After 30 years at the helm of St. Johns County Animal Control, Paul Studivant knows that look when he sees it.
Pet owners walk into his agency with welling eyes, an ashen face and a guilty heart. Oblivious to what awaits, their dogs bound in alongside them.
Buckling under soaring rents and inflation, residents are surrendering their pets because they simply can’t afford them. It’s a heartbreaking scenario Studivant and his dedicated team are witnessing more than ever.
While dignitaries are cutting ribbons, a quiet stratum of county residents — many of them born and raised in St. Johns — are cutting coupons.
“It’s rough,” Studivant told The Citizen. “People are going through hard times. They’re having to choose between buying food or medicine or making rent and taking care of their pets.”
It’s a cruel conundrum, he said. When they need the love of their companions most, they’re forced to bid them a painful goodbye.
“The last thing they want to do is give up their pets,” he said. “But there’s really no choice.”
He estimated that the number of animals being surrendered to his office due to financial hardship is up by as much as 40% in recent years. “It’s way up,” he said. “And it’s not slowing down.”
Through August of this year, 391 dogs have been handed over to the agency, according to a Citizen analysis of county data. Over that same period in 2022, the number was 238. That’s an increase of 64% In just two years.
From January through August of 2024, 334 cats have been surrendered, compared to 253 over the same span in 2022. That’s an increase of 32%.
Studivant said that most of the animals who are handed over to his office are sick or dying, and that their owners ask for them to be euthanized.
The agency charges far less than veterinarians, and an increasing number of residents are taking advantage of the solemn service.
But with the rise in pet surrenders, Studivant noted, has come a marked increase in adoptions. He credited tireless local volunteers and nonprofits for organizing drives and creating awareness.
Grassroots groups like the Friends of the St. Johns County Pet Center raise money — and often put up their own cash — to cover adoption fees in order to entice families to take in homeless animals.
Just last week, the Friends of the St. Johns County Pet Center posted a case study to Facebook.
“He’s confused and doesn’t understand why,” they wrote of a surrendered pooch. “He’s just so fun loving and playful! Won’t you come help him learn the joys of a loving, stable, home and guidance on how to behave properly?”
Their efforts are paying off. Adoptions are up by 27% from just two years ago, according to official SJC Animal Control figures.
Through August of this year, residents took in a total of 612 formerly homeless dogs and cats, the numbers show.
Over the same period in 2022, the number was 474.
“Sure, there is something negative happening,” Studivant told The Citizen of struggling residents. “But on the other side, there is something positive happening. There are no words to describe these volunteers. There really aren’t.”
