{"id":56040,"date":"2025-06-03T20:26:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T00:26:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=56040"},"modified":"2025-06-03T20:30:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T00:30:01","slug":"advocates-push-polk-county-commissioners-for-change-at-county-animal-shelter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2025\/06\/03\/advocates-push-polk-county-commissioners-for-change-at-county-animal-shelter\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocates push Polk County commissioners for change at county animal shelter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Last year animals died in Polk County shelter’s care in addition to the thousands killed by euthanasia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Wearing purple ribbons on their lapels, dozens of people called out of work or adjusted their plans to attend a Tuesday morning meeting of the Polk County Board of County Commissioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a crisis, and we as a county must do better,\u201d one of them, Kay Bourke, told commissioners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to records from the University of Florida\u2019s Department of Veterinary Medicine, the Polk County shelter\u2019s \u201cLive Outcome Rate\u201d was 58% in 2024, which means 42% of animals did not leave the county shelter alive.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

However, that wasn\u2019t the 2024 statistic that raised the biggest red flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, 401 dogs and cats combined died in the shelter for reasons not related to euthanasia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, 564 animals escaped from the shelter. The vast majority of those escapees were cats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you look around the state, those numbers are higher than in many other counties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent former employee of Polk County Animal Control, who asked for his identity be concealed out of fear of retaliation, said he is still haunted by what he saw, heard, and smelled while at Polk County Animal Control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI go to bed. I pray. I pray for every single one of those dogs. I know so many won\u2019t make it out alive,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s the hard part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One month later, dozens from across Polk County \u2014 from Lakeland to Bartow, Fort Meade to Haines City \u2014 attended the commission meeting to request more oversight, more accountability, and better outcomes at Polk County Animal Control.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a failure of leadership that falls squarely on your shoulders,\u201d said Eve Salimbene, the President of the Street Cat Project of Polk County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commissioners, however, were quick to disagree.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Polk County Sheriff\u2019s Office and Sheriff Grady Judd run Animal Control, and even though the county commission signs off on the sheriff\u2019s annual budget, and therein the budget for Animal Control, Commissioner Bill Braswell ducked any responsibility or control of the department\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know the sheriff\u2019s in charge,\u201d he told the room. \u201cFor whatever reason, you guys think, because the budget comes through the [Board of County Commissioners], that we have some oversight. Nothing could be further from the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t consult with the sheriff about his budget. They\u2019re independent. They\u2019re elected. The sheriff runs Animal Control, and he will continue to run Animal Control the way he sees fit,\u201d Braswell continued.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Braswell <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cBraswell was very rude and cut us off and said we needed to talk to the sheriff because they have no authority over animal control. Which is a lie. Wilson let everyone registered talk but they were really not listening and would allow no comments afterward. We opened the door. We need to continue to apply pressure every month.\u201d Said Misty Freeman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI went to a Polk County Government Florida Board of Commissioners meeting this morning to discuss and support citizens speaking out about animal welfare in the county. Disgusting experience. No one was allowed to ask questions and they were rude. Especially Bill Braswell who told everyone they were wasting their time and was very happy about the 5 mil Sheriff Judd Sorent on an airplane (??). Rick Wilson mentioned time and again that he has spoken to members of the group previously and this meeting wasn\u2019t an effective use of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Excuse me but if you\u2019ve heard this before where are the Ordinance changes for Backyard breeding, TNVR, tethering?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where IS the best place within the government to discuss the citizens concerns with Polk County Animal Control if they aren\u2019t? Grady Judd won\u2019t listen and he certainly won\u2019t do anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polk County has deplorable conditions, horrendous live release rates, and is living in 1970. ASV guidelines have probably never even been heard of. They don\u2019t foster. Volunteers aren\u2019t allowed their phones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we change this?