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Jacksonville Florida ACPS Lies, Jacksonville, FL (2026)

08/28/2026

🚨 MICHAEL BRICKER SAYS ACPS IS AT 200% CAPACITY — BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT WHY.

Michael Bricker is appearing in another Clear the Shelters post asking the public to step up because Jacksonville Animal Care & Protective Services is reportedly operating at 200% capacity.

But before blaming the public or simply asking people to adopt, foster, volunteer and rescue more animals, Jacksonville deserves to ask a much bigger question:

How did ACPS get here?

A shelter cannot function successfully without the trust and cooperation of its community.

That means employees.

That means experienced shelter staff.

That means volunteers.

That means fosters.

That means rescue organizations willing to pull animals and work alongside the shelter.

And when those relationships deteriorate, animals ultimately pay the price.

Over and over, people connected to ACPS have raised concerns about leadership, communication, transparency and the way people are treated when they question what is happening inside the shelter.

We have watched employees leave.

We have watched volunteers walk away.

We have watched fosters say they no longer want to foster for ACPS.

We have heard serious complaints about how concerns involving animal care are handled.

And rescues that should be some of the shelter’s strongest partners should not feel pushed away, ignored or unwilling to work with city leadership.

So when Michael Bricker stands in front of the public talking about a shelter at 200% capacity, the conversation shouldn’t end with:

“Please come adopt.”

The public should also be asking:

Why are we losing the very people who could help reduce that capacity?

Where is the transparency?

Why has public trust deteriorated?

What is being done to rebuild relationships with volunteers and fosters?

How many experienced employees have left?

How many active volunteers and fosters have been lost?

How many rescue organizations have stopped or reduced working with ACPS — and why?

What complaints have been made about shelter leadership, and what has the City done about them?

And most importantly:

Who is holding Michael Bricker accountable for the condition of the organization he was hired to lead?

Clear the Shelters is a wonderful goal. Every animal deserves a safe home.

But you cannot solve a systemic shelter problem with a weekend adoption event and another public-relations campaign.

You solve it by fixing the problems inside the shelter.

You rebuild trust.

You retain good employees.

You respect volunteers.

You support fosters.

You work WITH rescues instead of driving them away.

And you give Jacksonville taxpayers genuine transparency about what is happening inside their publicly funded animal shelter.

200% capacity isn’t just a number.

It should be a wake-up call.

Jacksonville needs to stop asking only, “How do we clear the shelter?”

It’s time to start asking:

“Why did we lose so many of the people who were helping us keep it from getting this full in the first place?”

Animal Care & Protective Services
@

08/26/2026

🚨 MICHAEL BRICKER’S LACK OF COMPASSION AND FAILED LEADERSHIP 🚨

Once again, we are hearing a heartbreaking account from a former ACPS foster volunteer—an account that raises serious concerns about the lack of compassion, communication, and appropriate medical care under Chief Michael Bricker’s leadership.

This volunteer opened her home and heart to foster vulnerable kittens through ACPS. When a kitten named TJ developed swelling beneath his chin, became lethargic, and struggled to eat and drink, she immediately took him to ACPS and pleaded for help.

According to the foster, ACPS acknowledged that something was wrong with TJ’s jaw but sent him home with food and medication. His X-ray was reportedly scheduled for approximately one week later. The next day, TJ began having seizures. He was rushed back to ACPS and was later euthanized.

The foster had brought TJ to ACPS the day before and warned them that he was lethargic and unable to eat or drink properly. After TJ’s death, she tried to obtain his ashes, but her emails allegedly went unanswered for approximately a week. She was eventually told that TJ had already received a communal cremation.

Following TJ’s death, the foster sent this message to ACPS. Her name is being withheld to protect her privacy:

“So I’ve made the hard decision to surrender the foster care of Spunky and Bald-Headed Man to ACPS. Unfortunately, I no longer trust that ACPS has the ability to provide the animals with what they need to thrive. Since I cannot transfer them to the Jacksonville Humane Society without ACPS doing it, I am going to leave them with ACPS. I hope this helps them find homes as soon as possible and that their medical needs will be taken more seriously.

I will no longer foster for ACPS unless it is absolutely necessary.

