By Street Cat Project of Polk County
𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀, we have asked County Attorney Randy Mink, on several different occasions and via several different contact methods, what provision allows Polk County Animal Control officers to ban the public from feeding street cats. So far, Attorney Mink has refused to answer.
There is no 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 Ordinance that bans 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 outside 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝘀. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲, even though city ordinances vary significantly. Only certain municipalities have adopted such feeding=ownership provisions—e.g., Mulberry, Winter Haven, and Polk City.
Not Lakeland, Bartow, Haines City, Lake Wales, Auburndale, Lake Hamilton, etc.
MULBERRY – WINTER HAVEN – POLK CITY
IF feeding converts into ownership after a defined period AND Ownership carries a legal duty of care. Directing an owner to “𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚” 
instructs them to withhold care from an animal they legally own, creating exposure under 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 §𝟴𝟮𝟴.𝟭𝟮 
(animal cruelty).
LAKELAND – BARTOW – HAINES CITY – LAKE WALES – AUBURNDALE, ETC.
IF feeding does 𝗡𝗢𝗧 create ownership, absent ownership, there is no lawful basis to demand tags, vaccines, or owner compliance.
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲, even though city ordinances vary significantly.
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗨𝗘
Feeding Street Cats is legal in Polk County
Only some cities convert feeding into ownership
Enforcement is being applied as if all cities are governed identically
This reflects a policy and enforcement failure and appears to exceed the scope of the law
Would it not be more appropriate to redirect Animal Control enforcement resources toward individuals who are actually abusing or neglecting animals—those who are starving them and clearly violating the law—rather than toward residents attempting to provide basic care for Street Cats.
If you have cats in your yard or neighborhood, and they are healthy – feed them, fix them and leave them alone to live their lives. DO NOT TRAP THEM AND TAKE THEM TO ANIMAL CONTROL WHERE THEY RISK BEING KILLED. In 2025 Polk Animal Control killed 3,487 potentially healthy or treatable cats.
DONATIONS ARE GREATLY NEEDED TO KEEP US HELPING THE CATS OF POLK COUNTY RECEIVE VET CARE.
Website: www.streetcatproject.org
Donor program: https://givebutter.com/52rBJG
Cash App: #TNRinPolk
Paypal: $streetcatproject
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