You Can Call Him A Lucky Dog

Sal Galindo is working to avoid amputating Salvador?s long-broken leg. The team at Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service inserted a pin to stabilize it.

KATHY MOORE / Tribune

By LINDSAY WILKES-EDRINGTON The Tampa Tribune

Published: Aug 9, 2007

TAMPA - Hillsborough County Animal Services knows it has its share of problems to overcome, including lack of staffing and an overabundance of animals.

But one recent finding gives them hope: The department's adoption rate has increased about 37 percent since 2006, from 1,560 adoptions from February to July 2006 to 2,149 during the same time this year. In the past three months, the rate rose 51 percent.

"I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that we'll be able to sustain this," Director Bill Armstrong said.

One reason for the turnaround is a stepped-up effort by private rescue groups to take animals off the shelter's hands. The animals don't count toward Animal Services' adoption number, Armstrong said, but they reflect a concerted community effort.

One of the lucky ones is Salvador Hobbs.

Salvador is your typical dog for the most part: He's young, he's feisty, and he loves to play.

The 2-year-old Chihuahua's only real problem is that his rear right leg has been unusable for months. That has made him unappealing as a candidate for adoption.

Animal Services spokeswoman Marti Ryan said she isn't sure what happened to Salvador, but he came from a man who could no longer take care of him.

Lost Angels animal rescue group has decided to take him in, though. Co-founder Kelly Wilson said her group regularly visits the animal shelter to take in some of the animals.

"We take what they don't deem adoptable," Wilson said.

After leaving the shelter Wednesday, Salvador was taken to Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service, 238 E. Bearss Ave., to have his leg examined and possibly amputated. On Wednesday evening, veterinarians inserted a pin to stabilize the dog's leg in hopes amputation could be averted.

Later, Lost Angels will care for him until it can find someone else who's willing to take him home.

"Everyone wants a Paris Hilton dog, right?" Ryan asked.

With more attention to the challenges Animal Services faces, it hopes to make further progress in dealing with the results of a 52-page report this year by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Among the findings: Animal Services has an unreasonable number of pets that aren't adopted in a timely manner.

Armstrong said he is happy any time one of the shelter's animals is taken to a better place, regardless of how the match is made.

"My philosophy is as long as we can get an animal into a loving home whether directly or via rescue groups, I really don't care," Armstrong said. "I just want it into a good home."

Photographer Kathy Moore contributed to this report.