ACPS has broken my trust in its ability to care properly for animals. My concerns were taken lightly. Seeing how the Jacksonville Humane Society evaluates and cares for animals—despite relying on donations rather than City funding—made me realize that it is not simply about the number of volunteers. It is about the people responsible for the animals and the quality of care they provide.

Sending an animal home with a known problem involving his jaw and providing only an anti-inflammatory medication was negligent. The jaw problem may not have caused the seizures, but TJ was already lethargic and struggling to eat and drink when I brought him to ACPS.

Please take what I am saying seriously and be more careful about how ACPS treats animals. No amount of volunteer work can undo an animal’s death when serious medical concerns are overlooked.

Spunky and Bald-Headed Man also appear to have an upper respiratory infection. Both kittens have been sneezing, and my cat has begun sneezing as well. I hope ACPS takes this into consideration and does not overlook their symptoms the way my concerns about TJ were overlooked.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give these cats love. I hope ACPS will listen to this feedback and learn from what happened.”

This foster did not stop fostering through ACPS because she stopped caring. She walked away because what happened to TJ destroyed her trust in the shelter.

Michael Bricker is the chief of ACPS. When foster volunteers report that their urgent concerns are dismissed, animals allegedly fail to receive timely medical attention, and grieving fosters cannot even receive prompt answers about their animals’ remains, leadership must be held accountable.

How many fosters, volunteers, and former employees must come forward before Mayor Donna Deegan and the City of Jacksonville investigate what is happening under Michael Bricker’s leadership?

TJ mattered. His suffering mattered. His foster’s voice matters. 🐾💔

Animal Care & Protective Services
City of Jacksonville, Florida - Government
Councilman Jimmy Peluso, City Council District 7

08/26/2026

🚨 MICHAEL BRICKER’S LACK OF COMPASSION AND FAILED LEADERSHIP 🚨

Once again, we are hearing a heartbreaking account from a former ACPS foster volunteer—an account that raises serious concerns about the lack of compassion, communication, and appropriate medical care under Chief Michael Bricker’s leadership.

This volunteer opened her home and heart to foster vulnerable kittens through ACPS. When a kitten named TJ developed swelling beneath his chin, became lethargic, and struggled to eat and drink, she immediately took him to ACPS and pleaded for help.

According to the foster, ACPS acknowledged that something was wrong with TJ’s jaw but sent him home with food and medication. His X-ray was reportedly scheduled for approximately one week later. The next day, TJ began having seizures. He was rushed back to ACPS and was later euthanized.

The foster had brought TJ to ACPS the day before and warned them that he was lethargic and unable to eat or drink properly. After TJ’s death, she tried to obtain his ashes, but her emails allegedly went unanswered for approximately a week. She was eventually told that TJ had already received a communal cremation.

Following TJ’s death, the foster sent this message to ACPS. Her name is being withheld to protect her privacy:

“So I’ve made the hard decision to surrender the foster care of Spunky and Bald-Headed Man to ACPS. Unfortunately, I no longer trust that ACPS has the ability to provide the animals with what they need to thrive. Since I cannot transfer them to the Jacksonville Humane Society without ACPS doing it, I am going to leave them with ACPS. I hope this helps them find homes as soon as possible and that their medical needs will be taken more seriously.

I will no longer foster for ACPS unless it is absolutely necessary.

ACPS has broken my trust in its ability to care properly for animals. My concerns were taken lightly. Seeing how the Jacksonville Humane Society evaluates and cares for animals—despite relying on donations rather than City funding—made me realize that it is not simply about the number of volunteers. It is about the people responsible for the animals and the quality of care they provide.

Sending an animal home with a known problem involving his jaw and providing only an anti-inflammatory medication was negligent. The jaw problem may not have caused the seizures, but TJ was already lethargic and struggling to eat and drink when I brought him to ACPS.

Please take what I am saying seriously and be more careful about how ACPS treats animals. No amount of volunteer work can undo an animal’s death when serious medical concerns are overlooked.

Spunky and Bald-Headed Man also appear to have an upper respiratory infection. Both kittens have been sneezing, and my cat has begun sneezing as well. I hope ACPS takes this into consideration and does not overlook their symptoms the way my concerns about TJ were overlooked.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to give these cats love. I hope ACPS will listen to this feedback and learn from what happened.”

