ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Animal Services has secured space on two Interstate 4 billboards for the month of October to highlight important messages about reporting animal cruelty and the need for foster parents.
But they are also highlighting two specific dogs that have now spent months at the shelter.
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This is the first time the shelter has utilized billboard services to highlight any animal at the Orange County Animal Shelter.
Cano (whose identification tag is A470008) was abandoned outside a local veterinary hospital on April 13 of this year and impounded at the shelter two days later. He’s now tallied more than 170 days in the shelter’s care, making him one of few dogs to have been held that long in the shelter’s history.
“Cano is very people-friendly, knows his obedience commands well and responds to instruction,” said Diane Summers, manager of Orange County Animal Services. “We believe he’s around nine years old, but don’t let that age fool you. He still has plenty of energy and would benefit from having an active owner.”
Cano has been reactive toward other dogs in the shelter environment, so Animal Services is recommending him as the only dog in his future home.
Davey (whose identification tag is A453031) spent three months at Animal Services last year before finding an adopter, but was given back on May 26, 2021. Davey is people-friendly and does well with other dogs, but can be mouthy and would benefit from finding an experienced dog owner.
“Davey is a sweet boy and a favorite of many of our staff members, but the challenge has been finding that right fit for him,” Summers said. “Davey will need a strong owner who can correct him if he gets a little rowdy.”
Davey is now on day 133 at the shelter this year.
Bryant Almeida said both dogs, and dogs like them, have a hard time getting noticed, which is why they bought the billboards.
“Sometimes people come into the shelter with a preconceived idea of what they want. They want a little dog, they want a specific breed, so they walk past dogs like Cano and Davey who are just basically simple mutts. They don’t stand out, but they are good dogs,” Almeida said.
The shelter is also using the billboard space to encourage residents to report any suspected animal cruelty to Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477). Additionally, the shelter needs foster parents for neonatal kittens and is seeking new people to join the team.