TAILS FROM WAGS & WHISKERS
COSTUME
SUMMER 2023
CONTEST PAGE 4
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
A Letter From Steve
Spring ushered in a most exciting time for our organization – our new shelter is on the horizon! At the official groundbreaking ceremony on April 25, we entered a new era for all the cats and dogs we serve at Pet Alliance. The new facility is located on John Young Parkway with our closest neighbor being the Orange County Jail. (I figured that is a landmark many of our readers know – hopefully not from personal experience.)
I'd like to highlight some of the special features that our new shelter facility will include. First, the facility will house one of the largest shelter medical units in the State of Florida with quarantine/isolation space to assist more medically needy dogs and cats. This will enable us to assist animals from shelters that may otherwise euthanize them.
Another significant addition is that during the hot Florida summers, the dog kennels will be fully air conditioned. (Our cats have always had AC :-). One special feature for cats is individual cat condos with separate air flow systems. This will greatly reduce airborne illnesses such as upper respiratory conditions.
Also, there is ample space to walk along Lake Catherine which borders the back of the property. In addition to walking trails, we have designed an enrichment garden and a fun play yard into the plan. Our cats will enjoy one of two indoor/outdoor “catios” featuring places to climb, explore and tuck away for a quick cat nap.
While we are excited about our new shelter, we have not forgotten our Sanford location. During the late summer and early fall, you may experience some dust as we refresh our Sanford dog and cat shelters, as well as the public veterinary clinic. With our updated branding, we know you will enjoy the makeover in Sanford.
As we move into the fall months, we will be celebrating five years of our valuable TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return) services. This program has been spearheaded since its inception by two dedicated staff – Dr. Dawn Keenan and Cathy Houde – and a host of support from additional Pet Alliance staff and volunteers. Since November 2016, we have provided spay and neuter services to more than 14,000 cats. What an amazing accomplishment!
And of course, none of these successes could be achieved without the support of our generous community. You are how we continue to fulfill our goal to provide compassionate and knowledgeable services for pets and to be leaders in innovative animal care and sheltering. Thank you for your continued support. Have a safe and happy summer!
Stephen Bardy Executive Director
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On a beautiful sunny morning, Pet Alliance supporters, board and staff gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for the new Orlando facility. The event featured remarks by Pet Alliance staff and board, as well as local government representatives, and an adorable “first dig” by some Pet Alliance puppies.
The ceremony marks the beginning of work on the land that will eventually be home to our new state-of-the-art shelter facility. Throughout the summer, the land will be cleared and prepped as we expect the actual construction of the facility to begin early 2024. It is an exciting time!
FURBALL
MY BEST FRIEND CELEBRATES 10 YEARS!
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the My Best Friend wine label contest in partnership with Quantum Leap Winery! Since the contest began, more than $325,000 has been raised to support Pet Alliance. Your pet can have a chance at becoming this year’s celebrity model on the My Best Friend Rescue Red wine. There is one dog and one cat winner, and both are featured for one-year on the wine labels. Finalists and winners also receive their very own custom bottles of wine and a canvas print of their label. Voting is done by donation ($1 = 1 vote) and the most votes win the top spot in each category. You have until July 31 to enter and voting takes place August 1 - August 19. To enter, visit petallianceorlando.org.
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GROUNDBREAKING
MY BEST FRIEND Rescue Red Wine
Eastwood – 2022 My Best Friend Winner
BEST IN SHOW
DOGS WITH JOBS
PAWS IN THE PARK
Paws in the Park 2023 was another record-breaking success thanks to supporters like you! Despite the threat of rain, the community showed up and showed out, raising over $168,000 with the largest crowd to date. However, no one quite showed out like our Costume Contest Participants. Each year, we are beyond impressed by the immense creativity, effort, and dedication spent making these fabulous costumes and we delight in watching the contest unfold. We would like to give an extra special shout-out to our Best in Show Winners, Tasha and Georgia, who you may recognize as Danny & Sandy from Grease.
