Hernando County Animal Services is operating out of a facility that is over 20 years old.  The building needs several costly improvements to ensure a safe, clean, and healthy environment for the animals in their care - not ceilings falling down, rats infesting the food and cages of animals, unsafe kennels with rusty and broken wires, etc.

Hernando County Animal Services has not had any improvements in the environment/care of the animals in their care since the building was erected in 2001.  The County Commissioners do not adequately fund this service for a county that has seen a population growth of over 16% since 2010.  The number of humans and animals in this county has grown exponentially, yet Animal Services are at the bottom of the budget/concern. 

Here are some facts:

-Hernando County's animal population has grown by at least 75,000 since 2010

-Animal Services has 58 total kennels - none of these are designated for sick/injured animals or animals requiring isolation

-Personnel expenses outnumber operating expenses by over $500k

-Hernando County's annual budget for 2022-23 is $622M; $1.4M designated for Animal Services/related

-Hernando County Animal Services comprises approximately 24.8 acres; however, only about 10-12 acres is used for the animals in their care.

What can we do?  We can petition the Board of County Commissioners of Hernando County to do better for the voiceless members of our community. These animals deserve to be in a safe, clean environment free of rodents, pests, and a building in disrepair.  They deserve to have a safe place to be while waiting for their owners to reclaim them or be placed up for adoption.  It is time for the members of our community to demand better for the voiceless.  The deserve a new shelter environment.