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Santa Rosa County Working To Decrease Shelter's Euthanasia Rate

Jennie McKeon, WUWF Public Media
/
WUWF

The Santa Rosa County Animal Shelter has one of the highest euthanasia rates in the state of Florida.

But it doesn’t have to be that way, says resident Brandi Winkleman.

Winkleman is the founder of A Hope for Santa Rosa County, a nonprofit geared toward lowering the euthanasia rate at the shelter. Her ultimate goal is to open a low-cost spay and neuter clinic in the county.

“We’re dumping them at the shelter thinking ‘Oh they’ll be fine. They’ll get adopted out,’” she said. “We can make different choices. We’re better than this.”

Last month, Winkleman made a presentation to the Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners. According to data she compiled, the shelter’s euthanasia rate was at 67 percent for 2017 — the highest of all the counties in Florida. 

That number made an impact on county officials.

At this week's commissioner meeting, Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Director Brad Baker said the county is working on implementing some changes to animal services including a new volunteer and foster program. The county has also sent a request for proposal for a part-time veterinarian.

Perhaps the most pivotal change the county decided to make was updating their policy to lift the canine breed discrimination. Starting Oct. 1, dogs brought to the shelter will be judged on their temperament, not their breed. The news was met with positive praise on social media.

“I’m ecstatic,” Winkleman said about the changes. “It feels good that I was heard, not just by the community, but the commissioners. These changes will save a lot of lives.”

At the end of October, the animal shelter consulting firm, Team Shelter USA, will spend a week assessing the county shelter, which will help formulate a “long-term strategy,” Baker said at the meeting.

Winkleman has been volunteering her time to decrease the county’s euthanasia rate for years before establishing the nonprofit last September. She says the blame shouldn’t be on the shelter.

“It’s definitely a community issue,” she said. “The community needs to be aware and step up and take care of their pets instead of using our small shelter as a dumping ground."

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At Monday’s meeting, Baker said the shelter is often at capacity. Last week, the shelter took in 130 animals — 43 dogs, 16 puppies, 51 cats, and 20 kittens. The week before that, they took in 121 animals — 38 dogs, two puppies, 66 cats, and 15 kittens. The shelter currently has 81 dog kennels and 62 cat kennels.

“In two weeks, we took in well beyond the capacity of our shelter and that’s not counting the 142 that were already in the shelter at the start of that two weeks,” he said. “It’s a never-ending cycle we must break.”

Spaying and neutering animals is a primary goal for Winkleman. Cats and kittens are especially vulnerable at the county shelter with a 90 percent euthanasia rate. Which is why Winkleman has been working to establish TNR — trap, neuter, release — programs throughout the county to decrease the cat population. Milton established its TNR program in January and Winkleman is currently working with the City of Gulf Breeze. 

"It’s estimated in this county alone we have over 30,000 feral cats,” she said. “The densest area of feral cats is actually in Navarre. Without the county being on board with TNR program, they’re just going to keep procreating and it’s going to get worse and worse.”

Credit A Hope for Santa Rosa County
Winkleman's son, Jayden, gets kennels ready for transport to Operation Spay Bay in Panama City.

With A Hope for Santa Rosa County, Winkleman transports cats and dogs to Operation Spay Bay in Panama City to receive low-cost spaying and neutering. More than 800 animals have been fixed in the past year thanks to the service, including feral cats.

The nonprofit was recently awarded a grant from Florida Animal Friends that provide spaying and neutering for feral cats for $25 which includes distemper and rabies vaccinations as well as microchipping. 

Winkleman said she is always looking for new ways to reduce shelter intake, whether it’s helping pet owners cope with a hyper dog or providing food. In November, A Hope for Santa Rosa County will officially open their Paw Pad Pet Pantry, which will provide a 30-day supply of cat or dog food for clients.

“This has been happening for years in our county,” she said. “Everybody needs to participate and everybody needs to hear what’s going on.”

For more information, visit www.ahope4src.comYou can drop off donations of dog and cat food at A Hope for Santa Rosa County's office, located at 5755 Washington St. in Milton. 

Jennie joined WUWF in 2018 as digital content producer and reporter.