Our attendees spent a beautiful day at Lake Eola Park enjoying the costume contest, live entertainment, making special keepsakes in the doggie fun zone, sipping beverages in the beer garden, and watching so many pups zip around the lure course and make a big splash in the dock diving pool! We cannot wait to see you all next year for our 30th Anniversary on Saturday, February 10, 2024!
Save the Date
We cannot wait to see you all next year for our 30th Anniversary on Saturday, February 10, 2024!
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FAVORITE FOOD
STARS OF FILM AND TV
BEST IN PINK
RACIN’ FOR RESCUES
High Schoolers Raise Funds for Pet Alliance!
Winter Park High School juniors Louise Vann and Vivian Bullerin have a shared love of animals and giving back that inspired them to raise money for Pet Alliance.
Louise and Vivian both grew up with pets as important members of their families. In addition to her sweet and playful three-year old yellow lab Mabel, Louise also spends a lot of time hanging out with dogs at her family’s doggie day care and boarding business. Vivian has three furry family members, but her cat Sushi is the one she considers her “partner in crime” at the Bullerin household.
When asked why she chose Pet Alliance, Louise said, “I want every dog or cat to feel loved, and Pet Alliance does an amazing job at caring for these animals and helping them find a home that will love them forever.”
The pair organized their fundraiser around Track Shack’s annual Winter Park Road Race and spent five months raising money and awareness. They even organized a spirit night at a local Tijuana Flats restaurant! Through all of these efforts, Louise and Vivian raised $4,308 to support Pet Alliance. They encourage other students to get involved with their community and both agree that even if a project seems hard, it is 100% worth the effort to see all of your work pay off and ultimately help others!
PARRAMORE KIDZ ZONE
Students Visit Downtown Cat Shelter
In March, Pet Alliance partnered with Parramore Kidz Zone to provide a day of learning and fun for students at our downtown cat shelter. Staff created a questionnaire with a goal of teaching the students about the shelter and animal welfare.
They were divided into groups and rotated through stations that highlighted adoption, surrender, fostering, and shelter medical, where answers to the questions on the handout were provided. At the end, all of the students completed the activity and received a t-shirt. They ended the experience by spending time with the cats, which may have been the favorite part of the day for everyone!
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DOG MONTH
Want to learn more about your best canine friend but don’t know where to begin? We created a new dog resources page on our website that tackles topics ranging from nutrition to training and beyond! Visit petallianceorlando.org/dog-resources for more information.
PET APARTMENT REGISTRY
We believe that the availability of more truly pet-friendly apartments will go a long way in keeping pets with their family, so we created the Pet Apartment Registry. Some properties welcome all dogs, regardless of size or breed, while some have no breed restrictions, but have weight restrictions. View the registry at petallianceorlando.org/ community-involvement/registered-apartments.
Interested in your apartment becoming Pet Alliance registered? Contact us at info@petallianceorlando.org.
ENRICHMENT
Enrichment is any activity that encourages the use of an animal’s natural instincts and adds variety to their environment. As you can imagine, these activities are an important part of keeping our dogs in the shelter mentally and physically stimulated. You might not realize it, but you probably provide enrichment to your pets at home every day!
Examples of enrichment can include puzzle or chew toys, special treats, exposure to different scents, and more! Enrichment is only limited by your imagination and the preferences of your pet.
Use this recipe designed by one of our animal care specialists, Madi, to make a tasty ice treat for your
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NUTRITION
Pet Alliance veterinarian, Dr. Julie Andersen, gives us a bite-sized look into the world of dog nutrition.
The first thing you should consider regarding your dog’s nutrition is that it is a lot more complicated than you might think. We all like to think that our little wolf descendants just want to sink their teeth into a lot of muscle meat. But the truth is that little wolf would also eat small bones, organs, stomach contents, various forest plants, whole small prey, etc.
The optimal diet of our canine friends consists of a large variety of nutrients essential for good health. Fortunately for you, there has been a lot of research conducted to create diets that supply all these nutrients in the right proportions. When you go to the store to pick out dog food, you should know that there is an organization called the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) that has been independently creating guidelines for pet food labels, ingredients and laboratory standards for more than 100 years in our country. While they do not have any regulatory authority over pet foods, their guidelines are considered the gold standard.
