A Culture Of Caring

A few weeks ago, luck played a part in Highlands County Animal Control adopting out a little dog named "Princess" just 27 minutes after its owner had to surrender it because she was moving into a health care facility.

But luck is not involved in the agency's recent dramatic increase in saving dogs and cats from euthanasia by finding them new homes or transfer to a rescue group.

Teri Dosil, animal caretaker, reports that in the past eight weeks, 180 animals have been either adopted or sent to no-kill rescue organizations.

By comparison, only 57 animals were saved through adoption/rescue for the entire 2006-07 fiscal year.

"We have a lot of really fine animals we can adopt, and it (adoption efforts) is turning around, things are coming together," said Darryl Scott, who took over as director of Animal Control in February 2007.

"For so long," he added, "many people thought of Highlands County Animal Control as the 'black hole' for animals, that any animal that came here was killed.

"We're changing that outlook. People don't see it that way now, more and more people are finding out this is a place where they can come and adopt animals."

Scott said the increase in adoptions and rescue transfers has been a team effort, but much of the credit has to go to Dosil, who came to Animal Control a year ago with a background in animal care at a veterinarian clinic and volunteer work as a state licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

"She just has a really big heart and she really goes out of her way to push it (adoptions)," Scott said. "And she has a tremendous network with animal care and rescue groups."

Barbara Clark, president of The Humane Society of Highlands County, located next to Animal Control on Haywood Taylor Boulevard, said her group has been working closely with Animal Control to increase adoptions by both organizations.

The humane society is accepting as many adoptable dogs from Animal Control as it has space for, she said, and refers people to the county agency when they can't find the dog or cat they're looking for.

"We have no reservations on referring people to Animal Control whatsoever," she said.

"Before Darryl Scott came on board," Clark added, "it was pretty much a 'hold-and-turn' operation, animals were held until it was their turn to be 'put down.' There wasn't a big emphasis on adoptions.

"With Darryl there, and now with Teri on board, you can see the focus is to save animals. He's changed the whole culture of Animal Control."

On Wednesday, Scott received the architectural drawings for a new set of dog pens, which he hopes to see under construction within 45 to 60 days. The new pens, he said, will allow the separation of new dogs brought in from those being held for adoption.

Getting the word out about adoptable animals at Animal Control has been crucial in increasing adoptions, Scott said. Stories and photos in Highlands Today have helped, he said, and so has radio personality John Meder featuring a dog or cat up for adoption every weekday on his "Meder in the Morning" show on WWOJ-99.1 FM.

Another factor, Scott said, has been veterinarian Wendell Anderson accepting the county's $55 spay-neuter voucher for every adopted dog and cat as full payment for the operations.

"That is helping tremendously," Scott said.

Clark said the humane society and Animal Control have developed "a great working relationship."

"When you can work together," she added, "it benefits the animals and it benefits the community, because people don't lose the chance to take in a pet, a new family member."

Dosil said she's hoping adoptions and rescues will keep increasing for one reason.

Whether dogs and cats come in as strays or were surrendered by their owners, she said, "I feel they deserve a chance to have a good life."