Keep Orlando dogs at home: Ideas to keep pets out of shelters

This is a post for Orlando's BIG Exchange Blog-Along to find a solution to an issue here in Central Florida.

Every year, around 20,000 dogs and cats enter Orange County Animal Services in Orlando.

And every year, almost 10,000 are euthanized. About half.

There are lots of reasons pets end up in shelters. But if you've ever walked through a kennel and looked at each of the cards, what will break your heart is how many were surrendered because their owner couldn't take care of them -- either they had to move or the pet had health problems or the owner simply couldn't afford it anymore. I'll never forget the times I've watched people walk out of a shelter crying because they had to surrender their pet.

Lulu was one of those. Her owners were moving and couldn't take her with them (no pets allowed). She was only six months old. Fortunately she was also at Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, which is almost a no-kill shelter.

The dogs and cats surrendered to Orange County Animal Services are not as lucky.

The Metro Orlando area remains one of the top in the country for foreclosure. How many people are still forced to leave their homes and have to give up their pet?

Unfortunately not every issue is salvageable. For people with a dog considered an "aggressive breed," many apartment complexes shut the door. If only there was a way to deal with that...

But I think we in Orlando can find a way to keep more pets with their families. It is much cheaper for the county if these pets stay with their families than if the shelter has to care for them.

Chyna (A305742) is a year old and at Orange County Animal Services.

Establish a fund for animal assistance 

Groups across the country provide assistance for people who need medical help, apartment help, etc. For instance, Orange County Animal Services has a pet pantry. In the page for the pantry, this is written:

"Life can throw surprises at you," said Dil Luther, division manager of Orange County Animal Services. "Anyone can be caught off guard by unexpected expenses like car or health issues and we do not want financial struggles to separate a pet from a loving family."

But while we have some scattered efforts to help with spaying and neutering, micro-chipping and even food, we don't have a dedicated fund to help people better afford their dogs.

My suggestion is modeled after Florida's Tax Credit Scholarship Program for students. In exchange for county tax credits, Orange County-based businesses donate to the fund, which is run by the county.

Money in the fund is split up into three categories: home assistance, medical assistance and behavioral assistance. Residents (and they must be full-time Orange County residents) then apply for a one-time grant for one of those three categories.

• Home assistance can be used to pay for pet deposits and pet rent, a growing expense in the apartment rental world. 
• Medical assistance can be used to pay for extraordinary veterinary bills (not for routine office visits). The fund can work with a choice group of vets to reduce the cost of those services (Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando has a clinic that provides reduced services).
• Behavioral assistance allows pet parents to get financial help to pay for a trainer/behaviorist for their pet. They must work off an already-vetted list of trainers/behaviorists that the county has. 

This fund should not affect the overall budget for Orange County Animal Services.

Luna (A305889) is 3 years old and at Orange County Animal Services.

Tax credits to keep pet deposits down

In addition, the county should also offer tax credits to landlords and apartment complexes who reduce the cost of pet deposits and pet rent to make it more affordable for residents. 

Pet rent and a rise in pet deposits is a growing problem for apartment renters in the U.S. Some apartment managers say they need the safety net against pet damage, but according to a recent CBS News.com article, some managers say they charge it because they can. 

Pet deposits in Orlando can run from $250 to $500, and in some cases are charged per pet. By reducing pet deposits, not only will it help people trying to keep their pets, but it might encourage people to adopt too. 

Dexter (A293832) is a year old and at Orange County Animal Services.

Community bulletin boards to promote low cost services

But why stop there? Remember when I said there were scattered services for people who need help caring for pets?

Did you know about Orange County's pet food pantry? How about Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando's low-cost vet services, including spaying or neutering? Or Pet Alliance's Meals on Wheels for seniors program? 

Do people know these programs and others even exist? 

In city dog parks like Lake Baldwin Park in Winter Park and Sanford Paw Park, there are big community bulletin boards. 

In Orange County's parks, any bulletin boards are often not close to the dog parks. They're closer to bathrooms or playgrounds.

I suggest using money from the parks and recreation budget to put up those bulletin boards immediately outside the parks and keep updated listings for this information and other events. 

