Since 1937, the Halifax Humane Society has stood as our community’s trusted partner in protecting and caring for animals. Our organization has evolved with the times, expanding services to help pets and people, investing in new facilities, and championing responsible pet ownership.
As we continue to move forward with our lifesaving mission, we are not only helping and healing more animals but also supporting people who care deeply about their pets and cannot access services to care for them.
Some have raised concerns about Halifax Humane Society’s stray animal sheltering services. Specifically, claims that we are no longer sheltering stray animals or that we have not provided sufficient notice to Volusia County and the municipalities we serve.
Let us be clear: neither statement is true. In fact, our planned transition to return the responsibility for housing and disposition of stray animals to local government agencies reflects months of thoughtful dialogue, detailed planning, and an even stronger commitment to help animals in need throughout our community.
We are currently in the process of renewing contracts with Volusia County and our municipal partners, and we have presented updated agreements for continuing the vast majority of the sheltering services we provide to them. Our role is not shrinking; it is sharpening. Promoting a government-run stray animal shelter approach follows a proven model already in place in 58 of Florida’s 67 counties that is recognized as a best practice nationwide for public safety, rabies control and disease prevention.
With the government initially housing stray animals, Halifax Humane Society’s veterinary medical and credentialed animal behavior experts would then evaluate stray animals for pet adoptability criteria like disease, bite history and aggression. We aim to bring adoptable pets to our animal shelter, where they can be placed in loving homes. These services are in addition to those we provide to prevent stray animals in our community from entering shelters at all.
Our commitment to accepting healthy, adoptable pets into our animal shelter remains unchanged. In fact, we will increase our capacity to care for and place adoptable pets as soon as this transition goes into effect this fall. We can do this by reinvesting donor funds into programs that prevent homeless animals in the first place and strengthen our community overall. These programs include expanding our low-cost spay and neuter services for dogs and cats, launching a comprehensive lost pet reunification initiative, and operating a new community veterinary hospital to provide accessible and affordable veterinary care for pets across Volusia County.
Suggestions that this transition came without notice are simply inaccurate. Since April, our team has worked directly with Volusia County staff and municipal leaders to coordinate these changes. Our goal has always been to collaborate in building a sustainable framework that prioritizes both public health and animal welfare. We remain open, responsible, and collaborative with all partners to ensure the transition is smooth and successful. As president and vice president of the board of directors for Halifax Humane Society, we can assure you our organization has never wavered in its mission. We will always be the best place in our region to adopt healthy, great pets. But there is still so much more work to be done. Families need affordable veterinary care. Pet owners need accessible resources to keep their animals at home. Residents need modern solutions that prevent animals from ever entering a shelter in the first place. This is what our planned transition represents: a bold step forward, not a retreat. We are not turning away from our responsibility. We are reimagining how to achieve our mission in a way that best serves everyone for decades to come. Halifax Humane Society is here to stay, here to serve, and here to lead. We ask for your partnership and your trust as we take this critical step forward for the animals and families of Volusia County.
Mike Leonard, President, Board of Directors, Halifax Humane Society
Nancy Lohman, Vice President, Board of Directors, Halifax Humane Society
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Halifax Humane Society board members say plenty of notice was given regarding changes
Reporting by Nancy Lohman, Mike Leonard / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
