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Like injured dog, SPCA adjusts to changes
By MATTHEW WAITE © St. Petersburg Times, published February 10, 2001 NEW PORT RICHEY -- Princess is a heartbreaker. And a face licker. People who know better than to get attached to a dog have taken to Princess like children to their first puppy and know the day is coming when the Rottweiler/Doberman pinscher mix will be adopted. "She'll break my heart when she goes," said Heather Cosentino, one of the staffers at the west Pasco office of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Princess came to the SPCA two days after Christmas. She had been hit by a car and left for dead in a rain-soaked ditch. Her left rear foot was broken and mangled. "The foot was exposed all the way to the bone," Cosentino said. "There was no skin." According to those who took care of Princess, the dog never snarled, never snapped at people repairing the broken foot. "She has been this wonderful, loveable dog," said Marie Fuchs, the volunteer coordinator for the SPCA and a 13-year volunteer. "Everyone falls for her," said Michelle Guercio, who serves on the SPCA Board of Directors and is the office manager at the veterinary office that cared for Princess. "Even us over at the Animal Care Center." Princess arrived during a time of transition for the SPCA. Last week, staffers and volunteers moved into a new addition to the main building on their land off Congress Street just north of Massachusetts Avenue. Two old buildings soon will be demolished. All construction will be finished by late spring. With the new building, the profile of the group will change. The SPCA plans to try to be more visible, Guercio said. There are hopes of increasing the number of volunteers who will help staff the additional space, as well as increase the number of people who adopt animals. Adoption for Princess will come when the veterinarian says so. The SPCA did find Princess' owner, who never claimed the dog or responded to letters. Last week, the SPCA took ownership of Princess. When her foot has healed, they will put her up for adoption. Princess doesn't much mind the cast on her foot, which will be there for another month or more. She wants to run. With Fuchs on the end of Princess' leash during a recent walk, it wasn't clear who was leading whom. Princess is a little more clumsy than she normally would be, but the cast didn't stop her from playing with a tennis ball. And it was clear from the expression on Princess' face that the cast made scratching feel that much better. Cosentino, who took Princess home with her for a few days when the dog's bandages needed changing often, has seen others have trouble with getting attached to animals that are given up. Losing Princess will be hard for a lot of the staff. "But you feel good when you know they are going to a good home," she said. "That's our purpose here." -- Anyone who wants to volunteer at the SPCA, adopt an animal or make a donation can call the office at (727) 849-1048. -- Matthew Waite can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6247 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6247. His e-mail address is waite@sptimes.com.
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