About Us

As founder of Rescue Pink, I have been volunteering and partnering with Pinellas County Animal Services since 2009 and also help other local shelters/organizations such as the Humane Society of Pinellas and Friends of Stray with fostering, media needs and fundraising.  

My goal with Rescue Pink is to help reduce the number of euthanasias and homeless animals by promoting and paying for spay/neuter as well as helping seniors, veterans and low-income people with vet bills so they can keep their pets.  Rescue Pink has helped approximately 1300 dogs and cats, which include getting them fixed, vet care, fostering or rehoming in the past 11 years. 

We were honored to be featured on Bay News 9's Everyday Heros:  http://ow.ly/lDDk50GeusH 

In 2024, I started a $20 spay/neuter program, partnering with Harmony Vet Care and Operation Snip. I pay for all but $20 of the spay/neuter so people can afford to get their animals fixed. Even though I just started these events in February of 2023, I have fixed over 250 dogs and cats. At an average of 8 per litter, that has saved 2000 animals from being born. If you include their offspring having more litters, it has saved thousands of unwanted animals from ending up in shelters, on the streets, or worse. This is an amazing program and there is no other program like it in the Tampa Bay Area. People desperately need very low cost or free spay and neuter. The shelters are overflowing and too many animals are being euthanized. We are looking for sponsors so we can continue this program. 

I also work on animal welfare law changes. Right now I am putting together an Animal Abuse Coalition and task force to address the lack of enforcement in the state of Florida. 

I initiated the anti-tethering law ordinance change in Pinellas County in 2014. With the help of Pinellas County Animal Services Director Moe Freaney and Renee Rivard from the League of Humane Voters, it was updated to include no unattended tethering. 

In 2017, I  worked with Pinellas County Animal Services Director Doug Brightwell on updating the ordinance to include stricter breeder requirements, mandatory registration of breeders,  yearly inspections, and registering pet sales with the county. The law also banned sales of dogs and cats at flea markets and public places, which was a huge victory for the animals.

I worked with Dunedin City Commissioner Moe Freaney to initiate the ban of retail dog/cat sales (animals from puppy mills) in the city of Dunedin, which passed unanimously July 2018. 

 I  was the recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteering over 4,000 hours at Pinellas County Animal Services, which included walking dogs, fostering,  and starting their Facebook page which I ran for 6 years. 

 
Rescue Pink works on donations, so any help is appreciated! We hope to continue making a difference in the community. 

Elizabeth Olson
Founder, Rescue Pink