Pet Rescue by Judy brings pups to play

Students and canines got a chance to get some fresh air and exercise at the "Rent-a-Pup" event outside of the Burnett Honors College on Wednesday. The event was organized by UCF's Honors Educational Reach Out program and local animal shelter Pet Rescue by Judy.

With a UCF ID, students could spend 15 minutes walking a dog. Although the event was free for students, donations were accepted.

"I think it's really great that they get to come out here and play, and everyone gets really excited about the dogs because nobody can have pets on campus or even off campus," said Betsy Castro, a sophomore psychology major.

In 1992, Judy Sarullo started her own non-profit, no-kill animal shelter after gaining experience volunteering at another animal shelter. Former honors college volunteer, Meghan Ewing Pfleiderer, reached out to Sarullo in 2009 to help with an event, and Pet Rescue by Judy has been working with UCF ever since.

"I can't thank UCF students and the staff enough because they do so much for Pet Rescue by Judy. They help me put on events, they hold events here and they do fundraisers for me," Sarullo said.

Sarullo said that sometimes students express interest in adopting, but she tries to make them aware that owning a pet takes up time and money.

"I was eighteen and I had a dog while I was living in New York, and I couldn't go out and party. I had to leave Manhattan and go back to Queens to walk my dog. I try to express that to them," Sarullo said.

Sarullo said it's preferred that students still living at home foster an animal. If a student who wishes to adopt or foster an animal is renting an apartment, Pet Rescue by Judy will check with housing to make sure animals are allowed. People interested in adopting, fostering and volunteering must fill out an application to do so.

HERO coordinator Rosalinda Torres said students in the HERO program are able to volunteer at the shelter for service hours.

"A lot of our volunteers are actually just doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They don't have service hours they have to complete," Torres said.

Ryanne Rosier, a freshman biomedical sciences major, has volunteered with Pet Rescue by Judy since fall 2011.

"I really love animals, so knowing that you're helping take care of these animals that might have been put down is always nice," Rosier said.

Castro said the event made her want to adopt a dog and donate to the shelter.

"How can you play with them and interact with them, and like knowing their situation that they go back to a cage? It definitely makes me want to get more involved or at least volunteer and donate to them," she said.

According to Torres, the honors college usually tries to hold Rent-a-Pup once a month. Sarullo said the shelter usually raises a few hundred dollars from donations at each Rent-a-Pup and she looks to forward to the event.

"We have a blast. We look forward to it because the animals get a chance to get out of the shelter. They get socialized. They get a lot more exercise than we can give them at the shelter. I think it just brings a lot of joy to a lot of the students that have their animals at home," she said.

Students interested in volunteering, donating or fostering can visit http://www.petrescuebyjudy.com for more information.