When animal lovers in Polk County, Fla., donned purple ribbons and converged on a morning meeting of the County Commissioners, they weren’t there to discuss zoning permits or potholes.
They were there to speak up for the dogs and cats who have endured a grim reality at Polk County Animal Control: 401 shelter deaths not related to euthanasia in 2024, thousands more put down, and a staggering 564 animals who managed to stage jailbreaks.
“This is a crisis, and we as a county must do better,” Kay Bourke told the commissioners, her voice echoing in the boardroom.
Kay’s appeal came just a month after an ABC Action News report highlighted the shelter’s troubling “Live Outcome Rate” of 58%—meaning 42% of animals did not leave the county shelter alive.
A former Animal Control employee, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation, said the memories still haunt him.
“I go to bed. I pray. I pray for every single one of those dogs. I know so many won’t make it out alive,” he said, referring to the dogs he saw perish under the shelter’s watch.
Representatives from all corners of Polk County—Lakeland, Bartow, Fort Meade, and Haines City—spoke for about two hours, calling for stronger oversight and accountability.
“This is a failure of leadership that falls squarely on your shoulders,” declared Eve Salimbene, President of the Street Cat Project of Polk County, to a room buzzing with emotional intensity.
Yet when it came to who actually runs Animal Control, commissioners like Bill Braswell were quick to wash their hands.
“You know the sheriff’s in charge,” he said. “For 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.”
His message was clear: Animal Control falls under Sheriff Grady Judd, not the commissioners.
Advocates countered that sentiment, insisting the board can still set policies.
David Butler asked, “Y’all have the power to enact ordinances, don’t you?
You can enact an ordinance to change the Animal Control shelter.”
Several speakers offered constructive solutions, including:
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A more robust spay/neuter program
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An expanded voucher system to help pet owners afford sterilization
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A Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (TNVR) program for feral cats
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Creation of an independent oversight committee
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Better use of social media to boost adoptions
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Detailed descriptions of animals’ behaviors to match them with adopters
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Faster vetting of volunteers
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A ban on tethering dogs
“We are not here to assign blame,” said Angie Lorio, co-founder of the Polk County Bully Project, “We are here to ask for bold leadership and offer constructive solutions.”
Commission Chair Rick Wilson promised to talk to Sheriff Judd and pursue reforms.
“We’ll talk about it, discuss it, and one-on-one with Grady or whatever. But we understand. We’ve heard the same thing over and over and over,” he said. “We get it. We’re going to do what we can and go from there.”
Still, progress hinges on Sheriff Judd’s cooperation. Neither he nor his command staff attended the meeting.
Instead, Sheriff’s Office Director of Communications Scott Wilder defended Animal Control in a written statement:
“Animals at our facility are well-cared for by animal control members who love animals and work hard every day to make a difference. This is truly a labor of love for our members. They work hard to care for, save, and adopt pets.”
On the contentious topic of TNVR, Wilder emphasized:
“[TNVR] colonies attract more intact cats (that continue to breed) because of the food provided to these colonies. Feral and at-large cats don’t 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.”
Wilder also noted that the sheriff’s office is partnering with SPCA Florida to raise money for spay/neuter programs.
Meanwhile, ABC Action News has repeatedly requested to film inside the shelter and interview the sheriff’s office to independently verify conditions—requests that have so far been denied.
As animal advocates continue to push for change, the county faces a simple choice: stitch up the holes in a beleaguered system, or risk watching these four-legged constituents fall through yet another crack.
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