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Guest Column

Animal adoption is main mission

By Barbara Snow
Published January 2, 2007

Many changes have occurred during 2006 at the Humane Society of Pinellas.

We implemented a behavior enrichment program for our animals (Open Paw), hired a new management team along with a director of behavior and training, improved our relationships with Pinellas County Animal Services and local shelter and rescue groups, began a new Aid A Pet Program to assist people in financial need with emergency veterinary care, and made many repairs to our existing shelter.

One of our big successes in 2006 was the adoption of more than 2,321 animals into homes.

We responded to articles written in the St. Petersburg Times questioning our policy on humane euthanasia. We have further clarified what kind of a shelter we are, our policy on humane euthanasia, our definition of what we mean by "adoptable" and how we medically treat and professionally train our animals.

We give each animal every possible opportunity to be placed for adoption and find a new home. (See our Web site at www.humane societyofpinellas.org for the written humane euthanasia policy description.)

I wish more would be written and covered in the media about the social problems that harm our animals. What the eye does not see, very often, the heart does not grieve.

Every day at HSP, we face our "horsemen," and there are many more than four. The enemies of animals are apathy, neglect, ignorance, exploitation for entertainment and profit, abuse, speciesism, pet overpopulation and criminal cruelty. We see and react to all of the issues that hurt animals, in our daily phone calls, requests for help and services, rescue and ambulance work and in our open admissions.

In addition, like many caring people in the nonprofit businesses that help children, elderly and adults in need, we at animal shelters also feel the effects of compassion fatigue. Yet we keep on keeping on because our successes come when we truly make a difference in the lives of animals we shelter and serve.

We are undertaking big plans for 2007 and they are achievable so long as our supporters continue to believe in the work we do for animals.

We plan to create a "Small Wonders" section for our rabbits, hamsters, gerbils and ferrets to better meet their behavioral needs. This will remove them from the front office area and give more space to accommodate our adoption applicants.

We want to create an interaction room for our cats similar to our Real Life Room for our dogs, where cats and prospective adopters can meet and greet each other. The decision process to adopt cats would then be made privately in a homelike atmosphere.

We want to open up more kennel space for our dogs by replacing roofing and adding agility equipment to provide more exercise and play time.

The addition of more humane education programs will encourage higher standards of animal care and pet responsibility, and adding a full-time veterinarian will allow us to provide more treatments and make daily rounds of our sheltered animals to maintain their health while they wait for adoption.

We are adding more structure and professional standards to our volunteer program so we can continue to attract, encourage, utilize and appreciate our volunteers.

Our volunteers are the strongest component in the success of our new Open Paw program. Founded by world-renowned animal behaviorists Ian Dunbar and Kelly Gorman, Open Paw makes our animals more adoptable by giving our animals rewards for good behavior, positive mental stimulation, and exercise and play, and teaches them to respond and interact favorably in social settings and the human environment.

We will continue to be guided by a group of mission-oriented, professional and diverse business leaders who serve on the HSP board of directors. The year 2007 brings us seven new members who will give additional expertise in nonprofit program development, financial accounting and veterinary medical service.

The management team, employees and volunteers continue to work with both compassion and action, always in the best interest of and service to our animals. All of us are very aware that the Humane Society of Pinellas truly belongs to the Tampa Bay area community and the animals entrusted to our care. We have a duty and responsibility to act as stewards of their welfare and, with public help and support, we will continue to do so.

The HSP will continue to act as advocates for animals to have their physical and behavioral needs met. They have those rights.

Since we humans share our world with other forms of life, we will continue to pursue the right of all animals to peacefully co-exist with us. For us at HSP, that means a new and loving home for each of our adoptable animals with a caring family for the rest of their lives.

They don't need much, but they do need both the Humane Society of Pinellas and you.

Barbara Snow took her post as the executive director of the Humane Society of Pinellas in September.

[Last modified January 2, 2007, 06:11:25]