TLCASC News & Events
Responsible Pet Ownership Course
While we all love our furry, feathered and scaly friends, many of us may not be aware of all it takes to properly care for a pet. Improper care affects the animal, but it can also lead to serious legal issues for the owner. To help current and potential pet owners learn proper pet care and local laws regarding animal care and treatment, Animal Services has teamed up with Pets Ad Litem (PAL) to develop the Responsible Pet Ownership course. For more information on PAL, visit PetsAdLitem.com.
The free course is open to the public. It will take place on Saturday, February 18, from 9:00 a.m. until noon at the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Administration Building, 912 Myers Park Drive. The course will cover a wide variety of topics including, but not limited to, veterinary care, travelling safely with your pet, shelter, nutrition and humane tethering. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a certificate. In addition, voluntary participants over the age of 18 that successfully complete the course will also receive a Golden Paw for a fee waived adoption from the Animal Service Center. For additional information, please contact Jeff Doyle at 891-2972.
Event Hours: Saturday, February 18, 9:00am - 12:00n
Location: Myers Park Community Room, 912 Myers Park Drive
Disaster Preparedness for Pets
In the event of an emergency, if you evacuate your home, do not leave your pets behind! When creating your disaster preparedness plan for you and your family, make sure to include your furry companions.
Prepare a Pet Disaster Plan:
- Research and Identify Pet Friendly Shelters - Contact the Animal Service Center at (850) 891-2950 or the local chapter of the American Red Cross at (850) 878-6080 for an updated listing of pet friendly shelters.
- Prepare a Portable Pet Disaster Kit - Make sure to include enough supplies for at least 5 days. Your kit may include: pet food, bottled water, medications, veterinary records, cat litter/pan, can opener, food dishes, first aid kit and other supplies with you in case they're not available later.
- Current Pet ID - It is very important to ensure that your pet's identification tags are up to date and securely fastened to your pet's collar. If your animal has a micro-chip, make sure you have all the necessary tag information in your pet disaster kit. Your pet's tag is his/her ticket home if they get lost. It is also important to keep up-to-date photos of your pet for identification purposes. Don't wait for a disaster to strike--Take new photos every few months.
- Pet Carriers and Leashes - Storms and unusual environments can be frightening to all creatures - two legged or four legged. Make sure you have a secure pet carrier appropriate for your animal's size (should be able to sit up and turn around inside). Leashes and harnesses are also essential in transporting your pet.
For a complete guide, visit our Hurricane Connections page.
Provided below are additional links to local, pet friendly hurricane guides and sites which will aide in preparing you and your furry friend for hurricane season:
Get those glamour shots! Photos of pets are a necessity for emergency kits!
When you are preparing your pet's emergency supplies to go along with those of other family members, don't forget to include current, color snapshots of your pet. They're vital in helping create "lost pet" flyers in case your pet gets lost during the emergency.
Take snapshots of your pet on major holidays or family birthdays. Using current color photos is a great way to track the changes a pet makes over the years. In addition, the color snapshots are good reminders of what color your pet's collar and I.D. tags are as you create the "lost pet" flyer. Put the date the snapshot was taken on the back of the photo and store it with the pet supplies you include in the family's emergency kit. It's good to keep current photos of your pet in your wallet, too.
There are several convenient places to take a look at shelter pets
In addition to visiting the animal shelter to look over pets for adoption, many people let their fingers do the walking and check the on-line kennel at www.talgov.com. Still others go to the growing number of places where Tallahassee's only animal shelter showcases animals that are up for adoption.
Each Saturday from March to November, you can meet some of TLC Animal Service Center's pets at the same time you shop for flowers, fine foods, and fresh vegetables at Tallahassee's Downtown Marketplace. The Marketplace is open from 8:00am - 2:00pm at Ponce De Leon Park at Park Avenue and Monroe Street.
Check the schedules at Petco and at Petsmart for the days that animals from Tallahassee's animal shelter and its foster program will be making visits there, too. Each year, the shelter cares for 10,000 animals. Thousands don't find homes. Consider a homeless pet from a shelter, foster care or a rescue group when you want to add a pet to your family. And, always spay-neuter pets so they don't add to the pet overpopulation crisis.