who is a full-time paralegal with the Tift County Public Defenders Office, volunteers with Tift Animal Rescue, along with Hernandez, who volunteers when she is “off the clock” as animal shelter director. They are both very involved with pet fosters in the NYC area. 

“Candice and I have full access to fosters through Slack,” an online communication application, she said. “I communicate directly with them, answer questions, and share any information we have on their foster dog. Slack is also where they share pictures and updates, so we are able to follow our pups through their journey.”

She shared multiple photos of dogs from Tift County that have found permanent homes through Waldo’s Rescue Pen. 

Each year, 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The number of dogs and cats taken in by pet shelters hit 46,807 during January, an increase of 1,744 compared with January 2022, the 24Pet Shelter Watch Report found, according to Newsweek.

Approximately 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Rescue volunteers such as Robbins and Hernandez strive to minimize euthanasia rates. With the help of Waldo’s Rescue Pen, they have brought the Tift County Animal Shelter to a current 98% survival rate.

From Tifton to New York City: A happy "Andy Cohen" is pictured this week at his new home in NYC. He was adopted after a video went viral showing him scared and clinging to the leg of the Tift County Animal Shelter director.

REGIONAL JOBLESS RATE UNCHANGED

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The regional unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5% during October, the Ga. Department of Labor (GDOL) said this week.

The Southern Georgia Regional Commission area encompasses the counties of Tift, Turner, Irwin, Cook, Berrien, Ben Hill, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, and Ware.

In the regional area:

• The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5% over the month; the rate was 3.3% one year ago. 
• The labor force was up 29 over the month and up 2,013 for the year to 183,121. 
• The number of employed was up by four during the month and up 1,586 for the year, to a total of 176,665.
• Initial unemployment claims were down 297 (-31%) for the month and down 110 (-15%) to 651 year to year.

Statewide, the October jobless rate was unchanged from the previous month at 3.4%, the GDOL said.

“Georgia's unemployment rate remains below the national average, but businesses face growing pressure, including finding and retaining top-tier talent,” said state Commissioner Bruce Thompson.

"As we attract diverse companies across the state, we must remain focused on developing the skills needed to meet critical workforce demands without reallocating talent between industries. By prioritizing our labor force, we can further strengthen Georgia as a place where both businesses and individuals can thrive together.”

The state's labor force was up by 9,862 to 5,349,119, an all-time high, and was up by 116,549 over the past 12 months, the GDOL reported. The labor force participation increased to 61.6%, and is up from 61% since the beginning of the year.

The number of employed in Georgia was up by 5,890 to 5,166,160, an all-time high, and was up by 96,439 in the past 12 months. The employment-to-population ratio was unchanged at 59.5%.

SRTC HONORS 10 SENIORS IN RADIOLOGIC TECH PROGRAM

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Southern Regional Technical College recently honored graduating students in radiologic technology during a banquet at SRTC-Moultrie.

Ten seniors were recognized at the awards ceremony and received pins to mark the completion of their program requirements.

In the attached photo, are the 10 seniors pictured from left to right: Front row: Kyla Massey of Moultrie, Tony Herring of Moultrie, Montana Trawick of Moultrie; second row: Allison Taylor of Moultrie, Isabel Simmons of Doerun, Ashton Daniels of Tifton; top row: Kyle Matthews of Tifton, Sarah Scott of Sylvester, Ashlee Johnson of Albany, and Alex Hubbard of Ashburn.

From each graduating class, the program and partner clinical locations recognize several students for outstanding effort and achievement, among them were Kyle Matthews, receiving the Tift Regional Medical Center Star Student Award and the Tallahassee Memorial Medical Center Cathedral Award; and Alexander Hubbard, receiving the Colquitt Regional Medical Center Clinical Excellence Award and the Brooks County Hospital Student of the Year Award.

The radiologic technology associate of applied science degree program is a sequence of courses preparing students for positions in radiology departments and related businesses and industries.

'PINCH THE GRINCH'

KIWANIS 5K, 1-M RUN/WALK

BENEFITS KIDS' PROGRAMS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The 19th annual Kiwanis "Pinch the Grinch" 5K and 1-mile run/walk will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2.

The event is held in conjunction with Tifton's Hometown Holidays to raise money for local children’s programs, to promote physical fitness in the community, and to highlight Tifton’s Historic District.

