Caring for Community

Serving Families In Need

Free vaccinations, pet food deliveries, and affordable veterinary care keep pets in homes

One of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s core values is to serve the community with optimism, integrity, compassion, and respect for all, animals AND humans. To this end, we’ve established programs aimed at assisting families in need so that they can properly care for their pets.

The goal is to eliminate the need for people to surrender their beloved animals to the shelter because they are struggling financially. Annual shot clinics, monthly Animeals deliveries, and affordable veterinary care are just a few of the initiatives that address this growing problem and keep pets in their homes with the people who love them.

Annual Shot Clinics

Each year, HSTB hosts a shot clinic in an underprivileged neighborhood to assist families who don’t have access to affordable pet vaccinations. The clinics provide Rabies and DA2PP vaccines for up to 1,000 dogs at no charge.

Animeals Service

Animeals delivers monthly dog and cat food supplies to homebound and elderly citizens who cannot travel to HSTB’s Pet Pantry at the shelter. The program was started after a Meals on Wheels driver reported to their supervisor that people on their routes were feeding half of their delivered meals to their animals. Meals on Wheels reached out to HSTB, and Animeals was created to provide pets with proper nutrition while ensuring their humans are also fully nourished.

Affordable Veterinary Care

With the rising cost of pet health services, the Animal Hospital at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay has been an essential resource for families seeking veterinary care for their pets. The hospital is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00am to 3:00pm and offers a variety of wellness and specialty services at affordable costs. For families who still struggle to afford care, we use our Pet Assistance Grant to make sure their animals receive treatment. For Levi and Chi Chi, this resource was life-changing.

Levi’s family entered HSTB’s Intake Department distraught and tearful. They were intending to surrender him to the shelter because he had developed a serious upper respiratory infection and they were unable to afford the treatments. When the Intake team shared that our hospital might be able to help, they were ecstatic. We arranged for him to be seen right away and the family walked over to the hospital with hope in their hearts. After a thorough exam, labwork, and X-rays, staff was thrilled to tell the family that Levi’s case wasn’t too far gone and a course of strong antibiotics and plenty of rest would bring him back to health.

The family left the hospital that day with Levi in their arms and tears in their eyes; this time, they were tears of joy.

Little Chi Chi was playing when another dog attacked her and, in the process, ruptured her eye. Her owner rushed her to a veterinary hospital where she learned that Chi Chi would need surgery. Unable to afford the costly procedure, she came to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay to see if there was any way we could help her beloved companion.

When she arrived at the Animal Hospital, staff helped her sign up for the Pet Assistance Grant while our veterinarian assessed Chi Chi’s injury. We were able to remove Chi Chi’s eye and send her home with all the necessary after-care medicines she needed. Chi Chi is now healing at home with her family.

Petey

Petey was abandoned next to a dumpster, locked in a crate with a few belongings. A Good Samaritan saw him and rushed this sweet boy to HSTB. He was underweight and brokenhearted, but showed a gentle, loving personality.

With some high-calorie food and lots of attention, it didn’t take long for his fun-loving, ball-obsessed side to come out, and he quickly became a staff and volunteer favorite.

Meanwhile, Kyle had recently moved to Tampa from Ohio and was really missing his family’s dogs. He decided to take a look at the shelter to see if he could find a companion. When he caught a glimpse of Petey smiling in his kennel, he was smitten. The feeling was mutual; as soon as Petey entered the play yard for the meet and greet, he ran straight to Kyle and sat right down in his lap. The deal was sealed!

This adoption happened in the middle of our kennel crisis (see page 6) but Kyle had no idea that adoption fees were waived! He decided to spend the money he’d saved for adopting to spoil Petey with toys and other fun stuff from our Retail Store. We’re so happy for Petey and Kyle, just look at those smiles!