Here’s a LIVE look inside our kitten room! Please note, the room will be dark once the shelter closes to allow the cats to sleep.
Remember to watch ‘Call Me Kat,’ Thursdays at 9 p.m. on FOX 13!
Watch Now: https://www.fox13news.com/cat
Author: Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Reasons Why Adopting is Important
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Because you’ll save a life. Each year, it′s estimated that more than one million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized in the United States, simply because too many pets come into shelters and too few people consider adoption when looking for a pet.
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Because you can help stop unkind and inhumane puppy mills. Puppy mills are breeding facilities who put profit over the welfare and wellbeing of their dogs, leading to poor conditions, improper medical care, and more. Just last September a puppy mill was shut down in Tampa due to inhumane conditions, with over 350 dogs being handed over to Hillsborough County Pet Resources. If we stop shopping and adopt instead, puppy mills will cease to exist!
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Because it is so much more affordable than shopping. All animals adopted from HSTB come spayed/ neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and dewormed. Those are fees you don’t have to pay for! Additionally, dogs adopted through the Dolly’s Dream Dogs program come with supplies and 3 complimentary sessions of in-home dog training.
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Because you’ll be helping more than just one animal. By adopting, you free up space in the shelter for other animals in need!
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Because studies show that having an animal has immense psychological, emotional, and physical benefits. Caring for a pet can provide a sense of fulfillment and purpose- and you can feel proud about saving a pet’s life when you adopt!
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Because it feels good to change a pet’s life. Once you’ve adopted one, it’s hard to ever buy again!
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Because your home will thank you. Many shelter animals come from previous owners and are already house-trained, so you won’t have to sacrifice your favorite rug or couch. Also, HSTB typically has information on animals who came from a previous home, so you won’t have to play the guessing game on whether or not they are good with kids and other animals, etc.
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Because it supports an amazing cause. All of the proceeds from the adoption fee go right back to the shelter, so your adoption of one animal will help so many more!
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Because you’re not just giving them a second chance. They’re giving you a new best friend!
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Because the HSTB website makes it easy. Check out http://mariam22.sg-host.com/adoptions/ each morning to see all the animals up for adoption that day.
Still need convincing? Check us out on instagram (@HumaneSocietyTampaBay), Twitter (@HumaneTampaBay) and Facebook (Humane Society of Tampa Bay) for adoption stories and to see why people are so glad that they chose to adopt from HSTB!
These two kittens, along with their mother were saved from an abandoned house by our rescue team. Our team was shocked by their horrific living conditions. They found living and deceased kittens in a wall infested with fleas and roaches. We immediately examined the cats to determine the best course of action. We found that the mother cat has upper respiratory issues, dental disease, and ringworm. Unfortunately, her kittens also have upper respiratory issues, ringworm and were covered in fleas. They could barely open up their eyes… We cleaned up and treated the whole family. All three cats are currently in a foster home receiving the love, care and medical attention that they deserve.
We are still open and helping the animals that need us…
If you can, please support us by clicking the donate button below.
What is TNVR?
TNVR is the internationally proven practice of humanely trapping, spaying/neutering, vaccinating, ear tipping feral or outdoor cats and then returning them to their neighborhoods. Successful TNVR involves a volunteer caretaker who provides food and water. TNVR has been shown to be the least costly, most efficient and most humane way to stabilize cat populations. There is a lot of bad information from people who do not like cats and from some media in our community. These are the facts.
Why TNVR?
TNVR stabilizes the outdoor cat population (fewer to no births), resulting in lower animal control costs, reducing nuisance complaints by residents, addressing neighbors’ concerns, alleviating public health concerns, and improving the cats’ lives. Additionally, cats provide rodent control for the neighborhood or businesses. Cats put in this program are unsocial and therefore not unadoptable.
If you’re a Florida resident you’re very familiar with hurricane season, which runs from June 1st through November 30th. Florida is projected to experience six hurricanes this season, two of which will be major hurricanes. We’re already in the midst of this time frame and it’s crucial to be proactive rather than reactive. While we usually receive some sort of warning before a hurricane reaches us, we should not wait until a disaster is approaching to prepare. The best protection from a natural disaster is a plan! Hurricanes can be scary and there’s a certain four-legged family member who’s counting on you to keep them safe and secure – your pet.
