How long have you been involved with
A HOPE for Santa Rosa County?
Our group formed the non-profi t in
September, 2017.
How is the organization funded?
We are volunteer based and a 501(c)3
non-profi t. The expenses and charitable
contributions to pet-owners in need are
donated by our volunteers and donors.
Our personal out-of-pocket costs include
mileage, gas, and tolls. With such a
critical, local need, we continuously
request sponsorships and donations.
Do you work more with cats or dogs?
We transport and send supplies
for more dogs. We do more Clinical/
Veterinary services for cats because there
is such an over abundance of felines. Our
community cat population is estimated
around 30,000 for all of Santa Rosa
County. In order to get those numbers
down, the cats need more medical
attention.
What impact has A HOPE for Santa
Rosa County had on the community in
the last year?
We have transported over 300
animals to get altered within the last 6
months. We collaborated with the city
on implementing a new Trap/Neuter/
Return amendment within Milton city
limits. We have educated thousands of
people via Facebook, Instagram, and
in person to solve the serious animal
overpopulation. We have infl uenced
mindsets, educated and made signifi cant
changes that have made people excited
about A HOPE.
What is the most rewarding part
of your involvement with the
organization?
Two major factors have kept me
motivated the most. One has been the
people we have touched. I started for
the animals, wanting to impact their lives
and make sure they had a future, but the
people… the owners of the animals have
been so grateful, giving, and sincere
The second is that my children are so
involved and have learned so much that
can’t be taught anywhere else. Teaching a
child to have love and compassion for an
animal while also teaching the importance
of medical related needs is vital. My
children help carry kennels, feed animals,
take photos, and fundraise. It has changed
their lives and given them direction for
their future. One reads new diseases from
her Merck manual every day. Another
dresses like a vet and inspects our pets
and one wants to be a volunteer. They
were impressive before this, now they’re
helping us impact others.
Are there any upcoming events?
May 8th (and every two weeks)
Transport to Operation Spay Bay
May 12th (and every second month)
Team Meeting
What is one thing you want readers to
know about A HOPE for Santa Rosa
County?
Our group was formed to get a low
cost spay/neuter clinic opened in Santa
Rosa County. We need funds to achieve
this and maintain it in the future. We
are continuously applying for grants and
accepting donations/sponsorships for
the future clinic. We don’t plan to stop
once we open this facility but plan to
open an adoption unit as well. We will
continue to offer transport to our clinic,
so an immediate need is a cargo van. We
are only able to send 20 to 30 animals
every 2 weeks out to Operation Spay Bay
in Panama City. We could send many
more, or possibly go weekly, if we had the
vehicle. We need help making a bigger
impact!
We also want people to know that
educating future animal caregivers is of
very high importance to us. With a large
enough facility, we can have room to
educate school children, civic groups, etc.
about the importance of proper pet care,
responsibility, and maybe see an actual
surgery.
We want people to be aware of our
county statistics. In Santa Rosa County,
we take in over 6,000 animals a year and
over 4,000 are being euthanized. That’s
a high kill rate. For cats alone, we have a
90% kill rate. This is why we’re pushing
for a Trap/Neuter/Return program
county-wide. If the general public would
be allowed to trap cats and pay for them
to get altered, vaccinated, tip their ear
(a universal sign they’ve been altered),
and return them, we would eventually
see less feral cats. We provide the alter/
rabies vaccine/ear tip for just $25 through
Operation Spay Bay. If each set of cats and
their offspring can produce up to 420,000
cats in 7 years, think of how much money
that would save the county.
How can someone become involved
or help with A HOPE for Santa Rosa
County?
For questions or volunteer
applications, please send an email to
ahope4src@gmail.com. Our mailing
address is P.O. Box 4629 Milton,
FL, 32572. If you need help with
your cat colony, please register it at
catstats.org/ahope4src.
34 | VIPPensacola.com
Interview with Brandi Winkleman
President, A HOPE for Santa Rosa County FL
Their name alone shows that their
mission is clear. HOPE stands for
Health, Outreach, Prevention, and Education.
33-34 GiveCareShare - A HOPE 4 SRC.indd 2
4/26/18 8:14 AM