Pet Alliance Spring 2024 Newsletter

TAILS FROM

WAGS & WHISKERS

SPRING 2024

2023 IN REVIEW PAGE 5

A Letter From Steve Another year in the books that included celebrating some amazing accomplishments — many that are covered in this edition. Our celebration stories include: 15,000 TNVR cats, special adoptions and our record-smashing Furball, which were all part of an incredible 2023. We will continue our focus on animal welfare services this coming year, in addition to the one major “item” that is on everyone’s mind — the new shelter.

ONE AGENCY THREE LOCATIONS SANFORD LOCATION 2800 County Home Road Sanford, FL 32773 ALAFAYA CLINIC 12050 E. Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32826 DOWNTOWN CAT SHELTER 777 W. Central Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32805 (407) 351-7722 PetAllianceOrlando.org

LEADERSHIP STAFF STEVE BARDY Executive Director CATHY RODGERS Director of Development KATHY BURNS Director of Operations KELLY LUDWIG Director of Clinic Services BARBARA MUZENI Director of Finance LINDSAY FRAMSTEAD Director of HR

BOARD OF DIRECTORS JOSH POWERS Chair CHRISTINE O’NEAL Vice Chair BRIAN DAVIS Treasurer JULIE AXELROD Secretary JOHN COX KERRI FARRELL SUZANNE MAGEE-FLEMING PADGETT MCCORMICK LINDY MOORE LUKE PARTRIDGE LOUISE PHILP JASON WATKINS

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With construction underway, 2024 will be filled with plenty of building stories. The new shelter will enable us to house dogs and cats in an environment designed to provide comfort, care and finding forever homes. It also will be outfitted with one of the best shelter medical units in the state.

The new medical unit is one of the exciting ways we can help more animals. The facility will provide quiet healing spaces to quarantine sick animals comfortably while they receive lifesaving care from our skilled veterinary team. In addition, our new shelter design includes fun areas to interact with your potential new dog or cat, as well as more volunteer opportunities.

The new shelter will also increase our ability to partner with more shelters after natural disasters and the tragic hoarding cases that are occurring all too often. (#hoardingisnothelping — do we need to explain this?) Be sure to follow us on our social networks for program updates and real-time views of the new shelter. We anticipate opening the new shelter in 2025, which is right around the corner.

In any year, there are always life transitions. This year was no exception. Pet Alliance experienced the loss of some great friends and dedicated volunteers. We share the story of one such friend, Kim Van Gundy.

For me, the passing of my 15-year-old Schnauzer, Milo, left a void in my heart. Our pets provide so much comfort. I did not expect to ever live with another Schnauzer.

In August, my colleague discovered a Schnauzer at one of our partner shelters and brought him to my house for fostering. After a few days, it was clear the universe had other plans, as the lovable Mac is now a member of my family.

As we look ahead, we realize that, like any nonprofit, Pet Alliance must change with the times. Beyond the refresh of our logo, we did some strategic planning. In the coming year, we will examine our community partnerships and veterinary services to provide programs and support needed by the many individuals sharing their lives with dogs and cats. As we continue our past programming, like the Apartment Registry, targeted TNVR, and AniMeals on Wheels, we also will be planning new services that are collaborative and solution-focused.

We are excited about the coming year. Building a new shelter is about more than concrete and rebar, it’s an opportunity to build a better community for people and their pet companions. We sincerely appreciate your support of Pet Alliance, and please know that it is never taken for granted. Thank you for your continuing dedication and commitment to the Pet Alliance.

Stephen Bardy Executive Director

Community Cat Celebration In November, we celebrated the 5th anniversary of our Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return (TNVR) program, also known as our Community Cat Initiative. Since 2018, we've been able to help 15,000 community cats in the Greater Orlando area!

It takes a village of passionate individuals to make all this possible. We were thrilled to be able to celebrate alongside many of our wonderful trapping volunteers, as well as our partners from Orange County Animal Services, CARE Feline TNR, Catapalooza, Spay & Neuter Nation and Franklin's Friends. We are also excited to share that Franklin's Friends has donated $25,000 towards the care of cats who come through the program with more advanced medical needs!

