Pet Pal Animal Shelter

Thousands of unwanted cats and dogs in the Tampa Bay area end up in animal shelters each year. A high percentage of these homeless animals are euthanized.

The euthanasia of animals is not the fault of any particular shelter. It is the result of pet overpopulation, which comes from inadequate pet care, lack of education, unwillingness of pet owners to take on the proper level of responsibility and commitment, and unforeseeable changes in the pet owner’s life. The pet overpopulation crisis will continue to spiral upward until all pet owners accept responsibility for spaying and neutering their pets and the responsibility of making a lifelong commitment to care for their pets.

Shelters that euthanize (kill shelters) do so out of necessity; there is not enough room to house all the animals that are brought to these shelters. There are never enough responsible homes for all of these discarded pets.

No kill shelters, on the other hand, will provide long-term care and homes for animals, but are limited in the number of animals that they can accept. The animals that these shelters cannot take in often end up at shelters that do euthanize.

Pet Pal Animal Shelter, classified as a no-kill shelter, will NOT euthanize ANY pet unless the following circumstances are present:

The animal is terminally ill or has a fatal and untreatable disease, in which case it is more compassionate to end its suffering.

The animal has aggression problems that cannot be corrected. Euthanasia will only be considered after extensive time and upon the advice of our veterinarian and experienced behavioral specialists.

Therefore, with rare exceptions, any animal for which we assume responsibility will have a temporary home at our shelter or in foster care with NO time limits until a permanent loving home is found.

No-kill shelters and kill shelters are making an effort to work together to place as many adoptable pets as possible.

All of us must work together for the betterment of all companion animals. Please educate your friends, coworkers and family members about the importance of spaying/neutering and responsible pet ownership.

You can take your commitment one step further and volunteer your time to make a difference in the lives of homeless pets.
Our Approach

Unlike other local animal shelters we do not accept any owned or stray animals. In order to be most effective we decided to concentrate our attention and resources on one segment of the animal problem; those in shelters and facing euthanasia. After visiting the animal shelters, we realized that these animals need a second chance at life and our goal is to provide that opportunity for as many of these pets as possible.

The sad fact is that during our weekly visits to animal shelters we are able to rescue only a fraction of the animals in need. It is heartbreaking to discover that the animals we can’t rescue are almost always euthanized.

Pet Pal Animal Shelter invests hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars on rehabilitating the animals we rescue. Most are either sick, injured or require specialized training. Unfortunately, the adoption fee does not cover our actual out-of-pocket expenses for surgery, medications, food etc. Being a non–profit 501(c)(3) organization we rely solely on donations, bequests, or grants.

Thank you for taking an interest in helping our four–legged friends and Pet Pal Animal Shelter.