This foster did not stop fostering through ACPS because she stopped caring. She walked away because what happened to TJ destroyed her trust in the shelter.

Michael Bricker is the chief of ACPS. When foster volunteers report that their urgent concerns are dismissed, animals allegedly fail to receive timely medical attention, and grieving fosters cannot even receive prompt answers about their animals’ remains, leadership must be held accountable.

How many fosters, volunteers, and former employees must come forward before Mayor Donna Deegan and the City of Jacksonville investigate what is happening under Michael Bricker’s leadership?

TJ mattered. His suffering mattered. His foster’s voice matters. 🐾💔

08/26/2026

There are plenty of loose dogs running the streets of Jacksonville, so why aren’t animal control officers out on the road responding to calls?

I understand ACPS started an initiative to read books to shelter animals, and enrichment can be beneficial. But this appears to involve nearly ten employees—including animal control officers and office staff such as Kristina Morris—sitting together and reading to the dogs.

How many employees does it take to read a book to a dog? Why are officers participating during working hours when residents continue reporting loose, dangerous, and neglected animals?

The dogs deserve enrichment—but Jacksonville taxpayers also deserve adequate coverage, timely responses, and officers actively working in the community. This looks less like effective animal care and more like another staged public-relations photo opportunity.

Who is covering the streets while all these employees are posing for the camera?

Animal Care & Protective Services
City of Jacksonville, Florida - Government
Councilman Jimmy Peluso, City Council District 7
Mayor Donna Deegan
Donna Deegan for Mayor
Kindred Kitten Rescue

08/26/2026

Before everyone celebrates this appointment, the public deserves the complete story.

Richard Reichard was Michael Bricker’s supervisor while Bricker led Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services. Reichard was reportedly informed about serious allegations and ongoing problems within ACPS, yet those concerns were allowed to continue without meaningful intervention or public accountability.

So the question is not merely what positions Richard Reichard has held—it is what he did when employees, volunteers, rescuers, and members of the public raised concerns about an agency under his supervision.

Were the complaints formally investigated? What corrective action was taken? Why was Michael Bricker permitted to remain in charge while allegation after allegation continued to surface?

Leadership is not just strategic planning, budgets, procurement, and impressive titles. Leadership also means acting when misconduct and failed management are brought to your attention.

Before Richard Reichard is praised as a tremendous asset to another organization involving animals and public trust, NFES should explain whether it examined his oversight of ACPS and his response to the reported wrongdoing occurring under Michael Bricker.

The Jacksonville community deserves transparency—not another polished announcement that leaves out the most important part of the record. 🛑🛑🛑🛑🛑Please join us in welcoming Richard Reichard as the newest member of the NFES Board of Directors! 🎉

Richard brings an incredible depth of leadership and public-service experience to NFES. After a distinguished 29-year career with Jacksonville Fire Rescue, where he rose to the rank of Assistant Chief, Richard went on to serve as the City of Jacksonville’s Director of Administrative Services, overseeing multiple city divisions and a fleet of more than 4,500 vehicles. He retired from the City on July 3, 2026.

His experience in strategic planning, procurement, compliance, financial oversight, operations, and organizational leadership will be a tremendous asset as NFES continues working to strengthen and grow its programs and the Jacksonville Equestrian Center.

Richard has also served on numerous boards and committees, including the Mayor’s Budget Review Committee, Public Nuisance and Abatement Board, and Police and Fire Pension Funds Advisory Board.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Richard is deeply committed to public service and community involvement. We are excited to have his knowledge, leadership, and passion for serving others as part of the NFES team.

