OCALA, Fla. – Marion County leaders plan to transform the county's animal services facility into a no-kill shelter. Recently, county commissioners met to discuss exactly how they plan to make the change.
"If we didn't care about animals we wouldn't be here right now," Commissioner Carl Zalak, of District 4, said.
County leaders said nearly 33,000 cats, dogs and other animals have been euthanized since 2013.
"We have to change the way we do business," Nick Zoller, director public relations for Marion County, said.
As part of the transition to a no-kill facility, the shelter is no longer considering itself an open admission shelter, which meant anyone could drop off an animal with no questions asked. It will instead operate as a managed admission facility where pet owners would need to schedule an appointment and fill out a questionnaire before they could relinquish their pet.
"There are appointments set," Zoller said. "It's based on availability, and we work a lot more with our local rescue and shelter groups to place animals. This is the place to go if you don't have any other option for your animal."
These stricter policies are meant to help control the shelter's population, but they will work with owners looking to surrender their pets.
"Trying to see if there's simple solutions to keep their pet in the home," Zoller said. "Sometimes it's something as simple (as) they can't afford vaccines or a spay and neuter surgery and that's why they're deciding to get rid of that animal. First and foremost, to become no-kill, it's keeping more animals with their owners. "
Not everyone likes the potential effects of the new no-kill policy.
People like pet owner Mike Labella worry that with the new hurdles to surrender a pet, owners might find themselves with nowhere to turn.
"You never know where circumstances come up where they can't take care of their animal anymore," he said. "The people who can't take care of their animals and they have no place to drop them off might try to drop them off on the side of the road, and I don't think that's a good idea."
There is a public hearing set for Aug. 7th at 10 a.m. at the McPherson Governmental Complex Auditorium at 601 SE 25th Ave. in Ocala, where residents are encouraged to discuss changes to the county's animal policy.