By Sarah Whitman
She calls the animals by name.
“Arnold, come here boy,” she says and a pot bellied pig scurries forth, crossing through a herd of goats to answer the call. She pats the animal’s head and he snorts.
“Isn’t he cute,” she says, smiling like a proud parent.
She is Valerie Burke, founder of Home Sweet Home Animal Rescue in Wesley Chapel. The rescue houses small farm animals and birds, many of which arrive sick or injured from neglect and are homeless. Arnold is one of the newest residents. His former owners decided to discard him after he made one too many muddy messes.
Burke welcomed the mess maker with open arms.
“I take the animals no one else will take,” she said. “I give them a chance and a home.”
Burke, who grew up in Boston and moved to Florida in 1989, has always had a soft spot for animals. She spent almost 10 years as a volunteer at Lowry Park Zoo before going to work there fulltime as a zookeeper in 1996. When she left the zoo, she was assistant curator of Florida mammals and had worked with most every species. She is a member of the Bay Area Disaster Animal Rescue Team, which disperses animal rescue to affected areas in times of disaster, and is involved with the SPCA Tampa Bay.
Burke started Home Sweet Home after taking in an injured goat for a friend at New Tampa Animal Hospital. She asked the vet if there was another place for abandoned goats to go. When the answer was no, Burke opened up her home and decided to start an official nonprofit.
Today, there are seven goats, two hens and five birds being cared for at the rescue. They come from different circumstances. Some were abandoned pets. Others were found living in deplorable conditions and confiscated.
“This is a small rescue because I want to give each animal the care and attention they deserve,” Burke said. “It is not about numbers. It is about the connection with the animals.”
Burke’s work is funded by donations she uses to buy animal feed and other necessary items. She is partnered with New Tampa Animal Hospital in Wesley Chapel and Livingston Animal and Avian Hospital in Lutz. The hospitals provide quality care to injured or sick animals taken in by Home Sweet Home. The cost is minimal.
“They have been a big help,” Burke said. “They treat the animals for practically nothing.”
Nola Overturf is a veterinary technician at Livingston hospital. She works with Burke on a regular basis. She said Home Sweet Home lives up to its name.
“Val is really good with the animals and she genuinely cares,” Overturf said. “People are getting rid of all sorts of animals because they can’t afford them and Val takes care of them.”
Overturf has sent several birds to live at Home Sweet Home including Cassie, a 32-year-old macaw parrot who’s owner gave her up due to health problems.
“I was sick about that bird but Val called and reassured me,” Overturf said. “She told me Cassie let her scratch her back and was doing good.”
Burke plans to adopt out some of the birds she has but is leery to do so. She plans to do thorough background checks and interview anyone interested in adoption. She isn’t willing to put up any of the goats for adoption, because she said people are using them for food and that isn’t the fate she wants for her babies.
At this time, she is maxed to capacity and not taking in more farm animals. She still needs donations and volunteers to help her care for the Home Sweet Home family.
“I’m very careful to only take in animals I can afford to and have time to take care of,” she said.
Burke also hopes to educate others. She takes some of the animals to visit local schools and wants to visit local nursing homes. She said the animals have a way of connecting with people that’s hard to put into words.
“I find animals intriguing,” she said. “People don’t always take the time to watch them but they can be really amazing. They can be inspirational.”
For information on the rescue, how to donate and volunteer opportunities, visit www.hshartampa.org.
