The Humane Society of Sarasota County, Inc.

Mandy

“The Humane Society of Sarasota County relies on community funding to pursue its mission of promoting responsible pet ownership and securing permanent homes for all adoptable animals. HSSC provides abandoned pets with compassionate care and shelter, offers pet adoptions, humane education, affordable spay/neuter services, and programs for children, seniors and those with special needs.”

HSSC shelters nearly 4,000 pets each year. Believing that the best place for pets is in the home, it also offers obedience classes and information/ resources to pet owners seeking alternatives to abandonment.

Until the day when every pet is a wanted pet, adopters are the angels who make happy endings possible for the thousands who have been abandoned. If there is room in your home and heart, visit HSSC and bring home the pet of your choice; HSSC's adoption fee includes spaying/neutering, health checks/inoculations, flea preventative, rabies vaccination and microchip.

HISTORY OF THE HSSC

Click here for more information about the history of the HSSC.

Map

FROM THE SOUTH: Take Highway 301 north until you get to 12th Street (there is a Midas shop on the right). Turn right onto 12th Street. After the railroad tracks, turn left at Lime Avenue. The first street on the right will be 15th Street. Turn right. We are about a block down 15th Street, on the left.

FROM THE NORTH: Head south on Highway 301 until you get to 17th Street (there is aWendy's on the right). Turn left onto 17th street. After the railroad tracks, turn right at Lime Avenue. When you get to 15th Street, turn left. We are about a block down 15th Street, on the left.

OPEN ADMISSION BY APPOINTMENT

To provide the best service and to make sure our shelter pets receive optimal care and attention, as of October 1st, 2008, pets are admitted to the shelter by appointment only. Please call 955-4131 to schedule an appointment. Non-Sarasota county residents will be charged a $75 surrender fee per pet admitted. HSSC continues to accept all pets regardless of age, breed, or health. Thank you for your cooperation in enabling HSSC to remain open to all without euthanizing for space.

VIEWING HOURS
Sunday	CLOSED
Monday	12:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.
Tuesday	12:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Wednesday	NO VIEWING
Thursday	12:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.
Friday	12:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.
Saturday	10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

EXTENSION	NAME	EMAIL
102	Deborah Millman, Executive Director For issues relating to the board of directors, estate planning and bequests, legal issues, media requests, public relations and shelter operations.	drmillman@hssc.org
101	Susie Nesbitt, Administrative Assistant For issues relating to donations, mailings, memberships, human resources/personnel, memorials (monetary and bricks), office supply orders, and payroll.	adminasst@hssc.org
103	Debbie Berk, Shelter Manager/Controller For issues involving shelter operations and policies, personnel, and employment.	sheltermgr@hssc.org
104	Karie Hajek, Director of Volunteers For issues pertaining to volunteering and Mandy Banks. If you are seeking court-ordered community service, please contact an HSSC kennel manager. If you are a prospective volunteer under the age of 18, please contact Education Director Kate Franklin.	volunteer@hssc.org
105	Dee Caufield, Accounting Assistant For issues relating to billing and payment.
106	Kerry Koppin, Breed Rescue Coordinator/Adoption Mgr For issues relating to the Adoption Department and for rescue groups willing to assist in placing HSSC shelter pets.	breedrescue@hssc.org
121	Cathy Hodgson, Events/Donor Relations Manager For issues relating to HSSC special events/reservations and for individual and group fund-raising ideas.	events@hssc.org
122	Cheri Brinson, Director of Operations For issues relating to day to day operations involving Kennel, Volunteer, Adoption, Maintenance and Behavior departments.	cbrinson@hssc.org

The adoption department answers all questions pertaining to adoption of shelter pets, shelter hours, low-cost and no cost spay/neuter programs, inquiries about lost or found pets and breed rescue.

