2022 Fall Making Tracks

BROKEN TO BEAUTIFUL

Badly burned and close to death, HSTB gave Velma her health back and helped her find true love, page 4.

Humane Society of Tampa Bay

LEADERSHIP & BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Sherry Silk

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mary Scott President

Sarah Glaser Vice President

Phil Nodhturft III Treasurer

Nancy Newman Secretary

Morris Massey Member at Large

Suzie Archibald

Meredith Balasco

Wyatt Castellvi

Ryan Cook

Liana Fuente

Steven Hearn

Diane Homa

Rachel Ridley

Jacalin Russo

Laura L. Tatem

Elise Zahn, DO

BOARD EMERITUS

Linda Reitz

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Pat Antinori

Greg Balasco

Mayor Jane Castor

Lisa DeBartolo

Nikki DeBartolo

Lindsay Deignan

Danita Dickman

John Dingfelder

Carol Schwartz Funk

Commissioner Ken Hagan

Bobby Harris

Parker Homans

Sandra Murman

Kim Rogers

Cherie Schonbrun

Cathy Smith

Andrea Gonzmart Williams

LEADING THE WAY BECAUSE EVERY LIFE COUNTS™

IN THIS ISSUE

LETTER FROM THE CEO

3 4 6

FEATURE STORY — VELMA

Badly burned and close to death, we gave Velma her health back and helped her find true love.

SUFFERING TO SMILES

Inspiring stories of animals who have come to HSTB for a second chance.

8 10 12 16

HEALING HOSPITAL

How our animal hospital saves and serves owned pets in the community.

CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY

Advice, offerings and help for families.

HAPPY TAILS

Happily-Ever-Afters from the adoption floor!

14 CRITTERS & KIDS

HSTB HERO / VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER / RECOGNITION & THANKS

DEAR ROVER

Answers to pet parents’ most pertinent questions. 18

WORKING CATS

Scenes from Critter Camp and more programs for children. 19

Making Tracks Editor: Maria Polins

Layout and Design: Nash McCutchen

Writers: Christine McLarty & Nash McCutchen

Contributors: Gretel Harvey, Jeff Kanz, Valerie Hogan, Madison Kostka, Liz McCoy, Lisa Novorska, Sherry Silk, Ornella Varchi, Robyn Walk Photography, LLC

Letter from the CEO

I really love the story of Velma. A wonderful woman saw this badly burned girl, scooped her up and drove her to us. Her injuries were visibly horrifying, but she was a little trooper and allowed us to treat her wounds – no growling, no biting. I believe animals know when we are trying to help them. To see her in a wonderful home after weeks of medical treatment, makes my heart happy.

The same thing can be said about Angel (page 6), the thin, abused pit-bull puppy or Marla (page 7), who was a badly matted, sick little dog who was adopted by a wonderful woman who takes Marla everywhere (including trips to the Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountains!). You will note that all of these dogs were once strays who were rescued by good Samaritans and brought to our shelter for a second chance. We always take in stray dogs because they have nowhere else to go and no one to care for them. Unfortunately, during this difficult summer, we have been forced to turn away cats being surrendered by their owners. There are so many stray cats coming to us that we literally do not have the space for owned pets. This is true for most shelters and rescue groups as they are also filled to capacity.

We are sterilizing, vaccinating and ear-tipping (the international sign that a cat has been sterilized) stray and unowned cats and returning them to the neighborhoods where they came from. Not everyone supports this program, known as TNVR, but we feel that if the cat is healthy and of good weight, someone in that neighborhood has been feeding them and will continue to do so. This is a fairly new and progressive approach to dealing with cat overpopulation. The old ways of dealing with too many cats, euthanasia or not taking them in at all, are the only other options. We will NOT resort to those antiquated and ineffective measures. At this point in time, TNVR is the only humane solution available to shelters dealing with too many cats and not enough homes. We will always choose the option that we feel is best for the animals in our care. I appreciate your continued support.

For the animals,

Chief Executive Officer SherryS@HumaneSocietyTampa.org

BROKEN TO BEAUTIFUL HSTB brings discarded, injured dog back to health and finds her a knight in shining armor.

Velma came to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay as a stray, on the verge of death. Her coat was matted, her ears were infected, and she had a red oozing burn covering half of her head. The 4-year-old miniature poodle was in agony, constantly squirming from severe pain. From the moment she was carried through the door, staff members began grooming her, applying medicated cream to soothe her burn, and showering her with love.