People don't go to parks? Make it a point to put this info in the hands of those who can help -- vets offices, pet shops, apartment leasing offices, community centers, malls and more. Put it together in a new adopters packet and hand it to shelters and rescue groups to hand out. Hand it out at farmers markets, fairs and other events. This information needs to be easier to find.

Scrappy (A220855) is 9 years old and is at Orange County Animal Services.

By handling these issues, we can hope to keep pets out of shelters and in their homes. But those aren't the only pets we save.

There's a saying in the animal rescue world that I will paraphrase here: Keeping a pet out of a shelter saves two pets: that pet, and the one who could be euthanized. By reducing the shelter pet population, Orange County Animal Services can give more time to pets in the shelter who need a little extra help to get out.

Beagle of the week: Pebbles the rescue, plus beagle at Orange County shelter

UPDATE: Turns out this beagle below was not a stray dog, but a lost dog. But now he's a found dog, and back with his family! Woohoo!

Please go to Orange County Animal Services in Orlando to check out the other dogs who need homes and share them. There's English bulldogs, a cane corso, poodles, jack russells, chihuahuas, and bull breeds too. And lots of cats.

You can contact the shelter at 407-254-9140, or head to the website.

Now for our Beagle of the Week!

Meet Pebbles, a beagle rescue who has brought joy to her family.

Kayla Weiner is one of the followers on my Facebook page (are you following Life With Beagle on Facebook? Join now!). Here's what she said about her baby:

1) What is your beagle's name? 
Pebbles; nicknames: Goose (for silly goose because she has her moments of being silly), wiggle butt (her but wiggles when she's happy or really excited, her tail moves it so quickly it's adorable watching her wiggle and walk).  

2) When did you get them? 
I adopted her in July 2012 from Lost Dog and Cat Rescue. About 2 months after we lost our first beagle after complications with surgery trying to remove a tumor from his liver (he passed way too early). 
 
3) Where did you get them? 
Adopted her from a local rescue group. 
 
4) What's their favorite food? 
Chicken and bacon. She is not full beagle, especially known since she is not swayed by food at all! But when we were at the adoption event she was CRAZY for the bacon flavored treats they had and knew exactly where to go (table/person) to get them. 

While picking apples.

 
5) What's their favorite toy? 
She loves an unstuffed hedgehog toy; she's unstuffed it, de-squeaked it and still loves it. we tried getting her a replacement and she plays with it, but if given the option, she goes for the unstuffed one. 
 
6) Do they have any special skills (therapy dog, service dog, blog star, a lab beagle, a search dog, an agility star, show dog star, etc.)? 
No apparent special skills. She is a good girl around kids -- seems to really love them. Not sure of her history, though, either. 

7) What's the best thing about owning a beagle? 
I love their personalities. The are just such amazing dogs to be around. I love their howls. Just about everything about her. 

8) What's the worst thing about owning a beagle? 
How stubborn they can be!!
 
9) Anything you'd like to add? 
 Am planning to start a fb page and twitter, but haven't yet. I love cuddle time with her. In April and through the summer we had a scare with her: very low red blood cells. We went to her regular vet, had lots of tests done, then had to see a specialist and even more tests; was on steroids and other medicines much of hte summer. Became so unlike herself that it was terribly sad. But then in September, when we were decreasing all her meds and prepping ourselves for a splenectamy, her RBC went up. It's a mystery, but at the moment she seems to be doing very well. Is slowly becoming herself again and more -- finally wants to play and even plays with other dogs. 

She loves going in the car for rides. Has been on several road trips with us. Is such a good girl -- sweet and quiet. Most people are her best friends. And if she doesn't respond well to someone, I know to stay away from them. 

She is so good with kids. Lets them pull on her and play with her ears and tail (while I remind them to be gentle), but she just licks them and wags her tail and looks pretty -- neighborhood kids all know her and run to greet her when they see us. 

She will find a place to burrow and sleep anywhere. If there's a blanket or cloth like substance around, she'll make it hers. Often the laundry piles make great beds. 

 She loves to bury her bones (treats, chew sticks, w/e), but has this adorable distraught sound when she can't find a good place -- but she's gotten to the point of letting the family help her locate good hiding places. If all else fails, she hides them in my clothes (while I wear them) or in my bed -- I never know what I'm going to find in it when we finally head to bed. 

She was pregnant when the rescue group found her; had been wandering, but don't know for how long. It's a pretty good guess that she had other litters (at least one other); and unfortunately she was not able to keep the litter she was carrying. But I know she was a good momma. Man oh man, I could go on!!

Got a special pup you'd like to be beagle of the week? Drop me a line on the Life With Beagle Facebook page! 

 Check out our previous Beagles of the Week:

• Beagle of the Week: Senior beagles who need adopting
• Beagle of the Week: Tommy Trojan
• Beagles of the Week: Santi of the Beagle Freedom Project
• Beagles of the Week: The Tillmans
• Beagles of the Week: The Beaglebratz
• Beagle of the Week: Luna of Beagles and Bargains
• Beagle of the Week: Maggie of Wag the Dog UK
• Beagle of the Week: Bailey of Beagle Photo of the Day

Adopt a senior pet PLUS Beagle Freedom Project saves 3 seniors

November is Adopt a Senior Pet Month.

Have you ever considered a senior dog or cat? So many get dumped after a certain age, because people tire of them, or can't deal with them growing old, or do not want to deal with their illnesses of age.

And sometimes people will pass over an older cat or dog, thinking they would prefer a younger pet, especially a puppy.

But a senior dog or cat can bring joy, even in the short time they have.

Here are 10 reasons, created by Winnipeg Animal Services:

All this month, you'll find promotions to get senior dogs and pets adopted. Here's some Orlando-area promotions this month.

Tampa Bay Beagle Rescue -- All beagles 8 years and older are only $50. Head to their website for pictures, events and more.

Orange County Animal Services -- All this month, no adoption fee for pets 6 years and older. See all the adoptable pets on their website.

As we hear of more, we'll post them here.

And in honor of Adopt a Senior Pet Month, we once again salute Beagle Freedom Project. 

BFP rescued three senior beagles from a laboratory last week: Arthas, Bernie and Hobbes.

Here's Bernie with foster Kya.

 

Arthas learning to love run on grass.

Here's what Beagle Freedom Project said about the dogs:

"Bernie the beagle is now living with a foster family that already adopted another former research beagle (Kya). Bernie and Kya have hit it off, with Kya clearly excited to have a new beagle buddy in the house. She excitedly tries to get Bernie to play and, not surprisingly, he is unsure on how to respond as he has never played with another dog before in his life. While slowing learning normal dog behavior he has taken to his toys and loves to chew his Nylabone and of course sleeping on plush comfy beds and couches with Kya and his foster mom!

"Athras is a boy’s boy. Since his first entry into his foster home he bonded immediately with the 20 year old son that lives at home. He follows him about the house and sleeps through the night with him, all cuddled up. He loves the son’s friends that comes to visit and greets each new friend with a wagging tail. Athras is still a little overwhelmed by the size of his new home and nervously paces and makes circles in the large spaces. He is also slowly adjusting to the sounds of outside and learning that they don’t mean him harm. Athras lives with two other dogs, a pug and a bichon and he watches their silly play behavior with a confused interest. His foster family is taking slow steps with him, patiently teaching him how to be a dog and that he is finally safe now.

"Hobbes is the resilient little member of this trio. Hobbes is acclimating to a home life with quickness. He has made tremendous progress with potty-training, has already mastered the stairs (and loves going up and down), and is bravely navigating boundaries and doggie etiquette with a more senior male dog in the house. Hobbes is also lucky to have another beagle in the house who has assumed the responsibility of being the tour-guide and life coach to his new foster brother. Hobbes is interested in the family kitty-cat, but learned not to get to close. He is also bravely going to dog parks and enjoys meeting the new doggie friends. Hobbes is not wasting time starting his new life!"

Congratulations to Beagle Freedom Project for another successful rescue! 

To help BFP by volunteering, fostering, adopting or donating money, head to the group's website.

Meowloween PLUS new pet food pantry in Orlando

Thursday is Halloween! And while we are all excited to get dressed up and have a great time, there are hundreds of kitties looking for a home.

SPCA of Central Florida and Orange County Animal Services in Orlando are hosting a one-day cat sale on Halloween called Meowloween!

All orange, black and tortie cats at only 10.31 to adopt. The two shelters have over 300 cats who need forever homes!

