A Dog’s Eye View: Fostering.... the story continues...

A Dog’s Eye View – Corky Shares his County Animal Shelter Experience…and the story continues

The Tales of Corky and Fly – Article 7

Corky,  the rambunctious little Jack Russell Terrier who  loved  to chase a tennis ball all day long, lost his favorite tennis ball and was positive that the sneaky Australian Shepherd, Fly,  down the street must have stolen it.  Well, Corky went to get his tennis ball and got lost and ended up at Pinellas County Animal Services. The whole experience was kinda scary but also ended well.  The people at Pinellas County Animal Services got him to a safe place with catering and housekeeping while he waited for his owner to come find him.  It turned out to be a really good experience.

Each month the BLOG continues the story of Corky and Fly.

To read the 1st 6 articles of Corky and Fly’s experience with Animal Services see May 21, June 30, July 3, July 11, July 19 and August 1 blog.

Corky knew that he had to get his owners attention in order to be taken for a walk. How else could he see Bella?  He and Fly just met her at Ft. DeSoto Beach (in article 6) and he could smell that she also lived close to him.

Running around the house with his red tennis ball in his mouth was not working. Why didn’t his owner notice him from behind the newspaper that he needed to be walked? Ok, Corky thought, I will go get the leash and drop the leash at his feet. It worked!

Corky knew the direction to go so he pulled on the leash to get his way. He knew who was walking who!  Every once in a while he had to “play” the part of “walking on the left side,” sitting when his owner stopped” and “looking at his owner for direction.” It always worked and he got to walk where he wanted to go. And then he spotted Fly on the front porch of the grey house 2 blocks from his house. Fly, that sneaky Australian shepherd always was trying to outsmart him. Just look at him! He is on the porch with BELLA! AND, another dog was sitting next to Fly and Bella. Who was that dog? Why did that dog look so scruffy and thin?

Corky pulled his owner to the porch. Fly did his traditional butt wiggle to say hello and Bella looked beautiful.  Hey, said Bella. Come on over and hang with us for awhile. I want you to meet someone and tell you all about him.

Bella then shared the story about her new friend, Mason.  Mason was an owner surrender at Pinellas County Animal Services. Remember, said Bella, I told you and Fly all about that when we were at the beach last month?  Corky got all excited. We all have been to the shelter. Isn’t it the greatest place and so clean too! I hope we all can go for a visit soon. Fly gave Corky the evil eye – with his one blue eye- to settle down and just listen to Bella.

Bella shared:

Mason is now living with us for a short time. He is 9 years old, up to date on all his shots, heartworm negative, neutered and just had his teeth cleaned at the shelter.  He is a foster dog. “ A what?” Thought Corky. The only Fosters he knew of was the one he saw his owner drink.  He was at the shelter for awhile and no one adopted him and he was getting depressed. And he was getting thin and just needed to be out of the shelter environment. So my owner took a class and became a foster mom for Pinellas County Animal Services. Bella informed us:

Pinellas County Animal Services is seeking volunteers over the age of 18 to be a part of our Foster Care Team. This program requires separate foster application and approval. All foster care parents are required to complete the Foster Training/Volunteer Orientation Class which is held at the shelter on:

Saturday September 14th 9 to 11:30AM. Foster Training/Volunteer Orientation Class

Wednesday September 25th 2:30 to 5:00 PM Foster Training/Volunteer Orientation Class

Foster Care allows Pinellas County Animal Services to serve pets that are in need of time away from the shelter: puppies and kittens too young for adoption, those recovering from surgery or illness, senior pets that need to be out of a shelter environment, dogs that have been on adoption row too long and pets requiring socialization skills that can only be learned in a home environment. Volunteers interested in becoming a foster parent will work directly with the Adoption Coordinator and the Medical Staff.

In 2012 Pinellas County Animal Services fostered 1,026 animals that needed additional time and TLC, and we are interested in increasing this number in 2013 to save even more lives.  Please join us in caring for the animals if you have a:

·        Genuine concern for the welfare of our animals and consistent with the philosophy of Pinellas County Animal Services

·        Willingness to be compassionate to special needs animals

·        Commitment to follow all foster policies and directives as required by the Adoption Coordinator

·        Valid driver’s license and your own car for transport of foster animals to and from shelter

·        Willingness to attend a foster meeting every 6 months at the shelter

There is a great need for foster homes. The foster care training will provide:

·        ABC’s of Fostering

·        Basic cleaning, feeding and caring tips and more…..

·        Feline Upper Respiratory information

·        emergencies procedures

For information go to  http://www.pinellascounty.org/animalservices/volunteer.htm

Wow, what a great program, shared Corky. Those people at the shelter sure know how to treat the dogs and cats well.  Welcome to the neighborhood, Mason. When you get some weight on you, we can all go hang out at the dog park or the dog beach or maybe we call all get together with our owners for a neighborhood cookout.

For more information, visit Pinellas County Animal Services’ web page at www.pinellascounty.org/animalservices/volunteer.htm  or call (727) 582-2600.

Pinellas County Animal Services is located at 12450 Ulmerton Road in Largo. Normal hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the adoption center closing at 5:30 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and services include adoptions. Rabies vaccinations are administered on Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. The facility is closed all Pinellas County holidays.

For information on how to adopt, donate or volunteer, join Pinellas County Animal Services on Facebook. To learn more about the shelter, visit www.pinellascounty.org/animalservices, or call (727) 582-2600. The lost or found pets hotline is (727) 582-2604.

For more information about Pinellas County services and programs, visit www.pinellascounty.org, now with LiveChat, or create a shortcut to www.pinellascounty.org/mobile on any smartphone. Pinellas County government is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.