Day by day, she got stronger. She felt the love staff was giving her, and if they were going to fight for her life, she was going to fight too. After two weeks of recovering, this pint-sized warrior was healthy enough to go up for adoption. She wasn’t out of the woods yet. Whoever chose to take her home would need to continue her strict medical regime and be understanding of the hard times she had been through.

After just a few short hours on the adoption floor, she caught the eye of Robert Milo. He bent down to say hello to the recovering little girl who had been hiding in the back of the cage, uninterested in anyone passing by. But this time, with this man, something was different. When he knelt down, she looked up and her eyes met his. She stood up

and slowly moved toward the front of the cage. After looking at Robert once more, the kisses began. Robert knew this was the little girl for him.

Because of the sparkle in her eye and how precious she was, Robert quickly renamed her Ruby. During the adoption process, both Robert and Ruby relaxed and let their personalities shine.

She was so excited for the car ride home; ready to start her new life. Now in her forever home, she loves jumping on furniture, long naps on cozy blankets, playing with her doggy sister, and staring into her dad’s eyes.

Robert muses, “Ruby acts like she has lived here forever”. And in the end, that is what we hope for, that all of the “Rubys” shine brightly, knowing they have found their forever home.

ANGEL

Angel, a 6-month-old stray, came to the shelter in a terrible state. It was clear she had been abused and she hung her head low in fear and defeat. Not only was she underweight, but she’d been left in a cage standing in her own urine and feces. Infected wounds covered her back, feet and paws, her coat and nails were stained yellow from urine, and her ribs protruded from her tiny body. HSTB staff and volunteers rallied behind the suffering puppy and quickly brought her back to health.

While Angel needed to heal, so did Dawnie Jones. A career change had forced her to move across the country, leaving her with a heavy feeling of loneliness. Dawnie came to the shelter, looking for a companion. As fate would have it, Angel had only been on the floor for a few minutes when she caught Dawnie’s eye. Within minutes Angel was cuddled up on Dawnie’s lap giving and receiving kisses. It was clear they needed each other.

Angel (now Coco) left the shelter with her head held high and tail wagging. We know that much brighter days are ahead for the happy pair!

Suffering to Smiles

MIRACLE

This tiny, one-pound kitten was abandoned in a double knotted grocery bag on the side of a busy highway. Left for dead, she was miraculously found by good Samaritans and brought to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

Miracle was so sick our staff wasn’t sure if she would survive. In addition to a severe upper respiratory infection this sweet girl had a parasitic disease called coccidia, roundworms and ringworm. All this trauma to such a small body was immense and her organs were shutting down. But, her spirit was HUGE and the little fighter gave it her all. After six weeks of intense care and TLC from one of our foster volunteers, she pulled through.

Her name lives up to her story. Miracle is now part of a forever family that fills her days with love, laughter and endless belly scratches.

MARLA POOCH

When Marla Pooch arrived at the shelter she was extremely dirty and had matted fur pulling painfully at her skin. Luckily, our staff was able to help her. After being shaved down to remove the mats, her emaciated body and terrible underbite with protruding teeth left this poor pup looking quite strange!

When Mel saw her at the shelter, she said, “This is the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen, but I must have her”. After being adopted, Marla Pooch blossomed. Once “the ugliest dog at the shelter”, strangers now stop Mel to fawn over her saying, “That dog is just the cutest thing!”. It’s amazing how love brings out the sparkle in the diamond-in-the-rough pets!

Healing Hospital

INJURED, NEGLECTED, REJECTED Discarded pet finds love and healing at HSTB’s Animal Hospital

Africa is a 6-month-old pup who was brought to our Animal Hospital after injuring herself while roaming her owner’s farm two days earlier. However, our medical team determined Africa’s injuries (puncture wounds and a shattered leg) had been present for at least two weeks. When staff informed her owner that Africa would need a leg amputation, he stated that he would have “no use for her” and surrendered her to the hospital.

At the time of this writing, Africa is recovering in a loving foster home where she gets one-on-one attention, snuggles, belly rubs and no more unsupervised roaming! Once healed, she will be available for adoption.

NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY IT’S COVER!

Chelsea is a surgical technician at the animal hospital who often takes in medically needy animals. Her passion is to adopt “the ones that look different because those are the ones other people are going to turn their backs on”. Vincent, a 12-year-old

TINY, ALONE, IN TROUBLE Couple rushes to HSTB Animal Hospital when no one else will help.

