Sunshine State Humane Society

10/10/2026

🐾 Let's talk leashes!

We recently had a printed PSA about the potential risks of retractable leashes and why a traditional leash can be a better choice for everyday walks.

Here's some more information on this subject, including leash recommendations, by the New York Times.

We believe education is an important part of animal welfare. Sometimes, small changes in how we care for our pets can make a meaningful difference in their safety and well-being.

🐶 Here's to safer walks and happier tails!
(see our PSA in the comments)

Taking a walk may be one of your dog’s favorite activities, yet it can sometimes be a pain for the human. A good, sturdy leash will provide extra control when you need it. Here's why Wirecutter doesn't recommend retractable leashes — and the five kinds we do like: https://nyti.ms/4nktiZt

09/11/2026

🚩 Red flags when buying a puppy can be easy to miss, especially when a seller has a polished website, beautiful photos, and all the right words.

👉 September is Puppy Mill Awareness Month. Do your homework. Know the red flags. And never be afraid to walk away.

Click the link to read: “Red Flags When Buying a Puppy” on the Sunshine State Humane Society website: https://www.sunshinehumane.org/puppy-mills

09/05/2026

📣Mark your calendars for our next medical outreach events!

⚕️🐾 Pasco County Animal Services is offering a series of FREE vaccine & microchip outreach clinics, right in your community!

📅 Tuesday Morning, September 22nd - Tommytown/Dade City:
📍Resurrection Park | 37124 Lock Street
⏰9am - 11am
‼️SE HABLA ESPANOL

📅 Tuesday Morning, September 29th - Holiday
📍Pasco Hope | 2654 Grand Blvd
⏰9am - 11am

⚠First come, first served. Limited to the first 100 owned dogs & cats, 3 pets per household, please.....................

💉Vaccines offered: Core Combo DHPP (dogs) FVRCP (cats), & Rabies

PCAS is committed to ensuring that every pet in our community has access to essential preventive care—regardless of a family’s financial situation.

Vaccinations remain the most fundamental defense against highly contagious and often fatal—but entirely preventable—viral diseases. Core vaccines protect pets from threats such as rabies, distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, and other dangerous illnesses that continue to circulate in Florida.

Microchipping is one of the most effective tools for reuniting lost pets with their families. A microchip provides permanent, scannable proof of ownership, helping to return pets home quickly and safely. A microchip also provides owners with legal protection by establishing clear, verifiable ownership.

MyPasco.net/PAS

08/19/2026

“UNFIT FOR PURCHASE.”

Let that sink in for a minute.

Florida's new SB 1004 took effect July 1. It requires a pet dealer to:

🩺 Provide consumers with copies of the animal’s medical records
📋 Maintain those records for at least seven years after the sale
⚖️ Provide consumers with written notice of their legal rights
💰 Disclose all financing terms before the sale
🐾 If an animal is determined to be “unfit for purchase” (that's the wording used) because of illness or disease, terminate the financing agreement without penalty if the consumer returns the animal

Now let this sink in:

Florida passed a law about what to do when a pet-store puppy gets sick because selling sick animals is a real enough problem that consumers needed legal protection.

08/08/2026

What if the way we talk about rescue dogs is actually hurting them?

We love rescue dogs. We advocate for them. We tell their stories. But could the language we use—often with good intentions—be reinforcing stereotypes that make people hesitate to adopt?

That’s the question I tackle in my latest essay for THE NEW BARKER.

Agree? Disagree?

Email your feedback to: [email protected]

Read the essay here: https://www.sunshinehumane.org/post/the-accidental-myth-of-the-rescue-dog

08/06/2026

Good News! 💙

Waverly is home! 💙

We are incredibly grateful to everyone in our community who shared, commented, reached out, and kept an eye out for Waverly. Your concern and support made all the difference.

After being taken from SPCA Florida on Saturday, August 1, Waverly has been , located and safely returned to us. Thanks to our community coming together, this story has the happy ending we were all hoping for.

Waverly is safe, sound, and back where he belongs. Thank you for standing with us and helping bring her home. ❤️🐾

07/31/2026

Rodent bait boxes are everywhere—outside businesses, schools, neighborhoods, and shopping centers. Many contain second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs).

The poison doesn't stay in the box. It stays with the rodent. Sick rodents often wander away before dying, where they're eaten by owls, hawks, foxes, bobcats, opossums, and other wildlife. The poison then moves up the food chain. Research has linked rodenticide exposure to internal bleeding, liver damage, and increased susceptibility to disease in many wildlife species.

In foxes, this can make them far more susceptible to severe mange, turning a treatable condition into a life-threatening one. For owls, hawks, and other birds of prey, rodenticide poisoning can cause internal bleeding, starvation, or death.

Safer, more humane alternatives exist, including fertility-control products designed to reduce rodent populations without poisoning wildlife, such as Evolve™ Rodent Birth Control.

If you care about wildlife, speak up. Ask your HOA, workplace, or local businesses to choose safer, more humane rodent control.

