Officials from Flagler County and the city of Palm Coast met Wednesday, Aug. 6, and tried again to come up with a plan that would relieve overcrowding at the county’s only animal shelter, but were unsuccessful.
The county has considered the idea of building a new shelter or expanding capacity at the existing, nonprofit Flagler Humane Society shelter. Discussions have gone on for a year.
“At some point, we have to stop talking about it and do something,” said District 1 Council Member Ty Miller during a joint county and city workshop. “Because we have been talking about it for a while. We’ve been talking about it for as long as I’ve been on our (Palm Coast) board…At some point, we need to get serious about creating a plan and then going down that road.”
Animals that are picked up by animal control services are usually taken to the Flagler Humane Society, which also microchips, neuters, vaccinates, provides dental care, and performs animal surgeries for animals that it takes in.
During the meeting, Palm Coast Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri said they would have to plan for a new shelter in a future fiscal year.
“As soon as we create the plan, that’s when we have to start saving for it,” Miller said. “So if we decide in eight months to do it, then that’s eight months lost, and costs will go up.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler County, Palm Coast officials meet, no solution reached on animal control problem
Reporting by Gabriel Velasquez Neira, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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