SPCA Tampa Bay Buys Property for Veterinary Hospital in St. Petersburg

(Pictured above: C1 Bank President Katie Premble, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, SPCA Tampa Bay CEO Martha Boden, SPCA Tampa Bay board president Marilyn Hulsey and SPCA Tampa Bay board member John Ralph)

SPCA Tampa Bay has taken a critical step toward opening a full-service veterinary hospital in St. Petersburg. The Largo-based nonprofit organization has purchased a 12,500-square-foot building at 3250 5th Ave. N that will become a full-service veterinary hospital to provide pet owners with accessible veterinary care for their pets and to reduce pet overpopulation.

Renovations to the former medical office building will begin in the next few months, and the veterinary hospital is expected to open in mid-2016.

SPCA Tampa Bay was represented in the $1 million sale transaction by Paula Clair Smith of Coastal Commercial Realty. The seller, Advanced Orthopedics, was represented by Erik Anderson of Commercial Partners Realty. C1 Bank provided financing for the transaction.

“Purchasing this property in St. Petersburg allows us to expand beyond our Largo campus to bring services to more pet owners in Pinellas County,” said Martha Boden, CEO of SPCA Tampa Bay. “We’re dedicated to caring for animals, and supporting a community that cares about its pets.”

The veterinary hospital reflects two pillars of SPCA Tampa Bay’s mission: promoting humane care and reducing pet overpopulation. SPCA Tampa Bay expects the veterinary hospital to provide wellness, medical, surgery and general care services for dogs and cats. Meanwhile, the spay and neuter clinic at the veterinary hospital will help prevent unplanned litters, reducing the number of homeless and unwanted dogs and cats in the community.

The veterinary and spay and neuter services will be available to any pet owner, and SPCA Tampa Bay anticipates that pricing for veterinary care will be competitive with the marketplace. Pet owners will have increased access to veterinary care through the veterinary hospital’s extended weekday hours, weekend appointments and payment options.

“Owners’ inability to provide care is one of the main reasons that pets are surrendered to shelters,” said Rizal Lopez, senior director of veterinary services at SPCA Tampa Bay. “Removing that barrier and adding spay and neuter services could greatly reduce the number of pets who are homeless or unwanted – and entering animal shelters – in our community.”

A number of animal welfare organizations around the country have added veterinary services, and found the services complement existing private veterinary practices and have a positive impact on the community. SPCA Tampa Bay researched models used in other communities, including Los Angeles, Boulder Valley, Colorado and Portland, Oregon, to learn best practices to incorporate in SPCA Tampa Bay’s veterinary hospital.

About SPCA Tampa Bay

SPCA Tampa Bay accepts all pets surrendered by their owners and sick or injured stray animals. Owners are required to make an appointment but no fee is charged for admission, though donations are strongly encouraged. The organization’s mission is to improve the community by promoting humane care, preventing animal cruelty and reducing pet overpopulation. Community services include animal cruelty investigation, lost/found pet assistance, animal admission and ambulance transport for sick/injured strays. Located on 10 acres in Largo, SPCA programs include pet adoption, free pet behavior help, Sniff University training for dogs and cats, children’s summer camps and more. Founded in 1940, SPCA Tampa Bay is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. More than 7,500 animals are admitted each year. For more information: www.spcatampabay.org.