Letter to the Editor —– I refuse to remain silent

Dear Sheriff Grady Judd, Director of Communications Scott Wilder, and Director Gordon Scherer,

I refuse to remain silent while the people entrusted with protecting the innocent continue to deflect blame onto the very public, they were sworn to serve.

In the recent FOX 13 News article dated June 3, 2025—published after dozens of citizens stood before the Polk County Board of County Commissioners begging for changes—a spokesperson for Sheriff Grady Judd once again shifted responsibility to “irresponsible pet owners” for the disgraceful conditions and outcomes at Polk County Animal Control. This same spokesperson said, “if people would adopt more animals,” the crisis could be avoided.

This narrative is not just misleading. It’s a blatant denial of the systemic failures at the root of this crisis.

➡ FOX 13 article: http://www.fox13news.com/news/animal-welfare-advocates-call-change-amidst-dog-overpopulation-euthanasia-crisis-polk-county
 County meeting testimonies (starts around minute 13): http://www.polk-county.tv/CablecastPublicSite/show/7664?site=1

Let’s be clear about what these “irresponsible owners” did not do:

• They did not trample Freedom of Speech by banning cameras from Polk County Animal Control after abuse footage aired in July 2024.
• They are not shelter employees buying dogs from breeders—like Animal Control Officer Steve Lineman recently did—while thousands of animals die behind county doors.
• They are not dodging media interviews following irrefutable reports of neglect at a taxpayer-funded facility.
• They are not the ones who euthanized 1,622 animals in just the first 103 days of 2025.
• They didn’t “lose” 567 cats or sell 1,037 cat cadavers to Biology Products in 2024.
• They are not violating Florida Statute 823.15 by blurring lines between adoptions and rescue transfers to inflate statistics.
• They are not responsible for killing 5,481 animals in 2024, allowing 400+ to die in custody, or 567 to escape.

And it continues:

• They are not feeding moldy food or hosing animals down inside their cages.
• They are not letting dogs and cats suffer for 10+ days, then pawning off sick and dying pets to adopters or rescues.
• They are not keeping animals in cages infested with roaches, rats, or with broken doors causing neck injuries.
• They are not logging medications that were never administered or ignoring post-surgical protocols.
• They are not delaying volunteer applications for 6–9 months, hoping applicants will give up.
• They are not stacking vulnerable post-op animals with hyperactive ones, causing fights and injuries.
• They are not telling owners “We’ll hold your dog,” then later reporting it “unexpectedly died.” (Goodbye, Rigby.)
• They are not rejecting offers from Best Friends Animal Society to help Polk become a No-Kill shelter.
• They are not labeling scared cats as “feral” just to justify killing them.
• They are not rejecting $20 million in private funding for a new facility with working air conditioning.
• They are not blocking a grant for spay/neuter vouchers, then blaming the public for overpopulation.
• They are not obstructing public records requests, in violation of F.S. 119.
• They are not assigning untrained prisoners to care for traumatized, frightened animals.
• They are not running  Florida’s deadliest shelter, per University of Florida statistics https://sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/research/current-studies/florida-animal-sheltering/shelter-level-data/
• They are not pretending to partner with the SPCA while contributing $0 and misrepresenting the relationship publicly.

Yes, irresponsible pet owners exist. But they exist in every Florida county. The difference? Other counties manage their shelters with transparency, accountability, and actual leadership—not blame, secrecy, and death.

The moment those animals crossed into Polk County Animal Control, they became your responsibility.

Stop blaming the public.
Start telling the truth.

The cages in your shelter are not filled with bad owners.
They are filled with animals—desperate, suffering, and dying under your leadership.

We demand answers.
We demand change.
And we demand it now.

Sincerely,

Vicky Quintanilla