Temporary homes needed for adoptable pets

At a June 17 volunteer orientation at Animal Services, Tiffany Hofeditz of Brandon signed up to become a transitions parent to an adoptable animal.

"I can't make a long-term commitment right now but I want to have a pet, so I'm offering to provide a transition home for a cat or dog," she said.

The transition home program's volunteers take in adoptable shelter animals of any age and care for them until they are adopted, said Cathy Carr, volunteer coordinator for Hillsborough County's Department of Animal Services.

"They commit to an animal until it finds a permanent home," said Marti Ryan, public information officer for Animal Services. "The foster parents give them any needed medications and nurse broken bones, whatever they need. The foster families give us a chance to keep the animals longer, which gives them more of a chance to be adopted."

About 700 animals have been saved since the program began in 2007, she said.

Animal Services is "an open-admissions shelter. We can't say there's no room in the inn, even if that's true," Ryan said. "We get all the animals no one else will take, the lost and unwanted pets for all 1,100-square-miles of Hillsborough County."

That translates to 700 to 800 lost and unwanted pets each week, so the agency urgently needs families to step up and provide temporary homes for adoptable pets.

Since transition animals still belong to the county, the animals' medications and even food may be provided for the family, if needed.

Veterinary care for the transition animals is available for free at the facility, 440 Falkenburg Road N., Tampa, although families may choose to pay for the animals' care at a veterinary office closer to their home.

Crystal Galloway of Plant City who donates her time at the shelter as a groomer and walker also is a transitions parent, said her husband, Lamar Galloway, who attended the orientation so he, too, may volunteer at Animal Services.

The Galloways have transitioned a rottweiler, St. Bernard, border terrier and most recently a pregnant Chihuahua that gave birth to five puppies the day after they brought her home, Lamar Galloway said.

"It's good for our family to take transition dogs in the summer," he said. "That way there's someone home all the time. It makes it an easier adjustment for the dog when it's not left alone all day."

The Galloways' dogs stayed two to four months with them before they found permanent homes through adopt-a-thons sponsored by Animal Services.

He admitted it's tough to give up the dogs, but it's worth it, knowing their lives have been saved.

The foster family is the best promoter for the animal, said Ryan, because they can tell interested parties whether it is housebroken, gets along with children, is good with other animals and what kind of disposition it has.

If someone finds an animal they would like to help, and they meet the criteria for transitioning the agency can usually make it happen, Carr said. They must be approved by Animal Services, to make sure their animals at home have current vaccinations and tags and that their landlords approve.

For details about becoming a transitions foster parent, contact Terrie DiSalvo at (813) 612-8416 or disalvot@hillsboroughcounty.org or Carr at (813) 612-5388 or carrm@hillsboroughcounty.org.

To learn more about Animal Services, visit the agency at 440 Falkenburg Road N., Tampa, or go to http://friendsofhcas.org/ or www.hillsboroughcounty.org/animalservices.