Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando - Spring '22 Newsletter

TAILS FROM

WAGS & WHISKERS

SPRING 2022

2021 IN REVIEW PAGE 7

A Letter From Steve Everything has changed. Again!

ONE AGENCY TWO LOCATIONS SANFORD LOCATION: 2800 County Home Road Sanford, FL 32773 (407) 351-7722 ALAFAYA CLINIC: 12050 E. Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32826 (407) 351-7722

Our temporary space in downtown Orlando is coming along nicely and should open very soon.

The design for our new permanent home is underway with a scheduled opening in September 2023 – which is practically right around the corner.

So much change in the past six months. The reality is that the latest change was also very traumatic. It is hard to describe the feelings and emotions experienced after the fire. It is impossible to measure the impact it had on each staff member, volunteer, adopter, partner, and supporter. Everyone connected to Pet Alliance felt our pain.

PetAllianceOrlando.org

And they rallied to lift us up. Wow, did this community rally. We felt your love and support. We felt every bit of it.

LEADERSHIP STAFF

As the weeks passed, we began asking ourselves, “How do we get back to doing what we do?”

STEVE BARDY Executive Director CATHY RODGERS Director of Development KATHY BURNS Director of Shelter Operations KELLY LUDWIG Director of Clinic Services BARBARA MUZENI Finance Director

BOARD OF DIRECTORS JOSH POWERS Chair CHRISTINE O’NEAL Vice Chair PAUL MCNAMARA Treasurer JULIE AXELROD Secretary BRIAN DAVIS CHRISTINE ELIAS SUZANNE MAGEE-FLEMING LUKE PARTRIDGE LOUISE PHILP ERIN STEPP

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For me, that meant fostering puppies during the holidays. This year, I hosted a chihuahua mix and her six tiny puppies. The familiar feeling provided a healthy dose of comfort.

I was excited to have a mama and her pups through the holidays. Oh, the joy of fostering, the familiar cadence of the weekly stages of development. I knew what to expect.

Mama Yana had other thoughts. She was protective like no other foster dog.

For several days, she remained in her crate with her puppies; leaving the gate open so she could step out to eat, drink, and relieve herself.

Adjusting my method of interacting with her was a challenge. I gave her space, bribed her with grilled chicken, played soothing music and lots of warm blankets.

After nearly a week, mama remained stalwart and we were at a standstill.

Finally, in a team effort, we distracted mama long enough to move the pups to the whelping pool. We gave her lots of space but continued to go in and out of the room, never touching the pups. Mama needed this additional time to settle.

We needed to be respectful that she was different compared to previous fosters.

Giving birth is traumatic. Managing through a crisis is traumatic. Every person and every animal reacts differently. Their individual needs are unique. This was such a different fostering experience for me, but the lessons mama Yana taught me will remain as a reminder that healing from trauma takes time. It requires one to seek out support and assistance. It requires one to be open to approaching the familiar in a new way.

Each day we take steps forward. We make progress. We are grateful for all of the support this community has extended.

Stephen Bardy Executive Director

FURBALL 2021 The 2021 Furball was the most successful gala in Pet Alliance’s history! $500,000 was raised in support of efforts to recover and rebuild after the fire. It was a fun evening of bidding on great auction items, cuddling with adorable puppies and kittens, and enjoying the sounds of the Palm Beach Society Orchestra. We can’t wait until Furball 2022!

Save the Date

Saturday, November 5, 2022 Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Sponsorships start at $3,000 - to find out more please contact Special Event Manager Amanda Henry at ahenry@petallianceorlando.org

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FIRE UPDATE The unthinkable happened at Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando on the evening of September 15, 2021. Around 10:00 pm, staff from Orange County Animal Services noticed smoke and flames coming from Pet Alliance’s Orlando clinic building and called fire rescue. Firefighters and police quickly arrived on the scene. Knowing that there were animals inside, rescue personnel rushed in and started to pull them out as others battled the towering blaze. We are so grateful to the heroes who saved 45 cats and 26 dogs that night, and we are absolutely heartbroken over the loss of 17 cats from smoke inhalation.

The fire started in the public clinic portion of the building and the investigation determined the cause to be electrical. The building is a near-total loss. The clinic roof

completely caved in and a vast majority of the shelter roof collapsed as well. Sprinkler systems were in place in the cat shelter portion of the building and we believe that this may have helped keep the seven cats alive that staff found the morning after the fire. A moment of joy in the midst of so much tragedy.

The outpouring of support from our community after the fire is like nothing the staff and board have ever seen. Thousands of donations showed up at our Sanford facility - we had to find two additional warehouse spaces and secure a portable storage unit to store everything!

In addition, more than $1 million in cash donations were made in the two weeks after the fire. We knew Pet Alliance held a special place in the hearts of many people in our community, but we had no idea of the impact the agency had. We are eternally grateful to everyone who stepped up in the days, weeks, and months after this tragedy.

