Palm Coast City Hall’s maintenance crews might still this morning have been cleaning up the bloodbath Amy Carotenuto and the Flagler Humane Society she leads endured Tuesday at the hands of City Council members and numerous residents who spoke, some of them former volunteers at the society.
It was a replay of withering criticism against the society at a County Commission meeting last August. Some of the criticism was unfair, based as it was not on any lawbreaking or workplace improprieties, but on on allegations by unnamed individuals or by critics in the room of methods some disagree with, such as the society’s supposed propensity for unnecessarily euthanizing animals (which Carotenuto disputes) and its chronic though unintentional overcrowding.
Some of the criticism was self-inflicted, such as Carotenudo’s failure to read a room clamoring for more transparency as she stuck by her position, echoed by the society’s attorney, that the society did not have to release its by-laws. Carotenudo also had no response for Mayor Mike Norris’s criticism of the society’s “nepotism.” Justly or not, the impression was of a society keener on circling wagons than being accountable.
The society is a non-profit. It is required to make its tax filings available for inspection, and as an agency receiving public funds–as it does from all local governments–it is required to make all records pertaining to those funds public. There is no requirement for it to publish its by-laws, but it is common (and best) practice for non-profits to do so.
Carotenuto appeared before the council, as she has previously over the years, to provide an overview of the society, especially with four new council members seated since last fall. Theresa Pontieri is the only hold-over, and the only member who has taken up Carotenuto’s invitation to tour the society’s 15,000 square foot facility off of U.S. 1 in person, though that did not keep Pontieri from grilling Carotenuto, who nevertheless held her own (as she usually does).
The presentation went well enough. Carotenuto summarized the history of the shelter, which opened in 1980, its existence as the only full-service animal shelter in the county, its annual intakes (1,667 cats in 2024, 1,059 dogs, 78 birds, 33 reptiles, and so on, with the bulk of the 2,915 animals, 1,707, coming from Palm Coast.). For a variety of reasons that focus on keeping pets and their families together, intakes have not substantially grown even though the population has.
“We are one of only 13 counties that are deemed no kill, and our numbers are actually closer to 95 percent live release rate, which is really unheard of for an open admission shelter,” Carotenuto told the council. She presented general numbers, without documentation. Others would contest the numbers, also without documentation, though in response to a Pontieri question, Carotenuto said euthanasia numbers can be proven.
Animals stay at the shelter for a month on average, costing about $500 per dog and $344 per cat, “and that’s only if they come to us without any illnesses or injuries. That also doesn’t count overhead such as insurance, utility bills, that kind of thing.” Government contracts account for a quarter of the cost. (Palm Coast pays $95 per dog or cat. “$95 is far too low, we won;t be able to continue going at that rate,” she said. The county pays $132.) The society carries out animal control services for the local governments. It provides pet-evacuation sheltering, and educational programs. Its board is putting together a five-year plan “to address our needs, the community’s needs and expected growth,” Carotenuto said, though the society does not have the money to build a bigger shelter.
The grilling started immediately with questions about finances. “My concern is the over capacity,” Pontieri said.
“I don’t know where this huge catastrophic language started about being over capacity. All shelters run full,” Carotenuto said. “We’re not bursting at the seams like has been has been talked about.”
“Respectfully, Amy, at the last meeting, there was a joint county-city meeting, and it was admitted that there were capacity issues,” Pontieri said. (The shelter was not discussed at the last joint government meeting, but a member of the public–a new resident in Palm Coast and the member of a humane society board in another county–addressed the City Council at the beginning of the month, citing capacity and other issues, including lack of training. “If the Flagler Humane Society say they can no longer intake more animals, whether they are full or other reasons, where do our abandoned animals go?” the resident asked, though the society has not suspended intakes. )
Pontieri was also displeased with the society’s lack of planning for a larger shelter, even if it is not prepared to pay for it now. “It’s incumbent upon you, as the Humane Society, to have a plan in place and to start financially planning to expand,” Pontieri said. “I don’t feel like, candidly, this has been contemplated prior to the last year or so. And so if that’s the case, how do we throw that into hyper drive to have a capital plan in place and see what financially you all are going to need? I know I’ve been asking for this for at least a few months, and I still haven’t seen anything. So maybe your board is working on it, and I don’t know about that, but it’s a concern, and I think it’s something that needs to be addressed by the Humane Society sooner rather than later.”
Carotenuto said it’s a multi-million dollar cost that would have to be a joint effort. The society’s fundraisers won’t be enough. “But we do have the land for it, and we have the expertise and the energy for it, so it would just really take a partnership,” she said.
Council member Ty Miller acknowledged that basing criticism on anecdotal evidence would be a “disservice.” At the same time, “it does make me pause,” he said, especially when the finances lack transparency.
“There’s a lot of things that are being said that are nowhere near true,” the society director said. “Social media–I’m sure you know, everybody’s been the victim of social media bullies.”
“Some of my biggest concerns are that a lot of this information is coming from people that worked at your facility. So if not them to know what happens there, then who?” Miller asked.
Carotenuto attributed that to “disgruntled employees,” and reiterated her offer of tours or unannounced visits. Then came the mayor’s request for the by-laws, which Carotenuto rebuffed, and with the society board having four of its six members being married couples. “That is, that is unacceptable for me, personally and professionally,” Norris said. “Those four people control the board, and I have a hard time with that.”
“You know,” the mayor continued, himself rebuffing the invitation to visit, “the allegations that I’ve heard, and I try to stay away from that, but you know, that’s why I am not willing to go to the Humane Society, because I don’t want to deal with that. And I think all animals should be treated. with care and compassion.”
“And they are at Flagler Humane Society,” Carotenuto said.
“Well, there’s a lot of people in this audience that are going to get up and say quite contrary to what you’re saying, Amy, just so you know,” the mayor said. He was right. The next 45 minutes were a parade of society critics and advocates dueling in grim allegations on one hand and defensive praise on the other. The outcome was unclear, beyond the sum-up Pontieri attempted: clearer planning for the future, for a bigger shelter especially, a better accounting of fees paid in line with needs, and more transparency and accountability from the shelter. “I think that there’s a failure to plan here that is very bothersome, and there needs to be some accountability for that,” Pontieri said. “If the board needs to change, if leadership needs to change, there need to be changes.”
She added: “We’ve heard stories from both sides here. Some say Humane Society is great. Others say it’s it’s not. There’s a lot to be wanted. So I’m coming at this–I love animals. I have a very deep compassion for animals. But from purely putting all that aside, from a business perspective, there are issues that we need to address, and I look forward to more discussions based on that with this Council.”
After the society took a beating before the County Commission last August, it was commissioner and council members themselves, at a joint meeting weeks later, who urged critics to tone it down and pledged to look for solutions. But it was also at that meeting that officials asked the society for better planning–a message that appears to have gone unheard.
