County seeks best practices

EAST COUNTY — Events surrounding the confiscation of animals from Napier Log Cabin Horse & Animal Sanctuary in February have caused a stir among the animal rescue community.

After Manatee County Sheriff’s reports indicated there were complaints of suspected animal abuse at Napier’s for more than a year, the county is looking closely at the Animal Services department.

The county’s Director of Public Safety Ron Koper hopes to address community concerns and uncover the department’s strengths and weaknesses in handling animal-abuse situations.

Within the next two weeks, an out-of-state firm will be selected and will travel to the Palmetto-based adoption center to delve into Animal Services’ enforcement and adoption procedures, county spokesman Nicholas Azzara said.

Koper said the investigation could take up to 12 weeks to complete.

“A portion of the community isn’t happy with the way (Animal Services) has been doing adoptions, handling business lately,” Koper said. “So, I think this is a good opportunity for us to ask ourselves, “What can we do better?”

Officials expect the results to provide ways to better manage and prevent abuse against animals.

Koper said he already knows what to expect from the findings.

He believes the results will include the Palmetto building’s limited capacity to house the 2,000 to 3,000 animals that pass through its doors each year. Currently, Koper estimates 150 adoptable animals live at Animal Services.

For Animal Services to continue operating, it needs a larger facility, more volunteers and more funding, Koper said.

“For the number of animals we deal with in the community, the number of investigations we have to conduct, the number of shelters we have to provide, we’re understaffed and under resourced,” Koper said. “The majority of the community doesn’t want their taxes raised to do more, and there’s not an unlimited amount of resources or personnel I can hire or pay. The job we do is limited to what our resources will allow.”

Manatee County must also satisfy its no-kill status by saving at least 90% of the animals it takes in.

Manatee County is currently at an estimated 96% save rate, Koper said.

Having a high number of animals and few volunteers present to take care of them makes enforcement tasks outside of cleaning, feeding and other adoption-related duties more difficult, Koper said.

However, the Manatee Animal Partnership Study (MAPS), which local rescue-group officials, county officials and other responders completed and was presented to county commissioners June 17, showed 90% of individuals surveyed said the county’s no-kill policy is necessary.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].