VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A new list of fees is in place at Volusia County Animal Services as part of a plan to take over animal shelter responsibilities.
On Tuesday, the county council adopted the revised fee schedule, with fees for spay and neuter surgeries rising. A large dog neuter, for instance, will now cost $100, up from $65. Adoption fees for cats and senior dogs would drop to $25. Owner reclamation fees for unaltered pets picked up as strays would start at $100.
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A Volusia County spokesperson issued this statement to News 6 Thursday:
“Animal Services’ fees were updated to account for sheltering costs and other essential care provided to pets in our custody. The revised structure balances fiscal responsibility with community needs by ensuring fees are consistent with actual service costs. Even with these changes, our pricing remains lower than that of many low-cost veterinary clinics and the private market. Our priority is to strike a balance between affordability for residents and the resources needed to care for animals safely and responsibly.”
County officials say the changes are necessary as they plan to open a temporary intake facility in DeLand.
The county originally utilized Halifax Humane Society to shelter stray animals; however, that contract will end in a few weeks.
Halifax Humane Society CEO Sean Hawkins said the agency informed the county back in April that it would stop accepting dangerous animals and bite quarantines in its new contract.
Hawkins said Halifax planned to continue taking in non-dangerous strays until 2027, but on Sept. 12, the county informed him that it would end its contract with Halifax on Oct. 1.
“Of Florida’s 67 counties, there are only nine counties in the entire state that don’t have their own government-run animal shelter,” Hawkins explained to News 6’s Molly Reed in August. Volusia County is one of them.
Hawkins said continuing to take in dangerous animals or those needing quarantine presented outsized liability and financial challenges for the group. Halifax Humane Society last year took in some 5,000 animals, and only 400 were dangerous. But those animals required more medical and behavioral care, and more logistical considerations.
The group had created a webpage to explain it to the community. Halifax said it invited community members to work on solutions.
Hawkins said Halifax will continue to accept non-dangerous strays for five cities in the county, including Daytona Beach.