'It's all about them'

Melissa Fiorito is the quintessential animal lover, so it's fitting that she is the new shelter manager at the Highlands County Humane Society at 7321 Haywood Taylor Boulevard in Sebring.

"We're always looking to improve their lives," said Fiorito of the 75 dogs and 40 cats currently living on the property.

Fiorito originally got involved with the no-kill, non-profit animal shelter and adoption center as a volunteer in 2008, walking and training dogs. In 2009, she became a board member, and in July of that year, when the previous director retired, Fiorito stepped in.

"They wanted someone who knew how to deal with the animals and get them adopted," said Fiorito, who has worked with several veterinarians in Virginia and Washington D.C. and most recently had every little kid's dream job-training sea lions and dolphins in Miami.

"That is so much fun," Fiorito remembered, speaking of working with the ocean mammals.

One of her favorite "students" was a 34-year-old sea lion named Asia. "She didn't like new people," said Fiorito. "She would withhold behaviors, but I did my very first show ever with her and I got every single behavior out of her. We just developed that relationship."

Fiorito and her sea lion friend had a special signal just between the two of them. Asia would stick out her tongue and curl up her upper lip-something she only did for Fiorito.

After quitting the job to move to Highlands County with her husband, a sheriff's deputy, Fiorito went back to visit her old splashing grounds. Asia, who now was mostly blind with cataracts due to her age, was there with her new trainer.

"I walked up to this blind sea lion and she did (the tongue behavior)," said Fiorito with a smile. "I don't want to put emotions on animals, but it made me feel good that she remembered me."

Her experience training dolphins and sea lions is not unlike what she currently does with the dogs in the care of the Humane Society. "It's all through positive reinforcement. For example, they learn how to leash walk so they will be more appealing to adopt," she said.

Fiorito also works with timid or anxiety-stricken animals, such as Reina, a lab/hound mix who was afraid of her own reflection in a car door. After working with Fiorito, Reina was eventually able to overcome her fears enough to be permanently adopted.

From outside the portable where Fiorito desk is, volunteer Ron Adams walked in with a nervous red-nosed pit bull mix named Amy. Adams was adopting Amy that day, and Fiorito, dressed in her black humane society T-shirt with STAFF across the back, comforted the dog to try to get a photo of the new couple.

She gently coaxed the dog into the office, then with a louder, more authoritative voice said, "Sit. Stay." The dog complied for the snapshot, then relaxed and began nosing around the room.

"We're always full," lamented Fiorito, pointing to a corkboard with about 35 pieces of paper pinned to it.

Each paper represented a person who had called, wanting the shelter to take an animal. This owner of three dogs herself explained that the poor economic situation has meant fewer adoptions, fewer donations and more unwanted pets being dropped off or abandoned.

One of those pets is Foxy-Roxy, a 6 to 8-year-old Jack russel who waddled up to the edge of her kennel with tail wagging as we approached.

"She likes to sit in your lap. When it was cold she would either sit in my lap or sit at my feet," said Fiorito.

She added that Foxy-Roxy was lower-maintenance because she was a small older dog with a touch of arthritis. As a result, she didn't require a lot of exercise.

A bigger dog, 2-year-old Lizzie is a black lab mix who has been at the shelter for a long time.

"She's leash trained and likes walks. She likes to get into the swimming pools," laughed Fiorito, referring to the kiddie pools the staff puts out for the dogs in the dog play yards.

The shelter also has plenty of adult cats available, including Gracie, who is in foster care and has a deformed left foot, but can still walk and jump.

Medium-haired Pretty was raised in a crate and doesn't like a lot of noise. Fiorta felt that Pretty would benefit from a home where she wasn't expected to be a "lap cat" and could learn to roam and be independent.

"The main purpose is to find all these animals a home," said Fiorito of her mission.

"It's all about them." She added that it is especially rewarding when an animal that has spent a very long time at the shelter eventually finds a family.

Fiorito also hopes to find more foster homes, volunteers, and people willing to donate money since the shelter does not receive any funds outside of individual donations.

She would like to re-vamp the cat building, where as many as 40 cats lounge in hammocks in their crates or frolic in the cat play room.

Fiorito would like to expand to accommodate at least 20 more cats.

Foster homes are used to help very young animals, those recovering from illness, or pregnant or nursing animals as well as those who need help being socialized. It costs $125 to adopt a dog and $75 to adopt a cat, which includes age-appropriate vaccinations, spay/neuter, and life-long training. Adoption fees are how the Highlands County Humane Society makes most of its money.

For more information on the Highlands County Humane Society, call 655-1522 or find them on Facebook.