As we work tirelessly to decrease the number of kittens born outdoors, we are so thankful to have these wonderful partners at our side. Thank you to our TNVR superstars!

MY BEST FRIEND WINE FURBALL CONTEST WINNERS 2023 marked the 10th anniversary of the My Best Friend Wine Contest in partnership with Quantum Leap Winery. Since the contest’s inception, it has raised $426,000 to support Pet Alliance. This includes the contest votes and a portion of sales of all the My Best Friend Rescue Red wine sold by Quantum Leap Winery.

This year’s dog winner is Captain Holt whose rescue parents adopted him from K9 Services German Shepherd Rescue.

Captain Holt’s favorite game is playing fetch, and he loves swimming and playing with his fur siblings. He also enjoys regular visits to see his friends at Quantum Leap Winery!

This year’s cat winner, George Benson, had a harrowing start to life. Abandoned with his sister at a toll booth on 417, they were thankfully saved by a local cat rescue. After receiving a phone call that two kittens needed a home, his rescue parents were quick to jump in and take them! George loves his new home and is always happy to pose for a photo.

Thank you to everyone who participated! You can purchase your own bottle (or two) of My Best Friend Rescue Red at Quantum Leap Winery.

SWEET AS A TOOTSIE POP When an adorable calico kitten named Tootsie Pop was brought to us with a severe injury to her back right leg, our staff wasted no time setting her on the road to recovery. Our veterinarian, Dr. Andersen, was able to amputate the affected leg and little Tootsie Pop adapted very quickly to her "tri-pawd" life.

Given that she'd never spent time around humans before, TP also had to adjust to her new role as a housecat. She was quite shy and had the sassy attitude of an unsocialized kitten that many of us in animal sheltering call a "spicy" personality. While she recovered from her surgery in the home of one of our fabulous foster volunteers, she warmed up to the idea that people could be her friend and a source of comfort.

Now all healed up and much more of a social butterfly than she used to be, Tootsie Pop has been adopted!

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A NEW HOPE FOR RITA — THANKS TO YOU! Rita the French Bulldog puppy was surrendered to us when she was around eight weeks old. Her previous owner had acquired her from a breeder and knew something wasn’t quite right with her appearance.

Our veterinary staff determined that baby Rita was born with all four of her legs malformed. They were very concerned about her long-term mobility and ability to support her weight as she aged, especially since she was already having difficulty walking. They would also come to find that she was suffering from “short-nosed syndrome,” a common issue with breeds like French Bulldogs that can cause breathing problems and other health complications.

Before our veterinary staff could safely address her ailments, Rita needed to grow up a little first. Our Sanford shelter manager, Michelle, stepped up to foster her. From the start, Rita’s charismatic and often goofy personality made it hard to believe she was dealing with so much.

When Rita was around eight months old, she was finally big enough to begin her journey of healing. Our veterinarian, Dr. Martin, was able to surgically correct the damage from her “short-nosed syndrome” by using our state-of-the-art VetScalpel laser surgery machine.

We are so proud to say Rita was in the best of hands, as Dr. Martin is a Fellow with the American Laser Study Club and has extensive experience performing these types of minimally invasive procedures.

While our veterinarians are truly miracle workers, cases sometimes arise that require us to seek help from outside agencies. Rita was in need of a specialist to correct her legs, so we turned to the amazing University of Florida Small Animal Hospital.

Their expert staff wasted no time getting Rita on the right track. It was determined that she would need special plates to help stabilize her legs. They even made a fascinating 3D-printed model of one of the affected limbs to illustrate how the procedure would work!

In October, Rita had her first surgery and is recovering wonderfully. Once healed, she will require the same procedure on her other front leg. Though her back legs are also malformed, they are currently not causing complications but may require additional surgeries in the future. No matter how Rita’s condition continues to progress, we will be right here for her because of the generous support of our community.

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Furball 2023 was UnFURgettable!

