Orange County Animal Services

MARGOT A594392

It would break your heart to hear all the stories. All the different ways that dogs wind up at the shelter. Some are brought in by their owners, abandoned in empty homes, and then some are just dumped. On the street. In parks. In parking lots. And some are taken out to a field or wooded area and just left there to die.

Margot is one of these dogs. Our vets estimate her age to be between 10 and 12 years old. She was found curled up into a ball in the middle of an empty field. When our officer walked up, Margot was shaking like a leaf, and even growled a little. It was clear she was confused, terrified, and starving. We don’t know how she wound up there. We don’t know why she was dumped. She had signs of ownership; short nails, clean coat, and marks around her neck where she’d been tied out.

At the shelter she was difficult to handle and scared of everything. Margot didn’t seem to mind the company of other dogs, and didn’t seem bothered by sharing her space with them. But with people she remained aloof; keeping her distance, and guarding her heart. We knew she’d been hurt before, and it was going to take some time to get her to come around.

It’s been almost three months, and Margot has slowly started warming up. She is still selective with people, and sudden movements do startle her still. But she has allowed a different side of her heart to reveal itself with certain people. She shows affection, nuzzles for pets, and even pushes in for hugs. Margot has spent some time in foster care, and it was there that we found out she’s actually good with cats too.

Margot is a super senior. But one look at her sweet face and you can see she has a lot of life left in her, and a lot of love left to give.

Let’s get her seen.
Let’s get her home.

**EDWARD A580763**

Are you an introvert and a homebody? Are you looking for a pup that matches that?

Meet Edward.

We've posted him before, and he's even been on TV with our friends at WESH 2 News. But now Edward is one of our longest residents and has been oh so patiently waiting to find his forever home and person. Edward went to foster with a staff member for a couple weeks and below are some fun facts about Ed that they learned in that time:

• Edward is completely housebroken and did not have a single accident in the home. He will alert you by going to the door when he needs to go potty.
• Edward is crate trained and does well for longer periods of time, although he can sometimes whimper when he wants attention.
• If you’re looking for a dog to have movie marathons with or to binge your favorite tv shows with, Ed is your guy! Edward is a big couch potato and doesn’t mind spending all day next to you on the couch.
• Edward is a snuggle bug and loves curling up next to you (or on top of you) for snuggles. He does prefer being under covers and having his own pillow.
• Edward has a playful side but is also very appropriate about it. He loves plush toys and showing them off around the house.
• Edward has the cutest “wiggle” when he gets excited and will strut over to you when you come home.
• Edward did well when guests came over and even plopped over for a belly rub.
• Edward does struggle with reactivity and therefore isn’t a pup that does great on leash walks or in public settings. He would greatly benefit from an owner that has a fenced in backyard and isn’t someone who wants to bring their dog everywhere. He would greatly benefit from further training in this department.
• Edward is a big ol’ mush and would do best as the only child. He just wants all the attention to himself.

Edward is a sweet dog that needs work, but has great potential. Let's get him seen.
Let's get him home.

**DON’T KITNAP KITTENS**

We ask our community, please, please fight the urge to "save" these litters.

The reality is that a very high percentage of the time, mama is not far, and is actively caring for her kittens. If you find a litter of kittens, the best thing you can do is pause and observe from a distance. Separating kittens from their mother can critically harm their chances of survival. Mother cats often leave briefly to hunt, and their kittens' best chance at life is remaining in her care.

Of course if the kittens are in immediate danger, or if you have not seen their mama in more than four hours, then contact Animal Services. Moving these kittens prematurely, separating them from their mother before they're ready, bringing them to the shelter with hopes of getting them rehomed; these aren't always the best options. Kittens that are too young have to be bottle fed frequently, and are so fragile they may not survive without their mother.

When it comes to kitten litters we prefer you keep these two things in mind: patience and vigilance.

So please, don’t kitnap kittens.

**SNOW A489645**

We posted this sweet girl back in January. Back then our officers had received a call from a property owner, who was cleaning up after a tenant had moved out. Turns out that tenant had left behind their dog. Calls to the old tenants went unanswered, so the dog had to be brought to the shelter. This is how we first met Snow.

Snow is six years old, small, calm, and a bit on the shy side. She takes her time with people, and when she warms up, it’s usually to just one person. When she first arrived, she was extremely nervous and shut down. But over time, she started to let her personality shine through.

Snow has spent some time in foster care, but was lost to us accidentally for some time. Fortunately, she was found by our friends at Seminole County Animal Services, and brought back to us.

Snow can be nervous and anxious, and it takes her some time to get accustomed to a new place, and a new person. She will do well in a home with another dog, as here at the shelter she gets along with them shares her space readily. Snow will need an adopter with patience, and who will not rush her into affection.

Snow protects her heart, and will make a person earn her love.
We know the right person for this sweet girl is out there somewhere.

Let’s get her seen.
Let’s get her home.

**CONSTRUCTION UPDATE**

When we first started planning for our new shelter, this moment felt very far away.

But once the ground was broken, our partners at The Collage Companies began moving very quickly. It looks like construction on our new shelter is no longer just a dream. The old buildings have been torn down, the area has been cleared, and soon, our new shelter will start to take shape.

This is just one phase of many.

It’s incredible to see it happening, every day. And with every day we are one step closer to our goal.

We ask that our community be patient, and join is counting down the months until the new shelter is built. A beautiful new shelter that will benefit all of our community’s homeless pets.

