The newest issue of Suncoast Pet is now online! What’s more, you will be able to visit all of the Web sites featured in our editorial and in our ads simply by clicking on the Web sites of our advertisers and the people and businesses that we spotlight on each page of the magazine! It’s just one more way that Suncoast Pet is helping to promote the businesses and services in our local animal community!
Click on the magazine covers below to see each issue from cover to cover!
As an added bonus, as you look at each page, place your cursor over any website or e-mail address and click to be instantly directed to the website or to open your e-mail to send along a note!
I hope you will join me in the celebration of Suncoast Pet’s 17th Anniversary…and the publication of our 102nd issue!
While the photo of our cover pup for the March/April issue, skillfully taken by the incredibly talented Sherri Krams of Moments Unleashed Photography, is simply adorable (Do you agree?), there’s something missing on this cover…
Where, oh where, is this pup’s name??
While I usually use this space to write something about the pup, kitty or other animal featured on our cover, I cannot do that for this issue, and here’s why:
In celebration of our 17th Anniversary, Suncoast Pet is offering one lucky reader a chance to win a spectacular prize in Suncoast Pet’s 17th Anniversary Giveaway!
Do you recognize the pup featured on the cover of the March/April issue? If so, enter the giveaway for a chance to win!
All you have to do is name the pup and his or her favorite dog-friendly destination on the Suncoast and you are eligible to become the winner!
There are Ways to Enter:
#1- Fill out the form on page 14 of the March/April issue and mail it to: Suncoast Pet • 3193 Bellevue Street • Sarasota, FL 34237
#2 – Snap a photo of the completed form on page 14 with your Smartphone and text it to 941-961-0303
#3 – Fill out the form online (See the link below) and be sure to click “SUBMIT” at the bottom of the form. And be sure to visit this page on our website for a list of the giveaway prizes!
The entry deadline is Friday, April 12 at Midnight! One winner will be chosen from all entries that have the correct name of the pup and his/her favorite “haunt.”
Click here to enter Suncoast Pet’s 17th Anniversary Giveaway!
Then be sure to pick up a copy of the May/June issue, which will include a “Community Spotlight” about this sweet Pittie and the business that he calls home!
Suncoast Pet welcomes another new year with an adorable Miniature Bulldog on the cover of the January/February 2024 issue!
Meet Benjamin Franklin, a “Little Bully” that was born three years ago on the Fourth of July! This pup and his pop, Sam Maratea of Lakewood Ranch, have been the best of pals since Franklin—as the cute-as-can-be canine is called—was just 8 weeks old, and Sam had the pick of the litter when searching for a new companion.
According to Sam, Franklin has never met a human or dog that he doesn’t like! Both affectionate and loyal, Franklin also is an avid eater and, Sam claims, the pup has never turned his nose up at any food he has been offered.
How was Franklin chosen to be the cover pup for the first issue of the new year? Get all the details in the article that begins on page 20.
And kudos to Sherri Krams of Moments Unleashed Photography (www.momentsunleashed.com) for capturing Franklin’s inquisitive nature with a perfect head tilt shot!
It doesn’t seem possible, but it’s already time to begin thinking holiday! And Suncoast Pet’s November/December 2023 issue is a celebration of all the joyous festivities to come!
Pictured on the cover of Suncoast Pet’s annual holiday issue is a beautiful, 2-year-old Golden Retriever by the name of Lucy, whose breathtaking cover photo was skillfully taken by Sherri Krams of Moments Unleashed Photography (www.momentsunleashed.com).
An extremely loyal and affectionate pup, Lucy is the beloved companion of Keith and Terry Kady of Sarasota.
Lucy and her family happen to live in the same neighborhood as Suncoast Pet’s publisher, Candace T. Botha, who first met the playful pup bounding through her fenced-in yard and barking when Candace was out walking her own pups. However, Lucy was not barking because she had spotted a stranger, her dad says; instead, she was trying to urge Candace to walk over and give her a friendly pat on the head!
