- December 4, 2025
The Flagler County Commission has renewed its contract with the Flagler Humane Society for animal control, shelter and spay and neuter services.
The contract extends the services with FHS, with some changes, County Administrator Heidi Petito said. Those changes include having two FHS board members as liaisons with the county, according to the contract documents. Those liaisons will meet monthly to review financial and animal intake reports, Petito said.
FHS has also agreed to conduct Level 2 background checks now on animal control officers, Petito said, and also will not accept anyone for employment or as a volunteer that has an animal cruelty conviction. In order to promote more transparency, the FHS will also provide case reports with the monthly case summary and calls for service.
Flagler County in turn will pay FHS $214,599 annually, up from $208,349 from the previous year, for animal control services. The contract also states the county will pay up to $106,000 – up from $90,000 in 2024 – for sheltering, spaying and neutering.
The county and Palm Coast formed a joint task force earlier in 2025 to pursue the county’s options for animal services following a storm of complaints from the public about FHS regarding overcrowding and a lack of transparency.
The Flagler Commission approved the contract at its Sept. 15 meeting. The next joint task force meeting with Palm Coast about additional animal shelter service needs in Flagler County will be held on Sept. 25.
Correction: A previous version of this story said one Flagler County Commissioner will serve on the FHS board. The county will not have voting members but instead have two liaisons with the FHS Board, per the contract. This story was updated on Sept. 22.