Both the SPCA and Orange County Animal Services are in the same compound off Westgate Drive, which is on Conroy Road across from IKEA and the Mall at Millenia in Orlando. Both shelters open at 10 a.m.

Check out the cats and dogs available at SPCA of Central Florida and Orange County Animal Services. There are hundreds of pets between the two shelters that need homes.

PLUS, this Friday Orange County Animal Services opens its pet pantry. The pantry will provide food to people who need help feeding their pets. The goal is to reduce the number of people surrendering pets because they don't have the money to pay for their care.

You can start asking for help on Friday. Call 407-254-9150.

Beagle of the Week, PLUS beagles for adoption in Orlando

It's time to shine the spotlight on our beagle of the week, but first lets talk about some beagles (and other dogs) who could use homes.

Orange County Animal Services in Orlando always has five pages of dogs for adoption. Many of them probably won't leave the shelter alive, sadly. They were at Petco last week with a few dogs, and they said they'd had only one adoption at the shelter all weekend.

There are all kinds of dogs at Orange County Animal Services, not just pit bulls and labs, which seem to make up the populations of most Florida shelters. There are terriers, shih tzus, there's a bull terrier, catahoulas (we also see a lot of these at Florida shelters), huskies, a cane corso, a collier and TONS of chihuahuas, not to mention some really interesting mixes, because mother nature makes the best designer dogs!

There are also two beagles:

Here's Brenda. The shelter says she's a beagle mix (I suspect dachshund). She's 10 months old and needs to be out of the shelter by Saturday, Oct. 26. Her Animal ID is A277814.

Here's Chopper. He's 9 years old, and probably could stand to lose a little weight at 42 pounds. His last day is Sunday, Oct. 27. And the shelter is NOT open on Sundays. His Animal ID A277888.

Please go to Orange County Animal Services and check out Brenda, Chopper and the rest of the dogs, cats and a bunny too! The shelter is open six days a week.

The shelter is at 2769 Conroy Rd., Orlando, FL (near Mall at Millenia). The phone number is (407)254-9140.

Tommy Trojan is in Indiana and is our Beagle of the Week. We talked to his mom Sandi, and here's Tommy's story:

"My beagle is named Tommy Trojan (he is a USC fan). Tommy joined our family in 2006 as a result of a visit to a pet store in Bloomington, IN. Tommy had a tough start -- at 18 months he almost died due to a hernia problem. He had a bowel resection and spent 6 days in the hospital. I spent every moment I could with him.

"Tommy has "step-dogs," Addie (shepherd/lab mix) and Mo (a chocolate lab). His favorite foods are bacon bits and cheese. Tommy is a cuddly boy. He likes to sniff everything, especially ears and eyes. Tommy also enjoys a good bark and thankfully never learned to howl. He isn't a special dog in any way, other than being the best friend in the world. 

"The best part about owning a beagle is their personality and devotion to their humans. My Tommy is a carbon copy of Snoopy. He even sleeps on top of his crate. The hard part about owning a beagle is training. Stubborn dogs! However I wouldn't have it any other way."

Got a special pup you'd like to be beagle of the week? Drop me a line on the Life With Beagle Facebook page! 

 Check out our previous Beagles of the Week:

• Beagles of the Week: Santi of the Beagle Freedom Project
• Beagles of the Week: The Tillmans
• Beagles of the Week: The Beaglebratz
• Beagle of the Week: Luna of Beagles and Bargains
• Beagle of the Week: Maggie of Wag the Dog UK
• Beagle of the Week: Bailey of Beagle Photo of the Day

Beagle of the week: Maggie from Wag the Dog UK

Sorry it took so long to post this tonight! I haven't been well all day, so I haven't done much on the computer.
 

This week's Beagle of the week is a favorite all over the world!

This is Maggie, the beagle star of Wag the Dog UK.

We talked with Maggie's mom about this little gal.

1) How old is she? 
 Maggie is 6 years old.

2) Where did you get her? 
  Maggie comes from Missouri, but I received her in New York City. [Editor's Note: Maggie and her mom have been all over the world!]

3) How long have you had her? 
Since she was a pup. (10 weeks)

4) What's her favorite food? 
She’s a beagle, so thus most anything! However she loves meaty treats and chicken.

