Dr. Joel Murphy receiving the FVMA GOLD Star Award from Dr. Don Howell, FVMA District 4 Representative, and Dr. Julie Mosher, PCVMA President.
And
Dr. Murphy and his new Yeti Cooler he won in the FVMA PAC Fund raffle held at the June PCVMA meeting. Over $1,000.00 was raised toward matching PAC funds from the FVMA.
Thanks to VEG for donating the Yeti Cooler!
THE BOWSER AND CATSINO BALL IS COMING UP THE 26TH OF OCTOBER!
THE BALL HAS BEEN SOLD OUT THE LAST TWO YEARS AND AGAIN IN 2024!
WE ARE SCHEDULED TO HAVE 300 VETERINARIANS, HOSPITALS, STAFF, FAMILIES, INDUSTRY PARTNERS, SPC FACULTY AND STUDENTS ATTENDING. THANKS TO THE PCVMA/PAF, SPC AND ALL SPONSORS, THE BALL ALONE HAS CONTRIBUTED OVER $60,000.00 TO THE SPC VETERINARY TECHNICIANS’ SCHOLARSHIP FUND OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS.
CONGRATULATIONS
Latest Newsletter:
PCVMA Newsletter 7/1/2024 Volume 35, No. 7
PCVMA Newsletter 8/1/2024 Volume 35, No. 8
PCVMA Newsletter 9/1/2024 Volume 35, No. 9
PCVMA Newsletter 10/1/2024 Volume 35, No. 10
PCVMA Officers:
President: Dr. Julie, Mosher, DVM (Edge Animal Hospital)
President-Elect: Dr. Kevin Kelly (Veterinary Emergency Group) (2024-25)
Past-President: Dr. Joel Murphy (Animal and Bird Medical Center of Palm Harbor)
Secretary: Dr. Sandra Truli Springer – (Truli Holistic Veterinary Services)
Treasurer: Dr. Don Howell (Midway Animal Hospital)
PCVMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Todd Bliss – (All Pets Hospital) (2024-25)
Dr. Brooke Certa – (Coastal Animal Clinic) (2024-25)
Dr. Kim Donovan – (Oakhurst Veterinary Hospital) (2024-25)
Dr. Ernie Godfrey – (Pinellas Animal Hospital) (Life Member)
Dr. Jacqui Olson – (Animal Hospital of Dunedin) (2024-25)
PCVMA NEWSLETTER & PINELLAS ANIMAL FOUNDATION
Dr. Don Morgan – Donmorgansr@aol.com
PCVMA News Letter:
Dr. Don Morgan – Donmorgansr@aol.com
President’s Message
Dear PCVMA members,
I want to express my sincere condolences for everyone who was impacted by Hurricane Helen. Unfortunately, I may be able to say that I know how you feel- my family and I are also displaced from our house right now due to flooding. I have been amazed to see the community support that has rallied around our family. We truly live in the best county- a fact that Helene cannot destroy. For those of you who were more fortunate- please reach out to your colleagues in the area. Many need help putting their clinics and homes back together. Others just need a surprise lunch or a caring call. I encourage you to join us for our upcoming meeting and Bowser Ball. I am excited to do some “normal” activities again. I hope to see you this month. I hope to give you a hug if you need it. I will be praying for all of you.
Julie, Mosher, DVM
Dr.mosher@edgevet.com
PCVMA DUES – 2024
Please support your county organization providing you with information and opportunities on continuing education, political/legislative issues, business/financial issues, Florida Pharmacy Dispensing and the Florida Laws and Rules required CE, approved CE Webinars, in-person meetings, social events throughout the year and admission to the PCVMA Annual Baseball Outing with a Tampa Bay Rays game at Tropicana Field in the Left Field Terrace Suite. Membership dues also allow you to receive the PCVMA monthly newsletter containing all meeting notices, classified ads and maintenance of the pcvma.org website.
Dues are $150.00 per year per veterinarian. Checks can be mailed in the enclosed preaddressed envelope. Credit cards can be processed by calling the PCVMA office 727-397-7387(leave message) or 727-410-7856(cell)
Dr. Don Howell – PCVMA Treasurer
Midway Animal Hospital
10700 Seminole Blvd
Largo, FL 33778
(727) 391-9928
WOULD EVERYONE TAKE A MINUTE TO REVIEW ANY CLASSIFIED ADS YOU MAY HAVE POSTED IN THIS NEWS LETTER. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU WANT THEM REMOVED, OTHERWISE YOU MAY CONTINUE TO GET LOTS OF UNNECESSARY PHONE CALLS OR E-MAILS. ANY CORRECTIONS ARE ALSO WELCOME.
