Broward County names new animal care director

Broward County has named a new director for its Animal Care and Adoption Center, which has previously drawn criticism from activists over turning away certain pets. The shelter takes in around 8,600 dogs and cats a year.

William Douglas Brightwell, the director of Animal Services for Pinellas County, has been named the new director. He has been in Pinellas since 2013 in several roles, the last eight as director. He is a certified animal welfare administrator by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and is active in animal welfare leadership through the Florida Animal Control Association, where he was on the board of directors from 2015 through 2022.

County Administrator Monica Cepero said in a prepared statement she was “confident we found the right match to lead our Animal Care Division into the next era.”

She called Brightwell “compassionate, experienced and will be dedicated to animal welfare in Broward County.”

In the statement Brightwell said he looked forward “to engaging with the passionate animal care community.”

“It will be an honor to serve the residents of Broward County and the animals who need and deserve our help,” he said.

The county did not immediately say what his salary would be, or how many applicants there were for the position. The shelter director oversees the multimillion-dollar budget, and scores of employees.

In March, Emily Wood, the last director of Broward County’s animal shelter, submitted her resignation for her $165,000-a-year job. She was hired in January 2021, but within months, some activists opposed a three-day wait policy on stray dogs that led police departments and good Samaritans to either find homes for the animals or leave them on the streets. The only dogs granted immediate entry to the shelter were the sick, injured or dangerous. The shelter said the community would be called on to help rehome abandoned animals, with a shelter only being used “as a last resort.”

As part of her resignation, Wood wrote, “I have enjoyed serving Broward County and hope that I have lifted up the reputation of the organization.”

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com . Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash