Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • A18

18A Monday, August 8, 2022 Tampa Bay Times sleepovers with two families whose kids showered him with pets when our family He did not think much of thunderstorms and fire- works and had a deep dis- trust of helium balloons. He loved other dogs and napping in the sunshine while kids splashed in the pool. He always wagged his tail when visitors asked, can smell my dog, Our family suspected he could, but if he could not, he was too polite to indicate otherwise. We braced for the barks of a dog to fill the house. But Denzel was the sweet and silent type.

Instead, he taught us all the ways dogs communi- cate. He announced him- self with tippy-taps across tile floors, scratched the bedroom and office doors when it was time to move along, huffed at all the trips he had to take up and down the stairs to keep watch over me and hov- ered hopefully anytime my husband was in the kitch- en. He sighed at the end of each day when he curled up with us on the couch. And at night, he often snored softly from his spot on the end of our bed. On Sunday, July 31, after a rapid decline in his health due to cancer, Denzel had a few bites of steak, a ride in the car in my arms with the windows down and several uninterrupted hours on the couch with his family.

Then, a soft-voiced vet from Lap of Love knelt on the rug and helped Denzel across the rainbow bridge. still adjusting to the quiet. For now, we agree never find another dog as good as our dog, but loving Denzel taught us we should at least try. Early next year, we plan to become a foster family to help dogs like him get the people they deserve. In lieu of condolences, hug a dog, donate to a res- cue and, like Denzel, stick close to the people you love.

Contact Kristen Hare at Follow EPILOGUE continued from 3A Max and Leela with Denzel on the day they adopted him in 2017. His soft, curly fur absorbed tears and offered a resting place for infrequent broken bones. Denzel a huge fan of the beach, but he did enjoy a good view and taking naps in the sunshine. Photos by KRISTEN HARE Times Denzel plays with his boy, Max, in 2017 the year he joined the Hare family. Denzel the rescue poodle stuck close to the people he loved and was often the subject of family artwork.

handling Talk, but oth- erwise declined to comment on the lawsuit. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is now answering calls, he said. never been any he said. are getting The crisis center is focused on Talk calls from Hillsborough and Pasco counties for now, though the program may expand in the future, said spokesperson Ken Gibson. It began to answer the help- line in April, he said.

Talk can be reached at 844-968-6529. The free helpline launched as a pilot project in July 2021. pandemic has exac- erbated the need to address mental health in the Tampa Bay Zeisse said in a news release last year. The Hillsborough County Commission in February agreed to provide $1.9 mil- lion in federal COVID-19 relief funds to Tampa Bay Thrives, which was founded in 2019. The money will be distributed through August 2024 and will allow the non- profit to expand Talk, provide short-term virtual counseling and address mental health stigma through a media campaign.

BayCare Health System said it has matched the spending with a $1.9 million donation. Tampa Bay board of directors includes prom- inent local leaders such as Tommy Inzina, outgoing president and CEO of Bay- Care; John Couris, pres- ident and CEO of Tampa General Hospital; Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco and Clearwater Police Chief Daniel Slaughter, according to its website. Contact Sam Ogozalek at HELPLINE continued from 3A.