07/23/2026

We are not wildlife rehabilitators, and we would never pretend to be. But when someone reached out about a baby squirrel they found under a tree in their backyard (see photo), we were able to help reunite the baby with mom.

We asked a very important question: “Is mom nearby?” The answer was yes — she was up in the tree watching over her baby. We advised the finder to place the squirrel at the base of the tree, go inside (and keep pets and people away from the area), and monitor the situation from the window. After several minutes, mom came down and safely retrieved her baby. ❤️

This simple story highlights two very important lessons:

🐿️ #1: The finder did not scoop up the baby and rush it to a vet or wildlife rehabilitator.
Unless a baby is confirmed orphaned, injured, or in immediate danger, the best thing you can do is help reunite them. Please don’t “kidnap” wildlife babies — that is tragic for the mother and doing a great disservice to the baby.

🐿️ #2: Listen to professionals.
Wildlife rehabilitators often share the frustration of people asking for advice and then ignoring it. In this case, the finder did exactly the right thing: they asked, they listened, and they followed advice.

If you find a baby wild animal, resist the urge to immediately intervene. Observe first, keep your distance, and contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for guidance. You'll find several on our Wild Neighbors page: https://www.sunshinehumane.org/wild-neighbors

07/22/2026

Sharing this request from our rescue partners, Pasco County Animal Services.

She must leave the shelter by 4:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, July 22.

If you can help, please email gbotticello@pascocountyfl. net ASAP.

Even if you’re unable to foster, sharing this post could help Wonder find the safe place she needs.

❗⚠ UPDATE!!! ⚠❗A FOSTER HOME HAS BEEN SECURED FOR PUPPY WONDER!!!

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your emails, shares, questions, and concerns. As your county shelter in Pasco, we reached out to you in vulnerable fashion over a very delicate life-saving situation. And once again, you showed up HUGE.

We received several questions regarding Wonder's care and deadline plea.

🗣LET'S TALK ABOUT IT

❓Why can't the foster home have other dogs? Why can't she just stay isolated at the shelter? ❗Parvo is highly contagious. We would not want to expose any other dog, whether at PCAS or in a home. An outbreak would be devastating. Humans can also unknowingly transmit it via their shoes, hands, or clothing.

❓Why was she on a euthanasia deadline? Aren't you supposed to be "no kill?" ❗Pasco County Animal Services works every day toward being a SAVE 90 Shelter.

"Save 90" is the updated term for "no kill." Save 90 (aka no kill) shelters sometimes have to make the humane decision to euthanize an animal who is suffering or has a medical condition beyond the scope of care that the facility can provide. Under a Save 90 protocol, shelters also do not euthanize for space. (This includes PCAS)

Wonder was placed on a euthanasia deadline due to her condition being highly contagious, which would threaten our larger dog population.

❗❗Being a transparent agency to our community is something Pasco County Animal Services prides ourselves on. We value mutual trust with our community. We knew that being honest about the dire situation we were in put us in a vulnerable position.

But, our community is SO AMAZING that we were confident you would help us SAVE WONDER'S LIFE. For that, we sincerely thank you. Please know we were going to do everything in our power to save her. Because every life matters.

If you ever have any questions, would like to learn more, or simply visit our shelter to see how we save lives every day, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here for YOU. 🧡
..............................
Original Plea:

Community, we need a unicorn foster for Wonder. 🦄🤞

Yesterday afternoon, a tiny puppy was found abandoned in a box outside a Dunkin’ Donuts. We named her Wonder.

Wonder is about 9 weeks old and has tested positive for parvovirus—a serious but treatable illness that primarily affects unvaccinated dogs. Thanks to the quick action of our veterinary and medical team, she began treatment immediately and is already responding beautifully. She’s drinking on her own, wagging her tail, and giving us every reason to be hopeful.

Because parvo is highly contagious, Wonder cannot be housed inside our shelter. Wonder has already shown us how hard she’s willing to fight. Now she just needs someone willing to help her through the finish line.

07/04/2026

Millions will gather today with family, friends, food...and fireworks.

Many pet parents will choose to stay home tonight because of the stress the fireworks cause to a frightened dog or cat. They'll close the curtains, turn on calming music, offer treats and reassurance, and help their companions feel safe.

Wild animals, however, don't have that comfort.

For birds, rabbits, deer, foxes, squirrels, and countless other creatures, the sudden explosions can trigger panic, causing them to flee from nests, young mammals can become separated from their parents, or expend precious energy trying to escape what they perceive as danger.

As we celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, let's remember that America belongs to them too.

We are encouraged by more communities choosing drone shows over traditional fireworks. They provide breathtaking displays without the noise and air pollution. It's a reminder that tradition and innovation can shine together.

Happy 250th Birthday, America! Here's to celebrating the country we love—and extending compassion to every creature who calls it home.

Sunshine State Humane Society
❤️ Extending compassion to all animals. 🇺🇸