Doc Ford’s employees help out at the Humane Society of Pinellas

Employees from Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on the St. Petersburg Pier volunteered at the Humane Society of Pinellas, spending their time washing dishes, doing laundry and organizing donations. They also stacked food palettes and played with the puppies and adult dogs.
“This was our first time at the humane society and the team loved it,” said Meredith Rickards, general manager of Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on the St. Petersburg Pier. “They got to experience firsthand the work the organization does to care for animals in need, keeping them safe, secure and providing medical care.”
As Pinellas County’s largest no-kill animal shelter, the nonprofit Humane Society of Pinellas relies solely on volunteer support and financial help from the community, which donated 30,000 pounds of food, 10,230 volunteer hours and adopted 1,484 pets in 2024. The humane society does not receive state or federal tax dollars or funding from any national animal nonprofits. Founded in 1949, it is a four-star Charity Navigator charity and a 2025 Candid platinum transparency organization.
For more information about donating, volunteering or adopting a pet, call the society at 727-797-7722, go to humanesocietyofpinellas.org or visit the shelter at 3040 S.R. 590 in Clearwater.
“As a community restaurant, we’re always looking for ways to support our neighbors,” said Rickards.
This past summer, the pier team also sponsored an employee-driven fundraiser to buy backpacks and purchase needed school supplies for Fairmount Park Elementary.