5) What's her favorite thing to do? 
I would say it’s meeting people. She loves to meet anyone with a big smile, a wag, and a kiss.

6) What's her favorite toys? 
Her torn to death bunny.

7) Does she take part in any special activities (i.e. therapy dog, service dog, spokes dog, etc.) ?
She works with NO to Dog Meat at the moment. We are trying to stop people eating dogs and cats. We lived in Hong Kong and found out that there is a massive market of this horrible trade. Besides that, she is just one spoiled beagle.

8) What's the best part about owning a beagle?
Their personality. I know they are known as a hard dog to train. But that is the beauty of them. They’re friendly, but willful personality always puts a smile on my face. She is such a “love dog” and there is nothing sweeter than watching her enjoy her world, beagle style.

9) What's the worst? 
How at times they will not listen to you and do their own thing.

10) Anything you'd like to add?
If you want a dog with personality, a beagle is a must. They are all dog, but in a cute little package. Good for homes with children, and to care for.

You can follow along with Maggie at Wag the Dog UK, and on Facebook.

 Now for this week's featured rescue beagle. Time to find a beagle a home!

This poor beagle has no name, just a number: 20292137. She's at Pasco County Animal Services in Land O'Lakes. She's an adult and spayed, but there's no other info. She's pretty, huh?

Pasco is a particularly tough shelter... they are frequently beyond capacity. They need all they can get to get those dogs to forever homes. 

If you would like to help her, contact Pasco County Animal Services at:

813-929-1212
Pasco County Animal Services
19640 Dogpatch Lane
Land O' Lakes, FL 34638
www.pascocountyfl.net

• Sunday/Monday/Holidays: Closed
• Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday: 12 pm - 4:30 pm
• Thursday: 12 pm - 6:30 pm

 I have another beagle to mention:

This is Chico, he's a beagle-jack-russell mix, and he is at Orange County Animal Services. Number A272439. Someone has put an application on him, but if that falls through there's a chance he will be euthanized on Sunday. 

If you are interested, please consider helping him.

Orange County Animal Services - Pet Rescue & Adoption Center
2769 Conroy Road
Orlando, FL. 32839-2162

Email: AnimalServices@ocfl.net
Main Number: (407) 254-9140

Buck and Henrietta: beagles up for adoption

Shoeshine got adopted over the weekend!

He had been at Osceola County Animal Services for weeks, so it's good that he finally got a home.

Still at Osceola County shelter is Buck!

Buck could still use a good home, folks. Please spread the word. He's a four to five year old beagle boy. He arrived at the shelter as a stray, and he needs a home without small children. Buck's been at the shelter for a couple weeks now.

You can contact the shelter at 407-742-8000.

The hours of operation are: M: Noon - 5pm; T-F: 10am - 5pm; Sat: 9am - 2pm.

You can also check out their website at http://www.osceolacountypets.com/, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OsceolaCountyAnimalServices

There's also a beagle mix now at Orange County Animal Services in Orlando.

 Here's Henrietta. She's a year and a half old beagle mix. The shelter says she hasn't been tested for heartworms yet. She needs to be out by August 11, so please also spread the word about Henrietta.


Adoption Hours

• Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Doggy Wellness Hour: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Dog Area Closed)
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Closed Sundays and Holidays 

Orange County Animal Services
Pet Rescue & Adoption Center
2769 Conroy Road
Orlando, FL 32839-2162

Email: AnimalServices@ocfl.net
Phone: 407-836-3111

5 ways shelters can get people to adopt pets

Summer is a tough time for animal shelters. Lots of people are busy doing other, summer-type things.

As a consequence, shelters are full, and animals are in danger of cats and dogs being euthanized.

So here are five great ideas shelters can utilize to get more people in the doors, and maybe get more pets out of those doors and into loving homes.

1) Fun themed events.

Seminole County, FL has gotten an influx of kittens. So this event completely makes sense.

On Saturday from 10 a.m.  to 4 p.m.: 

 If you are looking to add a new family member stop by the Altamonte Petco and check out ALL the babies we'll have that need forever homes. Then travel on over to Ethos Vegan Kitchen and grab some lunch or dinner and support TEARS. Hope to see you there!

2)  Take really cute pictures of the dogs and cats in the shelter.

