County teams up with Volusia cities to address animal issues

Posted On: November 17, 2020

Volusia County Animal Services has six animal control officers and a field supervisor to serve the public, enforce laws pertaining to animals, provide programs to promote responsible pet ownership and investigate abuse, cruelty or neglect. Until recently, however, Animal Services had no authority to operate outside of the unincorporated areas of Volusia County.

But that has all changed. Now, for eight of the cities in Volusia County, help from the county to deal with animal issues is just a phone call away. On Tuesday, the Volusia County Council approved the latest in a series of inter-local agreements the county has signed with local cities that allows Volusia County Animal Services to provide assistance to those cities when needed.

For Volusia County Animal Services Director Adam Leath, it’s all about the cities and county working together and sharing resources in order to provide the best and most efficient services possible without regard to jurisdictional boundaries.

“Volusia County Animal Services strives to ensure the welfare of both people and pets across the county,” said Leath. “These agreements allow us to extend our lifesaving work into areas where resources are needed.”

Leath received permission from the County Council in April to negotiate the agreements. Since then, the council has approved agreements with Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach, Pierson, Ponce Inlet and Port Orange. And on Tuesday, the County Council added Holly Hill to the list. Leath hopes the other eight cities in the county will decide to join in too.

Under the agreements, the cities retain jurisdiction over animal services within their boundaries. But if they encounter a situation where additional resources are needed or city personnel aren’t available – situations such as animal fighting, dangerous dogs, seizure or impoundment of animals, a criminal investigation involving animals or an animal search and rescue operation – the agreements allow the cities to ask for the county’s help. Already, since the first agreements were approved on July 21, the county has provided assistance in Daytona Beach, Pierson and Deltona.

“Our residents can be assured that when situations involving animals arise, these agreements ensure that the resources of both the cities and the county work together to address the public’s concerns,” said Leath.

The agreements work both ways, allowing the county to ask participating cities for help if needed. Leath said that will be particularly useful during declared emergencies when Volusia County Animal Services needs additional resources to establish and staff pet and pet-friendly shelters.

The agreements also give participating cities the right to use Volusia County Animal Services’ spay/neuter, pet vaccination and licensing programs. Residents in those cities who qualify can take advantage of the county’s low-cost pet spaying and neutering program. Cities with signed inter-local agreements also can utilize the county’s trap-neuter-return program for community cats.