Storms are a leading cause of pets becoming lost and hurricanes unfortunately bring the possibility of evacuation, which heightens this problem. If you have to evacuate, don’t leave your pet behind! Pets left behind are at risk of being injured, lost, or killed. If it’s not safe for you to be in your home, then it isn’t safe for your pets either.
Below are our tips for what you can do – both now and during a disaster – to ensure your pet stays safe during the event of a hurricane.
What To Do NOW
ID your pet! In the event that your pet does get lost, identification will strongly increase your chances of being reunited with them. Microchipping is highly recommended, and you’ll want to be sure that the microchip registration is in your name and updated with current contact information. The average person doesn’t have a microchip scanner, however, so it’s a good idea to also have a collar ready to go with an ID tag securely attached. Putting your phone number on your pet’s ID tag makes it easy for someone to contact you right away.
Visit our shelter to pick up a FREE Disaster Bag to help you prepare. You can also easily create your own disaster kit.
Either way, include these items for your pet to bring if you need to evacuate:
– All current medications, including heartworm, flea and tick preventatives
– Current medical and vaccination records
– A minimum of 7 days’ worth of food and water – don’t forget a can opener and/or scooper!
– Food and water bowls
– Microchip ID number information
– A collar with rabies and ID tags and leashes (it’s never a bad idea to have backups)
– Pictures of you with your pets and of your pets alone, to prove ownership and help others identify them if you are separated
– List of unique markings your pet has
– Pet first-aid kit
– Poop bags
– Trash bags
– Toys and treats
– Litter boxes and litter
– A secure carrier or collapsible crate for each pet, large enough for them to stand comfortably and turn around
– Bedding and blankets
– Small container of disinfectant and paper towels
Find a safe place to evacuate to ahead of time. Ideally, this would be a friend or relative’s house, but it could also be an emergency shelter. Call your local office of emergency management before a disaster hits to see if you’ll be able to bring your pet to an emergency shelter – don’t assume! Pet-friendly shelters likely won’t be an option either as most of them will have extremely limited space in the event of a disaster.
Hillsborough County Emergency Info – 813.272.5900
Consider lining up a caregiver in your absence. If a hurricane hits while you’re away from home, have a contact who lives close to you, is comfortable with your pets, knows the location of your pet evacuation kit, and has access to your house.
What To Do THEN (During a Hurricane)
If you are evacuating, bring your pet and their disaster kit with you!
If you find yourself unable to go to a friend or relative’s house, locate pet-friendly hotels or shelter in the area you’ll be evacuating to and secure reservations.
If you’re staying at home, identify a safe area of the house where your family and pets can stay together, and put your emergency supplies in that room immediately. Bring pets indoors as soon as authorities say trouble is on the way and make sure they’re wearing identification. Close off any unsafe nooks and crannies where frightened cats may try to hide, and don’t let your pets roam loose!
Again, we urge you to recognize the importance of preparation! The last thing you want to do is be scrambling to keep your pet safe while you’re trying to figure out your own safe evacuation. Our pets cannot prepare for themselves in situations like this. It’s our job as pet parents to protect them, prepare for them, and be patient with them. If you are traveling with your pet make sure to keep them safe. Read how to keep you and your pet safe in an auto emergency here.
Additional Resources
A detailed, downloadable emergency preparedness document covering the needs of dogs, cats, horses, swine, cattle, birds, reptiles, and rabbits during a disaster. Checklists and contact log included.
Updated during disasters to show shelters accepting pets. It is very important that your pets are up-to-date on their shots as shelters will not allow pets to enter without proof of current vaccinations.
Find pet friendly hotels and accommodations.
Print and affix to a gallon-size plastic bag where you can store the listed items.
Meet the Official Dog of the Mayor’s Office!
Mayor Jane Castor adopted Cookie from us this week and we couldn’t be more thrilled! She came to us as a owner surrender and Mayor Castor heard about her story and fell in love with her.
Stay tuned with us on our social media accounts to hear updates on how Cookie is enjoying her new role!
Want to help Mayor Jane Castor re-name Cookie? Leave your suggestion on her puppy poll!
What does it mean?
