Just like the real Travis Hunter makes plays on the field, our Travis is ready to win big where it matters most, in a home of his own.

Travis has been with us for over a year, and it is time for that to change. He is potty trained, has great manners, and is dog friendly. He enjoys having canine companions and does well with routine, activity, and positive interaction. Travis is smart, athletic, and wants to be part of your daily life, not just hanging out on the sidelines.

If you are looking for a well-rounded dog who is ready to settle into home life, Travis checks the boxes. He has been overlooked, not because he is lacking, but because he is still waiting for the right person to notice him. That person might be you.

For even more information about me or my other adoptable friends, please visit the Adoptable Pets page.

Attention, Jacksonville! Kitten season has arrived, and Animal Care & Protective Services needs your help. 

With countless kittens coming in every day, we urgently need dedicated fosters to provide temporary homes and care. Fostering not only saves lives but also prepares these little furballs for their forever families.

Why Foster?

• Play a crucial role in saving lives
• Help kittens thrive in a loving environment
• Experience the joy of nurturing and caring for these adorable creatures

Your time and compassion can make a significant difference. Whether it’s a few weeks or a couple of months, your support is invaluable.

Ready to step up? Email acpsfosters@coj.net to learn more and sign up. Join the Kitten Army today to give these kittens the best start in life.

Exploring with ACPS's Dog Day Out Program

We're thrilled to spotlight the Dogs Around Duval program at Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS). This innovative short-term foster program allows you to take a dog from our shelter on an exciting day trip, providing an enriching experience for both you and the pup.
 
What is Dogs Around Duval?
Dogs Around Duval is Jacksonville’s version of the national Dog Day Out program. This is a fantastic initiative where members of the public can take shelter dogs on short-term outings. Whether it's a refreshing hike, a fun-filled trip to the beach or lake, or even an overnight sleepover, these field trips offer a perfect escape for the dogs and their temporary caregivers.
 
Benefits for Shelter Dogs
1. Stress Relief: Life in a kennel can be stressful for dogs. Doggy Day Out provides them with a much-needed break, reducing their stress and anxiety levels.
2. Energy Burn: Dogs are naturally energetic animals. These outings give them an excellent opportunity to burn off energy, keeping them happier and healthier.
3. Adoption Exposure: When you take a dog out, you're not just giving them a fun day. You're also increasing their chances of finding a forever home. The more people see these dogs in public, the more likely they are to get adopted.
 
Why Participate?
Participating in Doggy Day Out is a rewarding experience for both you and the dog. It's an excellent excuse to explore the great outdoors, enjoy the company of a furry friend, and contribute to a noble cause. Whether you're hiking a scenic trail, playing fetch at the beach, or simply cuddling on the couch, these moments create lasting memories.
 
How to Get Involved
Getting involved is simple, stop into ACPS to learn more about the program and sign up for an outing and please join the volunteer run facebook here (ACPS Dog Day Out Crew | Facebook) Each adventure you embark on with a shelter dog helps improve their quality of life and increases their chances of finding a forever home.
 
Join the Fun
At ACPS, we encourage you to take part in this incredible program. It's a wonderful way to make a difference in a dog's life while enjoying some fresh air and fun. So, why not plan your next adventure with a canine companion from ACPS’s Dogs Around Duval program? You'll be glad you did, and so will the dogs.

Welcome to Animal Care and Protective Services: Where Compassion Meets Commitment

In the bustling heart of Jacksonville, Florida, our city's animal shelter stands as a beacon of hope, dedicated to the well-being and happiness of our furry residents. Serving as a vital hub for animal welfare, we pride ourselves on our commitment to providing top-notch care and a second chance at life for every creature that comes through our doors.

What Sets Us Apart:
1. Comprehensive Care: From routine vaccinations to specialized medical attention, our skilled medical team and animal caretakers ensure that each animal receives the care it deserves.
2. Adoption Advocacy: We're passionate about uniting pets with loving families. Our adoption programs focus on creating perfect matches, emphasizing responsible pet ownership for a lifetime of companionship.
3. Community Engagement: Beyond the shelter walls, we actively engage with our community through educational initiatives, outreach programs, and collaborative events, fostering a culture of empathy and responsibility toward animals.
4. Dedicated Team: Our team is the heart of our shelter. Comprising compassionate individuals who bring a wealth of expertise, they work tirelessly to create a safe and nurturing environment for every resident.

At Animal Care and Protective Services, our mission is to take the lead in cultivating a community rooted in compassion and service that safeguards the wellbeing of humans & animals alike. We're dedicated to exemplifying and fostering compassion, reliability, and responsibility in Jacksonville.

