Home Van Pet Care Project News - June 2019

Dear Friends: Once again we must apologize for neglecting to send a timely newsletter. We will try to catch you up to date now.

Uncertain Future for Dignity Village As you may know, the Home Van Pet Care Project (HVPCP) has been feeding pets of homeless and low income citizens of our community for 12 years now. That is our primary mission.  We go to downtown Gainesville and distribute pet food once a week, and we spend a lot of time at Dignity Village, the tent city that grew up around the Grace Marketplace homeless center.  Here is Dignity dog Zyless enjoying a snack. Recently both City and County approved the closing of Dignity Village, under the direction of Jon DeCarmine, Executive Director of the Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry. The Gainesville Sun did a good job of summing up DeCarmine's plan in a May 8 article. There are 200-250 people living in Dignity Village at this time. Twenty to 25 people have pets, and we count between 25-40 dogs and a dozen cats. We are concerned about the owners and pets. Part of our mission is to nurture the animal/human bond. We don't want anyone to have to give up their pets so they can have a place to live.  HVPCP has been helping to transition Dignity Village residents by paying pet deposits and providing supplies.

Do you have a home for Lucky? Lucky lived in Dignity Village for about six months. When he was first brought in, he was terribly thin and his coat was in poor condition.  With good care at the monthly Dignity Village veterinary clinic and good quality food from the HVPCP, he turned into a great-looking boy.  However, he was kept tied out most of the time. His first owner died and another person took care of him, but not very well. Finally we were able to take custody of Lucky. Now Lucky is being safely being boarded but he really deserves a real home.  He's paid his dues.  He's a very good boy who richly deserves someone to love him and take good care of him forever.

Lucky is happy at the vet. And he loves a belly rub!

The Challenge of Veterinary Care St. Francis Pet Care and the Home Van Pet Care Project make a monthly veterinary clinic available to residents of Dignity Village and Grace Marketplace. Pets can get checkups, vaccinations, flea/tick and heartworm preventives, and referral and transport to spay/neuter where we supply a microchip. I wish we could erect statues to Patti Gordon, DVM, who runs the Dignity clinic, and Molly Pearson, DVM, for their work every month at this clinic.  We should also give cookies and thanks to all the wonderful veterinary techs, community volunteers and veterinarians who make these clinics happen. There are also times when we need services not available at the monthly clinics. Since the beginning of this year we have called on vets at the UF Veterinary Community Outreach Program, the Haile Plantation Animal Clinic, and the Micanopy Animal Hospital, all of whom were generous with their time and services. We especially want to thank Dr. Hampton and the staff at Gainesville Animal Hospital West for their help recently. We had an emergency situation in which the service dog of a homeless woman was viciously attacked.  Everyone at GAH West was wonderful in providing excellent and compassionate care for this dog, even staying open for hours after their scheduled closing time. We appreciate their caring and expertise in a difficult and stressful situation.

And by the way... Our own Project became homeless on short notice in March.  We had to relocate our downtown distribution place, which is now at the corner of SE 4th Ave. and SE 6th Terrace, right beside the Community Garden.  We also had to move out of our pet food storage and preparation place. Through the intervention of Home Van Pet Care Project volunteer Trey Anderson we have the temporary use of some space in a very convenient location. However, we need a permanent home soon.  We need at least 200 square feet of climate controlled space; a table or counter space would be nice.  We can pay a small amount monthly.  If you have or know of any space that might do, please let us know.

Our Wish List As always, we need financial donations of any amount.  Gift cards for Publix, Walmart, Earth Pets or Pet Supermarket are also greatly appreciated.  If you donate to our Relocation Fund, we use those funds to help people moving out of tents and into housing with pet deposits and helpful items (collars, leashes, harnesses, food bowls and water bowls, cable "tie-outs.") We need all sizes and strength of leashes, food bowls and water bowls for both cats and dogs, and plastic cat carriers. We need dry dog food (Purina Dog Chow in green bags) and dry cat food (Friskies Seafood Sensation in blue bags),  Fancy Feast canned cat food for cats and Mighty Dog canned dog food.  We try to deliver the same type of pet food all the time so the animals don't have to adjust to different diets all the time.  However, we'll take any kind of dog or cat treats! Thank you for all your donations and for supporting us with your good wishes.

Two of our Dignity dogs:  Smokey        and Tank Donations can be left at any of these locations: Sissets Home & Patio, 3429 W. University Ave., Gainesville, 32607, 352-224-5192 Micanopy Animal Hospital, 306 US-441, Micanopy FL 32667, 352-466-0067 The Groom Room, 1232 NW 50th Ave., Gainesvill, 32609 352-377-8591 All Cats Healthcare Clinic, 1034 NW 13th St., Gainesville, 32601 352-376-2287 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 at our blog, http://homevanpetcareproject.blogspot.com. Money, food, and new or clean leashes, harnesses, collars, bowls, blankets and towels can be dropped off at Sisset's....A Fun Twist on Home & Patio, 3429 W University Ave., 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.