A Jacksonville-based dog-behavior expert who has consulted with animal shelters and rescue groups nationwide has been hired to run the city animal shelter.
Jim Crosby will be the new division chief at Animal Control and Protective Services, city spokeswoman Tia Ford said Wednesday. He starts the new job March 21.
“The city and I are finalizing some personnel issues but I look forward to joining the team,” Crosby said.
The city shelter “has come a long way and I am excited to be part of the plans for the future,” he said. “Jacksonville has so much to offer its animal community, and our dedication to animal issues is a significant draw for businesses interested in the city’s opportunities.”
He succeeds former chief Nikki Harris, who departed in October and now works for the Jacksonville Humane Society.
Crosby, 58, is a certified canine behavior consultant and has run a consulting firm specializing in dog training, aggressive dog evaluation and rehabilitation for 17 years. He has also been a fatal dog attack investigator and legislative consultant on animal control and dangerous dog issues, according to his LinkedIn page.
In addition, he was the animal control division manager in Bay County for about three years and a lieutenant for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for 22 years.
A New York native, Crosby has been a Jacksonville resident since 1967. He graduated from Episcopal High School, attended Jacksonville University and University of North Florida and is now finishing a master’s degree in veterinary forensics at the University of Florida.
Crosby said his salary is still to be determined as a contract hasn’t been signed yet.
Other members of the local animal welfare community applauded Crosby’s hiring.
Denise Deisler, the society’s executive director, which works closely with the city shelter, said she was “delighted to welcome someone with Jim’s experience and enthusiasm to the partnership.”
Jennifer Deane, co-founder of the Pit Sisters rescue group, which also runs a dog-training program at area prisons and correctional centers, agreed.
“I could not be happier for the animals of Jacksonville. Jim is a well-respected animal professional and advocate,” she said.
Nicole Brose, development director of First Coast No More Homeless Pets, said Crosby was likable, professional and “an excellent trainer in the area of hard-to-place dogs.”
His leadership, she said, can take the city shelter “to the next level, in the area of outreach to the community, saving lives and connecting groups and people to the fact that it will and does take an entire community to make their city no-kill, one in which all dogs and cats have a chance at a loving, forever home.”
No-kill status means at least 90 percent of shelter animals leave alive and the only ones put down are ill or have behavioral problems. The city reached that goal in late 2013, largely due to a partnership between First Coast, the city shelter and the society that focused on adoption and spay/neuter programs.
Crosby “certainly has the right attitude toward our goal of maintaining no-kill status,” said Rick DuCharme, First Coast’s founder and executive director.
The city’s inspector general is still investigating allegations made by a whistle-blower in August 2015 that Harris and another shelter staffer falsified reports and turned away animals in order to maintain no-kill status. The investigation remains “ongoing,” a spokeswoman for Inspector General Thomas Cline said Wednesday.
Beth Reese Cravey (904) 359-4109
JACKSONVILLE ANIMAL CARE AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES
The shelter is at 2020 Forest St. Regular adoption hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Adoption fees vary. For more information, call (904) 630-2489 or go to coj.net/pets.