Furball 2023 was one for the record books! A magical evening that generated $2.8 million to support Pet Alliance and the campaign for our new shelter. Guests enjoyed a fabulous reception and silent auction followed by an energetic program and entertainment.

World-class electro violinist Svet had guests on their feet as he rocked out to familiar songs like Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer.” The live auction set new records with fantastic items like a full set of Blanton’s Bourbon and a “choose your own adventure” luxury trip. The highlight of the evening was the Bid from the Heart when guests showed their generosity by making donations to help us build our new shelter. This also included the announcement of a $1.5-million gift from a longtime sponsor and guest!

We are already counting down to next year!

The 2024 Furball will be held on Saturday, November 2, at the Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. Sponsorships begin at $5,000 and sell out quickly. To find out more please contact Cathy Rodgers at crodgers@petallianceorlando.org.

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REMEMBERING KIM VAN GUNDY Kim Van Gundy lived a life of kindness, compassion, and love. The warmth she radiated was felt by every person that she encountered.

In addition to the many people that she impacted throughout her life; she also had a soft spot in her heart for animals of all kinds. The legacy she left after her passing in August 2023, will profoundly affect many animals in Central Florida.

Kim’s husband of thirty-five years, Stan Van Gundy, is well known locally for his time as the coach of the Orlando Magic. She was obviously proud of his time with the Magic because she was quick to share that he is still the Magic’s winningest coach of all time! Stan generously shared some wonderful memories of Kim and insight into her personality.

Like many animal lovers, Kim was drawn to their innocence. She appreciated their beauty, their strengths, their personalities, and their place in nature — where Kim was most at peace.

Like many, she also recognized the unconditional love that pets provide. Plus, Kim as a mom of four children and many rescue pets was a nurturer at heart.

8 cats). One of their rescues that particularly stands out is Eastwood. Stan shared this, “we were living in Michigan at the time and in March of 2017 our dog Skip passed away leaving us with only Opie. About a month later, the Bissell Pet Foundation sponsored an Empty the Shelters event in Michigan where they cover the adoption fees for shelter pets to help them find homes. Due to medical problems that would require costly medical attention, Eastwood was the only dog in the entire state of Michigan who was not adopted.

Some of Kim’s friends alerted her to the story and Kim applied to adopt Eastwood from a shelter a few hours away from us in Traverse Bay. After a vetting process and our commitment to getting Eastwood the medical attention he needed, we were able to adopt him. As the only dog left unadopted, Eastwood became a celebrity. Stories appeared in papers from as far as London and Eastwood’s story was told on the ABC Evening News.

Newspapers and social media outlets followed Eastwood’s progress. We got asked about him for years after — ‘How’s Eastwood doing’.

Eastwood never let it go to his head though.

He is still a humble dog. Haha.” Eastwood also was the winner of Pet Alliance’s 2022 My Best Friend wine label contest, further cementing his celebrity status!

Over the years, Kim, Stan, and their family had 17 rescue pets (9 dogs and

Kim treated her pets like family, like people in the family. Dogs sleeping on the couch, was something not only tolerated but encouraged.

When asked to describe Kim, Stan shared this, “Kim loved her family, friends, and animals. She loved being outside in nature, working in the garden or doing a project around the house. She did not like to sit around and was always active. She cared about people and wanted to get people talking about themselves. She valued kindness above all else. Her favorite saying was ‘It is more important to be kind than to be right’. Kim cared most about the people (and animals) who others overlooked. If she was in a crowded room at an event, she looked for someone who was alone and talked to them, making them feel wanted and important. Kim was a great cheerleader for others and constantly encouraged people. She was totally selfless.”