Mr. Diaz and his girlfriend found a stray kitten, named her Cleo, and began bottle feeding her. During mealtime, Cleo bit off the nipple of the feeding bottle, lodging two foreign objects in her intestines. The situation was dire but medical staff at a different hospital said they couldn’t do surgery on such a small animal. Luckily, they recommended HSTB’s Animal Hospital as a possible resource for help.

When they arrived at the hospital, Mr. Diaz rushed the kitten through the front doors, pleading with our staff to help save Cleo’s life. We advised them that it was a risky, delicate, surgery and Cleo likely wouldn’t survive, but they wanted to give her a fighting chance. Thanks to Dr. Boorstein and his team, not only did Cleo survive but she has since fully recovered and is back in the loving arms of her forever people!

Chihuahua she adopted, is a perfect example. He lost his lower jaw after suffering from untreated dental disease. Veterinarians were unable to replace the jaw with an implant but Chelsea refused to give up. Instead, she took him home and now grinds his food up into a fine powder and mixes it with water for him to drink. Chelsea shared that “a lot of people laugh at him or are taken aback. But his boisterous personality always wins them over”. He’s a big dog in a little body and as happy as can be with Chelsea and her pack!

One of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s core values is serving the community with optimism and integrity . That is accomplished not only by taking in stray and unwanted animals for adoption, but by being a resource for humane living and promoting ways to enrich people’s lives through a connection to animals. These pages contain just a few examples:

FOR DOGS

Saturday, November 5, 2022 | 9:00am – Noon

Gardenville Park & Recreation Center | 6219 Symmes Road, Gibsonton, off of US41

All dogs must be on leashes

Dogs must be 8 weeks or older for DA2PP vaccines

Dogs must be 3 months or older for Rabies vaccines

Vaccinations limited to the first 1,000 dogs. Litters of puppies will not be accepted.

For their own safety, NO cats are allowed at this event

Thank You, Partners

QUESTIONS? 813.252.2027 or specialevents@humanesocietytampa.org

ANIMALS IN CRISIS

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay offers programs to assist families struggling to keep their pets because of financial insecurity, including:

PET PANTRY

Free pet food and supplies every Tuesday and Saturday.

PET REHOMING Online resource to help you rehome your pet.

ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Affordable veterinary care for the public, 7 days a week.

Scan the code at right for more information and programs to help families.

Caring for the Community

GOOD ADVICE WITH GLEN

Glen Hatchell, HSTB Behavior Enrichment Manager, says to remember these 3 things when meeting a dog.

1. ASK THE OWNER . From a distance ask the dog handler if you may pet their dog instead of asking, “Is your dog friendly?”. That allows the handler the option to say “No” without making the pet appear dangerous.

2. MOVE SLOWLY, WITH LOWERED, CLOSED HANDS . Keep your energy low. Fast movements, flailing limbs, and running can cause an animal unnecessary fear.

3. PET UNDER THE CHIN, ON THE CHEST, OR ON THE BACK .

Petting the head can be seen as a sign of dominance for a dog. Stick to the chest, back or under the chin while keeping your body parallel to theirs so your face is not up close to theirs.

POCKET PETS FOR TEACHERS

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is proud to waive pocket pet adoption fees for teachers.

Classroom pets have long been used to enhance education. Having a class pet can provide many benefits including:

Helping students learn in new ways

Improving attendance

Teaching responsibility and respect

Developing a sense of pride as the class unites in caring for the pet

Happy Tails

GYPSY

Remember Gypsy who was featured in the summer edition of Making Tracks ? She, along with her 11 puppies, came to HSTB as an owner-surrender. Gypsy was seven years old and a lifetime of breeding had taken its toll; she needed extra time to heal and decompress before finding an adoptive home.

Gabriela saw her on our foster website and offered to nurse her back to health and care for her until she was ready for adoption. Gabriela and her mother fell in love with Gypsy, and when it was time to bring her back to HSTB they decided to make her part of their family. We absolutely love “foster fails!”

REBA

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleader Anthony says fate brought him to Reba! While he was helping out at the 21 & Change event, he fell in love with this dog and had to bring her home. Now his ‘fur-fam’ is complete with two dogs and four cats! Happy days are ahead for Reba and Anthony.

KHALEESI

Zack’s friend was looking for a dog to adopt, so he decided to tag along to the shelter. But, when Zack saw Khaleesi he immediately fell in love. He’d had a bearded dragon in the past and was intrigued by Khaleesi’s beauty and calm demeanor (just like her namesake from Game Of Thrones). As soon as Khaleesi was lifted from her cage and placed in Zach’s arms she looked at him, closed her eyes, and fell into a contented sleep. She was calm during the entire adoption process. We know Khaleesi will be treated like a Queen for years to come.