Volunteer Spotlight: Rebecca Brown - Volunteer Foster Coordinator

Rebecca Brown is the kind of volunteer every organization hopes for and very few actually get.

From the outside, most people assume Rebecca is a paid member of our foster team. That is how present, knowledgeable, and invested she is. The truth is even more impressive. Rebecca has volunteered with us for seven years.

She does the same work our foster coordinators do. She supports fosters, problem-solves, communicates, follows through, and shows up again and again. She does it without being asked and without expecting recognition.

Rebecca brings kindness, deep knowledge, and a calm confidence to everything she touches. She does it with a smile and with genuine care for the people and animals she supports.

She is not just helpful. She is essential.

We are better because Rebecca is here. We are incredibly grateful for her dedication and the standard she sets for what volunteering can look like.

Thank you, Rebecca. We see you.

Two Years. One Mission. Real Change at ACPS.

When I stepped into the role of Division Chief in 2023, ACPS was functioning, but we were merely surviving more than we were leading. Our intake would close for extended periods. We had animals housed in the lobby. The air conditioners were broken. The kennels were dirty. Systems were reactive; staff were exhausted. 

A little more than two years later, this is a different organization. 

Not because of one big idea. Not because of even just a few big ideas. Definitely not because of me. But because as a team, ACPS staff and volunteers, along with the support and backing of the City of Jacksonville, started to rebuild the system from the ground up.
  

Field Services: Structure, Accountability, and Better Decisions 

We started where public trust begins: in the field. We: 

• Added a dedicated dispatcher position to improve call flow and officer focus.
• Built an internal call-prioritization system so emergenciesare prioritized first.
• Implemented required field checklists beforetheimpounding of every animal.
• Created a clearer warrant decision tree with supervisory review.
• Instituted intakecheckoffstoeliminatemissed steps.
• Launched a medical intake board that significantly reduced impound time for dogs and catsby making communication between teams more efficient.
• Formalized after-hours procedures and secured an after-hours emergency veterinary partner.
• Closed the inhumane night drop boxoutside of the sheltersothatanimals are no longer left outside overnight.
• Wrapped most of our field vehicles and improved property signageas part of amarketing plan to elevate professionalism and visibility.

We now complete approximately 32,000 calls for service annually. Field operations are more structured, defensible, and consistent. 

Intake and Shelter Operations: From Backlog to Flow 

There was a time when intake would close for weeks or even months due to capacity and internal strain. That no longer happens. 

Our Pet Resource Center and Adoption Center are open seven days a week. 

The Pet Resource Center, once open only three days a week with limited structure, now operates seven days a week on a scheduled model. This allows us to manage intake responsibly while focusing on prevention and community support. 

Dogs and cats were previously housed in our lobby area, which increased stress, noise, and odor. Now, all cats and dogs live in dedicated kennel runs. 

Additional operational improvements include: 

• Decluttered hallways and reorganized internal space for improved efficiency.
• Proactive building maintenance instead of crisis-based repairs.
• Strengthened working relationships with City ITD and Building Services, resulting in accelerated projects.
• A partnership with ITD to develop a new adoption app: JaxPawFinder - Click to Download
• The implementation of Q-less to better manage lobby traffic and wait times.
• Extended weekend hours.

Facility and program enhancements include: 

• An on-site public dog park to encourage the community to come to our shelter campus.
• Securing a grant to build an on-site Cat Café, increasing cat adoptions.
• A dedicated puppy room and puppy handling protocol.
• Turf in dog play yards to eliminate mud and improve sanitation.
• Updated uniforms to create a consistent, professional appearance.
• Increased staffing by nearly 20 positions, including new leadership and support roles such as a Community Events Coordinator, a Humane Education Program Coordinator, Specialty Investigators, a Pet Resource Center Senior Coordinator, Senior Veterinary Techs, Veterinary Assistants, A lead Veterinarian, an Assistant Supervisor of Animal Services, an Animal Care and Enrichment Manager, Animal Program Managers, and more!

The building operates differently because the system operates differently. 

Culture, Staffing, and Professional Development 

We rebuilt training and expectations. We: 

• Created structured dog-handling certification pathways for staff and volunteers.
• Updated onboarding and training programs to build confidence and improve retention.
• Renamed departments to better reflect mission alignment. “Placement” became “Adoptions,” for example. “Behavior” became “Enrichment.” Word choice matters.
• Increased transparency among staff and volunteers.
• Expanded volunteer roles and their access to information.
• Grew programs like Dogs Around Duval and launched Stroll Mates for corporate engagement and additional outings for the dogs in our care.
• Implemented a Humane Education Program.
• Formed a new partnership with the ARC of Jacksonville and Florida State College at Jacksonville to create the Professional Animal Workers program, a first of its kind.