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She wanted them to be comfortable and felt they had as much right to the couch as anyone else. Stan said that she would also talk to the dogs like any other member of the family. He recalled a story from early on in their relationship, “after we got married in 1988, we moved to Lowell, MA. We went to the local shelter and adopted our first dog, Chief. The shelter offered $10 off your adoption fee if you got your dog neutered. We got Chief neutered and Kim went to the shelter to get her $10. She came back with another dog, a puppy we named Oscar. About two years later we took Chief and Oscar out for a picnic. As we started to load up after the picnic, Chief jumped out of the car and raced after another dog and got into a bit of a tussle (wrestling and barking, but no biting). We pulled Chief away and took him back to the car and I finished packing up the rest of our stuff. When I came back to the car, Kim was having a heart-to-heart talk with Chief like you would with a child — “Chief we have to be nice to other dogs. We can’t scare them and fight with them. Please don’t ever do that again. Do you understand?” Then in Michigan and Florida she would put our dogs on her paddle board, sometimes two at a time (with doggy life vests on of course) and paddle them around the lake. I always said that if reincarnation is real, I would want to come back as one of Kim’s pets (though being her husband was even better).”

After Kim’s passing, the Van Gundy family asked that memorial gifts be made in her honor to either Pet Alliance or Crossroads Corral, two animal-related agencies close to Kim’s heart. The outpouring of support was astounding, and a clear statement of the impact Kim had on people during her life. Gifts were made to Pet Alliance from organizations including the NBA, Detroit Pistons, and Denver Nuggets, as well as Stan’s former NBA players and many of Kim’s friends and family. In total, $285,350 in donations were received. One notable gift was $250,000 from Tom and Holly Gores to name the Intake Assessment Suite at Pet Alliance’s new shelter in memory of Kim. Stan reflected on what this gift meant to him and his family. “The gift from the Gores meant a great deal to our family. Kim would be so proud to have her name on something that meant as much to her as the Intake Assessment Suite at Pet Alliance. She was a huge advocate for rescue animals. Tom Gores is the owner of the Detroit Pistons where I was the President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach from 2014-2018.

Tom fired me in 2018 after two losing seasons in a row but we still had mutual respect. More importantly, Tom and Holly loved Kim. They loved how she took care of the staff and their families and the families of the players. They knew her as a deeply caring person and one who was intelligent, passionate, and fun to be around. Like everyone who knew her, they knew Kim was a truly special person and they wanted to honor her memory.”

Pet Alliance is honored to be a part of Kim Van Gundy’s legacy and we look forward to having her name affiliated with the Intake Assessment Suite. This area of the new shelter will be where animals in need of a new home will be welcomed.

We know that Kim’s light will be shining down on each and every cat and dog that walks through those doors.

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DOLLY’S DREAM Walk through the kennels of Pet Alliance and many other larger animal shelters in Florida and around the nation and you’ll discover quite a few dogs we lovingly call “Square Heads.” Big, tall, short, small they have one thing in common — a head that looks a bit “square.” At first glance, some would call a dog like this a “Pit Bull” or a “bully breed.” But truthfully, these are simply the mixed breed dogs that are now one of the most popular and most beloved dogs in America!

Dolly’s Dream is a project to encourage the adoption of our “Square Heads” and to help counter the unfortunate stereotypes and myths that some people still believe about these dogs. Pet Alliance finds homes and new families for hundreds of these dogs each year. They are adopted by a wide variety of people — single people, couples, grandparents, and families with children of all ages.

Each month, the Dolly’s Dream project sponsors two great dogs available for adoption at Pet Alliance. In 2023, almost 50 dogs at the Sanford shelter found their new families through the program!

Learn more and meet our current Dolly's Dream dogs at petallianceorlando.org/dollysdream.

HELP US CREATE OUR NEW PAW PRINT You can be a part of this exciting time in Pet Alliance's history by making a gift to the Almost Home Capital Campaign. Your gift will help ensure that Central Florida's dogs and cats will have a bright future for decades to come. Construction begins in 2024, and we expect to be open in Summer 2025!

There are still several naming opportunities available, including individual kennels in the shelter. Your gift can be honored by having your name, or a beloved pet’s name, featured on a kennel or other area of the shelter. Naming opportunities start at $10,000 and are payable in up to five annual installments. To learn more, please contact Cathy Rodgers at crodgers@petallianceorlando.org or 407-418-0904.

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