What’s the Deal with the Humane Society?
If you’re just tuning in to the Humane Society storyline, you’ve probably seen it on social media: the city council doesn’t care about animals. They’re heartless. Cruel.
Maybe so.
Or maybe you’ve heard the other version: a shelter that won’t open its books.
We put together two years of meetings between the Flagler Humane Society, the Palm Coast City Council and the Flagler County Commission, in order, on video. Watch it and decide for yourself.
Flagler County Commission
Advocates and activists, several of them former shelter volunteers, take the mic one after another. They describe crowded kennels, euthanasia decisions, and a dog named Guapo. A commissioner raises the idea of the county running the shelter itself. The county administrator answers that the Humane Society is a nonprofit with its own board.
Full meeting: County Commission, Aug. 5, 2024
A former Humane Society volunteer, during public comment.
A county commissioner, then the county administrator.
Palm Coast City Council
The same speakers come to City Hall the next night. Vice Mayor Ed Danko asks what the city pays the Humane Society and what the relationship is. The answer: it’s a vendor, paid for a service. Council tells staff to set up a joint workshop with the county.
Full meeting: City Council, Aug. 6, 2024
Vice Mayor Ed Danko and city staff.
Joint workshop: County Commission and City Council
Both boards sit down with the Humane Society, and Executive Director Amy Carotenuto walks through the shelter’s history and costs and says it has nothing to hide. Officials ask about a capital plan, a seat on the Humane Society’s board, and room for a growing county. At public comment, the Humane Society’s Linda Lester explains a corrected tax filing. The meeting ends on next steps: a board seat, and next year’s contract.
Full meeting: Joint workshop, Aug. 28, 2024
Amy Carotenuto, executive director, Flagler Humane Society.
A member of the dais asks; Amy Carotenuto answers.
A county commissioner.
Linda Lester, Flagler Humane Society.
Commissioner Greg Hansen, then the commission chair.
Palm Coast City Council
The Humane Society presents to council: no-kill status, a live-release rate near 95 percent, and a city fee it calls far too low. Council presses on capacity, a capital plan and the bylaws. The mayor raises married couples on the board, and a board member answers him. The vice mayor says she’s disturbed there’s been no plan to expand.
Full meeting: City Council, Feb. 25, 2025, part 1 · part 2
Amy Carotenuto, executive director, Flagler Humane Society.
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri questions Amy Carotenuto.
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri questions Amy Carotenuto.
Mayor Mike Norris.
Vince Lyon, Flagler Humane Society board member, during public comment.
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri.
Joint workshop: County Commission and City Council
The governments propose new terms for the contract: public bylaws, seats on the board, background checks and more reporting. Carotenuto says the Humane Society provides what it’s asked for. The board president argues officials on the board would be a conflict of interest, then comes back later in the meeting to welcome them as voting members. Staff goes back to the Humane Society for a one-year contract.
Full meeting: Joint workshop, April 29, 2025
Amy Carotenuto, executive director, Flagler Humane Society.
Linda Lester, president of the Flagler Humane Society board.
Commissioner Leann Pennington.
Council Member Ty Miller.
Linda Lester, president of the Flagler Humane Society board.
Joint workshop: County Commission and City Council
The county weighs moving animal control from the Humane Society to Palm Coast. One official makes the case for sticking with a single provider. The boards land on a city-county task force to study a second shelter.
Full meeting: Joint workshop, Aug. 6, 2025
A county official.
County staff and Palm Coast officials.
Joint workshop: the cities and the county
The task force reports back. It recommends a second shelter run by a nonprofit, with surrendered pets still going to the Humane Society. A commissioner recounts why the county pushed for change, including a board seat offered without a seat at the board meetings. Both boards agree on the second-shelter option.
Full meeting: Joint workshop, Jan. 29, 2026
John Zobler, Palm Coast community development director.
A county commissioner.
The two boards.
Palm Coast budget workshop
The Humane Society tells the city it’s moving to full-cost pricing: from $156 an animal to almost $400, more than double. Staff says the Humane Society wants donations to go to a capital campaign. Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri asks to hold the contract at $156.
Full meeting: Budget workshop, July 14, 2026
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri asks; John Zobler, community development director, answers.
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri.
Palm Coast budget workshop
A member of the shelter task force tells council the effort has stalled since January, and that a donor has offered ten acres. Later, Council Member Ty Miller asks where talks stand. Staff says the Humane Society’s tax filings show surpluses and proposes a 10 percent increase instead.
Full meeting: Budget workshop, July 28, 2026
A member of the city-county shelter task force, during public comment.
Council Member Ty Miller asks; city staff answer.
Joint workshop at City Hall
The governments settle on city land on U.S. 1 for a second shelter, with SMART, the only group that answered the city’s call, to run it. Carotenuto tells the room the Humane Society isn’t going anywhere. Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri, the city’s liaison to the Humane Society, says the city was turned away from its board meetings and its budgets, and that she’ll go through the books in person. Commissioner Andy Dance says there’s room for both.
Full meeting: Joint workshop, Aug. 26, 2026
Amy Carotenuto, executive director, Flagler Humane Society, during public comment.
John Reynolds, during public comment.
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri, city liaison to the Humane Society.
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri, city liaison to the Humane Society.
Commissioner Andy Dance.
Flagler County Commission
A commissioner raises a veterinarian’s letter about the shelter and calls for more scrutiny than the task force can give.
Full meeting: County Commission, Sept. 2, 2026
A county commissioner.
Palm Coast final budget hearing
Asked by Pontieri about the Humane Society contract, staff says $210,000 is the amount in the budget. Council adopts the full budget, 5 to 0.
Full meeting: Final budget hearing, Sept. 23, 2026
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri asks; city finance staff answers.
Palm Coast City Council
A speaker at the mic says she obtained a shelter veterinarian’s letter through a public records request. At Pontieri’s request, council agrees to pursue a contract with SMART, and to look at repaying the $30,000 to $40,000 in vet bills SMART took on when the Humane Society was full.
Full meeting: City Council, Oct. 6, 2026
A resident, during public comment.
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri asks the council for consensus.
Palm Coast City Council workshop
Pontieri reports on her review of the Humane Society’s books, which she says she could see only in person, under a non-disclosure agreement. Her point is the thrift store: about $272,000 from donated goods that, she says, doesn’t show up as profit. Council Member Ty Miller asks whether federal tax rules require it; she says she isn’t alleging anything illegal. Here is the whole exchange, uncut.
Two days later, the Humane Society answered. Carotenuto told FlaglerLive and the Observer the vice mayor misread how federal tax rules require donated goods to be recorded.
Full meeting: Council workshop, Oct. 13, 2026
Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri and the City Council.
That’s the record, in their own words. What you make of it is up to you.
— Johnny Diamond · Palm Coast Storylines