Dr. Andrew Vallo DDS started the No Hungry Pets program when he opened Dental Boutique Westchase in 2021.
It all started with a dog named Samson. Dr. Vallo and his wife Dana were living in Columbus, Ohio when they decided to adopt a furry friend named Lucy, a Goldendoodle. An 18-month-old Labradoodle was found at a local shelter.
“In fact, we were on our third owners at 18 months old, so he kept coming back to the shelter,” Valo said. “When we adopted him, he weighed just under 50 pounds and was a big dog. You could see his ribs and parts of his hair were missing.”
When the Valos moved to Westchase four years ago and were looking to open Dental Boutique Westchase, a family-friendly cosmetic dentistry practice, Samson's plight served as a source of inspiration.
“My wife and I decided that with the opening of this office, we wanted to do something good for the community. We kept coming back to the animals,” Valo said. “We reached out to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, and they were a very gracious partner. They liked the idea. We established the 'No Hungry Pets Program.' . ”
While most people probably associate the Humane Society of Tampa Bay with pet adoption, this nonprofit organization offers a variety of services and programs to the public. They provide veterinary and hospital services, spay/neuter services, and feral cat trap, neuter, vaccination, and return (TNVR) services. We also have multiple humanitarian education and volunteer opportunities, including Paws for Literacy and Critter Camp.
“In addition to all the animals they actually rescue, they also have a community assistance program where they provide dog food to people who can't afford a pet,” Valo said. “So whenever we make a donation to the Humane Society, even if they deem it appropriate, the donation is designated to be used for food in shelters and community assistance programs. Masu.”
Help is available through Pet Pantry Food & More for those struggling to keep a pet. At the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, you can pick up free dog and cat food and other pet supplies twice a week on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also an anime als program for homebound and elderly people who cannot go to evacuation centers. Monthly food deliveries can also be arranged.
Every new patient that comes to Dental Boutique Westchase provides a month's supply of food to an animal in need. Since the office opened in April 2021, Dr. Vallo has donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay through the No Hungry Pets program. Now, Dr. Varro's endowment efforts will expand with the recent opening of a new office in Riverview. He expanded his No Hungry Pets program to his Dental Boutique Riverview, with monetary donations coming from both offices.
“It was amazing,” Varo said. “This is a big deal for our office. The team loves it too.”
When Dr. Vallo is not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife, young son Rhett, and of course Lucy and Samson. He said his family loves the walkability of Westchase and he loves calling the area his home. Although they are originally from the north, they always wanted to move to a warmer place with beaches nearby. Valo's grandparents live in Sun City Center and decided to check out Tampa when it was time to move. A few years after graduating from The Ohio State University School of Dentistry and working near Columbus, the Varos family moved to Westchase and now reside in Wood Bay. Dana is an elementary school special education teacher who worked in Columbus City Schools and later taught at Laurie and Dear Park Elementary School. She helped us design and decorate our office to make it comfortable, personal, and welcoming to our patients. One of the first things patients see is a wall of pet photos with the Tampa Bay Humane Society logo on it.
“They're a great organization,” Valo said.
For more information, visit www.westchasedentalboutique.com and www.humanesocietytampa.org.