AAHA stands for the American Animal Hospital Association. AAHA is the only veterinary hospital association in America that provides accreditation to companion animal hospitals. The accreditation process for veterinary hospitals is voluntary, that means that a veterinary clinic has to want to become AAHA accredited because they want to be the gold standard for medical care for their four-legged patients.
To become accredited takes rigor and a serious investment of time and money. There are more than 900 standards that are evaluated in person every three years.
AAHA has outlined specific protocols, checklists, and guidelines that every accredited hospital must abide by. These protocols, checklists, and guidelines describe the way to practice medicine at the highest level. To become an AAHA accredited hospital, a complete practice audit is performed by the association to evaluate everything from the practice’s medical record keeping to surgery protocols to ensure that the hospital is following these AAHA guidelines and are, in fact, practicing the highest quality of medicine.
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay Animal Hospital has been AAHA accredited for five years (since June 2014). We were the first animal hospital in Florida to receive/maintain this prestigious accreditation and only 15{7745412d95a2321b406eae40e1de3a46791e79f925cd769a0bc2e92f1240c8bc} of animal hospitals in the United States are AAHA accredited.
Standards
AAHA accreditation ensures accredited hospitals are using the most up-to-date technology and requires that veterinarians that work at accredited hospitals stay up-to-date with the latest developments in veterinary medicine through continuing education.
AAHA is continuously updating their standards to meet the changes and updates in veterinary medicine. To stay accredited, a veterinary hospital must pass an audit every three years to show that the practice has updated their practice protocols to meet these changes as well.
Examples
Some examples of practices that AAHA accredited animal hospitals are required to use that some non-accredited animal hospitals might not have include:
- – Aggressive handling or restraint is prohibited
- – An oxygen delivery system for critical patients that cannot breathe
- – Dental X-Ray to better be able to identify and treat dental disease since 90{7745412d95a2321b406eae40e1de3a46791e79f925cd769a0bc2e92f1240c8bc} of dental disease is hidden below the gums
- – Designated surgical suite
- – Designated treatment area
- – Pain assessment is considered part of every patient evaluated
Source: www.aaha.org
Why we decided that we wanted to become AHHA accredited?
We believe that pets are an important part of the family and if accreditation is required for human hospitals than it is just as important for veterinary hospitals.
We wanted to give our clients a tangible way to know that they can trust that we are practicing at the highest level of medicine and feel confident that their pets are being well taken care of at our animal hospital.
In short, WE TRULY LOVE ANIMALS and want to ensure they are well cared for regardless of level of effort, time and cost.
On May 1, 2019 we broke ground on the community’s NEW shelter!
We are beyond excited to begin to build for the future and continue to lead the way because EVERY LIFE COUNTS!
We taped the event for you to watch at your convenience.
SPOILER ALERT: Watch Mayor Jane Castor at 5:45 and an actual building be crushed at 17:25!
At the Humane Society of Tampa Bay we LOVE rabbits! During Easter season we see an uptick of rabbits being adopted and bought as pets, then returned or brought to our shelter shortly after. We want to ensure that you are familiar with the special care a rabbit requires before considering making a rabbit a part of your family. We ask that you please read this educational blog post before considering a rabbit as a pet.
General Care
– Rabbits are social animals that do best with attention and social interactions. Try to talk calmly and stroke them daily.
– Some rabbits can be very affectionate and will nuzzle and lick owners while others are more laid-back and shy.
– Never approach a rabbit directly in front. They have laterally placed eyes and cannot see directly in front of themselves.
– Before picking up a rabbit, pat gently between the eyes until he relaxes.
– Never attempt to pick up a struggling rabbit, they can break their own backs attempting to get away. Always support their back legs when you pick them up and carry them around.
– Rabbits love to move and manipulate objects. This provides exercise and simulations. Brown cardboard boxes are great for chewing. Plain non-toxic wood or hard plastic baby toys are also good.
– Rabbits are prey species. They strive on predictable and stable environment.
Housing
– Keep rabbits indoor only to avoid predators, fleas, and ticks. However, in Florida you can keep your rabbits outside (as long as the area is covered) so that they can get plenty of exercise.
– Try to avoid wire flooring this can cause hock problems.
– If flooring is wire, then cover with sections of newspaper (will be messy if bunny digs) or plain cardboard.
– If using a dog cage, make sure the wire spacing is small enough so the bunny’s head or limbs do not get stuck.
