Pinellas County Animal Services’ role in the community has evolved dramatically over the years.  Once termed, “The Pound” and “The Dog Catcher” has now transformed into a pet resource center with one simple goal– to keep pets with their families. 

Let’s face it, shelters are not the ideal environment for most dogs and cats.  It’s loud, bright, and full of new smells which is stressful and overwhelming for pets. As a result, some behaviors leading to negative outcomes, such as barrier aggression or kennel deterioration, only occur because of the shelter environment.

This realization led our industry to develop robust “safety nets” to offer families who are considering surrendering their pets due to a myriad of circumstances.  A safety net is basically a list of resources to address the most common issues for surrendering pets. Can’t afford to spay or neuter your pet?  We have a voucher for income qualified residents and ten veterinary clinics in the county who are ready to accept it.  Can’t afford pet food? We have free pet food right by our lobby doors.  Your dog is destroying your house? Here’s a crate to try or we can connect you with affordable dog training options.  These are just a few of the resources you will find in our safety net, but there will always be obstacles we can’t fix, such as the availability of affordable, pet-friendly housing and overcoming breed discrimination. 

What are you hearing at your practices from pet owners?  Please reach out to me with your questions, concerns, and suggestions.  Together we can proactively build a stronger safety net to better support our pet families in Pinellas County.

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