Animal Services Hero

Monday, October 27, 2008

Bob Reina owns a marketing company that has cutting edge technology and he's donating that and his own time and creativity to revamp how Animal Services works.

Bob Reina first gained fame when he heard about the plight of a stray dog found at a phosphate mine with a missing leg and broken jaw from an alligator attack.

Bob took over her care and paid for all of her medical bills and in the process, fell in love with "Bindi" and adopted her when she recovered. He says he gave her a second chance at life and he wants to do that on a much grander scale now for the animals at Hillsborough County Animal Services.

Bob approaced them with a plan. He owns a marketing company that has cutting edge technology and he's donating that and his own time and creativity to revamp how Animal Services works and how it's perceived in the community. He says the goal is to spread awareness to the community of how they can help in all kinds of ways and set up a partnership between the community and the shelter to start cutting down on the high euthanasia rates.

Shelter officials say he's already made a huge difference. Bob bought and assembled 325 dog beds for the kennels so now the animals don't have to sleep on the concrete. Officials say it's better for the animals and has translated into higher adoption rates. They call Bob an inspiration and say his help is going to transform the future of animal adoptions.

Bob also helps out individual pet owners. He's stepped in many times over the years, to pay the vet bills for people who otherwise couldn't afford them. If not for his intervention, those animals would have been put down. He says he does it not for any kind of recognition but because of one word. Love. He says that's what animals bring into people's lives and it's worth fighting for to keep as many of them around as possible.