Who We Are

The Mary Ann Morris Animal Society, Inc. (MAMAS) is an organization dedicated to procuring the humane treatment of animals in our rural area. Only one of the five towns within our county has an animal control officer. We are not able to pick up animals; those who find strays must bring them to us.

Bamberg County Council supplies some of our funding, but we are dependant upon donations from members, volunteers and benefactors to provide the service we do for the community and to provide care for the large number of dogs we receive or are able to accept.

News & Events

Courage urgently needs YOU!!! Courage was found roaming the streets of Bamberg in search of food & shelter. He was brave though, because when a shelter volunteer called him, he came up to her & let her carry him to her car. Courage is thin, needs some fattening up. An urgent concern for the MAMAS staff & volunteers is Courage's left rear leg, which appears to have been dislocated for a period of time.  He will no doubt need treatment for this, but we are hoping for him it can be resolved quickly & easily. Despite all the woes in his young life (under 1 year old), Courage has such a gentle disposition and a beautiful glossy black coat. The volunteers at MAMAS have fallen in love with him & are hoping that enough money can be raised to get him the treatment he needs and sooo deserves given his loving, sweet, gentle nature.  UPDATE!!! Courage's leg has been damaged so long & the muscles so atrophied the vet believes Courage needs to have his leg amputated. This will cost a bare minimum of $1200 & possibly up to $3600...  much more money then the shelter has to devote to his care In order to learn to reuse his leg muscles on the remaining legs, Courage will likely need rehab afterwards.  This will certainly increase his medical expenses - beyond the surgical costs. The volunteers at MAMAS are desperately hoping that enough money can be raised to get him the treatment he needs and sooo deserves given his loving, sweet, gentle nature. If you can help with even a $5 contribution, Courage & all the hoomans at MAMAS would be oh so grateful.      Or you can mail your donations to...    MAMAS    PO Box 1151    Bamberg, SC 29003 Time is of the essence, so please email MAMAS volunteer Jean if you plan to mail a donation. That way we can anticipate your generous donation and be able plan for Courage's treatment. :o)

Wanted: Volunteers We are desperate for volunteers. Becoming a volunteer can be a very rewarding experience and again, directly affects the amount of dollars attributed to maintaining the shelter. Volunteer opportunities include...   Dog Walker - Volunteers should be confident, physically capable of handling any size animal. Bubbles & Brushes - Washing our furry friends is always a treat. They love to be brushed too! Brushes and shampoo is provided by the shelter. Transportation - Assist with Transportation of animals to the veterinarian or pickup donated supplies. (Must have valid SC Driver’s License) Welcome Wagon - Greet potential adopters, answer telephone, call adopters to follow up on their experience with their new pet, etc. Special Events - Assist with special events and festivals to promote adoptions at various county locations. Photographer - Take photos/glamour shots of animals for PetFinder.com. Bring a friend to help hold our furry friends! Kennel Care - Help us make MAMAS a comfortable stop on the way to a loving furever home. Feed & water our animals, clean kennels, wash blankets & bedding, clean kitty litter boxes, etc. We are also seeking creative and motivated people to join our board and develop and oversee committees responsible for off site adoption, education, fund raising, special events, grant application, publicity. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact MAMAS at 803-245-7387, email us at contact@mamasanimalshelter.com OR visit the shelter during our regular hours.

Gentle Ben says THANK YOU!!!   Ben was brought to MAMAS shelter after being confiscated by the local sheriff due to SERIOUS neglect. Shelter staff & volunteers quickly found out he weighed 20-30 lbs less than he should, is heartworm positive & has an eye condition where his lower eyelids rub against his eyes causing his eyes to constantly be irritated. Ben was in such poor condition when he came in that we thought he was a senior. BEN IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD! UPDATE ~ 11-19-09: Gentle Ben & his human caretakers would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who has contribute to his care. He is slowly doing better & has gained a LOT of weight – he's up to 100lbs! Ben loves to eat, sleep, & romp around his foster's backyard with other dogs. However, Ben prefers following around his human... so if he gets bored in the backyard, Ben has been known to kinda leap over a 4 ft fence & come around to the front door (or garage) to come back inside. Having been on steroids for ---, Ben is doing well enough to be slowly weaned of them so he can have his eye lid surgery & HW treatment. THANK YOU so much for supporting him!!

Puppy Bowl Did any of you see Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl V on February 1st? If so, you may have seen one of the pups we adopted out back in the fall. Her name is Indigo and she is now a star!!! However, she did get called for a foul...I think it was for intentional grounding or something like that. She is a gorgeous little Weim mix pup and we knew she was bound for greatness when we first saw her! Puppy Bowl V Starting Line-up: Player #13 --Indigo So, now we have a dog who's been in Puppy Bowl, another who is the youngest to ever be picked for the Canine Companion Program at Cornell University, another who has gotten his Canine Good Citizen Award, a dog who has become a therapy dog at a nursing center...all from this little animal shelter in Bamberg, SC.....THANK YOU ALL!!!!