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Giving time to pet projects
By KRISTI SIEGEL
© St. Petersburg Times, LARGO -- At the front of the classroom, Donna Schultz tugs on her earlobes gently, and explains why it isn't a good idea to wear long, ornamental earrings while cuddling a frisky kitten. "If (the kittens) get a good hold, they can pull them right out," said the volunteer coordinator for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Dangling earrings are not advisable while in the cat room." This pearl of wisdom is one Schultz dispenses during a lesson to would-be volunteers of Pinellas County's busiest animal shelter. Prospective volunteers must go through a four- to eight-hour orientation before they don an SPCA vest and mingle with the animals. A daylong, eight-hour training session covers basics like shelter policy and dog behavior. Four-hour sessions are available for those who prefer to work only with felines. Most volunteers-to-be attend the entire training session to get a handle on pet life at the shelter, which is at 9099 130th Ave. N in Largo. Volunteers learn the best way to handle animals while sizing up the best pet-owner match. While "socializing," or introducing two strange dogs, volunteers must use the mandatory 2-foot rule, keeping the dogs leashed and reasonably apart, "because you have no idea how they will react," said Schultz. "The biggest "don't,' is do not get in the cage with the dog. Lead him in, and then close the cage. If the dog is spooked and he flips, you're his target." On this day, nine women sit around a large table in the SPCA's education center. The shelter mascot, Catfish, a plump gray kitty, plops down on the table, soliciting a scratch between the ears. Minnie, a yippy poodle, tugs on a volunteer's purse handle in search of a toy while Schultz discusses the SPCA's strict policy of not adopting dogs out as guard dogs. She relates the tale of a customer who came to the SPCA looking for a dog to guard his business, mentioning that the dog would be "on a chain in front of his building to guard it at night." A volunteer told him that it was not the shelter's policy to allow people to adopt dogs as sentinels. "Companions only," Schultz said. "Adopt from the heart. These animals need unconditional love, a lifetime commitment, not to sit alone, ignored." And pets don't make good gifts, Schultz said. When that happens, "we usually get the animal back. We suggest to customers a pet-oriented gift basket instead." Although the shelter has full- and part-time employees, "volunteers who are able to make a commitment enable us to provide the necessary time and care to find the best possible homes for our animals," said executive director Beth Lockwood. While always appreciated, volunteers are also sorely needed. During the summer, shelter occupancy can reach nearly 100 dogs and 100 cats. Dogs must be walked; cats need cuddling. Volunteers must come dressed to deal with animals: long pants, closed-toe shoes. Everyone gets a smock. Besides dealing with adoptions, volunteers can foster kittens and puppies, raise money, help in the office, photograph the animals, and give educational presentations in schools. Schultz conducts a behind-the-scenes tour of the SPCA facility. First are the clinic and recovery rooms, where animals are spayed or neutered. Woozy-looking cats and dogs, hazy from anesthetic, sit silently on towels in cages in the recovery room. She takes the volunteers through the bathing area. All animals are cleaned and treated for fleas before being readied for adoption. In the lab, blood samples are taken for feline leukemia, rabies shots are given, and dogs are tested for heartworms. In Kittenland, where adult and young cats room together, soothing music is piped through the P.A. system at night. A playroom is full of cat toys, and a butterfly garden beyond the window gives the cats something to watch. A skinny kitty called Matrix wriggles out of Schultz's arms and hides under a cage, warily eyeing the group. Signs of depression aren't always obvious, and animals can't make it known. But those savvy in the detection of animal stress can tell the difference between a happy and sad pet. "There is a difference between fear and aggression in cats," Schultz said. It is apparent by the position of a cat's ears. There is also the "hello flag" greeting, when a cat's tail tip resembles a waving flag; and the "contented meat loaf," a familiar position when a cat is at rest with all legs tucked underneath, resembling a neatly packed meat loaf. Volunteers also visit the barnyard. In a coop are ducks, geese and a turkey. Roosters wander freely around the compound. Goats and sheep roam in the pasture. "Have you met Lucy?" asks Steve Botvin, the SPCA's farm animal specialist. He taps on a tin plate. Quietly, from behind a small wooden shelter in the pen, 600-plus pounds of pig emerges. Botvin's tin-plate banging signals suppertime. Salivating, she stands expectantly at the gate, scrutinizing her audience. "Pets make us live longer, heal faster and lower our blood pressure. They give (older people) a reason to get up in the morning. It's a quality of life," Schultz said. Want to help?To become a shelter volunteer, call (727) 586-3591 or register online at www.spcaofpinellas.org Pets at ParkSideThe SPCA will open a retail pet adoption store Thursday at the Pinellas ParkSide mall, 7200 U.S. 19 N, Pinellas Park. Cats, small dogs, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs will be available for adoption. The store also will carry pet supplies and accessories. Regular hours will be noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 586-3591.
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