Striving to Save Homeless Animals from the Shelter System
-Lisa Martin-Manns & Tony Nigro, THCI Founders
Tender Heart Charities Inc, was founded in 2014 with the main focus of saving death row, abused, neglected, injured and medically needy canines of all breeds.
Foster Based 501(c)3
THCI is a private, in-home and foster-based non-profit 501(c)3 animal rescue. We are non-funded and rely on our adoption donations, generous supporters, fundraisers, and public donations to help us care for the animals in rescue. Originally, we started saving death row dogs in need and have expanded to also include cats and kittens as well.
Education is KEY!
One of our key missions is to EDUCATE our community on the importance of being a "RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE" pet parent, and the necessity of spay and neuter.
Our pet overpopulation IS controllable, and it begins with simple steps to have your pet sterilized. Not only to control the pet population but also to minimize health issues. Should you need assistance with sterilization, please reach out to us.
Adoption Process
Choose a pet
Looking to add a new pet to the family! Great - we have some wonderful available pets that would make excellent new lifetime additions. With that being said, please ensure you have researched a few things before jumping into adoption:
Breed - Is there a certain breed or breeds of dogs that you are interested in? Do you know their qualities and tendencies? Is your household equipped to handle that particular breed?
Restrictions & Housing - Does your housing situation have any restrictions on weight, breeds, or the number of animals you may have? What kind of time will you have with your new pet? We all work to support our furry friends, so ensure your schedule will allow time for a pet.
What are you looking for in a pet? Couch potato? Running partner? Travel Companion? Laid back walker? Full of energy? Make sure you have some qualities and traits you are looking for in your new pet to help us find you the best possible match.
Now that we have gone over the basics, let's get to searching for that new best friend! Our website lists all of our available dogs, cats, kittens, and puppies! We may even have pre-adoptions available for animals who may be too young to be adopted or may need vetting prior to adoption.
Meet us
Tender Hearts Charities is a small home and foster-based rescue, meaning we don't have a public facility for viewing and networking. You can find us at local events every month, including the Bazzaar on Apricot & Lime, Pet Supermarket on Clark Rd, Venice, and St. Pete, and more! Follow our Facebook page for the latest event updates.
We are happy to set up a meet-and-greet with you and your potential new friend and schedule most of these between 4-7pm on weekdays and 8am - 5pm on weekends. We do own and operate Bark Social on Brown Ave. and hold most of our meets at this location.
An approved application must be on file prior to a meet-and-greet - this is to ensure no one's time is being wasted and the adoption process is as efficient as possible.
Fill out the adoption form
Our adoption application goes in depth to ask about your household, current and past pets, number of people in your home and more. This is to help us understand what you are looking for in a pet, how they will integrate into your home and routine and to help set everyone up for a successful adoption.
In addition to an application (once approved) Tender Heart Charities does perform home checks prior to, and sometimes after adoptions to ensure the environment will suit the animal's needs. For example, if the animal requires a 6-foot fence, no children, low-traffic household etc., we are ensuring that those criteria are met.
Remember, our goal is to match these animals with their best possible homes to ensure they find a forever, loving placement. We work for the animals!