EXTENSION	NAME	EMAIL
106	Kerry Koppin, Adoption Manager	breedrescue@hssc.org
107	John Mackler, Offsite Adoption Counselor	jmackler@hssc.org
108	Barbara Holt, Adoption Counselor	bholt@hssc.org
109	Ginny Armington, Adoption Counselor	garmington@hssc.org
110	Joy Johnson, Adoption Counselor	jjohnson@hssc.org

EXTENSION	NAME	EMAIL
114	Kate Franklin, Education Director	education@hssc.org
113	Charlene Bing, Education Assistant

EXTENSION	NAME	EMAIL
124	John Pfohler, Animal Behavior/Receiving Manager	behavior@hssc.org

EXTENSION	NAME	EMAIL
115	Kennel Manager/Assistant Kennel Managers
111	Animal Receiving
117	Bob Schoenung, Maintenance Manager

Administrative Department

Adoption Department

Education Department

Behavior & Training Department

Animal Care Department

WARD S. DEMENT President Second Vice President, Commercial Banking Northern Trust	JOHN COMPTON Vice President Norton, Hammersley, Lopez & Skokos, P.A.	JOE GRUTERS Treasurer Shinn & Company, LLC Certified Public Accountants and Consultants
ALEXANDRA MILLER Corresponding Secretary Chief Executive Officer Mercedes Medical Physician & Laboratory Products	AMIE BOYLE Recording Secretary	CATHERINE ELLIS
JOHN W. CHAPMAN, Jr. Partner Norton, Hammersley, Lopez & Skokos, P.A.	DR. KATE COLE, DVM Veterinarian Gulf Gate Animal Hospital	CHRISTINA CRANE Jones & Crane, "The Morning Crew" WSRZ 107.9 FM
RON GORDON Sales Associate Zena Vallone Realty	LIZ LOGAN	DEBORAH R. MILLMAN Executive Director
LISA SKIRBALL, GRI Michael Saunders & Co. 1801 Main St., Sarasota Specializing in West of Trail and Waterfront Properties	PAMELA TENAERTS, MD Director, Clinical Programs CoAxia, Inc.	CHRIS VOELKER Travel Director
SCOTT WESTHEIMER Partner Syprett, Meshad, Resnick, Lieb, Dumbaugh, Jones, Krotec & Westheimer, P.A.

We have no open positions at this time.

On Monday, June 15th State Rep. Mike Grant Dist. 23 (which includes most of Sarasota County and parts of Charlotte and Manatee counties) visited the Humane Society of Sarasota County to offer congratulations on its achievements.

Rep. Grant's visit was sparked by the Humane Society of Sarasota County's recent selection as "Civic Partner of the Year" by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. Governor Charlie Crist sent HSSC a letter offering his congratulations, as well. During the visit, Grant admired HSSC's medical clinic and new mobile adoption center and praised HSSC for remaining open to all abandoned pets while maintaining an adoption rate of more than 95 percent. Rep. Grant toured the facility with HSSC Board President Alex Miller and Executive Director Deborah Robbins Millman.

HSSC staff offered Rep. Grant congratulations, too - it was his birthday.

The Humane Society of Sarasota County was named Civic Partner of the Year by the Manatee Chamber of Commerce for its Reading FUR FUN Program. The award was presented Friday, June 6, 2008 at the 18th Annual Business/Education Partnership Awards Breakfast. More than 400 nominees were invited to the ceremony, which was held at Freedom Village in Bradenton.

Reading FUR FUN partners certified pet therapy dogs and their handlers with children in schools and libraries throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. The uncritical, loving attention the dogs give to the students has proven to be a great incentive for hesitant readers to improve their skills.

HSSC was nominated for the award by Shirin Gibson, assistant principal at Blanche H. Daughtrey Elementary School in Bradenton, where the reading dogs make regular visits.

“We were absolutely thrilled to receive this prestigious award,” said Dee Halpern, coordinator of the canine reading mentor program at HSSC. “To all our volunteers and their dogs who participate in our Reading FUR FUN program in the Manatee County schools – this award goes to you!"

For more information about Reading FUR FUN, call Dee Halpern at 955-4131, ext. 113.

For the third consecutive year, the Humane Society of Sarasota County has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent evaluator of charities. Only 13% of the approximately 5,500 charities rated by Charity Navigator have earned at least three consecutive 4-star ratings.

