The Humane Society/SPCA of Sumter County will take over animal adoptions from the county effective Feb. 1 after an agreement was finalized this week.
The agreement, which means a modified role for the county’s Animal Services Department, was announced Tuesday night at a meeting of the Sumter County Commission. Commissioners also approved a new job description for the animal services manager.
Bill Gottschalk, Humane Society president, told the commission he is pleased with the agreement.
“I want to assure the board that we will do everything in our power to make this working relationship a success for everyone, especially for the animals,” he said.
Last month, commissioners voted to end animal adoptions by Animal Services before the Humane Society agreed to take them over. Animal Services now will focus on dangerous animals, nuisance wildlife calls and injured animals.
The county agreed to provide space for its animals and additional time so they can be adopted. The county also will pay spaying and neutering fees for its animals and will lose an estimated $9,000 this year in adoption fees as a result of the change.
Gottschalk said the Humane Society will continue to use a local veterinarian who has worked with Animal Services and will work on offering Saturday adoptions. He said the agreement means that the society will be finding homes for an estimated 500 animals this year.
“We’re looking for additional volunteers,” he said.
Commissioner Doug Gilpin praised the agreement as an ideal public-private partnership.
“It’s not only going to help the citizens of Sumter County,” he said. “It’ll help the Humane Society and it’ll help the animals in Sumter County.”
Gilpin also mentioned animal advocates who have criticized Animal Services at several commission meetings and said he’s glad the county found a positive solution to the issues they raised.
Karen Taylor of Sumter County FL Animal Advocates, who also attended the meeting, said she supports the change.
“I’m very excited about working with the Humane Society,” she told commissioners. “Hopefully, we can work together and save even more animals.”