SPCA Tampa Bay
reviews and complaints

Due to circumstances out of my control I had to surrender my cat early September of 2022 to this facility. the intake agent assured me that once my animal was adopted or another verdict was reached that I would be contacted and they would let me know what happened.. I also paid additional money for this particular call back service & I never heard anything back. I reached out to them and the receptionist gave me (once again) the animal ID number and confirmed the name of the cat. someone named "Zee" called me and told me they could not locate the animal ID number nor could she locate my name or any of the information that I put on the paperwork upon surrendering my animal. She tried to say it was because an information release form was not filled out at the time of surrender which is a lie because the intake agent offered me the callback service and I paid for it. Please be leery of this organization. Evidently they don't do what they say they are going to do, and they come up with shady excuses.

My dog went missing 6/18 so I put reports in at all nearby shelters in Pinellas. I made calls daily to the shelters. On 6/22 I visited Animal Services and visually looked and did not see him so I called SPCA of Tampa Bay and was told that had no animal matching his description and placed a report with them. On 6/23 he appears on their website. He appeared fine in the picture with the muzzle. I called numerous times and left voice mails until finally someone answered. I gave the Animal # from their site & was told he was still there. I advise I would be there at 5:30 to claim him. I arrive and was told he was euthanized earlier. They claim he was hit by a car and was in much pain. I asked to see his body & was told it was already frozen on ice. Then asked if I wanted his ashes for $70! No one notified me even though my info is in their system. I feel they are doing some shady practices.

I have filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau against the SPCA Tampa Bay about the way they do business. All I got was the standing rule and regulations quote. this is page one of my reply: Dear, Sir: The following is my reply to the SPCA Tampa Bay statement. Thank you for the extension. There is some much to be said. When does one stop? The first impression I had of this reply, without reading it, was that no one at this SPCA had the courage or conviction of these statements to get credit for them. If no one is willing to stand behind these words, how can these words be trusted as truth. One must assume that Fox, President of the Board of Directors has approved theses statements. Their moto: no pity, no mercy, No compassion. Due to dire financial difficulties, I had no other choice but to take my cats to the SPCA Tampa Bay. Although they were told repeatedly that I wanted them back, the first one was killed without a chance of adoption, A gentile little female. The second one was murdered about two weeks later to retaliate against my desire to get them back, since this "shelter" did not return the pets to their owners. Both were in excellent health and very friendly and had no reason to be killed.