\u201d by Ailigh Vanderbush<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, animal advocates challenged that assertion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cY\u2019all have the power to enact ordinances, don\u2019t you?\u201d one speaker, David Butler, asked the commission. \u201cYou can enact an ordinance to change the Animal Control shelter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the roughly two dozen who spoke, the animal advocates generally called for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • A more robust spay\/neuter program in Polk County<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • An expanded voucher program that will allow more to spay\/neuter their pets<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) program to manage Polk County\u2019s feral cat population<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • An independent oversight committee to provide more accountability at Polk County Animal Control<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A more robust use of social media to increase adoptions at the county shelter<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Descriptions of animals\u2019 behaviors and traits to improve the adoption rate<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A more fast-tracked process of vetting and accepting volunteers at the county shelter<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A measure to ban the tethering of dogs in Polk County<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe are not here to assign blame,\u201d said Angie Lorio, the co-founder of the Polk County Bully Project. \u201cWe are here to ask for bold leadership and offer constructive solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"
    Wilson <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    After most of the crowd spoke, Commission Chair Rick Wilson offered a commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe\u2019ll talk about it, discuss it, and one-on-one with Grady or whatever. But we understand. We\u2019ve heard the same thing over and over and over,\u201d he said. \u201cWe get it. We\u2019re going to do what we can and go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But until change happens, many in the room said they will continue to use their voices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sheriff Judd is a chicken shit neither he nor his command staff were in attendance as Polk County Animal Control was scrutinized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So far, the sheriff\u2019s office has rejected the criticism and defended its record at Animal Control.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"
    Scott Wilder, the Director of Communications for the Polk County Sheriff\u2019s Office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    \u201cAnimals at our facility are well-cared for by animal control members who love animals and work hard every day to make a difference,\u201d Scott Wilder, the Director of Communications for the Polk County Sheriff\u2019s Office, wrote in an email. \u201cThis is truly a labor of love for our members. They work hard to care for, save, and adopt pets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wilder said the Polk County Sheriff\u2019s Office would not tolerate a TNVR program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201c[TNVR] colonies attract more intact cats (that continue to breed) because of the food provided to these colonies,\u201d Wilder wrote. \u201cFeral and at-large cats don\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wilder said the sheriff\u2019s office is also helping SPCA Florida raise money for a spay\/neuter program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s hard to believe the lies that the sheriff\u2019s office is spewing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In multiple instances, Lakeland Gazette<\/em> requested an interview with the sheriff\u2019s office and access to shoot video inside the shelter to independently verify conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, the Polk County Sheriff\u2019s Office has repeatedly declined that request and did so again on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Last year animals died in Polk County shelter’s care in addition to the thousands killed by euthanasia. Wearing purple ribbons on their lapels, dozens of people called out of work… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"12","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":true,"token":"eyJpbWciOiJodHRwczpcL1wvaTAud3AuY29tXC9sYWtlbGFuZGdhemV0dGUuaW5mb1wvbmV3c1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNVwvMDZcLzQ0OTk0MjkxNV8xMDE2MTk4NTQ2NDExNDI0MF82MjM0NDExOTAwNjM5NjQ0OTk2X24ud2VicD9maXQ9MjMyJTJDMzAwJnNzbD0xIiwidHh0IjoiQWR2b2NhdGVzIHB1c2ggUG9sayBDb3VudHkgY29tbWlzc2lvbmVycyBmb3IgY2hhbmdlIGF0IGNvdW50eSBhbmltYWwgc2hlbHRlciIsInRlbXBsYXRlIjoiaGlnaHdheSIsImJsb2dfaWQiOjE2MzA0MDY2MX0.By9ISBWRksSjxLxnUrPHikBRGFK5WSjOp-bahKWLeN8MQ"},"version":2,"attached_media":[{"id":56042,"url":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/449942915_10161985464114240_6234411900639644996_n.webp","type":"image\/webp"}]},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[12,14],"tags":[11596],"class_list":["post-56040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","category-news","tag-advocates-push-polk-county-commissioners-for-change-at-county-animal-shelter"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56040"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56051,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56040\/revisions\/56051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}