WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Animal welfare advocates are sounding the alarm on what they’re calling a growing crisis in Polk County.
What we know:
On Tuesday morning, the Polk County Commission’s boardroom was filled with cat and dog lovers wearing a paper purple ribbon over the heart. They’re concerned there’s an overpopulation of dogs and an increasing euthanasia rate at Polk County Animal Control’s shelter.
“Polk County is the number one county in growth. It is also fourth or fifth in the country in euthanasia,” said Shannon Medina, a co-founder of the animal rescue, Polk County Bully Project. “People are moving here in large numbers and they’re bringing their dogs. It’s not going to get better if we don’t do something about it.”
By the numbers:
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the euthanasia rate was 36% for 2024. However, as the ninth most populous county, they said they have the eighth-highest number of live outcomes in the state.
The backstory:
Medina and her co-founder, Angela Lorio, said they’ve been fighting for spay and neuter vouchers for years, which would help reduce the euthanasia rate.
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“The county approves the budget, and they can allocate money towards spay and neuter vouchers, whether it be through animal control or through us,” said Lorio.
The Bully Project raises money themselves to pay for the procedures, but they need help, and they’re not alone. Animal shelters across the county are full and staffs are overwhelmed.
The problem is getting worse, because there’s a lack of affordable housing, a lack of pet foster systems, and a lack of funding for shelters.
The other side:
During the commission meeting, some concerned residents called for the county to adopt an ordinance that would establish a Trap, Neuter, Release program, which the sheriff’s office opposes.
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In a statement to FOX 13, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office wrote: “Feral cats are invasive and negatively affect wildlife, especially wild birds. TNR colonies attract more intact cats (that continue to breed) because of the food provided to these colonies. Feral and at-large cats don’t live as long as well-cared-for indoor cats. They suffer predation by coyotes and other predators, they are killed by traffic, and they die of disease and untreated injuries.”
The sheriff’s office strongly supports spaying and neutering, stating they spayed and neutered more than 6,000 cats and dogs last year.
What they’re saying:
Others spoke out about so-called ‘filthy conditions’ at animal control’s shelter.
“The starving dogs, the rats and roaches they live in – you just become more passionate about helping,” said Lorio.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told FOX 13 that the problem of overpopulation is due to irresponsible pet owners who don’t spay and neuter their animals, and animal control becomes a dumping ground for unwanted and unhealthy animals. He added that the animals at their facility are well cared for.
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“Our animal housing building is an insulated open-air building with air-conditioned space for our clinical areas. We use heating and industrial fans to keep our animals comfortable,” he wrote.
Commissioner Bill Braswell told the crowd that they should address their concerns with the sheriff’s office.
Medina and Lorio said they’re going to keep calling for more meetings and pushing for change, which includes a change in leadership at animal control.
“What we need is for the community to keep really pushing because it’s not going to change,” said Medina. “We try to be very respectful and follow the course of action and have hit a wall every single time.”
Full Statement :
The sheriff’s office said the following in their full statement:
“The fundamental problem of pet over-population is irresponsible pet owners and pet custodians (people who feed intact stray and at-large animals) who don’t spay and neuter their animals. This is a behavioral, cultural, and rule-following problem. Irresponsible people create and continue this problem. Polk County Animal Control becomes a dumping ground for unwanted and unhealthy animals, unfortunately.
If people spent more time adopting and advocating for spay and neuter, and less time criticizing the people trying to help, cats and dogs would be better off. If people want to help and make a difference to the lives of shelter cats and dogs, they should adopt a pet from their local shelter, contribute to the Grady Judd Spay and Neuter program at the SPCA, and encourage irresponsible pet owners to get their animal spayed and neutered to prevent over-population of cats and dogs.
Animals at our facility are well-cared for by animal control members who love animals and work hard every day to make a difference. This is truly a labor of love for our members. They work hard to care for, save, and adopt pets. Our animal housing building is an insulated open air building with air-conditioned space for our clinical areas. We use heating and industrial fans to keep our animals comfortable.”
What’s next:
The sheriff’s office is partnering with the SPCA Florida on their spay neuter discount program to help offset the costs for those who cannot afford to get their pets fixed.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Carla Bayron.
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