Four adoptable dogs from Hillsborough County's Pet Resource Center traded their kennels for the practice field this week, romping around Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp and meeting players, cheerleaders, and even mascot Captain Fear. Lady Bug, Muscovy, Hollander, and Katrina are all still looking for forever homes, and their trip to camp was designed to help make that happen.
According to a Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center Facebook post, the pups played on the training camp field and met Buccaneers players and cheerleaders during the visit. The event was organized in partnership with the Team Godwin Foundation, co-founded by Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin and his wife Mariah to support rescue animals and at-risk youth, according to an Animal Advocates of Hillsborough County PRC Facebook post. That same post noted the dogs interacted with several Buccaneers players, including Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr., Payne Durham, Dan Feeney, and Yasir Holmes, as well as former Buc Gerald McCoy and representatives from PAW Patrol: The Movie.
The practice took place at the AdventHealth Training Center at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, the team's 100,000-square-foot year-round practice facility and headquarters, according to Pewter Report. Interested adopters can send the shelter a message or visit in person to meet Lady Bug, Muscovy, Hollander, or Katrina.
Fees Waived Through the End of August
The training camp visit lined up with the county shelter's participation in NBCUniversal Local's nationwide Clear the Shelters campaign, which runs from August 1 through August 31 and waives adoption fees for the month, according to a Hillsborough County Pet Resources Foundation Facebook post. The camp appearance came just days after the Pet Resource Center's Splish Splash Summer Bash adoption event, held August 15 at its main facility on Falkenburg Road in Tampa — an event Hoodline covered in a report on the shelter's splash pad party.
The push for visibility reflects an ongoing capacity crunch at the county's only open-admission shelter, which by law cannot turn away animals regardless of age, breed, size, or health status. The Pet Resource Center was operating at 140% capacity for dogs and over 600% capacity for cats in late 2025, per WUSF. Despite that strain, the county reported in 2025 that the shelter has saved more than 150,000 pets since 2012 and now maintains a live-release rate above 90%, up from less than 35% in 2012, according to the Laker/Lutz News.
A Growing Tradition of NFL-Backed Rescue Efforts
Godwin's foundation has built a track record of backing Tampa Bay animal welfare causes beyond training camp photo ops. In October 2024, the Team Godwin Foundation launched its MVP, or Most Vulnerable Pets, initiative, pledging $50,000 to local rescues supporting pet owners and shelters affected by severe Florida hurricanes, according to Givebutter. The foundation also teamed with the Pet Resource Center in June 2025 for a multi-county Mega Dog Adoption Festival at the Florida Strawberry Festival Fairgrounds, which brought together nine municipal animal service agencies across Central Florida and resulted in 278 dog adoptions.
Buccaneers players leaning on their platform for shelter dogs isn't new, either. Former Buc Logan Ryan's foundation funded four-week professional training scholarships for shelter dogs adopted during the team's July 2022 training camp, according to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. That pattern of player-driven adoption pushes continues to give Hillsborough County shelter animals a shot at exposure they might not otherwise get — exposure that shelter officials say remains necessary as overcrowding persists even amid the county's long-term gains in live-release rates.