– Keep rabbits out of extreme heat.
– Avoid keeping rabbits in the same room as barking dogs and avoid keeping them in full view of cats.
– Place litter box in corner of cage the rabbit has chosen for urination. Line with newspaper and fill with grass hay and dump daily.
– Avoid pine and cedar chips as bedding or litter material.
– Small boxes for bunny to hide in are useful in wire cages to help them feel safe. May increase territorial behaviors (mainly in unspayed females).
Food
– Most important food for a rabbit is hay.
– Rabbits should eat dark-leafy greens daily if possible (all leaf lettuces, dandelion greens, kale, collards, turnip greens).
– Avoid cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, spinach, bread and other high carbohydrate foods.
– Pellets should be plain.
– Good treats in small amounts are slice of apple or banana, sunflower seeds, 2 inch piece of carrot, parsley, cilantro and basil.
Bunny Proofing Your Home
– Cover wires with hard plastic sleeves or flex tubing.
– Use large flex tubing on wooden table or chair legs.
– Cover baseboards with plastic guards or furring strips. Clear packaging tape could also work.
– Most houseplants are toxic to bunnies including poinsettia, holly, tomato leaves, tulips
– Complete list: http://www.allearssac.org/pdf/poison.pdf
Let us help you keep your dogs safe!
You can keep your dogs safe by utilizing heartworm medication. Our veterinarian can test your dog for heartworms and help you pick affordable heartworm prevention products that are available at our Animal Hospital.
Heartworm Testing & Prevention Products: Please call 813-870-3304 to make your appointment.
Our Animal Hospital is open Monday through Sunday from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm and is located just north of the shelter at 3809 N. Armenia Avenue.
Heartworm Disease – What Is It and What Causes It?
Heartworm disease is a serious disease that results in severe lung disease, heart failure, other organ damage, and death in pets, mainly dogs, cats, and ferrets. It caused by a parasitic worm. The worms are spread through the bite of a mosquito. The dog is the definitive host, meaning that the worms mature into adults, mate, and produce offspring while living inside a dog. The mosquito is the intermediate host, meaning that the worms live inside a mosquito for a short transition period in order to become ineffective (able to cause heartworm disease). The worms are called “heartworms” because the adults live in the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels of an infected animal.
The Heartworm Lifecycle in Dogs:
Inside a dog, a heartworm’s lifespan is 5 to 7 years. Adult heartworms look like strands of cooked spaghetti, with males reaching about 4 to 6 inches in length and females reaching about 10 to 12 inches in length. The number of worms living inside an infected dog is called the worm burden.
How is a Dog Tested for Heartworms?
A veterinarian uses blood tests to check a dog for heartworms. An antigen test detects specific heartworm proteins, called antigens, which are released by adult female heartworms into the dog’s bloodstream. In most cases, antigen tests can accurately detect infections with one or more adult female heartworms. The earliest that the heartworm proteins can be detected in a dog’s bloodstream is about 5 months after it is bitten by an infected mosquito. The earliest that microfilaria can be detected in a dog’s bloodstream is about 6 months after it is bitten by an infected mosquito.
When Should a Dog Be Tested for Heartworms?
Dogs 5-6 months of age and older should be tested for heartworms before starting heartworm prevention. A dog may appear healthy on the outside, but on the inside, heartworms may be living and thriving. If a heartworm-positive dog is not tested before starting a preventive, the dog will remain infected with adult heartworms until it gets sick enough to show symptoms.
Is There a Treatment for Heartworm Disease in Dogs?
Melarsomine dihydrochloride (available under the trade names Immiticide and Diroban) is an arsenic-containing drug that is FDA-approved to kill adult heartworms in dogs. It’s given by deep injection into the back muscles to treat dogs with stabilized class 1, 2, and 3 heartworm disease. The treatment for heartworm disease is not easy on the dog or on the owner’s pocket book. Treatment can be potentially toxic to the dog’s body and can cause serious complications, such as life-threatening blood clots to the dog’s lungs. Treatment is expensive because it requires multiple visits to the veterinarian, bloodwork, x-rays, hospitalization, and a series of injections.
The Best Treatment is Prevention!
Source: https://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/animalhealthliteracy/ucm188470.htm
