b'reality sound bites.Keeping Families Together.Food For Thought: momentsofincreasedagitationandconfusion,knownasEvery month, families relinquish their pets for a number of rea- Sundowners Syndrome. Pet therapy has proven to be a powerfulsons.Thestoriessheltervolunteershearareheartbreaking. tool at memory care facilities. An animals non-verbal communi-Expense is the number one reason for owner surrenders - the cation and profound acceptance can be soothing for those withinability to pay for healthcare and/or provide food. While many difficulty using language.of us agree that our pets Hospice is another service that knows the importance of theare family and that we animal bond. Thanks to the Pet Peace of Mind program throughwould never give them Banfield Charitable Trust, hospice patients can keep their pets atup, we can never know home with them throughout their end-of-life journey.whatpeoplearegoing Suzanne OBarr, manager at Fluffy Puppies Dog Boutique &through,unlessweve Grooming in Clearwater, wanted to make room in the store towalkedintheirshoes. bring in a new line of dog food, Wild Calling. Tommy Brennan,Sheltersandanimal a pet food industry veteran who is now with Wild Calling offeredadvocacygroupshave to buy back some of the food Fluffy Puppies would no longer bedevelopedprogramsto carryingtomakeroomforthenewfood. Thebuybackgavehelpfamiliesstay Suzanne an idea to donate the food to a local charity. Her sistertogether, providing food Ellen,volunteersatandsometimesdis- Suncoast Hospice and toldcounted veterinary care heraboutthepetfoodin an effort to lower the drive they were having fornumberofownersur- theirPetPeaceofMindrenders. Some programs program.SuzannecalledFood donation for Dalmatian Rescue of workintandemwith KathyRoble,SuncoastTampa Bay. Meals On Wheels, pro- HospiceDirectorofviding pet food to the pets of the homebound. VolunteerServices,whoAnother good source for helping these programs are your was grateful for the offerlocal area independent businesses, which is why we think its so ofpetfood.Thefoodimportant to support them. The New Barker enlisted the help of donation was an incredi-two local area businesses, Turner Expos, producers of Floridas blesurprise.MycarwasLargest Home Show and Pet Supplies Plus of Tampa Bay, to assist full,saidRoble.Thein supplying much-needed food for the benefit of two Florida Sam helped his human, who has FluffyPuppiesdonationrescue groups. Through this partnership, six months worth of food Alzheimers, through some tough times. has so far, assisted a dozenwill be donated to Dalmatian Rescue of Tampa Bay and Second families.Chance Boxer Rescue. U Our hospice volunteers assess our clients needs and deter-mine which families would benefit the most from the food dona-tions. Suzanne advised us to have the families incorporate a littleA GOOD REASON TO BARK LOCAL & BUY LOCAL. pumpkin into their pets diets to ease the transition with the newDid you know that every single advertising partner with food. So we were able to get some cans of pumpkin to give to theThe New Barker donates supplies, money and time to Florida families as well. We are so grateful to Fluffy Puppies for thinkingshelters and rescue groups? Thats one more reason to support your of Suncoast Hospice, said Roble.local area independent business - the heart of your neighborhood. SuncoastHospicewillalsobethebeneficiaryofFluffyPuppies 9th Annual Barkoween event on October 29 at OKeefesPet Peace Of Mind: in Clearwater.UWere happy to report that more Florida assisted living facilitiesare becoming pet-friendly. It doesnt take a scientist to know that Pet Peace Of Mind Programs in Florida:pets make humans feel good. Science can, however, tell us how Brooksville - HPH Hospiceand why pets are therapeutic. Just 15 minutes bonding with an Clearwater - Suncoast Hospiceanimal sets off a chemical chain reaction in the brain that lowers Fort Myers - Hope Hospice & Community Servicelevels of the fight-or-flight hormone, cortisol, and increases pro- Gainesville - Haven HospiceJacksonville - Community Hospice of NE Floridaduction of the feel-good hormone, serotonin. The result: heart Miami Lakes - Catholic Hospicerate, blood pressure and stress levels immediately drop. Over the New Port Richey - Gulfside Regional Hospice, Inc.long term, pet and human interactions can lower cholesterol lev- Ocala - Hospice of Marion County, Inc.els and fight depression. Tavares - Cornerstone Hospice & Palliative Care|Winter Park, FL 32789|P407.998.8090|F407.998.8091 Forpeoplewith AlzheimersDisease,eveningscanbring Stuart - Treasure Coast Hospice.wwww.TheNewBarker.com Summer/Fall ~ 2015 THE NEW BARKER 19'