There
are times when Home Van Pet Care Project volunteers have to go beyond just
making sure the animals have food- HVPC re-homed 15
animals, mostly dogs, in 2016.
Alachua County Animal Services took Gigi
in where she was placed in a dangerous dog area of the shelter due to
aggression. The veterinarians and techs were not able to be examine her, much
less get close to her, thus Gigi's days were numbered. HVPC wanted Gigi
to have a second chance so they boldly took her out of her run at ACAS after
noticing that she was growling, barking...but wagging her tail and somewhat
curious as to who we were. Gigi had lived her life in a small cage and was now
in what she thought was a bigger cage. Her only defense since she couldn't
run was to growl, bark and be mean. Once Gigi was in the play area at
ACAS she ran around like a puppy; she chased and returned tennis balls; she
rolled over for us to scratch her belly; she was happy. Once back in the
run, Gigi was mean again. The next morning Gigi left ACAS with a Home Van
Pet Care Project volunteer and was examined by the Veterinary Community
Outreach Program (VCOP) at UF where she was deemed healthy and not so
mean. After a quick posting on Sisset's FB page, a home was immediately
found. Gigi now has the run of her Jacksonville house, including the bed
and the sofa, and helps her dad with his sales work on the computer.
All of the animals are spayed or neutered and get exams, including a heartworm test, before being adopted out. Thank you to all the rescue groups and the wonderful people at VCOP, ACAS and St. Francis Pet Care for helping the Home Van Pet Care Project when we need it most.
Chico
(left) and Tank (right) have both been neutered at VCOP and continue to lead healthy
lives at Dignity Village thanks to our monthly veterinary clinics. We hope that
they will have a home of their own with their owners some time soon.
Now it’s almost Christmas, so we’re
asking you to give some special donations for our very special pets Downtown,
at Dignity Village and wherever we find them in need. We’ll have small
Christmas gatherings with cookies for pets and their people and a toy and treats
for each pet. We owe a big thank you to everyone who offers a food drive to
help us out. This year, we owe a big thank you to Girl Scout Troop 1247 for
their generous donation of pet food and supplies.
This
year our wishlist includes:
2. Collars, harnesses and leashes (all
sizes)
3. Toys (preferably rope tug toys
because they are durable and safe)
4. Sweaters, beds, and soft fuzzy
blankets
5. Cat carriers (medium size)
6. Tarps of all sizes, but particularly
large (19x23 or greater)
7. Canned
dog food (Mighty Dog or Purina One)
8. Canned cat food (Fancy Feast)
9. Dry dog food (Purina green bag)
10. Dry cat food (Purina Friskies Seafood
Sensation)
Tiger, Sylvester, and Porkchop would
love some warm blankets this winter so they can curl up and nap.
Financial donations can be made by check
payable to Home Van Pet Care Project, Inc., and mailed c/o Elizabeth Howard,
P.O. Box 14305, Gainesville FL 32604; or by PayPal right here. Pet food and other items can be dropped off at Sisset's Home and Patio, 3429 W. University Avenue in Gainesville, 352-224-5192. For more information or to volunteer,
call or text 352-246-2727.
Also, don't forget our Amazon Wish List! Or designate Home Van Pet Care Project as your beneficiary on Amazon Smile.
Also, don't forget our Amazon Wish List! Or designate Home Van Pet Care Project as your beneficiary on Amazon Smile.