Flagler Humane Society maintained night drop cages until about 2011. Here's why they stopped.

Palm Coast Observer
Your Town

by: Amy Wade-Carotenuto

Flagler Humane Society

Surrendering a pet to an animal shelter can be a stressful experience. Someone may be going through circumstances where they have no choice but to give up a beloved family member, or they may be bringing in a little stray that was just found. As you walk in the building, you hear the other animals barking, you are being asked questions by staff, you may be in a hurry, you may be embarrassed. You might just think, “I wish the shelter had night drop-off cages where I could leave this animal and not have to go through this.”

Years ago, animal shelters had night drop boxes, which were unattended cages in front of the building or in the parking lot. Originally intended for good Samaritans who found an animal at night but could not locate owners, night drop cages ultimately morphed into dumping grounds for owners who didn't want to face the questions asked by staff and certainly didn't want to be asked to make a donation toward the care of their animal.

Flagler Humane Society maintained night drop cages from our inception up until about 2011.

With night drop boxes, our mornings would consist of counting the number of animals abandoned in the cages. Are they all OK? Anyone sick? Any tiny orphans with no mommas? Any feral cats that are going to take off like a shot as soon as we unlatch the gates? Is that dog that is growling aggressive or just frightened? Has it ever bitten anyone?

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, animal shelters across the country began removing night drop off cages after animals had frozen to death, been stolen by night time shoppers or injured by other animals left behind. At the same time, animals shelters were becoming more pro-active to make sure that the elimination of night drop cages didn’t mean that animals wouldn’t have a safe place to come. Shelters extended their hours of operation (Flagler Humane Society is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.). Shelters began offering programs such a low cost veterinary care and pet food banks (FHS has both) to help owners in financial crisis to be able to keep their pets.

When finders bring a stray animal into the shelter, we need to know where the animal was found to help get it returned to the proper owner. When owners surrender pets, the first thing we ask is if there is anything we can do to help so that they don’t have to lose their beloved companion. If they must surrender, we ask the pet’s food preferences, veterinary background, life style preferences (playful or couch potato). Is the pet house trained? Good with children? Other animals? Answers to these questions can help the pet get adopted.

This is information that we were never able to obtain when animals would be left in drop-off cages. Although forms and pens were left in a waterproof station under a sign that requested information, this data was rarely left.

So if you have an emergency with a stray animal after FHS is closed, please call Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911. If there comes a time when you have to surrender a four-legged family member, please reach out to us first and let us know if we might be able to help in any way. If you must relinquish a pet, please understand that the questions we ask and the donation toward the care that we ask for are all so that we can provide the best possible care and outcome for the animal.