Maniacs Give Back: SPCA Tampa Bay Pet Walk

In 2022, a gentleman working on a construction site found a litter of kittens inside a large piece of equipment. He knew exactly what to do and brought them to the SPCA of Tampa Bay in Largo, FL. After being evaluated by a veterinary team, they were placed in a foster family until all of the kittens were adopted by local loving families.

Every pet deserves a loving home, but unfortunately many dogs, cats, and other types of pets are left homeless. The ASPCA says about 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters ever year. And according to Florida Shelter Census, a total of 354,301 cats and dogs were admitted to Florida shelters in 2023 — up 8,459 since 2022.

The need to help these stray animals is ever present, and the mission of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Tampa Bay is to provide shelter and care for animals in need until they can be adopted and go to a permanent home.

The SPCA is the only open-admission, for-all animal shelter and veterinary center in Pinellas County. A for-all animal shelter cares not only for dogs and cats, but also pocket pets such as guinea pigs and rabbits, exotic animals and livestock such as goats and pigs.

At the SPCA’s animal shelter location in Largo, more than 8,000 animals are surrendered at their facilities annually. Their pet hospital in St. Petersburg also provides pet health care, including immunizations and spay/neuter services, for dogs and cats.

The SPCA is also a no-kill shelter in that there is no time limit for an animal’s stay at their pet shelter and every animal receives loving, compassionate care regardless of its breed or size. In 2023, a total of 3,478 animals were adopted from the SPCA.

Like most U.S. animal shelters, the SPCA relies entirely on program revenue and fundraising to sustain their operations, provide care for animals and serve the community. Their annual Pet Walk at Largo Central Park and North Straub Park in St. Petersburg is an invitation for the community to raise awareness and money for the organization.

On April 6, 2024, individuals came out to the event to walk their pets on a park course. There were also fun activities for families and their pets as well as food trucks and music.

Maniacs brought their own pets to help support as well as volunteered their time to help set up, work, and tear down the event.

This was the SPCA’s 33rd year raising money for pet animals that need a home. In total, they raised $136,084! If anyone wants to make a donation to the Pet Walk fundraiser, the SPCA says the funds will be matches to help three times as many animals through April 30th.

One of the Maniacs who volunteered, Michelle Decarion, said about the event, “Dogs always bring a smile to my face, and it was wonderful to see so many people from the community come out with their cute pets to help support a good cause to give these animals a home. Knowing that my help contributed to a lost dog or kitty getting a loving home was 100 percent worth it for me.”