Discarded pets “don’t have a voice,” says Lisa Johnson (left). She and longtime friend Darlene Tennell say caring for those animals is good therapy.
BY MICHAEL S. BUTLER
NNB Student Reporter
ST. PETERSBURG – It’s hard to find homes for black pets.
Some people think they look scary. Some think they bring bad luck.
This may explain why Diamond, a 4-year-old female black Labrador mix, has lived at Pet Pal Animal Shelter in St. Petersburg for months.
For nearly 10 years the nonprofit, no-kill shelter at 405 22nd Street S has given refuge to dogs, cats and other animals of all breeds and colors. Many come from other shelters where they would have likely been euthanized.
The inability to secure adoption for any animal saddens Darlene Tennell and Lisa Johnson, who volunteer at the shelter. With upbeat personalities, these friends energetically chuckle their way through their responsibilities caring for animals that may leave at any time.
“We pretty much do everything that needs to be done,” said Tennell. “Mainly we walk the dogs, but if laundry needs to be done we take care of that. We clean litter boxes, everything.”
“There are so many unwanted animals out there that are just discarded,” said Johnson. “They don’t have a voice. People say we’re doing the animals a favor but it works both ways. It helps us, too. You know, it’s therapy for us, too.”
Like longtime friends they stay close to each other, finish each other’s sentences and laugh loudly at little comments. Both are retired.
“That’s how we met,” said Tennell. “I started coming here, in addition to another shelter, and when Lisa left the other shelter I dragged her here with me. We’ve been friends for 14 years.”
But their effervescent demeanors briefly dim when they talk about Diamond.
“She’s been here about a year,” said Tennell. “She was adopted out and they chained her in the back yard. So when they returned her to us she’s dog aggressive now and she doesn’t really get along with any other dogs. And a lot of people who come to adopt have another dog. So she’s been really hard to adopt out because now she’s an only-dog situation.”
“Plus she’s a black dog,” said Johnson. “Black dogs get looked over. Black dogs, black cats, they get looked over. It’s a kind of stigma. People think they are aggressive looking. They think black cats are bad luck. I have two black cats and they are the friendliest cats you could ever want to know. So I think it’s just something in people’s minds.”
This afternoon Diamond is enjoying play time with the women, bounding from one end of the fenced backyard to the other. She stops briefly to pick up a green squeak toy and resumes her running.
Dogs like Diamond come to the shelter for a variety of reasons, like financial hardship, abuse or divorce.
The biggest reason? “Moving,” said Tennell. “They are moving to Mars or another planet. Moving. We don’t understand it.”
“We had a dog returned yesterday. The lady’s like, ‘Well, we’re getting a divorce and I can’t take care of her,’” said Johnson. “And she handed her over to us. And of course we took her back because we always take back our own dogs. And you want to just shake them and say, ‘Why did you adopt in the first place?’”
Her color and aggressive personality have kept 4-year-old Diamond at the shelter for months.
“I would rather them not adopt at all than not make a commitment to their animal,” she said.
Scott Daly has been executive director for the shelter for more than 10 years. He’s proud of the services his no-kill, nonprofit shelter provides the community. But when he thinks about running the shelter without the help of people like Tennell and Johnson he shakes his head.
“Our volunteers are amazing,” said Daly. “They help me with training. They help me with walking the dogs so they are stimulated and not looking at a brick wall. We let the dogs out every 10 to 15 minutes in the backyard so they are not looking at a kennel wall. It makes a healthier animal. And we have volunteers that volunteer their time answering the phones, cleaning is a big thing, a lot of people don’t think about that. Our volunteers are wonderful about that. And they help us raise money like with “Puppy Love” coming up.”
“Puppy Love” is the shelter’s annual fundraiser and includes silent and live auctions. The money raised each spring can sustain the shelter for the entire year.
“It costs a lot of money to treat pets, to spay and neuter pets, to vaccinate them, to treat them for heartworms and do special surgeries on them,” said Daly. “We have to use specialists to do bone surgeries and whatnot and it costs a lot of money. So, yes, we do have a lot of people that do love animals and donate, even every month.”
Donors include Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria. He has pledged to donate $100 for every home run he hits during the 2015 season, as he has in past seasons.
Other types of support are welcome, too.
“Well, we could certainly use more volunteers and we could certainly use more donations of anything,” said Tennell. “I mean we are always using paper towels, laundry detergent, bleach, cleaning supplies,” said Tennell.
“Money,” added Johnson.
“Money is always good,” said Tennell.
Even during the best of financial times at the shelter Johnson says it feels like the need never wanes.
“The minute one dog gets adopted another one comes up for adoption,” said Johnson. “We have lots of animals here and you just want to see them all get a home.”
She strokes Diamond’s head.
“And it’s hard sometimes when they just sit there for months.”