We look forward to the experience and perspective he will bring as we continue building a strong future for NFES, H.O.R.S.E. Therapies, and the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. 🐴💙

🛑🛑🛑🛑

08/25/2026

Best Friends Animal Society bases their reputation on being a “no kill” shelter. But what if they could kill way more than 10 percent and still be able to collect all of their donations as a no kill shelter? The form below gives them a waiver, if they have a neonatal cat program or a program to take in and treat seniors.
🚩I for one have seen many Seniors with medical issues go untreated and be euthanized!!!
🚩The waiver also mentions not counting the deaths of dangerous animals that have worked with a trainer yet are still dangerous
🚩Interesting how the volunteers say week after week that friendly and scared dogs are being put on the euthanasia list as behavioral dogs.
Their Voice Matters Best Friends Animal Society bases their reputation on being a “no kill” shelter. But what if they could kill way more than 10 percent and still be able to collect all of their donations as a no kill shelter? The form below gives them a waiver, if they have a neonatal cat program or a program to take in and treat seniors.
🚩I for one have seen many Seniors with medical issues go untreated and be euthanized!!!
🚩The waiver also mentions not counting the deaths of dangerous animals that have worked with a trainer yet are still dangerous
🚩Interesting how the volunteers say week after week that friendly and scared dogs are being put on the euthanasia list as behavioral dogs.

🚨 NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT MICHAEL BRICKER 🚨

Michael Bricker’s background reportedly includes Best Friends–connected training or experience involving two locations in Texas and one in Utah. That connection matters because many people believe the same numbers-driven philosophy has followed him to Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services.

Under Bricker’s leadership, former employees, volunteers and fosters have raised serious concerns about how animals are classified and how euthanasia outcomes are reported. They have repeatedly alleged that friendly dogs—and dogs who are simply frightened or stressed inside the shelter—are being labeled “behavioral.” That classification can determine whether an animal is saved, euthanized or excluded from the statistics used to support a “no-kill” designation.

So how many dogs were truly dangerous, and how many were merely scared? How much time, training and opportunity did each dog receive before being placed on a euthanasia list? Who made those decisions, and were qualified independent behaviorists involved?

This is exactly why the public needs more than a percentage issued by Bricker’s own administration. We need the complete, unedited euthanasia records, behavioral evaluations, veterinary notes and final disposition records. We also need to know which deaths were excluded from the publicly advertised save rate—and why.

When leadership becomes focused on protecting a designation instead of presenting the complete truth, “no-kill” can become a numbers game. Animals may still die while their deaths are classified in ways that keep the official percentage looking acceptable.

Michael Bricker should be required to explain every exclusion and classification used in ACPS statistics. Jacksonville taxpayers and donors deserve an independent audit comparing the public numbers with the shelter’s actual medical, behavioral and euthanasia records.

This is not about protecting a slogan or reputation. It is about determining whether animals are genuinely being saved—or whether the numbers are being manipulated through labels, waivers and exclusions.

Their Voice Matters.

Donna Deegan for Mayor
City of Jacksonville, Florida - Government
Councilman Jimmy Peluso, City Council District 7Animal Care & Protective Services

08/25/2026

🚨 ANOTHER TROUBLING EXPERIENCE AT JACKSONVILLE ACPS 🚨

According to this individual, after finding an abandoned dog and doing the responsible thing by taking him to the shelter, they were allegedly treated disrespectfully and told by an employee to wait with the dog inside a hot vehicle.

If this account is accurate, it raises serious questions. Why would anyone working in animal welfare tell someone to keep a dog in a hot car? Why are members of the public who are trying to help animals reportedly being treated this way?

This is exactly why people continue speaking out about the leadership and culture at Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services. Volunteers, former employees, fosters, rescuers, and now members of the public keep describing troubling experiences. At what point will Mayor Donna Deegan, the City Council, and Chief Michael Bricker publicly address these repeated concerns?

Thankfully, this little guy is now at the main Jacksonville shelter. Please share so his family can find him—or so he can find a safe and loving home if nobody claims him. 🐾

Animal Care & Protective Services
City of Jacksonville, Florida - Government
Donna Deegan for Mayor
Mayor Donna Deegan
Councilman Jimmy Peluso, City Council District 7

08/24/2026

🚨 JACKSONVILLE — HERE’S SOMETHING TAXPAYERS SHOULD BE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT 🚨

ACPS has announced its new partnership with Forever Friends Jax, a nonprofit raising private donations to pay for needs at the city-owned Animal Care and Protective Services shelter.

But when you start looking at who is behind this organization, there are some very interesting connections that deserve public transparency.

Forever Friends Jax is a brand-new Florida nonprofit corporation, formed in 2026.

And here’s what really caught our attention:

According to the organization’s Florida corporate records, Rory Diamond is listed as Chairman.