Charity Navigator is America’s largest independent evaluator of charities. Its rating system examines two broad areas of a charity's financial health - how responsibly it functions day to day as well as how well positioned it is to sustain its programs over time. Each charity is then awarded an overall rating, ranging from zero to four stars.

According to Charity Navigator, receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that HSSC "consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America. This 'exceptional' designation from Charity Navigator differentiates the Humane Society of Sarasota County from its peers and demonstrates to the public it is worthy of their trust."

"We are honored to receive Charity Navigator's highest rating," said Humane Society of Sarasota County Executive Director Deborah Robbins Millman. "The Humane Society of Sarasota County works hard to shelter abandoned pets and offer many community services, and we take seriously the fiscal responsibility we have to the donors who make our efforts possible. We rely on donations, bequests and sponsorships, and we are pleased that our donors have this added reassurance that the money they provide to HSSC is used in the most responsible way."

Comcast has announced the placement of Pet Adoptions ON DEMAND. Every month, Comcast will air up to 30 animal profiles that cable viewers can watch any time. These short videos tell us all we need to know about each furry guest star, including its name, tag number, history, temperament and a number to call for more information. Also included are details about the shelter’s services, such as training programs or medical care. Pet Adoptions can be found under the Get Local menu of Comcast’s local video ON DEMAND -- channel 199.

“Pets ON DEMAND continues Comcast’s long tradition of supporting our local communities, using our unique ON DEMAND technology which allows customers to watch thousands of children’s programs, movies, music videos and sports whenever they want to and at no additional costs for digital subscribers,” said Comcast’s Vice President and General Manager Mark Lipford. “Through our efforts and this partnership we hope to be able to find great homes for some truly wonderful and deserving pets.”

Pet Adoptions ON DEMAND will begin October 19th and showcase both dogs and cats. All kinds of pets, including pure breds, are brought in by owners who can no longer care for them. Pet Adoptions ON DEMAND increases the chances of these orphans finding someone to care for them. Since its debut in other areas, 80 percent of animals featured have been adopted.

"The Humane Society of Sarasota County is thrilled to have been chosen to participate in Comcast's Pet Adoptions ON DEMAND. As an open admission shelter, we never turn away pets in need,” explained Deborah Millman, Executive Director for the Humane Society of Sarasota County, Inc. “That means, our kennels are usually full and we urgently need to find good homes so that we can continue to shelter all the abandoned pets that need us. Pet Adoptions ON DEMAND allows us to bring HSSC's kennels right into the homes of thousands of wonderful families."

Pet Adoptions ON DEMAND is one in a long line of signature “Get Local” programming available to Comcast Digital Cable subscribers. “Get Local” ON DEMAND provides a forum for local community-based programming such as film and music festivals, high school sports, local news, dating and more. All “Get Local” content is free to Comcast Digital Cable subscribers and allows them to utilize ON DEMAND’s interactive technology to fast forward, pause and rewind their favorite programs.

For more information about Comcast’s products and services, customers can call 1-800-COMCAST or visit the company’s Web site at www.comcast.com.

The Humane Society of Sarasota County, a non-profit animal welfare agency that shelters nearly 4,000 abandoned pets each year, recently created a food bank to help area residents who can no longer afford to feed their pets. The food purchase was funded by HSSC board members, who donated about $2,500. Nearly one ton of food was purchased. During its initial distribution, HSSC provided 54 families with food. The families, who came from throughout the Sarasota/Manatee county area, owned a combined total of 196 pets - 95 dogs and 101 cats. HSSC also provided pet food to Wellspring International Church, which distributes food to between 50 and 100 families each week. Business and individuals are being asked to donate food to continue the program. The goal of the food bank is to help families in financial crisis keep their pets, rather than surrendering them to a shelter and losing the unconditional love and companionship that is so essential, especially in difficult times.

Above Right: HSSC board members Jodie Smith, Susan Rothfuss and Jan Oppenheimer unpack some of the food.

HUMANE SOCIETY OF SARASOTA COUNTY EXTENDS ITS LIFESAVING OUTREACH
TO SHELTERS IN NEED

(SARASOTA, FL December 10, 2008) - The Humane Society of Sarasota County will travel to Gulf Coast Humane Society in Fort Myers Thursday to pick up 10 dogs who need new homes for the holidays.

