August 6, 2011 by Mary Lou Davidson

Manatee County is moving toward no-kill, can you help?

Animal advocates and the County are taking steps to move the area toward being a n0-kill community. Far too many healthy dogs and cats meet their end too soon because their family experienced economic or health difficulties.

In many cases, a rescue group would be willing to step in take the pet, as a stepping stone on the path to being re-homed; but as yet a streamlined system of communications between Animal Services and the rescue community has not existed.

Now, a volunteer position of Foster Coordinator is being created to solve this problem. This is not a new County program of fostering but rather a more efficient of way of getting the needful information to the right parties in a timely way.

Animal Services Board Member, Jean Peelen told us that the responsibilities of the volunteer coordinator will be to:

Keep two databases. One is a continually updated list (with photos) of dogs and cats ready to move to a rescue group/foster home. The other is a database of all rescue groups in (and out of the area) that use fosters. When Animal Services has dogs or cats that can be pulled by rescue groups, they inform the Coordinator who then finds the good fit with rescue groups. The hope is that this will also relieve the groups from recreating the wheel by each contacting Animal Services to see what animals are available.

The Coordinator also will serve as the contact point for members of the public who want to volunteer to foster. No vetting necessary. The coordinator will refer them to the appropriate rescue group.

There are other functions the Coordinator could be involved with:

The Coordinator could assist with efforts to increase the number of foster homes through public meetings, personal appearances at civic groups, letters to editors, etc.

The Coordinator could assist with finding grant monies for things like food, training, medical care to assist foster homes.

There is no need for the Coordinator to be just one person. Ideally two or three Coordinators will work together to manage the duties of the job or perhaps to divide up the work.

So often we hear that people want to help animals in need but aren’t sure where to start. This would awesome way to lend your talent and expertise to this valiant initiative of saving the lives of cats and dogs.

If you’d like to learn more please contact [email protected] or call

941-896-5827.