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Health & Fitness

Corky and Fly see what the tide brought them...

To read the 1st 5 articles of Corky and Fly’s experience with Animal Services see May 21, June 30, July 3, July 11 and July 19 blog.

 

Corky and Fly learned more about Pinellas County Animal Services after spending the day at Fort DeSoto Beach.  They had great memories to take home with them.  I mistakenly asked Fly what was going to be the best part of his day?  Why do I even bother to ask him that! Now I have to listen to him go on and on about how much faster he is than me at getting the tennis ball. Hey, did you know I LOVE tennis balls?  And then he went on and on about how great Pinellas County Parks are with all the smells to sniff and trails to blaze.

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Fort De Soto has the only county dog park where dogs are allowed on the beach in a designated area. There are also 2 fenced in areas near the beach for large and small dogs with water stations. Fly was telling me all this because he always wants me to think that he is smarter than me….but that’s ok. We did have fun, and we met a lot of new friends at the beach.

Of course I was hanging out with the JRT’s (Jack Russell Terriers which are also called Parson’s Terriers) and Fly spent a lot of time with the other Aussies on the beach. It was really crowded with many different types of dogs.  The Labradors were all fetching sticks in the ocean and the Pointers were all pointing out that Labradors almost never drag sticks into the water.  I saw the old Schnauzer named Griz that Fly and I met at the shelter just before he got adopted.  Griz was talking to an embarrassed white male toy Poodle with bows in his hair and painted nails.  Poor guy!  If anyone tries to paint my nails, I just might bite.  It was cool to see how everyone got along so well.

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I needed a break from playing ball, so I decided to go get Fly and take a stroll down the beach.

I barked, “Hey Fly, let’s go walking and see if we can find some new adventures.”

 He did his Aussie shake. I hate when he does that! Gets all that hair going in every which way and in every direction and always gets me wet. Then he barks and does his wiggle butt and says, “I’ll race ya.” Why is it that he always wants to compete with me? I let him win…..this time.

As we were walking along sniffing dead seaweed in the sand and rolling on top of washed up fish on the shore, I spotted a lonely looking dog out of the corner of my eye. She was just sitting in the sand staring at the waves. She looked deep in thought.

“Hey Fly, let’s go sniff her out!” This is such a great place to meet new friends.

“Hey,” says Fly, “what are you and where did you come from?”  He always uses the direct approach.

She tilted her head toward us and I was struck by the intensity behind those light brown eyes as she said “My name is Bella and I am a mix.”

Huh? “A mix? What is a mix?” I blurted.

 She grinned and replied “I have DNA from you and other dogs that are on the beach. Most people love mixes.”

 OH NO! “My owner always told me not to go up to strangers. DNA…Do Not Associate with.”

Fly gave me the evil blue eye (since only one of his eyes are blue), and Bella told her story.

“I came from Pinellas County Animal Services. My owners had to surrender me. I don’t know exactly why.  My owners had been very concerned about something for awhile.  One day they said something about “the bills” and that they had to move.  They took me to Pinellas County Animals Services.  I’ll never forget the sad look in my owners’ eyes when he said good bye to me.  NO ONE should have to give up their owner.  I put on a brave face and licked my owners’ hand.  The shelter took wonderful care of me too. I ended up on Adoption Row and was adopted by a nice young couple and I love my new forever home.”

We learned this from Bella:

If you are no longer able to care for your pet, or have found what appears to be a stray animal, you may surrender the animal to our facility M-F 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Pinellas County strays are accepted at no cost, but there is a charge of $20 per pet for owner surrenders and a $20 fee for litters of puppies or kittens.

 


Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that we will be able to place every animal for adoption. The supply of homeless animals far outweighs the demand, and not every animal is as lucky as Bella.

Owners should pursue all available options to find a loving, responsible home for their pet prior to surrendering to Animal Services. Options include contacting family, friends and co-workers who may wish to adopt your pet, and contacting local humane societies and breed rescue groups for assistance.


If you surrender a pet to Pinellas County Animal Services, here is what will happen:

·         The animal you bring to Pinellas County Animal Services is one of approximately 14,000 cats and dogs that come into the shelter each year. Pinellas County has one of the most effective pet licensing programs in the nation.  Through this program we are able to reunite more lost pets with their families. We have a very effective adoption, rescue and foster program which places more adoptable pets in caring homes than many other organizations. Pinellas County Animal Services is ranked one of the best in the state of Florida for animals returned to their owners, pet licensing and adoptions.

·         Stray animals will be held for reunification with their owner.  When no identification is present, strays are held for 4 days.  If identification is present (microchip, license), strays are held for 7 days.

·         After the holding period is up, the veterinary staff will thoroughly evaluate the animal’s behavior and health.  All healthy and friendly animals are placed for adoption.  Animals with health and/or behavioral issues may be placed for adoption or with another humane organization, approved rescue group, or pet store adoption depending on available resources.  Foster homes, when available, are utilized when needed.  Animals that are aggressive and/or severely ill will be humanely euthanized to prevent suffering and protect public safety.

·         Adoptable pets currently in our care will not be euthanized to make room to accept incoming animals.

·         When you turn an animal over to the shelter, you relinquish all rights to ownership of the animal. Pinellas County Animal Services is unable to call you prior to disposition of the animal.

·         Pinellas County Animal Services is continually working to educate the public about the problem of pet overpopulation.  This enables us to work together in finding a solution.

 

Wow she is smart. And she lives close to us. Fly looked at me again with that blue eye.

“Let’s go home Corky,” said Fly getting misty eyed.  Why does he do that? “We can all hang out next week.”

We said our good-byes and I thought that she not only shares my DNA, she shares my heart.

 

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.







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