Brevard County Sheriff Hosts BBQ For Animal Services Team To Celebrate Amazing Successes

By  //  May 2, 2016

93 percent Live Release Rate in past year

ABOVE VIDEO: Supermodel and actress Kate Upton was back in Brevard last March to host the Grand Slam Adoption Event at Space Coast Stadium, sponsored by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Matthew Development, LLC. 

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Earlier this week, our agency hosted a Bar-B-Que for our Animal Services team, our volunteers and our local partners to celebrate the amazing successes our team has accomplished since we took over Animal Services in Brevard County.

As most of you are aware, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office assumed the responsibility of Animal Services on October 1, 2014, and while there have been incredible challenges along the way, it has been an amazing and rewarding 19 months.

When the Board of County Commissioners asked us to assume this very important responsibility, we made a commitment; to make Brevard County a more humane community by raising the standard of care in our Care Centers, to save as many animals as possible through adoptions/fosters, and by developing relationships with our rescue partners and our fellowship with Target Zero. I am extremely proud to tell you that together we are making a difference.

Previously, Brevard County averaged a 55 percent Live Release Rate. I am very proud to announce that our team has far exceeded that average. Over the past 12 months, our average Live Release Rate was 93.91 percent, and if it were possible to top that, we have exceeded 90 percent in 14 of the last 15 months.

Earlier, BCSO hosted a Bar-B-Que for our Animal Services team, our volunteers and our local partners to celebrate the amazing successes our team has accomplished since we took over Animal Services in Brevard County. (BCSO image)
Earlier, BCSO hosted a Bar-B-Que for our Animal Services team, our volunteers and our local partners to celebrate the amazing successes our team has accomplished since we took over Animal Services in Brevard County. (BCSO image)

 

Listed below are just a few of the many accomplishments that this team has achieved over the past 19 months:

• Created the Pet Posse
• Began using inmate labor to clean both shelters
• Developed new positions within the existing budget

Sheriff Wayne Ivey had the honor of serving as the Grand Marshal for the annual SPCA Happy Tails Dog Stroll-A-Thon event at Sand Point Park in Titusville. (BCSO image)
Sheriff Wayne Ivey had the honor of serving as the Grand Marshal for the annual SPCA Happy Tails Dog Stroll-A-Thon event at Sand Point Park in Titusville. The event was held on April 3. (BCSO image)

• Rescue/Volunteer Coordinator
• Community Outreach Coordinator
• Facilities Maintenance Lead
• Began utilizing Inmate labor to clean both Shelters
• Crew Leaders to more effectively manage and supervise inmate crews
• Foster Coordinator/Intake mitigation counselor
• Second Full Time Veterinarian
• Extended hours of Shelter operation to 7 days a week
• Stabilized our work force
• Increased staff training
• Created a Call Center in the Viera Office to free up shelter staff using existing personnel in the Viera office
• Makeover of the South Shelter with the help of Habitat for Humanity and the Pet Posse
• Created Community Cat Rooms
• Created outside runs for the dogs
• Built Fisher and Mollies Place and the Rainbow Bridge
• New Paint and Landscaping
• Mini Makeover of the North Shelter using inmate labor
• Re purposed two (2) existing vehicles for mobile adoption partnering with Community Champions and Jacks Wrecker Service
• Increased adoption events throughout the community
• Partnered with Supermodel Kate Upton and the Washington Nationals to roll out the mobile adoption program
• Recruited and hired an proven leader in shelter medicine, Dr. Sarah Boyd
• Addressed a back log of over 600 spay/neuter surgeries, by bringing surgeries up to date

ABOVE VIDEO: More than 150 volunteers from throughout the community, along with Habitat for Humanity, helped with an “Extreme Animal Care Center Makeover” that transformed the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office South Animal Care Center. A special thank you goes to Fishr the dog for starring in the video.

• Developed community partnerships with AJ Heirs, AMI Kids, the Canine Commandos, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Brevard ASAP, Space Coast Daily News, and many more..
• Opened additional areas of the South Shelter to public access
• Lowered adoption fees, removed unnecessary obstacles for adoption and offer monthly specials
• Offering no cost adoptions to veterans, (J Paws, joining pets and warriors)
• Offering no cost adoptions to our seniors over 60 for senior animals (Silver Paws)
• Community Cat Diversion Program
• Fast tracking highly adoptable animals

