OVIEDO, Fla. \u2013 An animal rescue nonprofit is asking the City of Oviedo for permission to house adoptable dogs at the Oviedo Mall. The Oviedo City Council will take up a second reading of a rezoning ordinance at its meeting Monday night.<\/p>\n
Save A Life Pet Rescue, Inc. currently holds adoption events at the mall on Fridays and Saturdays. The nonprofit has rescued more than 30,000 pets since its founding in 2006.<\/p>\n
Tamara Marshall, president and CEO of Save A Life Pet Rescue, said the organization partners with shelters in rural, underserved areas to transport dogs to safety and into foster homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of those shelters have a lot of puppies that aren\u2019t able to find homes,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cJust because they have such a high population of puppies in the area and not enough residents in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marshall said the current process of moving animals back and forth creates unnecessary stress on the pets.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re having to coordinate our volunteers and shuffle our pets back and forth and that\u2019s very stressful on the animals,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n
As the city has processed the rezoning request, questions have come up about noise, odor and the number of kennels. Marshall said the animals would be housed in an isolated area and the nonprofit is prepared to work with both the city and mall management to address any concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got carpeted walls, we\u2019ve got acoustic ceilings,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cWe want to make sure we\u2019re respectful of the Oviedo community members, especially those tenants here in the Oviedo Mall.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marshall said the ability to house animals overnight at the mall would be a game changer for Save A Life Pet Rescue. She also said it would complement the mall\u2019s ongoing transition into a mixed-use district for living, dining and entertainment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is a great opportunity for people to find that special pet,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n
The Oviedo City Council will vote on the rezoning ordinance Monday at 6:30 p.m.<\/p>\n