Dear Polk County Board of Commissioners,
I am writing to you once again, as a Polk County resident, taxpayer, PCBP/SPCA volunteer/foster, PCAC/PCBP/SPCA adopter. My last correspondence dated June 17, 2025, went unanswered by any of our elected officials. Additionally, separate correspondence to Ms. Troutman has also been ignored. The only response I have received to date was from the media. I have taken note of your responses in the BoCC meetings, declaring you have no willingness to take these matters seriously, let alone take any action. To be clear, no matter how much you may wish it to be so, this issue is not going to go away, and burying heads in the sand is not an effective way of managing community problems, addressing concerns of your constituents, or saving taxpayers’ money.
The continued mismanagement of Polk County Animal Control constitutes a public and animal welfare crisis that violates both legal and ethical standards. As of 2025, 11 media articles¹ have reported serious issues within the shelter, and commissioners have repeatedly heard public testimony calling for actionable reforms, including basic ordinances implemented successfully in every surrounding county. Residents have traveled hours to attend BOCC meetings on 06/03/2025, 07/15/2025, and 08/02/2025, and state representatives provided input on 08/12/2025. Yet critical preemption under Florida law—F.S. 823.15—remains unaddressed:
The Legislature has determined that uncontrolled breeding results in unwanted animals suffering, being impounded and destroyed at great expense, and constituting a public nuisance and public health hazard. It is therefore declared to be the public policy of the state that every feasible means be used to reduce the incidence of the birth of unneeded and unwanted puppies and kittens. Determining which programs result in improved adoption rates and reduced euthanasia rates for animals in shelters and animal control agencies is crucial to this effort.
Polk County is failing to meet state-mandated animal welfare standards. According to 2024 University of Florida shelter data, Polk County is Florida’s #1 kill shelter:
· Cats (strays): 6,968 intake → 3,552 killed (51%)
· Dogs (strays): 4,403 intake → 1,742 euthanized (39.6%)
· Additional losses: 400 animals died under shelter care, 561 went missing or escaped.
The board’s duty to act is reinforced by Florida legal precedent. In Orange County v. Singh, 268 So.3d 668 (2019), the Supreme Court held that local charter provisions cannot override state law. Following this decision, the Florida Department of State, in a letter dated August 4, 2023, directed the Polk County Supervisor of Elections to hold partisan elections in accordance with section 99.061, Florida Statutes. By analogy, Polk County must preempt and enforce F.S. 823.15, ensuring that local practices do not undermine state-mandated protections for animals. Continued inaction directly undermines these protections and exposes the county to legal and public accountability.
To be clear, the board and its members are not personally responsible for neglect, but the following ongoing issues persist under county oversight:
· Euthanizing 1,622 animals in the first 103 days of 2025.
· Losing 567 cats and selling 1,037 cat cadavers to Biology Products in 2024.
· Violating F.S. 823.15 by misrepresenting adoptions and rescue transfers to inflate statistics. Additionally, Animal Control has overstepped by instructing residents to stop feeding outdoor cats.
· Following the 2024 news exposing abuse, the shelter banned cameras, further limiting transparency. Photography can mean the difference between life and death for animals awaiting adoption.
· The newest changes, such as moving fences to give the appearance of a “maximum security facility,” do not address real needs—this is an open facility where transparency is critical. Banning phones and photography only shields the lack of oversight.
· Placement of a “Dangerous Dog” sign at the shelter entrance discourages the public from entering. Even Rep. Judson Sapp (R-Clay County) stated the intent of his law was to “post signage on the dog’s enclosure to inform potential adopters that the dog has been declared dangerous.” Polk County’s use of the warning sign does not fit the intent of this law.
· Poor care conditions, including feeding moldy food, delaying volunteer applications for 6–9 months, and stacking vulnerable post-op animals with hyperactive ones.
· Blocking grants for spay/neuter programs and rejecting $20 million in private funding for a new facility.
· Obstructing public records requests (F.S. 119) and misrepresenting partnerships with animal welfare organizations.
The board must implement enforceable policies that address the crisis, particularly considering that Polk County Animal Control has directly contributed to the overpopulation problem by allowing 1,785 cats to escape over 4½ years, creating approximately 11,000 additional free-roaming cats. These policies must:
· Preempt and comply with state law (F.S. 823.15)
· Regulate who can sell pets and how (vaccinated, neutered, microchipped)
· Control outdoor cat populations via humane Trap-Neuter-Release programs, exempting ear-tipped cats from unnecessary retrapping
· Reduce euthanasia
· Protect animals in county care
Continued inaction, despite repeated public testimony and extensive media coverage, is no longer acceptable.