Morale among our staff and volunteers improved because clarity and accountability improved.  

Behavior and Enrichment: Lower Stress, Better Outcomes 

The most visible transformation is in the animals! To work toward shorter lengths of stay and reduced stress in our animals, we implemented: 

• Progressive co-housing for compatible dogs, reducing their length of stay.
• Expanded playgroups, safely ensuring that more dogs were eligible and more sessions were happening weekly.
• A dot color handling system to match dogs with appropriately trained handlers, significantly decreasing bite incidents.
• The use of drag lines for fearful dogs to increase safe handlingin the kennel.
• Sectioned kennel areas to reduce barrier frustration and visual overstimulation.
• Accountability for detailedbehavior notes from officers, staff, and volunteersto better inform placement decisions.
• Accountability for clear, informative intake photos and written website biographies for every animal.
• Accountability for naming every animal at time of intake. No more only going by A-numbers.
• A rebuilt euthanasia procedure process. Informed by Fear Free principles, our euthanasia room is calmer and the process is more humane.
• A better flow of movement in our kennels. Previously, dogs had to wait up to six weeks before moving into the primary adoption kennels. Animals arenow assigned clear pathways at intake, and staffmembers are dedicated to managingflowso animals do not stall in the system.
• Our Cat Café means that cats are less stressed, getting to climb, stretch, and socialize with cats and people instead of spendingall oftheir time in a small kennel.

The difference is measurable. Our dogs and cats are calmer, and adopters get a true sense of their personalities. Our staff reports that our kennels are completely quiet during their closing walk-throughs, which was unheard of before.

Data That Reflects the Shift 

Our operational changes show up in our outcomes. Recent performance highlights include: 

• An approximately 87 percent overall save rate.
• Fielding32,000 calls for service annually.
• More than 1,300 specialty surgeries completed in a year, in addition to thousands of spay and neuter procedures.
• Significant increases in volunteer hours year over year.
• Increased adoption numbers for both dogs and cats.
• Decreases in euthanasia for both species.
• Improved return-to-owner outcomes,supported by tools like Petco Love Lost.

We also ended the practice of closing intake for extended periods, ensuring consistent public access and system stability. 

 
Community Engagement and Transparency

We shifted from restricted communication to strategic communication by: 

• Expanding social media presence and storytelling.
• Partnering with influencers to increase our digital reach.
• Improving intake photos and the marketing of our pets.
• Implementing robust use of Petco Love Lost to strengthen return-to-owner efforts.
• Partnering with Petszel for post-adoption support.
• Increasing transparency with staff, volunteers, and the public.

We are not hiding our work. We are showing it, and we’re proud of what we’re doing.  Jacksonville.gov - Shelter Reporting

What This All Means

Two years ago, the focus was survival. Today, the focus is constant improvement of our systems, our culture, and our outcomes. 

We are open seven days a week.
We do not close intake.
We have structured field protocols.
We have progressive enrichment.
We have modernized software.
We have increased staffing.
We have calmer kennels.
We have stronger morale.
We have measurable results. 

This is what happens when you stop reacting, start building, and remember to never stray from hope. 

Employee Spotlight: Justin Johnson

Justin Johnson has only been with us for seven months, and the impact he has made already is undeniable.

As our Pet Resource Center Senior, Justin has stepped into a leadership role quickly and naturally. He has taken the lead on training PRC staff and adoption counselors, raising the bar for consistency, knowledge, and professionalism across the board.

What stands out most is how Justin shows up for the community. He brings compassion and empathy to every conversation, especially on people’s hardest days. He listens. He explains. He meets people where they are without judgment.

Justin also thinks ahead. He has strong ideas for the future of the Pet Resource Center and a clear vision for how we can better partner with and support our community. It is obvious that this work matters to him and that the people we serve matter to him.

Seven months in, Justin is already a trusted leader and a steady presence for staff and the public alike. We are lucky to have him, and we are excited about where he is taking the Pet Resource Center.

Thank you, Justin, for the impact you are already making.

Explore Animal Care and Protective Services by visiting our location for a group tour led by a professional humane educator. Learn more about the history of ACPS, the animals we care for, the services we provide, and more. 

Tours are offered throughout the year by appointment, and can often be combined with a classroom program. Reservations are required for all tours.