KEEP KEY WEST BEAUTIFUL TAKE ME HOME?

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Hour

JOIN A 1-HOUR CLEANUP EVERY FRIDAY MORNING

Find A Friend At The Florida Keys Spca

The Keys Weekly family loves animals as much as our friends at the Florida Keys SPCA do, and we’re honored each week to showcase some “furever” friends that are ready, waiting and available for adoption at the organization’s Key West campus.

From cats and dogs to Guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles and birds, the perfect addition to your family is waiting for you. The SPCA’s knowledgeable staff will help with advice and care tips while working to ensure a good fit between each pet and its people.

The SPCA’s Golden Paw program also provides special assistance with vet bills and medications for special-needs and older animals that require a little extra TLC. Check these pages each week for just a few of the animals waiting for a home and see them all at fkspca.org.

Another record-breaking Friday cleanup occurred March 10, when 54 Ploggers met at the corner of Duval and Virginia streets. In one hour, they collected 173 pounds of trash, 17 pounds of recycling and 4 gallons of cigarette butts. Bethony and Juliet received the city manager’s extra mile coin for bringing in an additional 3.5 gallons of cigarette butts collected from around the city during the week. Special thank you to host Flamingo Crossing, which provided everyone with water and a coupon to come back for a free ice cream. CONTRIBUTED

One hour a week makes a huge difference, and volunteers are welcome every Friday and some Saturday mornings, from 8 to 9 a.m., when the Key West Ploggers clean up a designated area of the island.

Gloves, pickers, buckets, vests, hand sanitizer and a parking pass are provided to all volunteers.

A troubling number of cigarette butts and plastic bags have been included in recent hauls. Please remember your reusable bags when shopping so we can keep the plastic off the streets, parking lots and, most importantly, out of the water. And dispose of cigarette butts in any receptacle rather than the street or sidewalk, as from there, they easily end up in the ocean.

Join an upcoming Friday morning cleanup from 8 to 9 a.m.

March 17: North Roosevelt & Kennedy Drive (Meet at Publix in Key Plaza.)

March 24: Simonton & Greene streets (Meet in the parking lot at 0 Simonton St.)

March 31: Mallory Square (Meet in the parking lot near Dumpsters.)

The city of Key West and its residents ask everyone to do their part to help keep Key West beautiful. With simple steps like making sure you bag your trash before putting it in your Waste Management trash cans or Dumpsters, and making sure the lids on Dumpsters are closed, will keep a lot of trash from blowing into the streets. Call Waste Management at 305-296-8297 for any furniture items left on the city right of way.

Please pick up around your home or apartment complex. Every piece of trash picked up is one less that may end up in the ocean that surrounds and sustains our island community. It is not just the large items you can see easily when you are walking, but the smaller items such as bottle caps and cigarette butts that are collected by the volunteers that make the biggest difference.

It takes committed community involvement to Keep Key West Beautiful and we are making progress with every cleanup event and every spot that’s adopted. Call Dorian Patton at 305-809-3782 to find out how your business, nonprofit or club can help.

Betty is a 4-year-old female pit bull terrier. She loves her toys, snuggles with humans once she gets to know you and gets along with other pups. She is a staff favorite and could be yours.

Ninja is a 5-year-old female domestic shorthair. Her owner was deployed overseas two years ago and Ninja is a sweet kitty still looking for her furever home.

Fruit Stripe is a 1-year-old female domestic shorthair. She was found as a stray, so we are still learning her personality, but she has a lot of energy and is ready for a fun home.

Sunny is a 4-year-old male domestic shorthair. He’s had a lot of ups and downs in his life, making him timid at first. But once he knows you, he is all cuddles.

Splinter is a 1-year-old male rat. Splinter and his pal Gus will be adopted together. Rats are social, smart and make great pets.