Pets/Wildlife

Jessie was adopted at a PetSmart charity event and enjoyed her 15th Christmas with Sharon Welsh and family in Tampa. Although she is an adult, Jessie still plays like a kitten. The family believes every pet deserves a happy, safe and loving home.

Longtime nature and wildlife lover, and newcomer to the region Kirk Peters sent this photo he snapped of turtles that seem quite ‘focused’ on each other, along the River Rapids Trail at Hillsborough State Park in Thonotosassa. Peters was hoping to see and capture a shot of a resident alligator, but said he settled for this more tranquil scene.

Timmy was adopted from Pasco County Animal Services in April 2019 when he was approximately 1 year old. He previously had a rough life, but has a very happy one now and enjoys being his family’s little boy. Timmy uses all areas in the home, including the music room! Timmy lives with his parents, Sandy Rotunda and Kathy Turner, in Land O’ Lakes.

Barry White snapped this photo of a spoonbill seeming to taxi down a water runway in Wesley Chapel.

Somi is a 2-year-old Shiba Inu. She is quite playful and has a very gentle disposition and befriends just about everyone she meets. Somi is naturally inquisitive, with a sense of smell that seems to be unparalleled for finding that errant treat hiding under the sofa. Her favorite time of the day is the evening, when the family is home together and she can be seen making the rounds, getting a good scratch and ear massage. If you look closely, you can see her smiling — it’s absolutely adorable and warms her family’s hearts. Somi lives in Land O’ Lakes with Jeff and Debbie Hanneken.

Will Kuhns snapped this photo of a dragonfly in his Ballantrae neighborhood in Land O’ Lakes. Dragonflies are powerful and agile fliers, capable of migrating across the sea, moving in any direction and changing direction suddenly. The adult dragonfly can propel itself in six directions: upward, downward, forward, backward, to the left and to the right.

Dobby was adopted in July 2022 from the Mercy Full Project in Tampa that rescued him from a not-so-loving home. He is named after the elf from Harry Potter. Dobby plays all day and gets a lot of treats, and he just wants to be loved. Dobby lives with his proud parents, Tyler Staggs and Noel Damouni, in Land O’ Lakes.

A roseate spoonbill and a white ibis stopped by in the early morning hours in Bonnie Caston’s backyard in Zephyrhills. It appears the pair may have been discussing plans for the day! 

Baby Girl is a cocker-poodle and perfectly sized at 12 pounds. She has warmed the hearts of all her neighbors and has ‘socialized’ dogs that originally didn’t want to mingle.
She comes out of the house on her leash and looks right and then left — her mission is to head for someone to pet her or ‘sniff her.’ Baby Girl has brought joy and love to her two moms, Mary and Helen Lewandowski.

Barbara Craig often hikes at the Cypress Creek Preserve in Land O’ Lakes and snapped this photo of a red-shouldered hawk off the 4-mile trail. The bird of prey sat for about 15 minutes on a branch over a creek that flows through the park, giving Craig the chance to get a good photo.