Respectfully,
Nicole OdellPolk County Resident, Voter, PCAC Adopter, and Volunteer/Foster for SPCA and PCBP
Email Distribution List
To: Polk County Commissioners and County Attorney
District 1 – Becky Troutman: [email protected]
District 2 – Rick Wilson: [email protected]
District 3 – Bill Braswell: [email protected]
District 4 – Martha Santiago: [email protected]
District 5 – Michael Scott: [email protected]
County Attorney – Randy Mink: [email protected]
CC – State-Level Officials
Governor Ron DeSantis: [email protected]
Florida Attorney General – James Uthmeier: [email protected]
State Attorney – Brian Haas: [email protected]
CC – Legislators
Senator Ben Albritton: [email protected]
Senator Colleen Burton: [email protected]
Representative Jennifer Canady: [email protected]
Representative Jennifer Kincart Jonsson: [email protected]
Representative Josie Tomkow: [email protected]
Representative Jon Albert: [email protected]
Representative Judson Sapp: [email protected]
CC – County-Level Officials
Polk County BOCC General Contact: [email protected]
County Manager – Bill Beasley: [email protected]
Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller – Stacy M. Butterfield, CPA: [email protected]
CC – Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Grady Judd: [email protected]
General Contact – PCSO: [email protected]
Director of Communications – Scott Wilder: [email protected]
Animal Control Director – Gordon Scherer: [email protected]
CC – Media Contacts
Robert Anderson (Lakeland Gazette) [email protected]
Chad Mills (ABC Action News): [email protected]
Wendy Ryan (WFTS Tampa Bay): [email protected]
Carla Bayron (FOX 13 Tampa): [email protected]
Paul Nutcher (The Ledger): [email protected]
¹ Media coverage includes:
Lakeland Gazette has done more than 50 articles and letters to the editor since 2022 lakelandgazette.info
08/20/2025, Tampa Bay: http://www.tampabay28.com/news/region-polk/bad-dog-sign-at-polk-county-shelter-sparks-anger-from-animal-advocates
08/17/2025, The Ledger: http://www.theledger.com/story/opinion/letters/2025/08/17/do-something-about-polk-county-animal-control-voice-aug-17-2025/85658102007/
08/14/2025, The Ledger: http://www.theledger.com/story/news/politics/elections/local/2025/08/14/animal-welfare-funding-pleas-highlight-polk-legislators-meeting/85614785007/
08/08/2025, The Ledger: http://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2025/08/08/advocates-continue-pressure-on-polk-commission-for-spay-neuter-program/85508168007/
07/15/2025, ABC: http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/polk-county-animal-advocates-demand-urgent-action-on-pet-overpopulation-crisis
07/11/2025, ABC: http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/advocates-will-yet-again-ask-commissioners-for-change-at-polk-co-animal-control
06/04/2025, The Ledger: http://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2025/06/06/advocates-clash-with-polk-commissioners-over-sheriffs-animal-shelter/84046069007/
06/03/2025, FOX13: http://www.fox13news.com/news/animal-welfare-advocates-call-change-amidst-dog-overpopulation-euthanasia-crisis-polk-county
06/03/2025, ABC: http://www.abcactionnews.com/this-is-a-crisis-advocates-push-polk-county-commissioners-for-change-at-embattled-county-shelter
05/05/2025, ABC: http://www.abcactionnews.com/angered-by-report-about-polk-county-shelter-animal-lovers-start-email-campaign
04/29/2025, ABC: ‘So many won’t make it out alive’: Last year, 401 animals died in Polk County shelter’s care; 564 escaped
Sheriff Grady Judd this is on your hands, Sir. A full investigation is needed and expected by us taxpayers.
How do we get this IN FRONT OF Grady -and get this taken care of!!! ???!!!!
Grady knows what is going on and he does not care – he has proven that over and over again.
People got to have their dogs and cats or the world will stop spinning. Seems every senior has at lest one of these animals, or two or three. Guess what, people get tired of tending the things, or too old, and that becomes a tax burden on the residents of Polk County. Sadly animal control becomes the proud keeper of these throw away animals thren someone thinks animal control is not doing a good ‘petting’ job and here it goes with the complaints. Tell me how is this fair to the tax payers trying to raise a family, pay the mortgage, and on the financial the struggle goes.
People got to have their dogs and cats or the world will stop spinning. Seems every senior has at lest one of these animals, or two or three. Guess what, people get tired of tending the things, or too old, and that becomes a tax burden on the residents of Polk County. Sadly animal control becomes the proud keeper of these throw away animals thren someone thinks animal control is not doing a good ‘petting’ job and here it goes with the complaints. Tell me how is this fair to the tax payers trying to raise a family, pay the mortgage, and on the financial the struggle goes. I say let’s get ride of illegals in Polk first.
Braswell is always “passing the buck” He needs to go!
Please come to the BOCC Meeting on Sept 2nd in Bartow.
I feel what they are doing is absolutely disgusting and ignoring the situation is disgraceful to all the people that have voted to elect these people into office. It’s extremely shameful that we are not doing what is right and not even trying to work towards a better outcome and community for these animals.