RECOMMENDATION #1
Always choose a diet that states that it meets AAFCO models for the appropriate life stage of your pet. Diets with an AAFCO statement on the label stating they have undergone animal feeding trials for the appropriate life stage are a better choice than diets that are formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles. “Animal feeding trials” means that real animals were fed this diet and thrived on it based on measured data. “Formulated to meet” means numbers generated by computer.
RECOMMENDATION #2
Always choose a reputable, recognizable brand of pet food, preferably one that has been around long enough to demonstrate a commitment to quality and safety.
The next thing you should consider is your budget. It is important to be able to provide a consistent diet that fits within your means. Many dogs do not do well with sudden diet changes (ie. diarrhea, vomiting).
I would suggest finding a food that is readily available
in your usual shopping zone and affordable. There are many diets that satisfy the above recommendations in a variety of price points. The best diet is the one your canine friend likes and thrives on!
When you are diving deep into ingredient lists, you will generally find protein sources, carbohydrate and fiber sources, fat sources and all the essential vitamins and minerals. Many proteins are available and none is really better than another as long as the diet meets the above recommendations. One protein source that often scares people is “byproducts”. While it sounds like a low quality ingredient that you might want to avoid, it actually just refers to organ tissues that are not sourced for human consumption. Most people in our country are not consuming livers, kidneys, hearts, etc., but these are actually good quality protein sources for dogs.
Carbohydrates are essential for dogs and are the subject of ongoing debates over benefits vs. harm from grainfree diets. Grain-free diets for dogs were developed to go along with popular low carb and paleo diets for people. Certified veterinary nutritionists were never excited about these diets and there is recent evidence to suggest that grain-free diets may actually cause harm to some dogs. I would not recommend a grain-free diet.
Should you consider a home-cooked diet for your canine friend, I implore you to work directly with a veterinary nutritionist before doing so. While there are many recipes out there on the web, on Pinterest, it is not as simple as throwing together some meat, grains and vegetables. Serious deficiencies can occur if you do not provide correct proportions of protein, carbohydrates and fat, adequate calcium and essential vitamins. Trust the many decades of research that has gone into commercial diets!
Lastly, and most importantly, please talk to your veterinarian about your dog’s diet, especially if your dog has specific dietary concerns such as a food allergy or obesity. Your veterinarian is your best source for information!
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THEY'RE BACK!
Every year as the weather warms, Pet Alliance is bombarded by hundreds of kittens born to outdoor community cats. These adorable little goblins need a safe place to grow up before they’re ready to be adopted. That’s where you come in!
With more young kittens finding their way to our shelters every day, we’re in need of additional helping hands to join our foster team.Scan the QR code to watch our terrifying Kitten Season trailer, then sign up to foster at PetAllianceOrlando.org.
THE DO'S AND DONT'S OF KITTEN SEASON
Don’t Kit-nap Kittens
If you see a kitten or a litter of kittens by themselves with no mom in sight, the first thing you need to do is wait. Moms will almost always return for their kittens within a few hours. They may be moving kittens to a new den oneby-one or out hunting for food. It is okay for kittens to be alone as long as they are in a safe place and hidden away. Make sure that they are dry, not too cold or warm, and wait at least 24 hours for mom to return.
PRO TIP: If the kittens are clean and silent, then leave them be as long as possible. If they are dirty or crying, it’s a good indicator that they need help after you’ve given time for mom to come back.
Do Become a Foster Parent
Kittens aren’t ready for adoption until they are 2 months and 2 pounds. We are always looking to add to our list of volunteer foster homes for kittens to provide love and care until they can be adopted.
Do Donate Supplies
We never want to turn away a kitten in need simply because we do not have the resources to help them. You can find Pet Alliance Wish Lists at Amazon and Chewy. We include many high priority items such as Kitten Milk Replacer, bottles/nipples, baby wipes, heating pads and kitten pate style wet food.
To learn more about volunteering, donating or adopting, visit our website at petallianceorlando.org
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