Some proposed changes at ACPS would reduce the number of days strays are held before they are ready for adoption and simplify language about tethering requirements.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville city leaders held another community meeting to discuss community concerns surrounding a recent push for policy change and communication upgrades at Animal Control and Protective Services (ACPS). A bill introduced by Council Member Raul Arias would shorten how long the shelter must hold strays before putting them up for adoption, and make changes to the city’s animal cruelty ordinance.
Since their last meeting, the city IT department has made some changes to ACPS’ website. ACPS Chief Michael Bricker said these changes have been in the works for a while and let people search for pets to adopt more easily and find better information on microchipping.
“We need to do more for our website. Most of our contact all happens through social media, though. Our website does get some hits and I think the more user-friendly it is, the more hits we get, but social media is where most of the people get information about us,” Bricker said.
Bricker also said animals will now be microchipped upon intake.
While animal advocates welcome those changes, they still have concerns about the ordinance.
“We need to think about morals and compassion instead of the easy way out,” Karen Hayte, who runs the Lost Pets of Jacksonville Facebook page, explained.
The ordinance would change some of the language in the city’s code when it comes to tethering and housing animals. Bricker said they want to simplify the language and make it easier for both residents and animal control officers to understand.
But advocates like Vickie Nelson, who helps with the Lost Pets of Jacksonville page, worry the ordinance will be too vague when it comes time to hold people accountable for hurting an animal.
“It seems more like taking out all the verbiage of the size and weight of chains and the type of shelter makes it pretty gray,” Nelson said.
The ordinance would also make changes to the stray hold policy. Right now, strays are held for six days before they can be put up for adoption. The ordinance would change this to three days. Bricker said 67% of dogs are reclaimed in three days.
“They think after three days that animal’s going to be lost, it’s going to be euthanized or something like that, when the fact of the matter is that animal’s going to a happy, healthy home,” Bricker explained. “So it’s the quickest way to get an animal from our shelter, where it’s scary, smelly, sometimes dark. It’s just not the place for a dog or cat to be. So the sooner we can get them into an adoptive home, the better.”
Advocates are not convinced, though. They believe reducing the length of stray holds will only hurt the families who lost their dogs.
“It’s not helpful for the dog nor is it helpful for the pet owner that is trying to find their dog because a dog doesn’t get lost and go directly to a shelter, there’s lots of days in between before a dog may even get to the shelter,” Holly Walter said.
Arias has asked for ACPS to compile their data and research so he can discuss it with council members in committee meetings next week.
“I know some of them already came to some of my public notice meetings, but this will be the first time that they actually have an input, so I’m kind of leaving the ball in their court now to see if they make any other changes or any amendments to this piece of legislation because, ultimately, there’s 19 of us and I think we all have a say in this to make it a lot better,” Arias explained.