Palm Beach County’s animal shelter still euthanizes animals, but at a much lower rate than in previous years.
Jan Steele, the director of Animal Care & Control, recently appeared before county commissioners to discuss the agency’s operation. Among the topics discussed was the euthanization rate.
The shelter would rather not kill any animal, but sometimes it has no choice, Steele said. The county shelter, unlike private ones, must accept any animal that is dropped off, she noted. Some have behavioral problems; others are sick. Efforts to find those animals adoptive homes pose a challenge.
There is also a space problem. The facility, along Belvedere Road west of Florida's Turnpike in suburban West Palm Beach, is over capacity. As of July 20, the facility had 193 dogs with only enough space for 144. It had 172 cats with space for 100
Pets had to be either doubled or tripled up or housed in temporary crates while calls are placed to other shelters to take some of the animals.
“We need to have four or five kennels available to accommodate law enforcement,” Steele said.
Once all options are exhausted, animals are put on the proposed euthanasia list, which Steele and a veterinarian review. Nonetheless, Steele noted, the agency has significantly improved its release rate, the percentage of animals released from the shelter without having to be euthanized.
In 2023, the release rate was 86%. Five years earlier, it was just 69%. In 2013, more than 9,300 animals had to be killed; the figure was 1,221 in 2024.
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How has Animal Control cut back on its euthanization rates?
Steele said the community is more aware of what is being done at the shelter, which provides for nearly 10,000 animals each year.
More people are volunteering. And the county has expanded its offering of free sterilizations for both cats and dogs. The agency has also increased the number of community partners that take in pets at the shelter.
The county had hoped to meet its goal of zero euthanizations in 2024. In 2014, county commissioners adopted a resolution that set a goal of ending euthanasia of all adoptable dogs and cats by that year. Recognizing that was not going to happen, the county extended the deadline for “The Countdown to Zero” animal kills by an additional 10 years.
MORE: Animal Care and Control is getting a new $48M facility with needed air-conditioned kennels
The county has approved plans to build a new facility for Animal Care & Control. Construction is expected to begin sometime this winter.
The facility's $48 million facelift will more than double its size and include air-conditioned kennels. It will allow for more animals to be accommodated. Steele noted that sick animals will be housed in a quarantine-isolation facility, allowing for veterinary care to be provided at a higher level.
“We will not have to euthanize pets simply because there’s no place to house them,” she said.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County animal shelter euthanization rate down
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