Community Celebration/Ribbon Cutting: Saturday, October 1st from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the South Animal Care Center.
(5100 West Eau Gallie Blvd
Melbourne, FL 32934).
Sheriff Ivey will be hosting a community celebration and the ribbon cutting of our new community dog park. The ribbon cutting will be at 10:30 am. There will be food, music, entertainment for the kids, free adoptions, the grand opening of our new Neonatal Kitten Nursery, showcasing of the Feline Fantasy Project with our newest themed community cat room, and free microchipping for the first 200 animals at the event sponsored by PetChamp, a Community Champions Company.
We would like to thank all of our rescue and community partners as well as our volunteers for helping us prove that “Dreams do come true”
We would also like to recognize the Pet Posse, the Boniface Heir’s Motor Group, Community Champions, the Upton Foundation, the Bayfront 5K9 event, and too many others to list for their support.. We could not have done it without you. Thank you
It is important to note that although achieving recognition as a no kill community is a significant milestone, we view “no kill” status as not a destination or a onetime designation, rather it is a continued journey that together with our community partners we will maintain.
We hope to see you all there!
Listed below are some of our many accomplishments over the past two years.
What we have accomplished
Created the Pet Posse a 501(c)(3),nonprofit to raise community awareness, enrich the lives of our animals, and to provide funding for special programs and unfunded needs
Began using inmate labor to clean both shelters
Developed new positions within the existing budget
Rescue/Volunteer Coordinator
Animal Welfare Coordinator
Facilities Maintenance Lead
Began utilizing Inmate labor to clean both Shelters
Crew Leaders to more effectively manage and supervise inmate crews
Foster Coordinator/Intake mitigation counselor
Second Full Time Veterinarian
Extended hours of Shelter operation to 7 days a week
Stabilized our work force
Increased staff training
Created a Call Center in the Viera Office to free up shelter staff using existing personnel in the Viera office
Makeover of the South Shelter with the help of Habitat for Humanity and the Pet Posse
Created Community Cat Rooms
Created outside runs for the dogs
Built Fisher and Mollies Place and the Rainbow Bridge
New Paint and Landscaping
Mini Makeover of the North Shelter using inmate labor
Re purposed two (2) existing vehicles for mobile adoption partnering with Community Champions and Jacks Wrecker Service
Increased adoption events throughout the community
Partnered with Supermodel Kate Upton and the Washington Nationals to roll out the mobile adoption program
Recruited and hired a proven leader in shelter medicine, Dr. Sarah Boyd
Addressed a back log of over 600 spay/neuter surgeries, bring surgeries up to date
Developed community partnerships with AJ Heirs, AMI Kids, the Canine Commandos, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Brevard ASAP, Space Coast Daily News, and many more..
Opened additional areas of the South Shelter to public access
Lowered adoption fees, removed unnecessary obstacles for adoption and offer monthly specials
Offering no cost adoptions to veterans, (J Paws, joining pets and warriors)
Offering no cost adoptions to our seniors over 60 for senior animals (Silver Paws)
Community Cat Diversion Program
Fast tracking highly adoptable animals
Created the Paws and Stripes College through a partnership with Eastern Florida State College and the Brevard County Jail
Created a “comfort dog” program at the paws and stripes college through partnerships with UCF , EFSC and the Scott Center for Autism
Created relationships with out of state rescue groups and shelters saving hundreds of animals using volunteers and financing through the Pet Posse
Created a growing volunteer program
Developed a structured foster program
Replaced 23 year old washer and dryer and added portable radios with the assistance of the Pet Posse
Viewing windows placed in the doors of the cat rooms by Brevard ASAP
Building a kitten nursery using the existing mobile home at the South Animal Care Center funded by the Pet Posse
Began micro chipping all animals including those returned to owners in the field
Began registering microchips for the owners at no cost…forever
Built a community dog park at the South Animal Care Center
Began providing free health insurance for all adopted animals for the first 30 days through Trupanion
One of our most important accomplishments was joining forces with the Target Zero team in October of 2015. By becoming a Fellow with Target Zero, our team became even stronger, and if it were possible, more committed to achieving our goals and saving more animals.
The list goes on…..but most importantly, we are saving more animals than ever before in Brevard County and have achieved
No Kill Status in less than 24 months!!
What we have planned for the future
Maintain “No Kill” status
Keep two simple goals in mind with everything we do,
Decrease animal intake
Increase live outcomes
Continue to build a motivated, committed and professional Animal Services team
Continue to increase levels of training for all staff members
Increase accountability and transparency at all levels of the operation
Maintain safe, healthy and humane shelters
Continue to build partnerships in the community and across the country
Continue to decrease length of stay for all of our animals
Seek grant funding whenever and wherever possible
Increase pet license compliance, which will lead to increased revenue, which helps us fund programs to save more animals
Continue to build our volunteer and foster programs
Review and request any necessary changes to the County Animal Ordinance
Champion targeted/subsidized spay and neuter in low income areas and animal problem areas
Create the BCSO Animal Services Explorers for kids and young adults ages 13 to 19
Get community involvement to help to re-model the South Shelter and build a “Cat Wing”
Re locate the North Shelter
Although Animal welfare is still new to the Sheriff’s Office, we continue to learn each and every day. In light of what this team has already accomplished, we are more confident than ever that we will reach and maintain our goal of being a No Kill Community here in Brevard County.
(Note from the Editor: GoldStar for Sheriff Ivey and his entire team. It’s a village to be no kill and this is huge accomplishment)
