SPCA Tampa Bay continues to provide critical pet care during Covid-19

The St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce presents: Coronavirus Impact Insights.

On this episode of Chamber Coronavirus Impact Insights, Martha Boden, CEO of SPCA Tampa Bay joins Chris Steinocher, CEO of the St. Petersburg Chamber and Joe Hamilton, publisher of the St. Pete Catalyst to talk about how SPCA is functioning as an essential service under Covid-19.

Boden joins Steinocher and Hamilton from home, but she acknowledges that most of her staff of 90 employees, split between two offices, aren’t able to do their jobs from home. Instead, a vast majority of her staff are in the office, caring for animals, facilitating adoptions or performing critical pet care.

SPCA has adjusted their appointment procedures to allow for social distancing, and they’ve also condensed their operations since the pandemic started. The organization’s facilities in Palm Harbor and Clearwater have closed and consolidated to the Largo and St. Pete campuses.

Boden says SPCA Tampa Bay has seen an overwhelming response from the community during the pandemic, with many families reaching out interested in adopting or fostering animals, but they’re still seeing domestic animals and wildlife coming into the shelter.

The SPCA Tampa Bay hospital, located in St. Petersburg, remains open for critical care six days a week, with three full-time veterinarians. SPCA provides sliding scale veterinary care, and operates a pet food bank at its Largo campus for families looking for assistance with pet food supplies.

Finally, Boden shares the story of her own family members affected by Covid-19.