Overcrowded conditions at the Jacksonville Animal Care and Control facility is a community disgrace.  We have been discarding our pets for so long, that we fail to see the role that we play in the pet overpopulation in our community.  We, as a community, expect that the City's Solid Waste Division to dispose of our garbage, we expect Animal Care and Control to dispose of our pets.  As pet owners, we need to accept our (life-long) responsibility to our pets:

 Spay/Neuter:  The pet overpopulation is cause by too many people in our community allowing their pets to breed.  We need to stop the backyard breeding of animals (especially pit bull dogs) in our community.  The animal shelter is overburdened with these animals and most of them are unlikely to be placed in new homes.  Bringing a new life into the world is a selfish act, if you are unprepared to provide for that animal for the remainder of its life or that you are unwilling to find a new lifetime home for that animal.

Licensing:  Fewer that 5% of the lost animals that find their way to the City's Animal Shelter are wearing any form of identification.  The City's license aids animal control personnel in returning your pet to you.  The license is evidence that your pet is currently vaccinated for rabies, which is required of all dogs and cats.

Leashing:  Many children are terrorized by callous dog owners who fail to keep their pets confined to their own yards.  Recently, postal employees have stopped door to door delivery of mail due to the high risk of dog bites in the southeast part of town.  The most common words from dog owners, prior to a bite are: "Don't worry, he won't bite!"  Cat owners should also comply with the leash law: many neighbors become upset when neighborhood cats walk on their cars or deposit waste in their flower gardens.  Animal Care and Control pick up roughly 20 animals a day that have been hit by cars as a result of their owners allowing them to run loose.

Vaccinations:  Although only rabies vaccinations are required by law, our tropical climate exposes our pets to a large variety of internal and external parasites.  It is critical that you visit your veterinarian on a regular basis to keep your pet healthy.

If your pet is lost:  IMMEDIATELY go to the animal shelter to look for your lost pet and continue looking for your pet at the shelter at least every other day.  Be prepared to "bail" your pet out, by taking sufficient funds to pay the impoundment fees: sterile pets are usually under $100 and fertile pets are usually under $200.  Take proof of ownership (photographs and veterinary records) and rabies vaccination when you go to the animal shelter.  If your pet is not currently vaccinated or taking monthly flea & tick repellent, you should take your reclaimed pet to your veterinarian for examination.

Although a new shelter is desperately needed in our community, the solution to our overcrowding isn't in building larger shelters to accommodate the growing pet overpopulation problem in our community, but creating a community of responsible pet owners who will accept their responsibility to care for their pets and prevent their pets from being a nuisance to their neighbors.