NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – Volunteers in Nassau County are calling on county leaders to step in and make changes at the county’s animal shelter. They say it’s short-staffed, not being cleaned properly, and some animals are going without care.
Both volunteers and county officials had a lot to say on the subject during Monday night’s county commission meeting.
Volunteers described what they say are serious problems at the shelter and even shared photos and videos to prove it’s a recurring issue.
“I have documented multiple instances of neglect that are not isolated mistakes but a consistent pattern,” volunteer Lexus Harrison said. “Kittens have been left overnight in cages without litter boxes because staff forgot to place them inside. I have seen a kitten bleeding during intake testing only to be placed back in its cage without proper care.”
Another volunteer expressed concern about a lack of activity for the dogs.
“Dogs do not get to play, socialize or walk around the grounds if not for volunteers. Some dogs do not get out of their kennels for two to three days,” the volunteer said.
In a video shared with News4JAX from volunteers, dogs can be seen walking around in their feces. Another video shows several kennels with dogs next to urine.
But county commissioners pushed back when they addressed the concerns, acknowledging that they’ve received dozens of emails, but that they disagree with the depiction of conditions in the shelter.
“I’ve been to the shelter; I think these people that run our shelter do a very, very good job. I disagree with people who came up and spoke in opposition,” one commissioner said.
The county countered claims about unsanitary conditions, saying kennels are cleaned regularly and animals receive medical care when needed.
“Negativity is hard to combat with what we’re trying to do. Are there problems with the shelter? Possibly. Yes. There are some conditions that we have to work on,” one commissioner said. “But there are effective communication ways to get to those solutions.”
But one volunteer posted about the conditions on social media, claiming it led to infections among animals.
In response to questions from News4JAX about dirty kennels, the county sent this statement before Monday night’s meeting:
Yes, the cleaning of the kennels is adequate. Initial cleaning begins three hours of opening to the public. If necessary, the cleaning will continue until completed. Cleaning continues throughout the day and only ends when NCAS closes but resumes again the next morning.
Sabrina W. Robertson | Communications Officer Nassau County, FL|Board of County Commissioners
In response to our question about upper respiratory infections and outbreaks, they replied:
NCAS does not have frequent outbreaks of parvo. Animals can develop an upper respiratory infection for a number of reasons; however they are immediately treated. The majority of animals that end up in shelters have medical issues when they arrive due to not being taken care of prior to entry into the shelter.
Sabrina W. Robertson | Communications Officer Nassau County, FL|Board of County Commissioners