When I heard that Polk County’s animal control department was ready to terminate the lives of their cats and dogs en masse, I wrote to them. Their response was pretty much nothing-to-see-here, so I let the issue go, hoping that, if evidence existed, I’d find it. I reviewed the information out there and found that, while the en masse extermination may not have happened, Polk County has a serious problem at its animal control facility. The culprit allowing this to happen is none other than Polk County’s number one law enforcement officer, Grady Judd, dubbed “America’s Sheriff”
Under his leadership, he has managed to make Polk the clear front runner in the state of Florida with regards to in-shelter deaths (for reasons other than euthanasia) and animal escapes. Then there is the video of the roach-infested dog bowl in a kennel at the facility, and apparently other witness accounts.
Florida Statute 823.15(1) makes it known that none of this should be happening anywhere in the state. In part, the statute states, “It is therefore declared to be the public policy of the state that every feasible means be used to reduce the incidence of birth of unneeded and unwanted puppies and kittens. Determining which programs result in improved adoption rates and in reduced euthanasia rates for animals in shelters and animal control agencies is crucial to this effort.” None of that appears to be happening in Polk. It may very well be possible that Judd knows he’s breaking Florida law but does not care, as the voting system for the county sheriff is mostly rigged against other qualified candidates. Judd has a job for life.
In a regular June meeting of Polk commissioners, almost two dozen people spoke to this issue. They were met with an obstinate and rude response. The commissioners at first said there was “nothing” they could do about this matter and that the people speaking had “all” gone to the wrong place. In response to Bill Braswell’s arrogant and irresponsible words, one advocate asked the commissioners, “You have the power to enact ordinances, don’t you? You can enact an ordinance to change the animal control shelter.”
He was absolutely right. The commissioners backtracked after this statement and said they’d “talk” to Grady Judd.
If you’re not familiar with Judd, here’s a snapshot. He’s been branded “America’s Sheriff” by the far-right, including GOP-MAGAs, for his no-nonsense style of law enforcement. The truth, however, is that this no-nonsense approach comes with a very heavy dose of inhumanity. For example, back in 2006 Judd said face-to-face to a video camera that a suspect, shot 68 times, should’ve received more bullet holes into his body. “That’s all the bullets we had, or we would have shot him more,” Judd told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper. His nonexistent sentiment regarding the mutilation of a corpse in this manner is what makes Judd’s character inhumane.
There are a significant number of examples out there on his lack of humanity, including a letter to the editor of a local newspaper that lists a litany of abuses by Polk animal control. In addition, Judd is well-known for publicly making fun of people he arrests before they receive any due process, for deriding the justice system for not putting everyone he arrests in prison, and for proselytizing in uniform. Real upstanding of you, Judd!
The next meeting of the commissioners on July 15 will be met again with animal advocates. If enough residents show up and talk, surely they will realize that they can do something. Then, they get of their irresponsible asses and simply do something.
Postscript
It was reported by a minister that the staff at the Polk animal shelter are aware that Grady Judd “hates animals.” See the video below.
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My wife and I have been to Animal Control several times and never saw any of the conditions you described. We have adopted several of our pets over the years and have been satisfied with them. Perhaps more people should adopt or go down and offer their help.
As far as the comments of Grady Judd shotting more times I totally agree with him. When a person kills a LEO he shows no concern for thee public and when this person raised up to shoot at the LEO’s that day they defended themselves. If a person was to brake into my house I will defend myself with force, and shoot to kill. I do not know if that would be the intruders intention but I won’t wait to ask him.
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Thank you for your response, Tom, on Polk’s animal control issues. I am well-known on Darhlene.com for correcting data that is wrong on this blog, which rarely happens. This is not one of those rare times.
Enough data exists to indicate that Grady Judd’s management of his animal control facility is less than humane and less than transparent. The fact that you did not see any of his mis-management activities does not prove that it doesn’t exist. However, ample evidence over the decades that Judd has been sheriff, some of which I point out in this blog post, is available to indicate that he personally is inhumane and disrespectful of the decisions made by judges. In addition, he is vigorously anti-cop-camera, which is further proof of his lack of transparency.
As for Grady Judd’s encouragement of his staff to do maximum harm, even to the point of mutilating corpses, to those they deem deserving of bestial wrath, is wrong, anti-Christian, and inhumane by any standard. Shooting to kill is one thing; shooting to mutilate a human body is quite a different game and not one that any law in our land provides to any elected official.
In short, the Polk sheriff’s office needs significant improvement at this time. It is incumbent on Grady Judd to respond respectfully and transparently to constituents who are questioning what he is doing. I am hopeful that animal rights advocates in Polk get what they are looking for. We owe it to our abandoned pets.
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