Heather Leigh

Otter is a little cuddle bug, Rover is your "Turn Key Ready" puppy, Logan has the sweetest disposition, and Eve is a fantastic dog who truly deserves a loving home.

Grab a map and go exploring with Dora, Boa has a big heart and a keen mind, and Apollo is full of fun and energy!

Well-known Wildlife Facility offers interns hands-on experience with injured and sick animals Owl's Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife offers internships for students at local colleges Prev Next Owls Nest Sanctuary gets help from internship program Posted 7 minutes ago ODESSA, Fla. — If you've ever found an injured or sick wild animal, you know that feeling of helplessness when you're unsure what to do. You've probably heard of Owl's Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife — ABC Action News has done several stories with owner Kris Porter over the years. Now, she has a little help from the younger generation. Porter has saved countless animals over the years. “Oh, you're up! You look better than you did last night, kiddo,” she said as she prepared an owl hit by a car for its morning medication. “Alright, we got that.” Porter and her team at Owl's Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife are always busy. A bird in the cage over from the owl was poisoned by rat bait. “It's usually about a four-day process if we get them in a tie; they come in comatose,” she said. Their facility is nestled on five acres of land in the middle of Odessa. Another poisoned bird that came in days prior is already out back and waiting for release. That bird is in good company, too, with animals like Coda. “She's got an edge to her too. When she's in beaver mode, she could care that we are here,” Porter said, laughing. Coda can't be released back into the wild; she requires forever care, which is a lot of work. That's why a year and a half ago, Porter started an internship program. “It feels like most people, when they have an animal that they don't know what to do with, they think of calling Kris,” said Rachel Ryweck, an intern at Owl's Nest. “ They are truly my backup right now, which says a lot,” Porter said. “We have people that work here, but it's very part-time. These guys devote themselves to the shifts that I work, and they've learned a ton.” Ryweck graduated from the University of Tampa. Her internship and connection to Porter landed her a job at Bush Gardens. “Working with animals and conservation is actually pretty competitive, so getting an internship like this is really important. It gets you the hands-on experience that you might need to get a job,” said Ryweck. “It just prepares you for the real world. Especially because a lot of the time, jobs these days are about connection, not necessarily your GPA or your degree.” Elias Bilkas has been interning with Owl's Nest since the beginning. “What kind of bird is this?” I asked. “This here is an American kestrel. His name is Yordi,” he said. He said it's a rewarding experience. “With the increasing amount of development in Florida, the human interactions with animals just continue to increase more and more and more,” Bilkas said. Which makes the work they do even more crucial. “I would do this all day, every day if I didn't have school,” said Michaela Sweeney, a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Tampa. Sweeney graduates in December, and she said the hands-on experience she got in her first two weeks at Owl's Nest had taught her more than a full semester of school. “I can have a professor lecture me about barred owls, but until you actually interact with them and see them and learn the behaviors yourself and feed them and all that, you're not learning in the same way,” she said. “They truly are good for Owl's Nest because of their enthusiasm,” Porter said as she gave Coda belly rubs. And their love for the animals is something Porter can absolutely relate to. ”I never thought I would, you know, be so in love with a rodent, but she truly has won me over because of how intelligent they are,” Porter said about Coda. If you're interested in interning, click here. Porter said to fill out the volunteer application and then make a note that you want Melissa to know you're interested in becoming an intern. Bank finally endorses Florida man's hurricane insurance check after we shared his story Hurricane Milton left a St. Pete man's property under water. But when he went to cash his insurance check, the bank refused to cash it. Investigative Reporter Katie LaGrone shares an update. Bank finally endorses FL's man hurricane insurance check after we shared his story Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for the Morning Headlines Newsletter and receive up to date information. 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Dorian and Bellamy are very sweet and love to play, eat, and take long naps, Hamlin is perfectly happy just doing whatever you want to do and Flik is incredibly smart and devastatingly handsome.

Whatever your degree, your refuge from that essay deadline is just one stanza away, writes

Hans is super cute with his wattles, Bleu is a happy, high energy 2-year-old gal eager to please, and Clifford is loving, kind and energetic.

Claire Keegan's novel, and its recent film adaptation, asks whether small acts of rebellion are worth making, writes

Mr. Pillow is need of extra care and love, HoneyBee is ALL about those big, loving kisses and Ginger loves belly rubs, chin scratches, and scratches behind the ear.

Mila would like to be the only princess in the castle, Scooter has the coolest “fire and ice” eyes you’ve ever seen, and Rudolph is playful and curious.

Tampa Bay area rescues see influx of hurricane victims surrendering pets Local rescues see influx of hurricane victims surrendering pets Prev Next Animal adoption agencies are still overwhelmed with pets that families had to make the difficult decision to give up those animals. Posted 1 minute ago TAMPA, Fla. — After back-to-back hurricanes, many families lost everything. Some were forced to move into new or temporary housing. In those moves, many made the difficult decision to surrender their pets. It's truly a heartbreaking reality for so many in the Tampa Bay area. ABC Action news has reported on this happening for weeks now at rescues and shelters locally. The CEO of Fluff Animal Rescue in Largo, Kimmy Chandler, said it's hard to turn anyone away but at the same time it's become overwhelming. Hope sounds like a cat purring or looks like a dog learning how to sit. "Sit, sit! Good boy!" Chandler said as she gave a dog a treat. “If we didn't have a spot, where does that animal go? They end up back in the system that we saved them from. It's a vicious cycle that we're trying to break," Chandler said. But even rescues and CEOs with the biggest hearts can feel overwhelmed. “We actually had an influx of 12 cats that were living in a car with a gal," Chandler said. The woman lost her home during the back-to-back hurricanes and could no longer care for her pets, according to Chandler. “She says, 'I have 12 cats. Can you take them?' And my first answer is we don't have the space for that, and she says, 'Well, they're in my car. Would you like to see them?' And all of a sudden, it's just like, what do you do? Do you say no, sorry, go somewhere else? There is nowhere else for them to go," said Chandler. But that's been happening a lot lately. “In these particular instances, the family found themselves displaced, and they were able to hang onto the animals and then I would say eight weeks later we get the phone call," she said. "They're living in a hotel, you know, or they're living in an RV right in front of their home because they don't have the building permit.” The stories seem endless, and local rescues like Fluff are just trying to keep up. "The hardest part — when they walk in with that pet, and they're sobbing, and you know this is the last thing they wanna do," she said. And while damage at the rescue was pretty minimal in comparison, Chandler said there's work that needs to be done—fences need to be put back up, and tree debris needs to be collected—it just isn't the priority now. “It's tough because it is important to have this area because this is a sensory garden, where we like to walk the dogs, and it gives them an opportunity of space outside of their kennel. But right now, it's not safe to do so," Chandler said. Chandler said if anyone wanted to volunteer to help clean up the sensory garden, she would be forever grateful. But, the big ask is for fosters , temporary ones and also folks that are willing to do it on a regular basis. She said for hurricane victims, fostering their animals for a short period of time, while the owners wait for those building permits or a new place to live that allows animals is key. You can also help by donating to FLUFF Animal Rescue. Viewers have been contacting ABC Action News after receiving suspicious text messages from numbers that claim to be the United States Postal Service. We spoke with a U.S. Postal Inspector about what to do if you receive this text message. Fake texts claiming to be USPS delivery services hit the Tampa Bay area Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sign up for the Morning Headlines Newsletter and receive up to date information. 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