One Love. One Life.
For those who work in Florida’s animal welfare system, pet overpopulation, filled-to-capacity shelters and euthanasia are all too-common occurrences. This summer, it seems our Florida shelters are more crowded than ever, placing the dogs and cats in dire need of foster homes and at the very best, adoptions. Manatee County Animal Services has created a program
designed to help get dogs out of the shelter and into the com- munity for a day of socializing and fun. One to One encourages encourages citizens to visit the shelter during regular shelter hours, select an adoptable of their choosing to spend a few hours with, or even keep over night. They can take the dogs to visit area dog-friendly venues and public places such as The Downtown Bradenton Farmers Market, or simply go for a walk in the park. The dog wears an Adopt Me vest provided by MCAS to identify it as a homeless adoptable and to encourage those interested to contact the shelter. “At any given time, we have scores of adoptable dogs, who
for the most part must sit, stay and wait for potential adopters to come see them. While we have wonderful volunteer dog walk- ers to take them around the grounds, the dogs still do not get the exercise, socialization and exposure that they really need,” said Stephanie Kelly, Volunteer Coordinator for MCAS. Ultimately the goal of the project is to increase adoptions
by generating interest in the community about the dogs avail- able at the shelter. At the end of the day, the resident-volunteer
Fresca was recently owner-surrendered to Manatee County Animal Services. She is a Pug mix with an adorable underbite and an over-the-top sweet personality.
is free to bring the dog back to the shelter, or make arrange- ments to keep him overnight. “The program allows the local resident to ‘custom design’
the experience to fit their particular circumstances or abilities. They choose the dog, the dates, the time and the frequency for participating,” added Stephanie. Contact Stephanie at 941.962.4090 or email her at
stephanie.k9@gmail.com
Sign up for the Murals for Mutts Fundraising Campaign for Manatee County Animal Services. Help us brighten up the campus with your pet’s portrait, forever immortalized in a mural.
www.MuralsForMutts.com
www.TheNewBarker.com
Summer ~ 2013 THE NEW BARKER 19
Photography by Anna Cooke
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