JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Thousands of dogs and cats find their way into the city's animal shelter each year; however, according to an internal review of Jacksonville's Animal Care and Control, 70 percent of those animals never make it out.
Earlier this year, the city requested a study of the problems at the facility. The report, which lists major concerns with bookkeeping, animal health and holding time of animals, has since begun to circulate.
The report states nearly three-quarters of the animals taken in at the shelter are euthanized.
Tike Loverme, who visited animal control on Wednesday to adopt a dog, told Channel 4 she was well aware that the pooches she passed by in her search would more than likely be dead by this time next week.
She said the statistics break her heart.
"Every animal needs a loving home," said Loverme.
Unfortunately, not every animal at the shelter is going to get one. The majority of the animals have to be put down to make room for others.
On Tuesday, 79 animals were taken into the shelter and 78 animals were euthanized. Only five pets were adopted.
That heart-breaking number prompted animal lovers to take a close look at what really goes on at the shelter.
The task force that issued the report on the shelter said it found several problems that existed at animal care and control. The report is very critical of what goes on at animal control. For example, when animals are first brought in, there was no determination made if they were adoptable or not.
The task force found very little push to get animals adopted. It stated that animals that were set to be put down were not euthanized in time. The group also said there were sick animals with healthy animals and that bookkeeping at the facility was sloppy.
Since the report has been released, changes have been made at Jacksonville Animal Care and Control. Ebenezer Gujjarlapudi, who oversees that division said staff has been upgraded and a second vet was hired.
"So we have instituted since the report came out is to vaccinate every animal that is brought in, no matter what. But remember it also adds a cost component to it," Gujjarlapudi said.
He also said staff at the animal control is being crossed trained to handle other areas at the shelter.
The city said it has made many changes since the report came out but there is one thing it cannot change.
"Overcrowding is something that is beyond our control in the sense that we cannot determine how many animals we accept. We have to accept every animal that is brought in, plus we have limited kennel space," Gujjarlapudi said.
A new animal control facility is expected to open in about a year. However, the same overcrowding problems could still exist.
For information on how to adopt a pet, visit
AnimalCareandControl, or check out
SpotaPup.com to find dogs that fit your lifestyle.
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