New Leash On Life

Melinda Faircloth, left, and her mother pick up Zoey from Karen McCrary at the Hillsborough County Animal Services Department.

MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER / Tribune

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 1, 2007

TAMPA - Zoey the greyhound walked out of Hillsborough County's Animal Services Department on Friday afternoon, her days in a shelter hopefully over.

Zoey left with Kelly Faircloth, president of Greyhound Rescue and Adoptions of Tampa Bay, who delivered her to a foster home - and, if all goes well, recovery.

The 6-year-old dog, who once ran races in Melbourne, was either released or escaped from her Polk County home and was found wandering the streets of Plant City. She has heartworms and may need to gain weight before treatment can begin, Faircloth said.

Zoey's rescue from Animal Services comes as the county is trying to improve its adoption rate and reduce the number of animals it is forced to euthanize.

An audit conducted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals released in April found that some of the roughly 30,000 animals euthanized in Hillsborough each year could be saved with improved policies and conditions at the shelter.

Since then, the department has taken several steps to try to increase public awareness of the shelter and save more animals. Sending more animals to adoption centers run by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and rescue groups has been part of the effort, but several other key changes are under way:

•Reassigning a field officer to serve as a volunteer coordinator. The ASPCA audit noted that the use of volunteers could help improve conditions at the shelter and spur adoptions.

The volunteer program is under development and should be in place this year.

•Participating in an animal adoption fair at the Florida State Fairgrounds that placed 170 animals with new families. Animal Services hopes to hold similar fairs later this year, spokeswoman Marti Ryan said.

•Allowing the public to examine cats for possible adoption even if they have not cleared a mandatory waiting period. The shelter plans to grant greater access to dogs in the coming months.

County Commissioner Rose Ferlita recently toured the county's animal shelter on Falkenburg Road and said she was impressed with the staff's dedication and the steps officials were taking to try to improve adoption rates.

Ferlita noted that the Humane Society has started taking more animals from Animal Services and is making greater use of its mobile adoption center.

"We do have some areas we need to fix," Ferlita said. But she noted that changes are likely going to take time and money.

That's money the county may not have in the coming years as lawmakers overhaul Florida's property tax structure, which could reduce Hillsborough's budget by $46 million to $217 million a year.

Animal Services is to receive thousands of dollars in help from the ASPCA through its Mission Orange project. The group is splitting $600,000 among Animal Services, the Humane Society and two other rescue groups in the next three years.

The ASPCA is in the process of buying a new printer for Animal Services so it can print cards to hang on cages that will tell workers and the public more about particular animals, Ryan said.

The "cage card" system was a specific recommendation in the ASPCA audit.

Faircloth credited the agency with letting her group know that Zoey's owner could not be located. Greyhounds can be difficult pets to adopt - they're sensitive to some household chemicals and will bolt if a door or gate is left open, Faircloth said.

She said rescue groups have a better chance of getting a greyhound adopted than does the animal shelter, which contends with roughly 100 new animal arrivals per day.

Ferlita said she remains confident that Animal Services will see an improvement in its adoption rate as a result of the changes and that the ASPCA's grant money will also help.

But the agency needs time, Ferlita said. "This is not going to be a quick fix."

Faircloth agreed, saying the shelter needs more help.

"They do need more funding," Faircloth said. "They need a lot more support. They need support from the public and the government."

Reporter Anthony McCartney can be reached at (813) 259-7616 or amccartney@tampatrib.com.