PCVMA 2024 MEETINGS AND EVENTS SCHEDULED
October 26, 2024 – Bowser and Catsino Ball – Belleair Country Club
Sold Out, No more Tables or Tickets!
November 18, 2024 – Nutramax – Dr. Michael Jaffe – Bascom’s Chop House
December – Happy Holidays
Scheduled for 2025:
February 17, 2025 – Adequan – Bascom’s Chop House
March 10, 2025 – ANTECH – Veterinarians – Bascom’s Chop House
March 11, 2025 – ANTECH – Technicians – Holiday Inn Harbourside, IRB
April 10-13, 2025 – FVMA AC Bonnet Creek – Disney
May 19, 2025 – Zoetis RX Team – Bascom’s Chop House
June 16, 2025 – Zoetis DX Team
July 14, 2025 – Purina – Bascom’s Chop House
August 2, 2025 – PCVMA Baseball Outing – Rays vs Dodgers
September – Open
October 25, 2025 – Bowser & Catsino Ball – Belleair Country Club
November – Open
THE BOWSER AND CATSINO BALL IS COMING UP THE 26TH OF OCTOBER!
THE BALL HAS SOLD OUT THE LAST TWO YEARS AND AGAIN IN 2024!
WE ARE SCHEDULED TO HAVE 300 VETERINARIANS, HOSPITALS, STAFF, FAMILIES, INDUSTRY PARTNERS, SPC FACULTY AND STUDENTS ATTENDING.
THANKS TO THE PCVMA/PAF, SPC AND ALL SPONSORS, THE BALL ALONE HAS CONTRIBUTED OVER $60,000.00 TO THE SPC VETERINARY TECHNICIANS’ SCHOLARSHIP FUND OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS.
CONGRATULATIONS
PAF News
THE BOWSER AND CATSINO BALL IS COMING UP THE 26TH OF OCTOBER!
THE BALL HAS BEEN SOLD OUT THE LAST TWO YEARS AND AGAIN IN 2024!
WE ARE SCHEDULED TO HAVE 300 VETERINARIANS, HOSPITALS, STAFF, FAMILIES, INDUSTRY PARTNERS, SPC FACULTY AND STUDENTS ATTENDING. THANKS TO THE PCVMA/PAF, SPC AND ALL SPONSORS, THE BALL ALONE HAS CONTRIBUTED OVER $60,000.00 TO THE SPC VETERINARY TECHNICIANS’ SCHOLARSHIP FUND OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS.
Donald H. Morgan, DVM
President
Pinellas Animal Foundation, Inc
10825 Seminole Blvd A-3
Seminole, FL 33778
Don Morgan, DVM
President – PAF
The Humane Society of Pinellas (HSP) is dedicated to reducing the rate of euthanasia in Pinellas County. Neonatal kittens are a particularly vulnerable population with more than 2,000 euthanized in Pinellas last year due to lack of resources. HSP is seeking the public’s partnership to drastically reduce this number through our Kitten Crusaders Program. Together, with the help of veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, shelter/rescue partners, and citizen foster homes, we can provide loving care to kittens in need. There are many ways to be a part of the solution! Please contact Amanda Audia, HSP’s Director of Operations at AmandaA@HumanePinellas.org to join the Crusade to save these precious animals and make a positive impact in our community!
Dr. Brenton Gallas
Medical Director
Humane Society of Pinellas
Pinellas County Animal Services News
During Hurricane Helene, Pinellas County Animal Services opened three Pet Friendly Shelters and staffed them 24/7 from September 25th – 27th. We opened a site at Largo High School, Palm Harbor University High, and Gibbs High School. In total, we cared for 95 pets at the 3 locations. In addition, staff stayed at our main shelter location 24/7 to maintain standards of care for over 250 stray animals.
For residents who are still homeless due to Helene, the County opened a general population & pet-friendly shelter at Ross Norton Recreation Center in Clearwater. Human Services is assisting with locating temporary housing or other services needed for residents to return home. There are currently 99 individuals housed there and Pinellas County Animal Services staff is onsite 24/7 to help care for the 17 pets.
