Polk County animal rescue battles daily wave of abandoned cats
Nonprofit raises animal abandonment awareness
One Polk County nonprofit is raising awareness to the increase in abandoned cats. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.
POLK CITY, Fla. - A local animal rescue group is sounding the alarm over a massive surge in abandoned cats across Polk County while calling for increased funding and new community solutions.
DLB Cat Rescue, Inc. works daily to save these animals and place them into loving homes.
Polk County cat rescue
What we know:
Dean Menendez started the non-profit organization in Polk City in 2022 out of a deep love for animals. He ensures the cats get fixed and provides essential veterinary care for owners who cannot afford it.
The rescue recently took in a sweet mother cat that was found at a construction business in Bartow.
"She had her kittens the second day I got her here," Menendez said.
Animal control funding needs
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed if Polk County will provide additional funding or resources for local animal control efforts.
It remains unclear how many total cats are currently abandoned across the region or how much money is currently allocated to these programs.
Rescue founder shares message
What they're saying:
Caring for the cats is incredibly difficult because the organization lacks necessary resources.
To cope with the demand, Menendez reaches out to other local rescues and the Humane Society.
Menendez envisions a centralized facility to handle the crisis.
"It needs to be like a mall used to be back in the '80s, where all stores, different entities, and even the county can be there," Menendez said. "Where there's transparency, there's going to be a lot of resources available so we can have a higher volume—not a depressing place where people want to forget."
He advocates for fixing 100 cats a month to match the volume handled by the Humane Society.
"These kittens can't talk," Menendez said. "We have to do something. Anything."
Haines City adoption event
What's next:
The rescue continues to participate in community adoption events to find permanent homes for these animals.
Menendez announced he will be at the Tractor Supply in Haines City this Wednesday for a cat adoption event.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13's Carla Bayron, who interviewed the rescue organization's founder, Dean Menendez.