Daytona Beach, FL - Director of Volusia County Animal Services Adam Leath wants the public to know that the agency is committed to ensuring pets lead good lives, valued by society, protected by its laws and that they are free from pain, cruelty and suffering.
With the arrest of an elderly man earlier this week for animal cruelty, Leath wants you to know that there is help and that Animal Services is a good place to start. He said that the public may not be aware that their animal advocacy work is much greater than their enforcement work. "We want to meet people where they are. We understand that individuals find themselves victims of circumstance, such as lower socio-economic status, a loss of job, all of those things affect people and it affects their pets."
Leath says he wants people to see Animal Services as an advocate and resource in the community. "We are a recipient of taxpayer dollars. We are a service to the public and have a great deal of resources that we are happy to share with pet owners. We ask that people contact us if they are in a situation where they need help for their pets. We can direct them to resources in our community and many times, we have those resources ourselves."
Help is available for pet owners, according to Leath, from those in need of food for their pet, to medical care and low-cost spay-neuter clinics, to Trap, Neuter, Release programs, all the way to the kindness of euthanasia. "There are resources out there in every situation. The crucial step is reaching out and that's the most difficult one for people to do. It's very difficult to reach out and ask for a helping hand. We just want people to know that your pets need that care and we want to be a resource for you."
Leath says that Volusia County pet owners are welcome to contact Animal Services at 386-248-1790. If someone is really in need, make the call. Leath gave some for instances: if someone calls and says they need pet food, they would provide it, if someone calls with a medical issue for their pet, he says that the spay-neuter clinic can provide medial care in certain situations. "We're just asking for the opportuniy to have the conversation, which I know is sometimes difficult to do especially with those that find themselves in difficult situations." Leath said that the Animal Services Clinic saw over 3,000 patients in 2019 in the number of surgeries and low-cost services provided to the public.
You do have to meet the criteria. From the website:
"Residents seeking low-cost pet spaying and neutering must show proof of public assistance, such as a Medicaid, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) or food stamp identification card. Residents must also show proof of income and meet income eligibility guidelines, which are based on the number of people in the household and the annual household income. Prices range from $15 to $65 and are based on income. Residents who do not meet the criteria for the guidelines will be referred to another low-cost spay/neuter program. "