The aftermath of Helene has created a great deal of fear and uncertainty for our residents. To help address unmet needs, we compiled a list of resources to share with anyone affected:
- Free Pet Food is available at Pinellas County Animal Services during our regular business hours: Monday- Friday 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. & Saturday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Vouchers for Free Spay/Neuter/ &/or Wellness Care are available to income-qualified residents beginning October 15th. If you are interested in joining our list of providers, please reach out to me. We reimburse all veterinary clinics for the services and can provide you with our fee schedule for review.
- If you sustained loss or damages, FEMA assistance is available to Pinellas County residents. Assistance may include financial help for temporary lodging, basic home repairs, and other disaster-caused expenses. Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA app, or call 800-621-FEMA (3362). As of October 2nd, 26,389 residents have registered for FEMA assistance.
- A Disaster Recovery Center opened at 1 pm on 10/2 at Largo Public Library (120 Central Park Drive, Largo). This location is open to assist residents with recovery resources and filling out applications. More information can be found at disaster.pinellas.gov.
- Pinellas County is supporting six points of distribution (PODs) where barrier island residents affected by Hurricane Helene can receive free food, water, and tarps while they last:
- St. Pete Beach: 4700 Gulf Bvd., St. Pete Beach (Food, water, and tarps)
- Treasure Island: 10451 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island (Food, water, and tarps)
- Tierra Verde Fire Station: 540 Sands Point Drive, Tierra Verde (Water only)
- Redington Shores: 18200 Gulf Boulevard (Food, water, and tarps)
- Lake Vista Park: 401 62nd Ave S, St Petersburg (Food and water)
- Palm Harbor: 1190 Georgia Ave, Palm Harbor (Food, water, and tarps)
- A Family Resource Center is now open by the Florida Department of Children and Families at Bridgepoint Church (6690 Crosswinds Dr. N. St. Petersburg). Food, water, diapers, wipes, and some cleaning supplies as well as resource information for Activate Hope.
- Pinellas County Schools will serve free meals to all students for the month of October.
- The Disaster Distress Helpline is open and provides 24/7 toll-free, multilingual disaster crisis counseling for anyone experiencing emotional distress related to disasters. Call or text 1-800-985-5990.
- Care About Me, Pinellas County’s access line for mental health, substance use and addiction services, can help residents or family members of individuals in non-crisis find local services. Call or text 1-888-431-1998 or chat in on careaboutme.org to confidentially speak with an experienced behavioral health specialist who will triage needs and help get an appointment scheduled with a local provider.
- Residents who need help cleaning up damage can request assistance through the Crisis Cleanup at (844) 965-1386 or by visiting crisiscleanup.org. There are currently 1,056 cases submitted in Pinellas County. Local voluntary relief organizations will respond to these requests.
- Residents needing disaster assistance, including cleanup kits, can contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or Red Cross App.
- If you have questions about available resources, Pinellas County residents should call the County Information Center (CIC). Call 727-464-4333, Monday-Friday: 8 am – 6 pm.
I hope you find these resources helpful and, as always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Jennifer Renner, B.Sc., CPM (she/her)
Interim Director – Community Outreach & Volunteer Program Manager
Animal Services – Pinellas County Government
12450 Ulmerton Rd – Largo, FL 33774
jrenner@pinellas.gov office 727-582-2636
SPCA Tampa Bay
SPCA Tampa Bay will be out in the community this week distributing pet food and supplies for community members and their pets to aid in Hurricane Helene relief. Our upcoming pet food distribution schedule is as follows:
Friday, October 4
Enoch Davis Center –
1111 18th Ave S, St. Petersburg
from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Riviera Bay Park
8131 Macoma Dr NE, St. Petersburg
from 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Northside Baptist Church –
6000 38th Ave N, St. Petersburg
from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Please note: All locations listed on Friday, October 4 will include human essentials, along with pet food and supplies. For more information on what to expect, click here.
Tuesday, October 8
SPCA Tampa Bay –
9099 130th Ave N, Largo
from 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Additionally, we have launched a Hurricane Relief Page on our website, which includes essential resources such as pet-friendly housing options, lost and found pet information, and FEMA assistance. For those who have asked how they can help, we have also listed specific donation needs that will directly benefit both our community and pets impacted by the storm.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to update our Hurricane Relief Page with our latest distribution schedule and information on ways to help or receive assistance.
Cynthia Mitchell, DVM
Chief Veterinary Officer
SPCA TAMPA BAY
727-220-1770