For the third time since June, animal advocates peppered Polk County commissioners with allegations of abuse and deplorable conditions at the county-run animal shelter and demanded reforms by its top manager: Sheriff Grady Judd.
But unlike the first time the advocates spoke, the commissioners did not respond to the advocates at either the July 15 or Aug. 5 meetings. The last time they spoke, Commissioner Bill Braswell said Judd is responsible for animal control. They needed to talk to him if they wanted changes.
The advocates ultimately wanted a TNVR (Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate, Release) program similar to those in neighboring counties such as Hillsborough, saying they cost less than the current program and save animals’ lives.
In his third trip to the lectern in two months, veterinarian Robert Weedon of Polk City said there is “a drastic need for a more feral-friendly animal ordinance in Polk County and the woefully low live outcome rate in Polk County,” especially compared to neighboring counties.
The reason conditions are so bad in Polk is the lack of humane and effective management of feral and free-roaming cats known broadly as “community cats.”
“You said we are talking to the wrong people, you said this is Grady’s problem,” Weedon said. “Respectfully, I disagree.”
As the governing body in Polk County, the commission can enact an ordinance per the county charter, he said.
“It states, ‘adopt such ordinances as may be necessary to carry out both county and municipal powers and purposes,’” Weedon said, quoting the charter.
In July 2023, Best Friends Animal Society submitted an offer to assist Polk County Animal Control with lifesaving at the shelter, Weedon said. And a local philanthropist had offered $20 million to build a state-of-the-art animal shelter.
“That offer was rejected. Why?” he asked.
At the same time, Weedon himself also proposed a $250,000 fund to offer low-cost sterilizations in Polk County. Such a proposal did get support from then-Commissioner George Lindsey, but it never materialized.
“Why?” Weedon asked. “Why, because Grady vetoed both ideas.
“Are you so afraid of Grady that you refuse to exercise good judgment and make things better for the animals in Polk County?” he asked.
“I respect Sheriff Judd as a law enforcement officer, but as the leader of Animal Control, not so much,” he added.
“I recognize Sheriff Judd is an avid bird photographer, and he believes cats should be killed because they prey on birds,” Weedon said. “What he does not understand is that with the support of TNVR there will be fewer cats to prey on his beloved birds.”
More importantly, with managed colonies, there is evidence by providing resources such as food, there is less predation of wildlife, he said.
“We have been killing cats for decades, and it hasn’t helped,” he said. “It’s time for a change.”
Eve Salimbene of Lakeland is the founder and director of the Street Cat Project and works with Weedon to care for the hundreds of cats in colonies across the county. Like Weedon, she said a spay and neuter voucher proposal was on Lindsey’s desk.
“I sat in his office, and he specifically told me it was on his desk, the funding was available, and then nothing. Where did the money go? Why did it not happen?” Salimbene said.
“We are looking to you (the current commissioners) for guidance. We are looking for some sort of a program to help the animals in our county. The people want it,” she said.
She listed the work the Street Cat Project has been doing to demonstrate the need. There are 55 colonies where cats are currently being trapped, Salimbene said. Since the beginning of the year, 59 colonies have been completed and there are 201 colonies on a waiting list.
“That right there should tell you that there is a huge need for a low-cost option. We cannot do it alone,” she said, adding the nonprofit spends $50 per cat at low-cost spay and neuter facilities.
Meanwhile, 425 animals are euthanized every month at Polk County’s shelter, Salimbene said.
The University of Florida tracks cats and dogs at shelters in Florida. In a check of the database, the statistics that the animal advocates stated matched those in the data collected by the university.
“If we take care of the feral cats, fix them and return them to where they came, we are a no-kill county,” she said. “We all want fewer cats, let’s do something to make that happen.”
In the past, the Polk County Commission has funded efforts to improve the quality of life for cats and dogs, a check with the Polk Budget and Management Services Division showed.
“The County did have a process that ended in FY 17/18 in which the Board at the time used some one-time funding each year to provide money to outside agencies that made application, entered into a funding agreement, and then provided progress reports on the use of the money,” budget director Christia Johnson said in an email.
In fiscal year 2017-2018, the board allocated $100,000 to such a program in total, and $20,000 was awarded to both the Humane Society and the SPCA, she said. These organizations were reimbursed $50 per spay/neuter service up to a total of $20,000.
However, a check with the Budget Office did not find a $250,000 program in 2023. Reached late Aug. 7 via text, Lindsey said he did not recall the proposal.
Other animal advocates said they were concerned that cats already spayed and neutered were being picked up by Animal Control officers and euthanized. Further, they came ready with statistics showing the “crisis” at Polk County’s Animal Shelter.
In 2024, Polk County reported a live-outcome rate of 58%, meaning 42% of the animals did not leave the shelter alive. In Alachua County, Operation Catnip reduced cat euthanasia from 81% to 8% and cut shelter intake by 65%.
In Hillsborough County, its TNR and voucher program reduced intake by 51% and raised its live-release rate to more than 81%.
A University of Florida study released this year found counties with TNR consistently have better outcomes, even in rural areas. Multiple studies of TNR showed that shelter intakes can be reduced by one-third and euthanasia by 80%.
Orange County found that sterilizing 8,000 feral cats cost $442,500 over 10 years, which was much less than $1.1 million to impound and euthanize the animals.
After the July 15 meeting, the Sheriff’s Office initially said via an email, “We have no response.”
Regarding the releasing of feral cats, “everyone should know by now that we do not support releasing feral invasive cats into the environment – even PETA agrees with us – where they decimate wild populations of small mammals and birds,” Sheriff’s Office Communications Director Scott Wilder said.
The agency also emailed a copy of a report to bolster PETA’s position against feral cat colonies.
When asked about the sale of cat cadavers and their sales numbers, Wilder provided the following information regarding the specimens sold to Bio Corporation.
“They are used for educational and scientific research for the veterinarian and educational institution communities. The cadavers are provided to Bio Corporation for $10 each. The following numbers of cadavers sold in recent years are 2022: 450; 2023: 587; 2024: 1,037; 2025: 1,090.”
In response to complaints by the advocates about not being able to bring smartphones into the animal shelter, Wilder said: “It’s our policy that we don’t allow cell phones in Sheriff’s Office secure areas. Cell phones and photography are allowed in public areas.”