sticks has gone to the dogs “and cats”
You may have noticed a new advertiser on Sticks today. The Animal Coalition of Tampa, otherwise known as ACT, has come under the generous wings of Tampa’s most popular blog.
Sticks has become a sponsor of ACT and its annual Stride For Strays, an event that raises money to support ACT’s low-cost spay/neuter clinic on Lemon Street in Tampa.
ACT has been around about eight years, since Linda and Frank Hamilton decided that something had to be done about the tragic number of homeless companion animals that are killed each year at Hillsborough County Animal Services - more than 27,000 last year alone.
When the Hamiltons spearheaded ACT, I was writing columns for the Tribune; over the years, I wrote about the group many times. Initially, ACT focused on once a month sterilization of stray cats at vet clinics around the county that volunteered their services on Sundays.
About 18 months ago, another cat lover, Jack Talman of Talman Tank, joined the effort.
Talman had fallen in love with a stray who lived at his Causeway Boulevard business. Since the animal had ended up by chance at a place where he would be treated like royalty, Talman named him Lotto, as if the cat had hit the jackpot.
But Lotto wasn’t so lucky after all. He was killed by a stray dog.
Ultimately, Talman donated money to help the Hamilton’s with the clinic, which, since it opened in March 2006 has provided services to about 5,000 animals with the help of a Neuter Scooter, donated by PetCo, that picks up and returns animals at designated locations around the county.
When I was laid off at the Tribune in April, Talman and the Hamiltons asked if I would like to get involved and do some work for the group.
It was the perfect situation for me: working with people I like and admire who are performing a service that benefits the community and that I passionately believe in.
So I am ACT’s community liaison, whatever that is. Basically it means talking to people about a wonderful group of folks who have undertaken a difficult task: imitating what’s being done in Las Vegas, San Francisco and other progressive communities.
ACT has even become part of the ASPCA’s Mission: Orange, a national effort to create humane, “no-kill” communities across the country in which no dog or cat of “reasonable health and temperament” will be killed for lack of a home. Hillsborough County is the only community in Florida so involved.
Stride For Strays is ACT’s major fundraiser. In 2006, the event brought in about $30,000. This year’s event, the seventh, is at Al Lopez Park, Oct. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Since so many people can’t afford even ACT’s low fees, many of the operations are subsidized. So the goal in 2007 is at least $60,000.
Sticks is an official sponsor of the event along with Synovus Bank, Publix, the ASPCA and others.
If you can help, please visit the Stride website, which is being updated as we speak, so to speak.
Or send an e-mail to linda@actampa.org, or me at judyhill@judyhillonline.com.
A team from Hillsborough Community College headed by professor Walt Ellis
has raised the most money and won the grand prize - the Golden Dog Bone - every year since Stride I.
Maybe Sticks of Fire can field a team and give Ellis a run for the money.
Tags: tampa
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August 10th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Judy,is this liason job a paid position or just a volunteer/Is it in St. Petersburgh or Tampa or both. You should be another Bob Barker and have some kind of show where you can advertise-have your cat or dog neutered or spade,they will listen to a journalist-Judy Hill,just as Bob Barker’s contestants all ways said-I had my cat or dog neutered or spade. He also had beautiful pets shown for adoption. I believe in adoption whether children or pets. I do not believe in killing or euthonazia.
August 10th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Hey, Junior. I’d do it free if I could afford to. But remember, unlike Bob Barker, I got axed. ACT is located in Tampa, but will serve anyone in the area who can’t afford to have their pet neutered. I wish there was a local program that featured kids and pets that need homes. And, by the way, thanks for the kind words.
August 11th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Judy thank you for answering my questions,not everyone does.You have a lot of clout in the community and the media,I am sure someone would like to have this kind of show,have ACT make some inquries Iam positive they will jump at the chance to have you on an unique program. Judy I still have your last goodbye article in the tribune it was very touching,had your e-mail address in it and I wrote to you as a illerate computer user and we needed some volunteers to show us the right way to use a computer etc. etc. etc. I do not know if you received it or did not open it not knowing the source. Just wanted you to know that I went to the media discussion down town and someone from the Tampa Tribune said they had not fired anyone I wanted to yell out yes you did Judy Hill and seven others plus layoffs.