LINCOLN

Luck was not on Lincoln’s side. He arrived at the shelter as a stray and was then adopted and returned five times. Between housing restrictions, owners not ready for responsibility, and existing pets being unwelcoming, he couldn’t catch a break. But then he met Micah, an HSTB Animal Care Attendant.

Micah couldn’t bear to see this 6-yearold sweetie go through any more heartache so she made him a permanent part of her family. Lincoln is the perfect addition, bringing joy, smiles, and lots of love and affection to everyone he meets!

TIMON & PUMBA

Timon and Pumba came to HSTB as underage kittens in need of fostering. They spent weeks with one of our foster families gaining weight, getting socialization and growing strong.

Once they were brought back to HSTB, it didn’t take long for them to be chosen. Timon and Pumba were adopted together and are now all grown up and living happily in their new home! The family really credits our fosters for doing such a wonderful job caring for them.

This summer we spent 10 weeks with hundreds of wonderful children from across Tampa Bay! Our halls were filled with laughter and fun and we already miss the bright, young animal lovers! The kids had a blast learning about animal-related careers, helping to care for the shelter animals, and doing animal-themed arts and crafts, all under the direction of State-of-Florida certified teachers and trained volunteers.

Don’t miss out on Critter Camp for Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks:

Thanksgiving Critter Camp

November 21st - 23rd

Winter Break Critter Camp

December 27th - 30th

January 2nd - 6th

FOR MORE INFORMATION SCAN BELOW:

Howl-O-Ween Happenings

HSTB PUMPKIN PATCH

October 1 – 26

Hyde Park Village

HOWL-O-WEEN CELEBRATION

October 29

11am – 2pm

HSTB Shelter

HumaneSocietyTampa.org/events

Thanks to our partners at Petco Love, these wonderful children and their animal friends will be featured in an upcoming episode of the PBS TV series, “Shelter Me”. In the segment they’ll be seen reading Kristen Chenoweth’s new children’s book What Will I do With My Love Today?

The children had a great time being in the limelight while reading to, and making treats for, the shelter animals. More importantly, they loved using their reading skills and passion for animals to spread the word about homeless pets.

These cool kiddos (and others) participate in HSTB’s Paws for Literacy Program weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information or to register YOUR rising star, scan here:

Learn about all of HSTB’s programs and opportunities for youth and families by scanning at right or visit:

HumaneSocietyTampa.org/humane-education

Recognition & Thanks

THANK YOU, KATIE SOMMERS for more than eight years with “Furry Friday” on 93.3 FLZ

and for promoting the importance of adopting animals! Katie has also been an emcee for multiple events, like Tuxes & Tails and Bark in the Park.

Katie explains that her love for animals began as a child,

“My family had so many animals while I was growing up: cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, and they were all adopted! I even rescued a tobacco hornworm from my grandma’s farm and named him ‘Slugo’.”

Katie is excited that 93.3 FLZ reaches so many people and that she can use her platform to highlight the importance of pet adoption while assisting current pet owners with information and resources.

“Every time I come to the shelter I’m in constant awe of everything HSTB does for the community. I feel very lucky and honored to be a part of it!”

FURRY FRIDAYS are held weekly online and quarterly at the shelter with a live 93.3 FLZ broadcast, give aways, adoption specials, and a cookout in the courtyard.

VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER - EVA HINZ

As a student at Freedom High, Eva is earning her high school volunteer credits, while doing something she loves. She has enjoyed working in several departments including Intake, Exam, Surgery, Special Events and Humane Education. Her love for animals and her great rapport with children has been a real asset to HSTB. And, Eva is not just a volunteer here, she is also one of our adopters and a new pet parent to her hamster, Phoebe.

Thank you for all of your contributions to HSTB!

CORPORATE DONORS & PARTNERS

3 Daughters Brewing

21 & Change

81Bay Brewing Company

93.3 FLZ & Katie Sommers

The Activity Day Kids - Carrollwood Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of LaterDay Saints

AGoldPhoto Pet Photography

Amazon Warehouse

Ariela Rebman Boutique

Armanino LLP

Bay Area Mustangs

Bealls Outlet

Best Buddies

Bristol Myers Squibb

Capital Investment Advisors

Chamberlain High School

Citigroup

Coca-Cola

Dillard’s International Plaza

Downtown Dogs

Equinix

Equity Lifestyle Properties

Fetch by the Dodo

Franklin Street

Fun Runs, LLC

Girl Scout Troop 1833

Girl Scout Troop 32335

Girls on the Run

Health Mutt, LLC

Honor Thy Pet Cremation Services

Humana

Integrity Express Logistics

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service

JDA Media

Krewe of Girls ‘N Pearls

Live Well Tampa Bay

Lonza

MacDill Air Force Base

Marianalynn’s Helping Hands

McKinsey & Company

Moffitt Cancer Center

Morgan Stanley

Norman & Company, Inc.