This is Shoeshine, a 10-month-old beagle at Osceola County Animal Services. He needs a home. You can tell he's not happy -- his tail is down. But he looks like he could be a great dog, right?

In Central Florida, we have a great volunteer group called Pawsitive Shelter Photography. They take great photos of pets as a way to show people their personalities. The group works with three shelters in my area -- Orange County, Osceola County and Seminole County.

Do you have great photography skills? Shelters need help getting better pictures so that the dogs and cats look their best. Consider offering to help them. 

3) Discounts. There is always a concern about the type of people who come in on a sale to get a pet. However, a sale can also be a great way to promote the shelter, and get people interested. 

Here's what Orange County Animal Services did for Fourth of July:

4) Show the possibilities a dog or cat can have as a pet. 

My friend Sheley Revis in North Carolina does these pictures to show how a shelter pet can be amazing.

McGrady was at a kill shelter in Ashe County, NC. On top of being in a rural shelter, he's deaf. But the volunteers kept him, and eventually he found Sheley. She trained McGrady using hand signs, and now he's an amazing dog with a foundation that raises money for rural shelters in North Carolina.

Sheley's goal is to show that shelter dogs have great possibility.

You can follow McGrady on Facebook.

5) Join up with local businesses for great events. SPCA of Central Florida partners up with local businesses to do some neat things. For instance,  California Pizza Kitchen and SPCA are having an event on July 20.

Know of any other ways shelters can promote their adoptable pets? Please share. I will share them here!

Rescue a pet at an Orlando area animal shelter

There's a disturbing trend happening at the animal shelters in the Orlando area.

More and more pets have been coming into a shelters, and fewer are coming out and going to forever homes.

Nebula is a seven-year-old beagle at Orange County Animal Shelter. She needs to be out this weekend.

Local TV station News 13 (FULL DISCLOSURE: I work for them) did a story last week, where at least three shelters -- Orange County Animal Shelter in Orlando, Osceola County Animal Shelter in St. Cloud and Halifax Humane Society in Daytona Beach are all operating at full capacity.

It's not just dogs either, it's cats too. The shelters say they're seeing more pregnant cats coming in as well. That means kittens being born in the shelter.]

Many of the shelters are doing low-cost or no-cost adoption events to get pets out to homes. But more come in every day. And these shelters ARE NOT No-kill. That means animals could be euthanized.

We at Life With Beagle are not sure what is going on at, but what we do know is these shelters need help.

Here is a list of county animal shelters around Orlando:

• Brevard County Animal Services
• Flagler Humane Society
• Lake County Animal Services
• Marion County Animal Services
• Orange County Animal Services
• Osceola County Animal Services
• Seminole County Animal Services
• Sumter County Animal Services
• Volusia County Animal Services

You can also always adopt from animal rescue groups, and also area SPCA and Humane Society shelters.

These easiest way to find a pet is through Petfinder.com. Many of the area's animal rescue groups are on there.

Beagles and hounds need adoptions at Orange County Animal Services

For Tuesday's Tails, we checking out the adoptable pets at Orange County Animal Services in Orlando.

Right now cats six months old and older are free at Orange County Animal Services. However, there are also a lot of dogs available for adoption, including some beagles and hounds. For instance:

This is Snoopy. He's an approximately 1 year old brown and black male Beagle.   He weighs approximately 29 pounds. 

Here's the newest picture. He's so CUTE!!! Snoopy needs a home.

This treeing walker coonhound-beagle mix has now been named Bugle and is also a year old. He weighs about 37 pounds. He also is heartworm positive, but he can totally been treated.

Here's the new picture of him!


Please share these dogs on social media so they can find forever homes!

Orange County Animal Services has lots of dogs, and unfortunately they are not a no-kill shelter. Many dogs get euthanized. So adopting a shelter dog saves the lives of more than just the one dog -- as long as there's room, the other dogs are safe until they find homes.

To adopt a pet, head to the Orange County Animal Services website: http://www.ocfl.net/AnimalsPets.aspx.

You can also call the shelter at: (407) 254-9140
The shelter is located off Conroy Road near Mall at Millenia in Orlando. Here's the address:

Orange County Animal Services - Pet Rescue & Adoption Center
2769 Conroy Road
Orlando, FL. 32839-2162