The sad eyes of a pair of collies recently looked out of a cage at the Humane Society shelter in Winter Haven. The fluffy, brown-and-white dogs once lived in a home they shared with their owner - and then tragedy struck.
Their owner was displaced. The collies were moved into a yard with another dog. They were not used to living outside. They were not used to sharing space with an aggressive dog. Now, they are caged together at the Humane Society.
"This is really a sad story," says Lisa Burke, executive director of the Humane Society of Polk County Inc.. "But this is also exactly why we are here. With the economy like it is, some people are finding it hard to take care of their animals."
The collies have no idea how lucky they are. The Humane Society is a "no-kill" shelter. The dogs will be well kept until they are adopted. Volunteers play with them, groom them and feed them. Staff members are trying to find a home to place both dogs, but they will adopt them out individually if necessary.
There are several types of animal shelters in Polk County. Some of the facilities are "no-kill" shelters and will take a limited number of animals. Others facilities are charged with keeping the county safe from dangerous animals and must take every animal that comes to them, euthanizing some and adopting out others.
"Unfortunately, we get 28,000 to 30,000 animals on average every year," says Lt. Craig Burke of the Polk County Sheriff's Office Animal Control Division. "We take every animal that is dropped off here as well as those we have to remove. Unlike other places, we have to accept every animal that comes here. That is our job. We are charged with keeping the community safe and clean."
Burke added that a large number of the animals that are euthanized are feral cats.
"Pet owners would really be doing the community, themselves and these animals a favor if they would spay and neuter their pets," Burke says. "We do not like euthanizing animals, but we have no choice."
Feral animals, like woodland creatures, may carry diseases, are destructive and in some cases may become dangerous to people, especially children.
Polk County Animal Control officers evaluate the animals that come through the facility to determine if the animal is adoptable. All animals are kept four days for evaluation and to allow time for anyone to claim a missing animal. If the animal has a collar, microchip or any other means of identity, it will be kept for evaluation for 10 days. This gives the staff ample time to contact the owner before allowing the animal to be adopted or scheduling it for euthanasia.
Anyone interested in adopting a pet from a shelter should contact the facility for criteria concerning the adoption and the fees associated with adoption. Adoption fees generally are $25 to $100 and include all inoculations, medical checks, spay and neutering and microchipping.
