SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla – Seminole County Animal Services has halted its “diversion” program designed to give people resources instead of just surrendering their pets.
The idea is to find other solutions for pet owners who may be struggling to pay for food or vaccines, so animals can stay with their families and out of the already crowded shelter. But local animal rescues say they’re now the ones taking calls about the animals the county is diverting.
At a recent county commission meeting, several nonprofit leaders, volunteers, and community members voiced their concerns about what’s happening at the shelter.
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“They are selectively taking in highly adoptable cats and dogs and eliminating the shelter as a resource for residents,” said Kris Buchanan with T.E.A.R.S. of Seminole County. “By the time a person has decided to bring an animal to a shelter they are out of options.”
Alan Harris, the director of Emergency Management for Seminole County which oversees the county’s animal shelter, says they’ve heard the feedback loud and clear.
“Very clearly from the reports that we’ve gotten back from some groups, it may not have been an appropriate launch,” said Harris. “So, with any new program, any new thought, any new procedure, we’re going to look at it. We’re going to get the commission’s idea also what they want to do moving forward.”
After listening to public comment at the Aug. 27 meeting, Chairman Jay Zembower urged local animal groups to be patient.
“We have seen your emails. We have fielded your phone calls. We are aware,” Zembower said. “Let us do our due diligence.”
Buchanan says there are aspects of the county’s diversion program that are good.
“Offer food if that can keep an animal in the home. Absolutely. Or if they’re moving and they’re finding a hard time finding a place with their animal, by all means offer those resources,” Buchanan said. “But when those resources aren’t panning out for somebody, then you’ve got to take the animal in.”
Buchanan says her rescue and others are now fielding calls.
“You know, we work on a shoestring budget. We’ve got a limited number of foster homes,” Buchanan said.
Seminole County maintains they do operate an open shelter.
“We are the safety net,” Harris said. “If there is no other place for an individual to go, if they get evicted from their home, if they get sick and go into the hospital and there is no one else to take care of their animal, their animal comes here.”
Since the diversion program started in February, the shelter has lowered its intake numbers. Data posted publicly on the animal services website shows they took in a total of 3,021 animals between February and August this year. They took in 3,956 and 4,304 during the same time period in 2023 and 2022.
Other counties struggling with capacity have found success with their own diversion programs. Orange County Animal Services says fewer animals were surrendered by their owners after they implemented a diversion program last year.
“The animal services division is often a no-win scenario, whether it’s one group or another group they often have competing ideas in the way things should go,” Harris said. “We are constantly trying to improve here, and while a program may work somewhere else it may not work as well here, or it may need to be tweaked for this particular area, and we’re going to continue to try to provide the best type of service that we can for our animals.”
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