GLORIA BLUE PHOTO
Winnie is a senior resident of the Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort no-kill animal shelter in Ruskin who has particular tastes in people and doesn’t much like other dogs. Once adopted, she was brought back to the shelter because a family member didn’t like her, so she will most likely spend the rest of her days at C.A.R.E.

A ‘no’ from C.A.R.E. doesn’t mean its staff or volunteers don’t care

By LOIS KINDLE

The people who work so hard to make the Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort no-kill shelter in Ruskin want the public to know they foster affection and concern for every homeless dog or cat. But due to the tremendous number of stray, neglected, abused and unwanted animals throughout Hillsborough County, the small, no-kill shelter in Ruskin must often say “no.”

“Every day, people either stop by, email or call, requesting us to take in an animal,” said Gloria Blue, C.A.R.E.’s intake/shelter manager. “We wish we could accept them all, but we honestly can’t. We simply don’t have room.

Opened by veterinarian Hal Ott in 2001 in a facility built in the early ‘60s, C.A.R.E. currently has capacity for 35 to 40 cats and kittens and a maximum of 16 dogs and puppies. That’s why, in mid-June 2019, its then-president, Penny Smith, began a capital campaign to raise $3 million for a larger, more modern facility. That effort is ongoing.

It’s literally heartbreaking for anyone at C.A.R.E. to turn away any cat or dog. But there are those is the community who don’t understand why this is necessary

“It’s frustrating for me that people have a misconception about what we do here,” Blue said. “There are cases that actually haunt me because we had to turn them away.”

There are a number of reasons C.A.R.E. has limited capacity or the ability to accept some animals. Even when it has room, its intake procedures include the following:

• Some large-breed dogs can be problematic. These include pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, Staffordshire terriers and the like.

“I could fill the shelter with these dogs, but we just can’t do it,” Blue said. “There are placement issues. Many residences simply won’t allow them.”

This artist’s rendering depicts a new $3-million shelter Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort Inc. hopes to build so it can accommodate more animals and operate more efficiently. C.A.R.E. opened in 2001 with its current building, which was constructed in the early ‘60s.

• Animals the shelter takes in must be quarantined until one of Boyette Animal Hospital veterinarians (who provide services at a greatly reduced cost) comes to examine, vaccinate, microchip and spay or neuter them, as needed. This only happens twice a month, so sheltering these pets further limits the C.A.R.E.’s ability to accept new residents.

• If the animal is a stray, the shelter places a 10-day hold to ensure its owner’s not looking for it.

• Every person who relinquishes an animal must fill out a form and any potential adopter must complete an application, which must be checked out by Blue before an animal leaves the shelter. This is to prevent “impulse buying” and ensure the dog or cat is placed in a suitable living situation. Blue verifies all references and looks into each animal’s medical and vaccination histories, where possible, and makes sure the animal is actually allowed to be where it’s supposed to go. Further, if a prospective owner has another animal, a “meet and greet” is arranged on site to ensure compatibility.

For example, Blue said, a seemingly great candidate recently brought in their super-sweet dog to meet a seemingly super-sweet adoptee. But once they met, she knew it wasn’t a good match. “It would have been disastrous,” she said, and the newly placed would have been brought back.

“We try to do everything possible to ensure the situation is permanent,” Blue added. “One of the worst things for a pet is for it to go to a ‘forever home,’ only to be returned a few weeks or months later,” Blue added. “As much love and care as we give our animals, the bottom line is we’re a shelter. When an animal comes back, it affects their personality.”

• Other factors that must be considered include the backlog of young, adopted puppies or kittens coming back to be spayed or neutered, which is part of their adoption fee. The veterinarians can only do a maximum of six per day or 12 per month, and time for exams and vaccinations for sheltered C.A.R.E. animals must be part of scheduling. Currently, C.A.R.E. has 14 kittens in homes due to be brought in for their procedures, Blue said.

LOIS KINDLE FILE PHOTO
At the shelter Veterinarian Bob Encinosa, C.A.R.E. medical director and owner of Boyette Animal Hospital in Riverview, examines a young Keeshond mix he suspects might have a heart murmur. His practice provides services at greatly reduced fees for the no-kill animal shelter in Ruskin.

An animal’s health must also be weighed. Since C.A.R.E. is a no-kill shelter, a dog or cat is cared (and paid for) for its entire life. Some are just too sick for the shelter to handle.

“We never give up trying to place our animals, but right now it looks like we have four dogs and nine cats with health or personality issues that will probably be with us until they pass,” Blue said. “This, of course, affects our capacity to accept new ones.”

Blue herself has eight dogs and three cats, some of whom she said were brought to the shelter due to poor health and “short to this world.” They’re still with her today.

Any of these factors can mean a request for shelter is denied.

SIMON STRUGNELL PHOTO
Marmaduke stayed at C.A.R.E. for more than two years before he was adopted by an Apollo Beach couple, who gave him a forever home. He was in poor shape when he came to the shelter as a 1-year-old puppy, but just look at him now after becoming part of his new family!

“There are people who call who think all we ever say is ‘no’ and just don’t care,” said C.A.R.E. board member Beth Stein. “Even some of our volunteers have this perception. It’s so difficult to turn away any animal.

“As a shelter volunteer and board member, it concerns me that anyone could feel this way,” she continued. “Our hearts would love to say “yes,” but we simply don’t have the space or the personnel to accept more than we do. We care deeply.”

Since C.A.R.E. is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, it’s always in need of additional funding and volunteers at the shelter or for outreach. If you’d like to help in any way, visit www.careshelter.org or call 813-645-2273.