SPCA Tampa Bay
Hurricane Preparedness: A Resource for You and Your Clients
As we enter the 2025 hurricane season, SPCA Tampa Bay has created this messaging to support you—our local veterinary professionals—with timely and practical information to help protect pets in our community. This content is designed for flexible use: share it with clients, adapt it for your clinic’s website or social media, use it in your newsletter, or simply keep it as a reference for emergency-related discussions with pet owners.
Key Preparedness Reminders for Clients:
As a trusted resource, you’re often the first person pet owners turn to for guidance. Here are the key talking points to share:
Pet Identification
- All pets should wear a collar with an ID tag that includes current contact information.
- Microchipping is strongly recommended, and owners should ensure contact details are up to date in the microchip registry.
- Temporary ID tags with evacuation-specific contact info are also useful during storms.
Pet Emergency Kit Essentials
Encourage clients to prepare a kit that includes:
- 7 days’ worth of food and water
- Medications and copies of prescriptions
- Vaccination records
- A sturdy crate or carrier
- Familiar comfort items (toys, bedding)
- Litter and cleaning supplies
- A recent photo of their pet (for ID if separated)
Planning Ahead
- Help clients identify pet-friendly shelters or boarding options before a storm hits.
- Remind them to never leave pets behind during an evacuation.
- Share resources to help them “know their zone” and understand local evacuation requirements.
We’ve compiled additional tools and printable checklists you can share or display in your clinic here:
https://spcatampabay.org/hurricane-prep-for-pets
How to Use This Resource:
Whether you’re looking to engage your clients, educate your team, or advocate for proactive planning, this messaging is ready for you to:
- Copy/paste into newsletters
- Print for front desk or waiting area handouts
- Adapt for social media content
- Reference during wellness exams or pre-season conversations
If there’s anything we can provide to better support your outreach—custom versions, co-branded content, or topic suggestions—please let us know. Thank you for all you do to keep our community’s pets safe and cared for.
Cyndi Mitchell, DVM
Executive VP of Programs & Chief Veterinary Officer
Phone 727-586-3591 – Web spcatampabay.org
9099 130th Avenue North, Largo FL 33773
SPC SCHOOL OF VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY
PINNING AND AWARDS CEREMONY
On behalf of the PCVMA, Dr. Julie Mosher presented two $600.00 scholarships to
SPC students. The AS scholarship went to Penny Cooper-Jones (not pictured) and the BAS scholarship to William Smith. CONGRATULATIONS!
Tonight is a celebration of veterinary technicians — the individuals who show unwavering commitment, compassion, and skill every single day. Whether they’re providing critical care, comforting worried pet owners, or let’s be real- keeping the doctors in line, you are the ones who make a real difference in the lives of animals and people.
Veterinary technicians are the backbones of the hospital, a fact that has been made even more obvious as veterinary technicians are becoming harder to hire. It’s clear that without you, the veterinary field would not function as seamlessly as it does. Your knowledge of medical procedures, diagnostics, anesthesia, and so much more makes you an essential part of the veterinary team. You bring a unique blend of expertise and compassion to your work, and that’s something worth celebrating.
Tonight is about recognizing the countless hours you dedicate to your schooling and profession, the sacrifices you make, and the many lives — both human and animal — that you touch with your care. You are a vital link between animals and their owners, ensuring that every animal receives the best possible treatment, no matter the situation.
So, on behalf of the Pinellas County Veterinary Medical Association, I want to extend a sincere Congratulations to each and every one of you. Your contributions are invaluable, and your impact reaches far beyond what words can express. We are so incredibly proud of you, and we thank you for everything you do. Once again, congratulations, and may your passion and dedication continue to inspire and elevate the field of veterinary care for years to come.
Thank you and good luck on your new journey,
Julie Mosher, DVM
President – PCVMA
St Petersburg College students and faculty have just completed the spring semester and started the summer semester on May 19
We held our pinning ceremony on May 5th with over 40 BAS and AS graduates. We are very appreciative of the support from PCVMS in awarding two scholarships. One to Penny Cooper Jones an AS student employed by Blue Pearl in Clearwater, and Will Smith a BAS student employed by Coastal Veterinary Hospital in Dunedin.
Our student will be traveling in July to Costa Rica for our 20205 study abroad trip for wildlife rehabilitation and working with a sloth rescue.
Tricia Gorham, MA, CVT, FVTE
Academic Program Director
Veterinary Technology
St. Petersburg College
Seminole Campus