At this time, we are not talking about initial entry of an animal into this so-called "shelter". Although, they are very proud of their rules and regulations since they can hide behind them and do whatever they wish to with the unfortunate animals. This is the "catch 22", once the animal is surrended it belongs to them, it is part of their inventory. No one can check what happens to these animals behind their closed door. Even the Largo Police Department could not find out! Why did this happen and why it this ongoing? Now, their favorite words: Humane euthanasia: We will skip on the "humane" part since every person in this world very well know what kind of harm the humans have done, are doing, and will do to the animal world. Euthanasia: Act of putting to death "painlessly". Now, this is a mouthful. This is only a term to "smooth the feathers" of sensible people and also, a way for the people to rationalize what happens to the animals put to death "painlessly". (By the way, how do you know if it is painless - would one of you will dare to be euthanazed and tell us if this is painless or not) Act of putting to death is what: It takes away life in any manner. Which is exactly what killing is, is it not? What is killing: To deprive of life; do away with; extinguish. There is absolutely no difference in the outcome. In both situations the animal is dead, is it not? Euthanasia is used to put to death animals/humans with painful and incurable diseases. There is nowhere in the dictionaries definition which shows that it is also to put to death animals/people with mental impairments, aggression and other wise. The SPCA Tampa Bay is only using this term to kill at pleasure and denied they are doing it. They can only be compared to Nazi Germany with the SS and the concentration camps. Please, it has to be noted that they did not specify the way they are killing animals: Shooting, gazing, high decompression chamber, drowning, clubbing, injecting a poison and holding on to the animal until it is dead could be what they use. What about the terror these poor defenseless animals must go ttrough before their death. Depending on these individuals, one or all of these methods could be considered humane since it is only to get away with members of a "sub-species" who are considered a nuisance and inferior to them. They are stating that they process 12, 000 per year - there propaganda page states 15, 000. Which is it? According to the Largo Police Department, I was advised that the SPCA Tampa Bay had no idea what happened to these animals once they were admitted. Reasons: Too many of them and a large number of volunteers.. Now, if they have no idea what happens to an animal how can they determine if it will live or die? If they cannot keep track of them, what is happening to them? This is quite scary and unacceptable - they are responsible for these animals and they cannot keep track of them. Unreal! "A large number of animals must be euthanatized for health and behavioral problems that makes them unadoptable". Once, again a mouthful of a very vague statement. A large number: What does that mean? Officially, according to what was reported in the news media, the killing is at 46% yearly (officially). 46% of 15, 000 animals - do the math yourselves. That is basically one animal in two. Could it be higher? animal control services kill 73%. Why not the SPCA Tampa Bay. How in the world can they justify that 50% of the animals they are receiving are incurably painfully sick and have a behavioral problem that would make them dangerous. During the past 30 years, I have taken care of 12 stray cats, in different physical conditions. All were treated by my vet, lived happy lives, and I must say I was never bitten by any one of them. There will be occasions when animals, as humans, will be moody. But if we killed all moody humans, they would not be very of them left on earth. A consideration? The following questions must be addressed to: Are they qualified to handle animals? One can only imagine an animal would could have been pursuit for a while by a very large thing, a human, caught in a trap or a net, thrown in the back of a truck, locked in a cage, driven away from his territory, taken to an unknown place, touched, pocked, hearing all kind of unknown and different noises, etc. What is the reaction of this unfortunate animal? What would be your reaction if this was you? How would you feel if someone you cared about took you to this shelter and left you there in this unknown and scary world? You would panicked. Period. It would take some time to cool down, if not to accept it, adjust to the new situation. How can you expect an animal to do all this in a few hours. Of course, it is not going to cooperate that much; different animals will react different ways. All humans would. Why the SPCA Tampa Bay does not recognized this state of mind? Animals have feelings, like we have, except of course for the people at the SPCA Tampa Bay. How many tens of animals have died because these people do not recognize this or have no understanding of animal feelings? How many more must die because of there stupidity? An animal is not a can of peas. It is alive with fears, joys, love and all that we human have, except for the arrogant satanistic way we human think we are superior to the other species. These animals do not understand what is happening tho them and the answer of the SPCA Tampa Bay is to kill, kill, and kill... What kind are these people? What are they doing with their bodies? Another question not answered. Can their bodies be sold for medical experiments, to make cat food, etc. . Who knows. How much money are they making by selling these bodies? What is going on behind these closed doors? The SPCA Tampa Bay stated that it requires two staff members to determine if an animal will be put to death. I say that this purely impossible. How will they tie up a "medical professional" (what kind, what is its background, qualifications) and a management director (Which one - is it qualified or just that it has killed so many already that it makes it qualified) - remember they have no idea of what happens to an animal once he/she has been accepted at the SPCA Tampa Bay. Once again, this is a vague statement. Once again, how many animals are killed because of the incompetence or mishandling by the shelter personnel. Are the volunteers qualified? More important, are the staff personnel qualified? What are their background in animal handling? One must remember that they did hire, not very long ago and, a fund raiser as the executive director, with no experience in shelter oprations. They have stated to the Largo Police Department that they have a high number of animals to handle per year. How many animals do you think will be evaluated for a period of weeks, as they state in their reply. If any, very few. The killing rate proves it. They do not evaluate animals - they kill them if they show any kind of unfriendliness or sneezing. One animal dead is one less animal to handle. They do seem to be proud of the fact that they have reunited 381 animals with their owners last year. 381 animals seems to be a very small number compared to the number of animal processed. By law (?), a licensed animal must be held 5 days before being put for adoption. If they have any I.D., why are the owners not called instead of placing the animal in adoption or be killled? An unlicensed animal must be held for three days. What, no adoption for them! How many pet owners can attest that their pets have lost their collars at least one in their life. An unlicensed animal does not mean it has no owner or is unlicensed. Why not give it the same consideration that a licensed one? Why not wait more than 5 days? What defines a stray and an unlicensed animal? Why the rush to kill? It all comes back to killing. Once that animal is dead, one animal less to take care of. And their final entry: A little bit of publicity: "We also provide the public with a low cost, end of life servie for pets". How disgusting. Don't they kill enough that they have to go and look for more? When will the killing stop? Why the rush to kill? There is only one answer: These people of the SPCA Tampa Bay love to kill, they live to kill. What is happening within this "shelter" is a trajic situation; it is absolutely shameful that they are allowed to keep on killing. Our county and city leaders must voice their disapproval of this killing. They must stand up and say: Enough is enough. No more. There are better options. Note: This is only the beginning of the problem. There is the question of "pound seizure" when an animal is taken to be subjected to torture, mutilation and mercifully deathy. The question was ask to the SPCA Tampa Bay if they participated in pound seizure. I am sorry to say that, to date, I am still waiting for an answer. Does it mean that they are participating and does not want us to know? Of course, they do not. I have ask them for a listing of animals processed for a certain period of time, with their status and disposition. I am still waiting. Why not provide it? Are they afraid that the truth will come out? Someone I know asked them to provide the numver of adopted and killed in a one year period. No answer. Why all the secracy? What are they hiding? Are they selling live animals for research and others? What is going on behind these doors? Are they paid by the county or certain cities to act in behalf of animal control services? How much do they make from them pet pet? (Clearwater does not have such an agreement - the other cities, well!) This shelter has failed and is failing miserably in its "mission". The Board of Directors are directly responsible for this failure. This is their responsability that this shelter does not become a slaughterhouse, sadly that is what it has become. This is a shelter where animal can be saved not butchered at will. These questions and many others must answered. The day of unlimited killing, just for the killing in itself, is over. They are other options. And, sadly, the SPCA Tampa Bay knows what they are.