For more information on our new shelter project, visit: https://ocnetpets.com/AboutUs/NewShelter.aspx

BISCUIT SNUGGLES (A597708)

Sadly, these kind of stories play out every day.

Dogs are abandoned, dumped, left behind. Dogs are tied to poles, fences, even our closed gates. They are dumped in strange neighborhoods. Sometimes owners have dumped them in our parking lot.

These dogs have done nothing wrong.
Sometimes people just get tired of them.
Sometimes, it's just because the dog got sick, or got old.
Sometimes, there are no reasons.

We don’t always know why, but we do know that every day, dozens of dogs find themselves here.

Now, imagine you are one of those dogs, and you have a home. A family that loves you. You spend the first months of your life with them, and they are your whole world. You can’t imagine life outside the safety of your home. And then one day your family leashes you, you go happily, because it’s probably a nice walk. A trip to the store. Maybe a pup cup or a treat. And suddenly, you’re thrown out of the car. Your family drives away and leaves you behind. You wonder what’s happening. Why their scent is fading. Why you’re so scared. You wonder if they’re ever coming back.

Imagine all that happening to you, while you are also blind.

This is Biscuit Snuggles.
And this is his story.

He is barely eight months old; a puppy. It’s clear he was cared for. Though he came in as a stray, he was clean, of good weight, had short nails, and was happy. But he was found loose in a neighborhood, bumping into things, trying to get inside a house. Our vets realized immediately he could not see, or if he could, it was very little. You would think coming into a loud and chaotic place like the shelter would terrify a blind dogs. But Biscuit Snuggles is one of the calmest, happiest and sweetest dogs at our shelter.

We have no idea why he was dumped the way he was. To us, Biscuit Snuggles is perfect. He loves people, loves other dogs, and even though he can’t see, you can tell he takes everything in with his heart. Once he locates staff, he jumps and plays like the pup he is. He’s intelligent enough to familiarize himself with his environment, and when he gets his bearings, he runs and jumps like any other puppy. But mostly, Biscuit Snuggles does what his name denotes; he paws at your lap and snuggles as much as he can.

Biscuit Snuggles loves to be held.
He loves to be loved.

Though he hasn’t been here long, he’s melted a lot of hearts.
Let’s get him seen.
Let’s get him home.

**KITTENS KITTENS KITTENS**

Last month, we took in an unbelievable 559 kittens. Currently, we have 352 kittens in foster care. Those numbers are real, and with every month that passes during this kitten season, they continue to grow.

Fragile young kittens that arrive in the shelter have limited options. They need foster care or rescue placement immediately, as they require advanced, round-the-clock care. Options for placement are limited, especially for bottle baby kittens, which require the highest level of care.

We have an amazing and strong network of foster homes and rescue groups to assist during kitten season, but most homes are full at this point. We are imploring our community to take action to help these little ones.

Here’s how you can help:

Don’t “Kitnap” – A kitten’s best chance of survival will be with their mom. Do not immediately bring kittens to the shelter. Many times, the mother cat has stepped away to find food and will be returning. Monitor them for at least 12 hours before intervening. More information here: https://bit.ly/457zFbm

Wait Til 8 – If the mother cat doesn’t return and the kittens are in fact abandoned, please consider caring for the kittens until they are at least eight weeks of age, at which point they can be adopted. Our shelter will provide food and necessary supplies to assist. More information about the Wait Til 8 program here: https://bit.ly/4m9iKLH

Foster – We are in desperate need of foster homes to keep up the pace with the dozens arriving daily. We provide all food and vetting for our foster families. More information on getting started can be found here: https://bit.ly/4kj5ORP
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Adopt – We have kittens! View all available kittens on our website here: https://bit.ly/3YEzUqE

Spay/Neuter – The only way to prevent unwanted or unplanned for litters of cats is through spay/neuter. Through this surgery, the cats will not be able to reproduce, and will have additional health benefits as well. Please learn about our spay/neuter voucher program and existing low-cost options here: https://bit.ly/4jWmqiu

WAYNE A594261

Meet Wayne. Barely over a year old, and already in and out of the shelter two times. So what do we know about him?

Sadly, not as much as we’d like. You see Wayne was brought in as a stray a few months ago. Though not very big, Wayne is young, strong, and a little on the shy side. He can be sweet and affectionate, but usually only with people he knows and trusts. We’ve noticed Wayne in particular warms up faster to women than he does men. He still has a lot of that puppy energy, and he adores being in the yard pools all day long. He can get restless in his kennel, and he will need consistent exercise.

His first time here, Wayne was quickly adopted, as small and young dogs often are. But less than two weeks later, he was returned. The reason? Because he was “incompatible with the household.” So once again, Wayne was lost inside our kennels.

Wayne is extremely energetic, and can play fetch or swim for hours. He also loves being rewarded with treats and love. It’s clear this sweet boy wants and needs attention. For the right home, for the right family, Wayne is going to be a tireless and loyal companion.

Wayne is also excellent with other dogs, and has been given the title of play group rock star. This title is given by our behaviorists to dogs who set the pace during playgroups, are well behaved and actually enjoy their play time with other dogs.

As with all our dogs, if adopted, Wayne will require patience, kindness and consistency. He is young, but he wants to learn, and he listens very well (when a treat is involved). We know in our hearts that for Wayne, a perfect day is a long walk or a dip in a pool, where he can swim and play fetch, followed by a big meal, play time with toys, and then a good snuggle on a soft bed. With his person.

Wayne doesn’t need much to be a happy dog; just the right person and the right heart.

Let’s get him seen.
Let’s get him home.