Sheriff Wayne Ivey
Sheriff Wayne Ivey

• Created the Paws and Stripes College through a partnership with Eastern Florida State College and the Brevard County Jail
• Created relationships with out of state rescue groups and shelters saving hundreds of animals using volunteers and financing through the Pet Posse
• Created a growing volunteer program
• Developed a structured foster program
• Replaced 23 year old washer and dryer and portable radios with the assistance of the Pet Posse
• Windows placed in the doors of the cat rooms by Brevard ASAP
• Building a kitten nursey using the existing mobile home at the South Animal Care Center funded by the Pet Posse
• Began micro chipping all animals including those returned to owners in the field
• Began registering microchips for the owners at no cost…forever
• Began providing free health insurance for all adopted animals for the first 30 days through Trupanion
• One of our most important accomplishments was joining forces with the Target Zero team in October of 2015. By becoming a partner with Target Zero, our team became even stronger, and if it were possible, more committed to achieving our goals and saving more animals.

The list goes on, but most importantly, we are saving more animals than ever before.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office rolled out our Animal Services Mobile Adoption Trailer at an adoption event in Palm Shores on Saturday.
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office rolled out their Animal Services Mobile Adoption Trailer at an adoption event in Palm Shores last year. The Mobile Adoption Trailer was outfitted because of a partnership between the Sheriff’s Pet Posse and the generosity of “Community Champions” who donated $12,000 to make the Mobile Adoption Unit a reality. (BCSO image)

Without question animal welfare is still new to the Sheriff’s Office, but with the help of great partners we continue to learn more each and every day. In seeing what this team has already accomplished, I am even more confident than ever before that we will very soon reach my goal, and yours of being a “No Kill” community.

Even with the incredible successes we have achieved , we can’t accomplish this alone. We need more volunteers, more foster parents, more rescue partners and most importantly, the community’s continued support.

BCSO’s Bloodhound, ‘Paws And Strips’ Team Participates In Happy Tails Dog Stroll-A-ThonRelated Story:
BCSO’s Bloodhound, ‘Paws And Strips’ Team Participates In Happy Tails Dog Stroll-A-Thon

If you would like to help make a difference and volunteer in Animal Services, please visit our website at Brevardsheriff.com, click the link, and apply. We have lots of opportunities that include, adoption counselors, greeters, dog walkers, assisting with our enrichment program, helping with outside adoption events, foster parents, and even helping with laundry if you are so inclined.

If you would like to make a monetary donation, please visit the Pet Posse link on our website. The Pet Posse is a 501(c)(3) foundation established for the express purpose of enriching the lives of our animals and to assist in our animal service mission.

Although we continue to adapt to this new mission, our Animal Services team, our volunteers and our rescue partners have done an amazing job. I want to also personally thank our citizens for everything you have done to make a difference in the lives of the animals over the past year. We truly would not be where we are today without you.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey has been a law enforcement officer for over three decades. Sheriff Ivey is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and has a Bachelor’s Degree from Daytona State College in Management and Supervision. Sheriff Ivey’s background in law enforcement is inclusive of Management, Criminal Investigations, Narcotics, Patrol Services, Public Integrity Investigations, and Corrections.

Sheriff Wayne Ivey

Prior to being elected in 2012, Sheriff Ivey served the citizens of the State of Florida as a Resident Agent in Charge for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. As a member of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Sheriff Ivey developed and created the country’s first ever statewide Task Force on Identity Theft.

That same year the Task Force was named one of the top five most innovative programs in the country by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and investigated approximately 44 million dollars in fraud cases. Additionally, as a member of FDLE, Sheriff Ivey created the Child Abduction Response Team (C.A.R.T) that re-defined the way Child Abduction cases are conducted throughout the country today.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey has been a law enforcement officer for over three decades. Sheriff Ivey is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and has a Bachelor’s Degree from Daytona State College in Management and Supervision. Sheriff Ivey’s background in law enforcement is inclusive of Management, Criminal Investigations, Narcotics, Patrol Services, Public Integrity Investigations, and Corrections.

The program was later selected as the most innovative program in the country by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and is now used as a nationwide model in the response and investigation of child abductions.

Sheriff Ivey has testified before the United States Congress on law enforcement related matters and has extensive experience in the area of Public Integrity Investigations. Sheriff Ivey was honored as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Special Agent of the Year (1996) and was also recognized by the Commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for his Outstanding Contributions to Criminal Justice. In August of 2011 Sheriff Ivey was honored by the National Organization of Victims Advocacy for his work at the national level as an advocate of victim’s rights and protection.

Sheriff Ivey speaks regularly on topics such as Identity Theft, Crime in America, Human Trafficking, Domestic Violence, and Self Defense through Mental Preparedness. Sheriff Ivey firmly believes that Crime Prevention and Education are vital to reduce our crime rate and protect our community.