The course starts and ends at the corner of Forrest Avenue and West Fourth Street (Spurlin/ Sertoma baseball fields behind the Tifton Fire Station at 403 Forrest Ave.).

Participants receive a long-sleeved T-shirt, race bib, free Kiwanis meeting lunch ticket, medallions to each child participant, and Christmas presents.

Awards will be given to overall male and female winners, to overall male and female masters winners (over age 40), and to groups under 10 years old, 11-14 years old, then at five-year intervals.

To register, visit Active.com, or for information, contact Tom Shoup, 229-388-2142, tlshoup.kk58@gmail.com

C.H.A.M.P.S. PROGRAM HOLDS GRADUATION AT SCHOOLS

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Fifth-graders in several Tift County schools recently graduated from the C.H.A.M.P.S. program – Choosing Healthy Activities & Methods Promoting Safety, taught by Tift County Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Yuriana Vazquez.

Pictured from left is the mascot "CHAMP" along with Matt Wilson Elementary School students Emily Martinez, who placed second in the poster and essay contest; first-place winner Raelyn Griffin; Tucker Harrison, third-place winner; June Harper, C.H.A.M.P.S. Student of the Year for Matt Wilson Elementary: and Sgt. Vazquez.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Statera Wellness Spa & Salon

118 Second St. E., Tifton

Nov. 17

TRMC TREE OF LIFE TO BE LIT DEC. 12

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

The 38th annual lighting of the Tree of Life will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 on the front lawn of Tift Regional Medical Center (TRMC). This event serves as a symbolic tribute to friends, family and lost loved ones during the holiday season.

Lights on the tree can be purchased in honor or memory of a special person, with all proceeds benefiting the patients of Hospice of Tift Area and the TRMC Anita Stewart Oncology Center. The event will include a candle-lighting ceremony, live holiday music, and complimentary refreshments.

“It wouldn’t be the holiday season without the Tree of Life,” said Tressie Mathis, director of Hospice of Tift Area. “This is the 38th year of this annual event, and it’s truly a time-honored tradition. We want everyone in the community to bring their families and friends out to the tree-lighting ceremony and support this great cause.”

Mathis said that purchasing a light for the Tree of Life in honor or memory of a special person is a tax-deductible gift which will help Tift Regional’s hospice and cancer patients with special needs. The fund assists hospice and cancer patients who may have difficulty paying bills because of financial constraints or in need special comforts while undergoing treatment.

“Various giving levels are available,” Mathis said.

To contribute to the Tree of Life, visit www.mysouthwell.com/TOL or call 229-353-6330. Contributions are being accepted until Dec. 31.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Crushh plus Mobile IV Bar

118 Second St. E., Tifton

Nov. 17

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COVID-19 data released from the 

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of NOV. 22:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 7,129 ....................................... TOTAL TIFT DEATHS: 181

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 5 ....................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 28

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 69 

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,409,832

GEORGIA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - Past week: 3,105

TOTAL GA DEATHS: 35,878 ..................................................... GA DEATHS - Past week: 17 

YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE TIFTAREA

Saturday, Nov. 25, is Small Business Saturday, which falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is a day to celebrate and visit our local small businesses, those shops that are the backbone of our communities. Local small businesses are operated by our neighbors who have a vested interest in our community. These businesses support local activities, local youth teams, and help keep our local economy humming. So shop this weekend at a local business and thank them for everything they do to make our community vibrant.

FRIDAY, NOV. 24

• Black Friday: Check out retail shopping deals
• Red Cross Blood Drive, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tifton Mall
• Santa Arrives, 11 a.m., (Mall opens 7 a.m.) Tifton Mall, Tifton

SATURDAY, NOV. 25

• Small Business Saturday: Visit and shop at our local small businesses

ADVERTISE YOUR

YARD SALE HERE!

TO ADVERTISE YOUR RESIDENTIAL

YARD SALE, CONTACT US at 

IHeardIt@tiftongrapevine.com 

or 478-227-7126

Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

"Shaggy" is available for adoption. He is a big guy and a little on the shy and reserved side. He would do best in a calm environment where he would be able to slowly adjust to his new environment. Come see him and other pets available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, open between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).