VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Halifax Humane Society is ending its contract with Volusia County and its cities, meaning it will no longer accept dangerous animals from around the area.
For nearly 40 years, city and county animal control teams have brought stray animals, dogs that have bitten people, and animals awaiting dangerous dog evaluations or rabies quarantine to its facility.
Starting Oct. 1, Halifax Humane will stop taking in those animals for dangerous behavior. Halifax Humane said it will still occasionally assist with stray animals until 2027, giving the county time to build its own shelter.
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“Of Florida’s 67 counties, there are only nine counties in the entire state that don’t have their own government-run animal shelter,” explained Sean Hawkins, CEO of Halifax Humane.
Volusia is the largest of those nine counties.
Hawkins said 62% of animals coming into Halifax Humane are strays, many with behavioral or medical issues.
“We invest between $700 and $800 in every dog and cat coming through the building to get them ready for adoption and the municipal and county contracts don’t cover but a tiny fraction of that cost,” he said.
Hawkins said his team started discussions with the county about ending the contract in late spring.
Halifax Humane said stopping those services will allow the nonprofit to focus more on helping residents with their pets.
“What we’re going to be doing differently is providing services like public dog training classes, providing access to veterinary care, so affordable low-cost, no-cost veterinary services,” Hawkins said.
The shelter’s medical team said these services are vital to keeping animals off the street.
“A lot of people are struggling to afford those costs and have an animal and food and everything like that,” said Allison Bliss, director of Medicine at Halifax Humane.
Volusia County said it has identified a location in DeLand to lease for animal intake, costing no more than about $90,000 a year.
A county spokesperson sent News 6 the following statement:
“Volusia County has maintained a partnership with Halifax Humane Society for more than six decades. Their decision to abruptly abandon sheltering services was communicated with little lead time, creating planning constraints that necessitated a rapid response on behalf of the County.
Fortunately, the County is in the final process of securing a nearly 4,000-square-foot facility on East International Speedway Boulevard in DeLand to serve as its intake shelter. From unincorporated areas, the new facility will provide housing for dangerous dogs, bite-quarantine cases, rabies exposures, animal cruelty investigations, and stray animals.
Despite the challenges created by the Halifax Humane Society’s choice to vacate its role in our community, Volusia County remains steadfast in its commitment and will continue to move forward in prioritizing public safety and animal welfare."