"The Humane Society of Sarasota County is fortunate to be able to accommodate more dogs right now, so we decided the best thing to do was to reach out to other shelters with overcrowding issues," said HSSC Executive Director Deborah Millman. Millman said HSSC has forged partnerships with shelters its feels will return the favor should it face overcrowding issues in the future.

"Working together is the only way to have an impact on pet overpopulation," Millman said. "Gulf Coast has a waiting list, so, while we can, we want to be there for them and their dogs in need." According to Millman, Gulf Coast Humane Society does not euthanize for space but has a months'-long waiting list. The Humane Society of Sarasota County accepts admissions by appointment but turns no pet away. At present, there are no dogs on its waiting list, she said.

Millman added that, year to date, the Humane Society of Sarasota County has euthanized no animals for space - 100 percent of its adoptable pets have found homes or are awaiting new families at HSSC. She added that the shelter treats most health conditions, has a behaviorist to address behavior issues and does not discrimate against age or breed.

Millman noted that HSSC is close to capacity with cats but would accept cats from other shelters in the future, space permitting.

A second trip is planned for this weekend to retrieve five dogs from Orange County Animal Services.

(SARASOTA, FL January 7, 2009) - The Humane Society of Sarasota County has achieved "no kill" status and has officially adopted that designation.

"For close to two years, the Humane Society of Sarasota County has remained open to all owner-surrendered pets without having to euthanize for space," said HSSC Executive Director Deborah Robbins Millman. "Although our operations will remain unchanged, calling ourselves "no kill" accurately reflects our 100 percent adoptable save rate - and it makes the shelter eligible to receive additional grants and donations that will enable us to do even more for our shelter pets."

Millman said that the Humane Society of Sarasota County had not previously declared itself to be "no kill" because, in years past, unchecked breeding and irresponsible pet abandonment had forced the shelter to take in more pets than it could house.

She said the non-profit agency had first taken several proactive steps to reduce pet abandonment, including hiring a behavorist to address pet-related problems and keep pets in their homes; investing in a new, mobile adoption center that can transport up to two dozen pets; utilizing trained volunteers to make HSSC's shelter pets better adjusted, obedience-trained and less likely to be returned to the shelter; providing low-cost and free spay/neuter referrals; offering humane education to adults and children and forging excellent relationships with breed rescues and other shelters in order to reduce the likelihood of overcrowding.

Board President Alex Miller noted that before declaring itself to be "no kill," the Humane Society of Sarasota County wanted to make sure it was combating the overpopulation issue, not just avoiding it.

"The board of directors and staff agreed that simply closing our doors would not make the situation better," Miller said. "HSSC waited to label itself 'no kill' until we could confidently say our shelter is part of the pet over-population solution."

Miller added that HSSC is not a "no kill" shelter that accepts only the most highly-adoptable pets and refuses the rest.

"The Humane Society of Sarasota County is emphatic that it will continue to accept all owner-surrendered pets, regardless of age, breed or health; it will not cherry pick," she asserted.

According to Millman, many of the nation's most well-respected "no kill" shelters accept all pets in need but make appointments so that their intake does not exceed their available kennel space, thus avoiding the need to euthanize for space.

"Since this is the same way HSSC operates, the board of directors decided that a "no kill" designation was warranted," Millman said. "HSSC's adoptable save rate is 100 perent and it saves more than 95 percent of all the animals it takes in, regardless of their age, breed, health or temperament. Those results are akin to the most affective "no kill"/open admission shelters in the nation."

Although many "no kills" deny admission to out-of-county pets, the Humane Society of Sarasota County continues to accept them, space permitting, for a smal surrender fee.

"We believe counties need to be responsive to their residents but we also want to assist those who are unable to get help in their own communities," Millman said. "The modest out-of-county surrender fee doesn't come close to covering HSSC's costs but it helps. It is our goal to remain an active and vital part of the solution."

Established in 1952, the Humane Society of Sarasota County is the area's oldest and largest animal shelter. For more information about its many programs, call 955-4131.