Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s free shot clinic
Enjoy a day of free pup vaccines, giveaways and cute dogs
On November 20, 2021, the Perry Harvey Sr. park in downtown Tampa Bay will host Humane Society of Tampa Bay’s (HSTB) annual free shot clinic. From 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET, up to 1,000 dogs can receive necessary, costly vaccinations for no charge. Pet parents, be sure to come earlier to secure your dog’s spot!
“Our staff will show up at about 6:00 or 6:30 [AM ET] to start getting things set up,” Liz McCoy, special events manager at HSTB, said. “And there's usually already a line of people. It's dark outside, but we can find where we're going by just following the barking.”
Since 2008, HSTB has typically hosted two free shot clinics per year and it's one of the shelter’s most anticipated events, according to Liz. Although there’s only one HSTB shot clinic planned for 2021, the event’s impact is still strong. “It's one of our favorite events that we do because it directly helps pets and their people,” Liz said.
HSTB’s on-staff veterinarians will be administering rabies and a combination shot to treat parvovirus and distemper (1,000 of each) to dogs older than 3 months. But shots aren’t the only thing that’s being given away. The event is co-sponsored by Hillsborough County Pet Resource Shelter and Feeding Tampa Bay — together the organizations are giving away free food, pet accessories and rabies tags.
Not only does the free shot clinic help pet parents financially (it would cost around $50 altogether for both shots), but the shelter is also ensuring that pets will stay with their families. “Vaccination is definitely an important piece of a pet's health,” Liz said. “We don't want people to feel like they need to surrender their animals, and this is a way for us to help. Parents don't have to feel like they're not giving their pets the care they require and that they can't hold on to them anymore.”
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Photo by Humane Society of Tampa Bay
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