Who is Rory Diamond?

He isn’t simply a private citizen interested in helping shelter animals.

Rory Diamond is a sitting Jacksonville City Council member representing District 13. He also currently serves on the Jacksonville City Council FINANCE COMMITTEE.

Now let’s look at another interesting part of the corporate filing.

Forever Friends Jax’s records list Michelle Shelor and Michael Munz at 2020 Forest Street, Jacksonville, Florida.

Recognize that address?

2020 Forest Street is the location of Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services — the very city agency this nonprofit was created to support.

So let’s put this together:

A newly created nonprofit is announced as a “community partner” of a taxpayer-funded city department.

A sitting Jacksonville City Council member is listed as the nonprofit’s chairman.

Two other officers were listed at the address of ACPS itself.

And now ACPS, under Chief Michael Bricker, is publicly promoting this organization and encouraging the community to donate.

That does NOT automatically establish that anybody has done anything illegal or improper.

But it absolutely raises legitimate questions about transparency, oversight and the relationship between this nonprofit and city government.

Who actually created Forever Friends Jax?

Why were nonprofit officers using the ACPS address?

Are any of these individuals city employees or otherwise formally connected to ACPS?

What role did Chief Michael Bricker or ACPS management have in establishing this organization?

Was this partnership reviewed or approved by the City?

Is there a written agreement between ACPS and Forever Friends Jax?

Who controls the donated money?

Who decides what gets purchased?

Does ACPS have any authority over those funds?

And what safeguards are in place when a sitting City Council member is involved with a nonprofit whose stated purpose is financially supporting needs at a City department?

There’s another obvious question:

Jacksonville already has FOJA — Friends of Jacksonville Animals — raising private money to support ACPS animals. Why was another nonprofit necessary?

Helping shelter animals is a wonderful mission. Nobody should have a problem with enrichment, emergency veterinary treatment or making shelter animals more comfortable.

But when a nonprofit is soliciting donations to benefit a government agency — particularly when a sitting City Council member and the government facility’s own address appear in its corporate records — taxpayers and donors deserve COMPLETE transparency.

We aren’t accusing anyone of wrongdoing.

We’re asking who is connected to whom, who controls the money, and what oversight exists.

Those are questions every Jacksonville taxpayer should be comfortable asking.

🐾 Follow the money.
📄 Follow the public records.
🔎 And demand transparency.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

🐾 ANNOUNCING A NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP 🐾

We're proud to welcome Forever Friends Jax to the family — a nonprofit stepping up to support Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) by covering the needs that fall outside the city budget. Think emergency medical care and enrichment items that make shelter life a little brighter.

Their inaugural campaign, "Because Waiting Is Hard," is raising funds for puzzle feeders, scratching posts, and scent enrichment — small comforts that make a big difference in reducing stress for animals during their shelter stay.

💬 "Forever Friends Jax is hitting the ground running, and they're excited about this opportunity to help the pets at ACPS," said Chief Michael Bricker. "Their goal is to raise $2,500 in their first campaign, which will make an enormous difference in our animals' lives while they wait for a loving family to find them."

💬 "Every animal deserves to feel safe, cared for, and loved — especially while waiting for their forever home," said Michael Munz, chairman of Forever Friends Jax. "The 'Because Waiting Is Hard' campaign gives our community a meaningful way to ease that wait by providing enrichment that reduces stress and supports each animal's well-being. Together, we can make their time at ACPS healthier, happier, and more hopeful."

You may already know FOJA (Friends of Jacksonville Animals), who focuses on funding medical procedures and heartworm treatment for our shelter animals. Forever Friends Jax complements that work by focusing on enrichment and everything else in-between — together, these two partners are helping us give every animal the full care they deserve.

We are grateful for partners like Forever Friends Jax and FOJA who show up for animals in need. Tthank you for making our shelter a better place, one act of kindness at a time. 🐾

To learn more about Forever Friends Jax and ways you can contribute, check the link in the comments!

Animal Care & Protective Services
Donna Deegan for Mayor
Councilman Jimmy Peluso, City Council District 7
Mayor Donna Deegan
City of Jacksonville, Florida - Government

Jacksonville Florida ACPS Lies

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