- December 16, 2025
Jef Hale, who was hired in 2010 to be Flagler Humane Society director, was fired this week.
He said he is disappointed, but not necessarily surprised. The finances of the organization are in dire straights, and he sees the firing as a business decision.
He has been accused of not caring for the animals and also being incompetent as director — both of which he says are flat wrong.
No one wants to euthanize animals, he said, and one thing he said he is proud of is the improvement in the live release rate, or the percentage of animals that leave the shelter alive.
“For an open shelter, it’s typically 40% to 50%,” he said. “Our live release rate for December was 70%.”
He also said he was glad to have been a part of community outreach to educate the community about the importance of neutering and spaying animals to combat overpopulation.
