By Ralph

Sometimes you find out what a community is made of when something goes wrong.

In June 2024, something went very wrong at Hillsborough County's animal shelter.

A serious outbreak of canine influenza affected the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center on Falkenburg Road.

The situation became so significant that all 300 dogs at the shelter had to be quarantined off-site while they recovered and developed immunity.

The quarantine lasted approximately a month.

But getting hundreds of dogs safely through quarantine was only part of the job.

Eventually, they all had to come home.

And that's when an army of volunteers went to work.

300 Dogs—and a Very Big Homecoming

Before the dogs returned, the Pet Resource Center underwent extensive sanitizing.

Then volunteers and rescue organizations stepped in to help give the animals a clean start.

Among them was Rescue Me Tampa – Shelter Dogs, a local animal-welfare advocacy group that works closely with the county shelter.

Teams from Rescue Me Tampa arrived armed with something considerably less glamorous than ceremonial awards:

Hoses and kiddie pools.

The volunteers washed and dried the returning dogs and provided special treats as the shelter worked to get hundreds of animals settled back in after the monthlong quarantine.

It's the kind of work most people never see.

There are no adoption-day photographs or happy families walking out the door with their new pet.

Sometimes helping animals simply means rolling up your sleeves and washing dogs.

Lots of dogs.

The Partnership Didn't End There

The canine-influenza response wasn't an isolated effort.

When Tampa Bay later experienced weeks of extreme heat with heat indexes exceeding 100 degrees,

Rescue Me Tampa again stepped in.

The group arranged for a sno-cone company to visit the shelter.

The dogs received ice and pet-appropriate treats to help them cool down.

And the people caring for them weren't forgotten—the shelter's staff and volunteers received complimentary sno-cones as well.

Small gesture?

Maybe.

But anyone who has spent a Florida summer working outside—or caring for hundreds of animals—probably understands why it mattered.

Now That Work Is Getting National Recognition

On August 27, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners recognized Pet Resources and Rescue Me Tampa during the county's quarterly awards ceremony.

The partnership earned a 2026 National Association of Counties Achievement Award for its work involving civic education, public information and volunteers.

Pet Resources Director Scott Trebatoski and Ann Malone of Rescue Me Tampa accepted the recognition.

Hillsborough County Pet Resources also received a separate 2026 National Association of Counties Achievement Award for Volunteerism.

For an organization built around helping shelter animals, the award draws attention to something that can easily be overlooked:

Shelters don't operate on employees alone.

Volunteers, foster families, rescue organizations and advocates can dramatically expand what a public shelter is capable of doing.

The Shelter Still Needs the Community

The recognition arrives while the Pet Resource Center continues facing a familiar challenge.

There are still a lot of animals needing homes.

The Falkenburg Road facility is Hillsborough County's only open-admission shelter, meaning it accepts domestic animals regardless of breed, size or medical condition.

Residents can help in several ways—not only by adopting.

The shelter also operates a foster program and relies on volunteers and community partners to help care for and advocate for animals.

How Brandon Residents Can Help

The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center is located just west of Brandon at:

440 N. Falkenburg Road
Tampa, FL 33619

Shelter hours: Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Phone: (813) 301-7387

Residents can view adoptable animals and learn about fostering through Hillsborough County Pet Resources.

The Crosstown Takeaway

Awards are nice.

But the award isn't really the best part of this story.

The 300 dogs are.

When a disease outbreak forced an entire shelter population into quarantine, county employees, rescue organizations and volunteers figured out how to get

those animals through it.

And when it was finally safe for them to return, people showed up with hoses, kiddie pools and helping hands.

Two years later, somebody handed them an award.

But the work came first.

And somewhere behind that plaque are 300 dogs who once needed their community to show up.

It did.