Dr. Andrew Vallo D.D.S. started the No Hungry Pets Program when he opened the 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 for their Goldendoodle, Ruthie. At a local shelter, they found an 18-month-old Labradoodle.
“We were actually his third owners at 18 months, so he had been back to the shelter multiple times,” said Vallo. “When we adopted him, he was just under 50 pounds, and he’s a big dog. You could see his ribs, he had patches of hair missing.”
When the Vallos moved to Westchase four years ago and were in the process of opening the Dental Boutique Westchase, a family and cosmetic dental practice, Samson’s plight served as a source of inspiration.
“My wife and I decided we wanted to do something good for the community in conjunction with opening this office. We kept coming back to the animals,” said Vallo. “We reached out to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and they were very gracious partners. They loved the idea. We formed our No Hungry Pets Program.”
While most people probably associate the Humane Society of Tampa Bay with pet adoptions, the non-profit organization offers a variety of services and programs for the general public. They provide veterinary and hospital services, spay and neuter services and Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (TNVR) services for feral cats. There are also multiple humane education and volunteer opportunities such as Paws for Literacy and Critter Camp.
“In addition to all of the animals that they actually shelter, they also have a community outreach program where they provide dog food to people who can’t afford to keep their pets,” said Vallo. “So, whenever we make our donations to the Humane Society, they’re earmarked to use for food either at the shelter or in the community outreach program, however they see fit for that.”
Assistance is provided through the Pet Pantry Food & More for those struggling to keep their pets. Free dog and cat food and other pet supplies are available to be picked up on a first-come, first-serve basis, twice a week at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. There is also the Animeals program for homebound and elderly citizens who are unable to travel to the shelter. Arrangements can be made for monthly food supply deliveries.
For every new patient that comes to the Dental Boutique Westchase, a month’s worth of food is provided for 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 his No Hungry Pets Program. Now, Dr. Vallo’s donation efforts will be expanded with the recent opening of his new office in Riverview. He is extending the No Hungry Pets Program to the Dental Boutique Riverview so monetary donations will now come from both offices.
“It’s been awesome,” said Vallo. “It’s a big thing for our office. The team loves it, too.”
When Dr. Vallo isn’t at work, he enjoys spending time with his wife, young son, Rhett, and of course, Ruthie and Samson. He said his family enjoys the walkability of Westchase and loves calling the area home. Though they’re originally from up north, they had always wanted to move somewhere warmer that had a beach nearby. Vallo’s grandparents live in Sun City Center, so they decided to check out Tampa when it was time to relocate. Several years after graduating from the Ohio State University College of Dentistry and working near Columbus, the Vallos made the move to Westchase and they now live in Woodbay. Dana is an elementary special education teacher who worked at Columbus city schools and then taught at Lowry and Deer Park Elementary. She helped design and decorate the office so that it would be comfortable, personal and welcoming to patients, and one of the first things patients will see is the wall of pet photos with the Humane Society of Tampa Bay logo.
“They’re a great organization,” said Vallo.
For more information, visit www.westchasedentalboutique.com and www.humanesocietytampa.org.