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WHAT’S NEXT Pet Alliance has leased a space at 777 W. Central Blvd. in downtown Orlando and is turning it into a cat only shelter and shelter veterinary space. Operations continue as normal at our Sanford shelter, and we are also increasing the number of offsite adoption partners and events to ensure animals find their new homes as quickly as possible.

Pet Alliance is building a new permanent facility that will serve the community for decades to come. The new Orlando shelter and operations will be located on John Young Parkway, not far from the I-4 exit. In October, Borrelli + Partners and HJH High Construction were selected to design and build the new facility. The goal is to have it open by September 2023.

HOW YOU CAN HELP We continue to need monetary donations to help fund our intermediate operations and to fund the construction of the new building. If you are interested in learning more or making a contribution, please contact Cathy Rodgers at crodgers@petallianceorlando.org

THANK YOU!!

It is impossible to express how very grateful we are for everyone who has helped Pet Alliance through this tragedy. Thank you to the many Orange County firefighters and police officers that showed up and risked their lives saving animals and battling the blaze. Our deepest gratitude to the Orange County Animal Services staff who helped out that night and days after. A big thank you to all of you, our extended Pet Alliance family, who have jumped to action to support us with donations. A special thank you to the businesses who quickly provided storage space for the numerous donations we received – Stanley Steemer, Megan’s Moving and GoStoring.

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GRANOLA’S STORY In November, Seminole County Animal Services staff responded to a call about an injured animal found on the side of the road. When the officers arrived, they found sweet Granola had been hit by a car and was suffering from severe wounds to her rear legs. They transported her to their facility where the veterinary staff immediately began to treat her. She remained at Seminole County’s shelter for seven days, but no one claimed her.

Knowing that she would need continued care and recovery time, Pet Alliance transferred her in, placed her in a foster home, and started a treatment plan.

Luckily, the only broken bone Granola had was a

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fractured toe. Most of her medical needs were due to deep scrapes and cuts that required regular care and bandage changes. Despite all she went through, Granola maintained a sweet and silly personality. She is the first one to greet anyone that walks in a door and will quickly wiggle her way onto her back for belly rubs.

Granola has since found her “furever” home.

Granola is just one of the thousands of animals that will find temporary care and shelter through Pet Alliance this year. We are fortunate to have full-time, highly skilled veterinarians on staff that allow us to take in dogs and cats with medical needs and treat them until they can be adopted.

PLANNED GIVING

As a caring person, you know how important animals are to our lives. And we know how important animals are to you.

Because of your generosity and support, Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando has been able to save countless animals. Together, we can help so many more animals in need.

Planned gifts make a huge impact on Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. By including a charitable gift in your estate plan, you ensure that essential programs and lifesaving services for animals will continue for years to come.

If you already have included Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando in your plan for the future, thank you so much. If you’re in the process of creating a plan with your attorney or planning professional, we would be happy to work with them to address your wishes.

I hope you’ll take a moment to let us know your intentions. We’d love an opportunity to thank you for remembering the animals in your planning!

Please consider a gift that will change the lives of so many animals in need. It’s such a loving way to honor the animals who have made a difference in your life.

For more information, email Cathy Rodgers at crodgers@petallianceorlando.org

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WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Pet Alliance launched its Community Cat Initiative in 2018, with a goal of reducing the number of homeless kittens in our community. In Central Florida, we are no strangers to seeing cats in our neighborhoods or near businesses that are permanent outdoor residents. It is easy for a small group of four to five cats to quickly become 10-20 cats when they are not spayed or neutered. The best way to prevent this from happening is what we call high volume trap-neuter-vaccine-return (TNVR). This focused effort includes educating community members, setting up traps, having veterinarians perform surgeries and then returning the cats to their home. This is a humane and effective way to reduce the number of kittens born and to help keep the number of community cats under control. Pet Alliance has had great success with this program so far, and grateful residents appreciate that someone is paying attention to this problem and helping out.

One of these communities is the Clarcona RV Resort in Apopka. When Pet Alliance’s Community Cat Program

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Manager Cathy Houde first started hearing about the cat overpopulation problem at this community, many volunteers were already trying to help. The volunteers were having some difficulties with the managers of the community, so Cathy decided to meet with the management team in person. People don’t always understand what a TNVR program looks like and how it can help. Cathy arrived with information and a plan on how Pet Alliance and the volunteers could provide a beneficial service for the community. Soon, the program was underway at the Clarcona RV Resort.

Pet Alliance connected with local residents Dottie and Jim Botsacos, who soon became the program’s champions within the RV resort. Dottie and Jim helped educate their neighbors, shared information, and organized requests from people who needed help trapping. A team of Pet Alliance staff and volunteers soon went into overdrive doing weekly trapping events and getting cats spayed and neutered.

Between August and December, more than 120 cats have been trapped, neutered, vaccinated, and returned. This is a wonderful example of how staff, volunteers, and community members can work together to solve a problem!

Cathy reported that the residents have been so thankful that something was being done that the TNVR team is a welcome sight whenever staff and volunteers pull up to trap or return the cats. It’s truly a team effort!

For more information about the Community Cat Program, contact Cathy Houde at choude@petallianceorlando.org

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