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!