Just call him Dr. Santa: Local dentist raises $7,000 for Tampa Bay Humane Society
Since Dr. Andrew Vallo opened up The Dental Boutique Westchase in April, it was his goal to donate a month’s worth of food to an animal at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay for every single new patient.
It may sound like a lofty goal, but these past few months of thriving business have made it a reality. On Monday, Dec. 13, Dr. Vallo presented the CEO of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay with a check for $7,500.
“For every new patient that visits The Dental Boutique Westchase, we committed to donate a month of food to a hungry animal. We partnered with The Humane Society of Tampa Bay because no animal deserves to go hungry,” Dr. Vallo said.
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay is currently home to more than 80 dogs and cats, as well as dozens of smaller animals like guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits. Luckily, since so many people were not able to go to the dentist during the pandemic, business is booming and Dr. Vallo has had no problem reaching his goal.
“When we first adopted our pup Samson, he was underweight and malnourished — even missing patches of hair,” Dr. Vallo said.
After he and his wife, Dana, nursed him back to health, this experience and their passion for animals inspired them to start the No Hungry Pets Program.
“It has been incredible to watch our No Hungry Pets Program grow alongside our dental office,” Dr. Vallo said. “Each month I announce to the team how many new patients we saw — and how many months of food it has allowed us to donate. Our dental team and our patients love that they get the opportunity to help feed the animals of Tampa Bay!”
By Jen Clark
Photos by Jensen Taylor