Out Fast Realty and Investments

Petco Love (Grant funding)

Pet Supplies Plus

Petco - Westshore

Petsmart Charities

Pfizer

Pup’s Pub

Raymond James Financial

Red Star Live

Refresco

Resident Interface

Robert Half

Royal Pets Market & Resort

RPM Living

Shumaker

Selligence

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa ServiceNow

St. Pete Pride

Steinbrenner National Honor Society

Street Envy Motorcycle Club

Suncoast Credit Union

Tampa Bay Bowl

Tampa Bay Krewe Women’s Rugby Club

Tampa Bay United

Tampa General Hospital

Tampa International Airport

Target

Teco Energy

The Lure St. Pete

Topgolf

Trinity School for Children

Tuesday Morning

Victor and Sanna Hedman

Walmart

Wesley Chapel Toyota

White Claw

Windward Wealth Management

World of Beer Brandon

Ybor Restore Yoga & More

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is a 501c3 organization and does not receive funding from the state, federal government, or any national animal groups, including HSUS and ASPCA.

Dear Rover

DEAR ROVER: I am planning to adopt a male dog from my local shelter. How should I introduce my new dog to my home and family? - Nervous Dad-to-Be

Dear Nervous Dad-to-Be:

Take your new dog on a long walk once you get home. This will start to build a bond and will help him relax. If you have another dog, they should come along too, but they might need to start across the street from each other. Keep him on a leash as you introduce him to the inside of their new home. Have a bowl of water and yummy treats ready. Leave the leash on for the first few hours and keep him near you. This will deter accidents.

Dogs are masters of routine so decide what time they will be walked and fed every day. A dog learns what is going to happen next when they learn the daily routine and that is important for their mental health.

Treat him for doing the smallest good thing, even if you only use dry food kibble.

Take your new dog outside to potty at least once every 30-minutes for the first three days. It’s common for an accident to happen once or a few times at the beginning so take him out often. Reward him with a treat after he goes to the bathroom outside! Everything is new so an accident or three might happen in the first 72-hours.

Sign up for training; try GoodPup online training.

Use gates and pens to keep your dog out of areas of your home where you don’t want them.

Don’t force him into situations that are scary. Everything is new and you want everything to be fun and happy for him, not scary and frightening. Social ventures to a restaurant or dog park might be good after a few weeks, but not right away.

Let your new dog eat in peace. Don’t feed him near the other dogs. Don’t mess with him while he eating. Dog parks aren’t recommended until you and your new dog have developed a close bond.

Don’t expect your new dog to be comfortable with being handled like the dog you had before and remember, an older dog or fearful dog will generally take longer to adjust.

Have questions for Rover? Submit them to communications@humanesocietytampa.org with “Dear Rover” in the subject line.

ROVER

A loveaBULL pet care expert!

Working Cats

WILL WORK FOR FOOD

be condemned to die? NO!

HSTB’s Working Cats Program is a non-traditional approach to give unsocialized cats shelter and care in barns, stables, warehouses, and other outbuildings while they provide expert rodent control and companionship for other animals on the property. Adoption fees are waived with the agreement that adopters will provide water at all times, two meals a day and a comfortable, sheltered space for the cat(s) to sleep. It’s a win-win for everyone. To find out more and/ or apply for a working cat, scan the code at right or visit our website: HumaneSocietyTampa.org

Get Involved!

BENEFITING THE FERAL CAT PROGRAM AT HSTB

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

5:30pm – 8:00pm

Humane Society of Tampa Bay

Sponsorships & Tickets available at SPAKITTYDINNER.COM

OR SCAN TO PURCHASE

An Inaugural event !

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

10:30am – 7:30pm Carrollwood Country Club

Wyatt Castellvi, Chair

Sponsorships & Tickets Available: TeesForeTails.com

OR SCAN TO REGISTER

Some cats are not socialized enough to be adopted into a domestic home. Should they

Humane Society of Tampa Bay Presents

CONNECT WITH THE ANIMALS