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Malaysian Reserve
5 days ago
- General
- Malaysian Reserve
Halifax Humane Society Partners with Petco Love Lost Using its Free AI-Powered Database to Help Reunite Lost Pets in Volusia County
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As the height of hurricane season approaches, Halifax Humane Society announces a groundbreaking partnership with Petco Love to deploy Petco Love Lost, a free, photo-matching pet reunification database powered by AI technology. This vital tool will now be made available across Volusia County to help lost pets get back home faster—before ever reaching a shelter. Halifax Humane Society is calling on city and county officials across Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, Port Orange, DeLand, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach, South Daytona Beach, and Volusia County to integrate Petco Love Lost into their official animal control operations. The free platform allows pet parents to pre-register their pets with just one photo, so if a pet goes missing—especially during or after a storm—anyone who finds the pet can upload a photo and be instantly matched with the pet parent through the national database. 'Our goal is simple: every pet in Volusia County should be registered in this free system before a storm hits,' said Sean Hawkins, CEO of Halifax Humane Society. 'This technology can help reunite lost pets within minutes—without them ever having to enter a shelter.' Petco Love Lost already partners with more than 3,000 shelters and rescues nationwide, including Halifax Humane Society, which automatically uploads every incoming pet to the platform. This has already led to dozens of successful reunions. But to maximize impact, the entire community must participate—shelters, veterinary clinics, rescue groups, and individual pet parents. 'Petco Love Lost is being used successfully in thousands of cities across the country,' said Gina Knepp, National Program Manager for Petco Love Lost. 'But Volusia County stands out as the very first countywide, coordinated deployment effort. That's powerful. When an entire region commits to reuniting pets with their families using a single platform, lives are saved, heartbreak is prevented, and our communities become more compassionate places.' To support this community-wide effort, Halifax Humane Society will host two free workshops in partnership with Petco Love: Community Training Workshop for Shelters and Rescue Organizations: Wednesday, July 23rd | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Halifax Humane Society | 2364 LPGA Blvd. | Daytona Beach, FL RSVP Required: Veterinarian Training Workshop: Thursday, July 24th | 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Halifax Humane Society | 2364 LPGA Blvd. | Daytona Beach, FL RSVP Required: 'This is a unique moment for Volusia County to unite and centralize all lost and found pet reports into one powerful, easy-to-use system,' said Hawkins. 'The more people who use it, the more pets we can get home—fast, safe, and without ever setting paw in a shelter.' 'You don't have to wait for a training session to use the tool now. We encourage every pet parent across Volusion County to go to right now to upload a picture of your pet into the free platform. This three-minute action could literally save your pet's life!' About Petco Love LostPetco Love Lost is a free, national lost and found database that uses photo-matching technology to help reunite lost pets with their families. With over 300,000 pets already registered and more than 100,000 reunions facilitated, the platform is available at About Halifax Humane SocietyHalifax Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving the greater Daytona Beach area. Each year, the organization provides shelter, medical care, and adoption services to nearly 15,000 animals, working to strengthen the human-animal bond through compassion, education, and lifesaving programs. Contact:Sean Hawkins, CEOHalifax Humane Society(713) 269-3574397333@ Gina Barbato KneppPetco Love Lost397333@
Miami Herald
24-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Family didn't stop looking for dog missing since FL hurricane. Now, ‘happy tears'
A dog went missing during a Florida hurricane — and his family didn't stop searching for him. Now, eight months after the storm, Ghost the dog finally has been reunited with his owners. 'When Ghost saw his real family he was overjoyed,' Christina Sutherin, chief lifesaving officer for the Halifax Humane Society, told McClatchy News in a June 23 email. 'He was whining and barking excitedly while doing zoomies and wagging his entire body greeting them! Happy tears were shed.' The Daytona Beach shelter celebrated the long-awaited reunion after Ghost experienced a rough patch. His owners said he and their other dogs were stolen during Hurricane Milton, which slammed Florida in October. 'They filed a report with the police department and began the search for their dogs immediately,' Sutherin wrote. 'Their home was damaged, and they eventually moved out (of) state but never stopped looking.' Over time, the pup 'bounced from house to house and was even in and out of animal shelters.' He landed at the humane society when he was with someone who was arrested in an unrelated case, the shelter wrote in its email and a Facebook post. At the shelter, Ghost became known as a 'goofy, playful, treat loving' dog. One day, his luck took a turn for the better when his owners saw a post about him on the humane society's website. Sutherin said the family shared pictures of their lost pet, and 'there was no denying that Ghost was the same dog in the photos, right down to the spots on his nose!' After getting confirmation, the family drove 12 hours from West Virginia for the emotional reunion. 'Our team left the shelter Saturday feeling amazing knowing Ghost was sleeping in a hotel bed with his family that night,' Sutherin wrote. 'We were all so excited and teary eyed.' Before the family kicked off its next chapter together, the shelter said Ghost received a microchip. The devices store owners' contact information in case their pets become lost. Daytona Beach lies along the Atlantic coast, a roughly 55-mile drive northeast from Orlando.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Yahoo
17 dogs rescued from hot trailer outside Ormond Beach hotel; owner charged with animal cruelty
The Brief Seventeen dogs were rescued from a sweltering, caged trailer outside an Ormond Beach hotel, with police reviving two limp puppies on the scene. Their owner, Neddrick Thomas, faces 17 felony animal cruelty charges as the Halifax Humane Society provides ongoing care. The courts will determine whether the shelter gains permanent custody of the animals. ORMOND BEACH, Fla. - Seventeen dogs, including ten six-week-old puppies, were found caged inside a small trailer in the parking lot of an Ormond Beach hotel on Feb. 3, according to the Ormond Beach Police Department. What we know The Ormond Beach Police Department discovered the animals in distress, severely malnourished and thirsty, with no food or water, and firefighters helped transport them to the Halifax Humane Society for emergency care. Officers reported soiled newspapers lining the bottom of the cages as Ormond Beach Firefighters grabbed the pups and headed to Halifax Humane Society. They had to revive at least two limp puppies on the scene. The temperature inside the trailer was recorded at 98 degrees, authorities said. Animal neglect and abuse cases are not uncommon in Florida, particularly in extreme weather conditions. With temperatures inside the trailer soaring and no ventilation, the dogs faced life-threatening conditions. The owner, 36-year-old Neddrick Thomas, has been charged with 17 counts of felony animal cruelty. The Halifax Humane Society, which frequently handles cases of abuse and neglect, is providing ongoing medical care for the dogs. What we don't know Authorities have not confirmed how long the dogs were in the trailer, though hotel employees estimated about a week. It is unclear whether Thomas had any prior animal cruelty charges or if others were involved in the neglect. The courts will also determine whether Halifax Humane Society will gain permanent custody of the rescued dogs. What they're saying Halifax Humane Society CEO Sean Hawkins expressed frustration over the cruelty of the situation. "Your faith in humanity is questioned daily," Hawkins said. He also emphasized the dire conditions the dogs faced inside the trailer. "In an environment where the air is not moving, they can very quickly suffer from heatstroke and exhaustion. This was a situation that was intentional or was allowed to continue by people, and that's particularly hard." Hawkins assured the public that the dogs are now receiving the care they need. "Our veterinarians were with the pets throughout the night. They received exams and any immediate veterinary care. The pets continue to receive care by our medical team here at the shelter." What's next While the dogs are now safe, their future remains uncertain as the courts decide who will have custody of them. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by the Ormond Beach Police Department and Halifax Humane Society CEO Sean Hawkins.