And at first glance, Candace instantly realized that Lucy would make a gorgeous cover pup for this year’s holiday issue!
You can find out more about Lucy, what makes her such a special companion, and the surprising way she enjoys spending her time in the article that begins on page 20.
Autumn is just weeks away, and September/October’s issue of Suncoast Pet welcomes the change of seasons with an adorable kitty in this colorful cover photo expertly taken by Sherri Krams of Moments Unleashed Photography by Sherri Krams (www.momentsunleashed.com).
At just two years of age, Boca, our cover kitty, now lives a quiet, comfortable life with his adopted family, Michele and Bill Fitzgerald of Rotunda West, Florida, and his feline siblings, Lanie and Largo.
But Boca’s backstory tells a different tale. When just weeks old, the young kitten was found in a feral cat colony near the Boca Grande Causeway in Charlotte County. He was infested with fleas, covered with cobwebs and seriously undernourished. He and his momma were trapped by Tracy Nunez, a local trapper, who then arranged to have the two cats spayed and neutered and vaccinated.
While Boca’s momma was returned to the cat colony where she was found, Tracy kept the kitten, who showed signs of adapting well to family life.
Not long after, it was love at first sight for Michele and Bill, who happily gave the young kitten—who was named for the causeway where he had been found—his forever home.
A happy ending for this once feral kitten? To be sure. But, tragically, there are countless others living in cat colonies along the Suncoast who are born into and grow up in feral environments who are not trapped before they no longer can live in the company of people or other pets.
Two area, all-volunteer nonprofit organizations, Feline Friends SWFL and Venice Cat Coalition, are working tirelessly – often seven days a week – to control the overpopulation of cats and kittens in our communities.
Not only does our cover story describe in detail why Boca’s mom calls him a “street kid” because of his impish traits, but it also spotlights Venice Cat Coalition and Feline Friends SWFL’s efforts to address “the cat crisis” on the Suncoast…and what you can do to help.
You’ll find this enlightening article beginning on page 36 of this issue.
In the spirit of Independence Day, our pup featured on the cover of the July/August issue of Suncoast Pet is exercising his freedom to find a new forever home!
About two months ago, Dex, a 2 1/2-year-old Pittie mix, was another casualty of an ongoing—and alarming—occurrence in our regional and nationwide animal community. He was surrendered by his owners to a local shelter, Satchel’s Last Resort Animal Shelter & Sanctuary.
As you can tell by the smile on his face in the cover photo, which was taken by the extremely talented Sherri Krams of Moments Unleashed by Sherri Krams Photography (www.momentsunleashed.com), Dex is a happy and good-natured pup, but his family just didn’t have the time to train him properly, so he spent most of his time in a crate before he was brought to Satchel’s.
Yes, Dex is available for adoption!
As he waits for his new family to arrive, Dex enjoys playing with his big red ball in the play yards at Satchel’s Last Resort, located at 8101 Coash Road in Sarasota every chance he gets.
You can find out more about Dex, and also take an in-depth look at Satchel’s Last Resort, the no-kill shelter and sanctuary in Sarasota that, since its founding 23 years ago, has been a safe refuge for dogs and cats with special needs or behavioral issues, as well as puppies and kittens that are slated for certain death due to overcrowding. You won’t want to miss this informative and inspiring article that begins on page 34.
If you are interested in meeting Dex, contact Satchel’s Last Resort by calling 941-924-5070 to schedule an appointment. You also can visit http://satchelslastresort.org/adopt/adoptable-dogs/ to complete an adoption application online before your visit.
With the promise of summer just around the corner here on Florida’s Suncoast, what better way is there to welcome the new season than with a cover photo of an oh-so-handsome Australian Labradoodle who loves swimming, kayaking and all water sports?
At two years of age, Louie Blue is a playful pup who has proven to be the perfect companion for the Watts/Young family of Sarasota. With the most exquisite golden brown/honey-colored eyes, the pup charms each person he meets with his always-wagging tail and happy-go-lucky personality.
But luck didn’t seem to be on Louie Blue’s side last Christmas when a critical illness developed unexpectedly and nearly took his life!
Find out more about this extraordinary pup and the family who loves him in the article on page 16. Cover photo by the extremely talented Sherri Krams of Moments Unleashed by Sherri Krams Photography (www.momentsunleashed.com).
With the publication of the March/April issue, Suncoast Pet is celebrating its 16th anniversary!
Featured on our cover is an adorable kitten, just 9 months old, named Wilson, who was found as a stray at the very young age of five weeks and taken to Sarasota County Animal Services (SCAS) by a Good Samaritan.
Suffering from lameness in his back left leg, the kitten was taken to a veterinary hospital, where he was diagnosed with multiple fractures that would require rest and rehabilitation in a quiet environment for up to five weeks.
The Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch stepped up to the plate and took the kitten from animal services and then posted the kitten’s photo in a private Facebook for shelter volunteers, searching for a foster home.
That’s when Sherri Krams of Moments Unleashed Photography (www.momentsunleashed.com) first set eyes on the kitten and volunteered to take him in to help him heal.
It’s a fairly typical fostering tale, but what makes this story so unique is that Sherri—who also happens to be Suncoast Pet’s cover photographer—has always been a tried-and-true “dog person”!
What is it about Wilson that made Sherri fall head over heels? And how did this affectionate, playful and just-a-bit mischievous kitten change have an impact on Sherri’s photography? You can read all about this happily-ever-after story in the article that begins on page 34. A
nd, just in case you were wondering, Wilson’s picture-perfect pose—with his front paws firmly planted on the floor, his tail upright behind him and his eyes gazing straight at the camera—was masterfully captured by his new momma!
Happy New Year! For this, the first issue of 2023, Suncoast Pet is proud to feature two lovable pups, Jack and Danny, who are waiting in foster care at Canine Castaways for a new forever home of their own!
Once again, Sherri Krams of Moments Unleashed Photography by Sherri Krams (www.momentsunleashed.com), expertly captured these playful pups, which was no easy feat to get not one, but two dogs to stand perfectly still for a photo…but Sherri made it happen!
Through no fault of their own, Danny, at left, and Jack, at right, are currently in foster care for the second time. Since they were puppies, the pair lived in a loving home with a mom who absolutely adored them. However, when it came time for her to move to an assisted-living facility that did not accept pets, she surrendered them to Canine Castaways with the understanding that the dogs would be adopted together in their next home. Several months passed before a new mom stepped up and adopted the boys. But, as fate would have it, Jack and Danny were returned to Canine Castaways after six short weeks because their new mom passed away unexpectedly.
They say the third time’s a charm, so here’s hoping that one of Suncoast Pet’s readers will fall in love with Jack and Danny and give them another loving home for the rest of their lives.
Read all about Jack and Danny in the article that begins on page 16. And as a bonus, you’ll find out all the “deets” about Canine Castaways’ exciting news: The animal group, which will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023, has opened up a new veterinary clinic—Fur-Ever Friends Animal Hospital in Arcadia, bring affordable wellness, after-hours and urgent care —along with an array of veterinary services—to DeSoto County and beyond!
In celebration of the holiday season, Suncoast Pet is proud to feature Ghost, a Labrador Retriever/Pittie mix, on the cover of this, our annual holiday issue!
Rescued on the side of a highway on the Texas/Oklahoma, Ghost was just a tiny pup that probably had been abandoned on the side of the busy roadway.
But fate intervened, and a dog lover traveling that same route spotted the pup on the median, about to dart into the traffic.
Three and a half years later, Ghost and his mama are the closest of companions and share an exciting life together! Now 4 years of age, he is the happiest of pups and his tale of abandonment and adoption is an important reminder of the limitless joy that rescue dogs and cats can bring.
Read more about Ghost’s story in the article that begins on page 14. Once again, our exquisite cover photo is by Sherri Krams of Moments Unleashed by Sherri Krams Photography (www.momentsunleashed.com).