The Leon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has a Livestock Team consisting of a Team Commander and five members. Each team member is assigned to a primary unit within the agency and supports the livestock team as a secondary duty. This team is responsible for different tasks, including rescuing large animals on the run and reconnecting them with their owners, helping find new homes for livestock, and transporting animals from one location to another. Livestock requests and needs can happen any day at any time.
The Livestock Team prides itself on attending training and courses on animal safety and wellness, large animal rescue techniques, and best practices to trap livestock humanely. This team also conducts monthly training with local livestock partners to get hands-on practice. These courses and monthly training sessions are essential as there has been an increase in the number of citizens owning livestock ranging from pigs to cows.
Members of this team are well connected with statewide agricultural assets, including the Florida Farm Bureau Federation (FFBF), Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) – Statewide Agricultural Response Team (SART), and the Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit (FACIU). Through these connections, LCSO has access to livestock subject matter experts, can utilize equipment and resources to support local needs, and gains intelligence on trends and issues related to livestock and agriculture in Florida. We are active members of each organization and attend meetings regularly.
LCSO also partners with community livestock organizations to feed and care for animals while in the custody of our agency. Without these integral partners, we would not be able to rehouse livestock here locally in a temporary or permanent capacity. Each of the below non-profits is formally recognized as an official LCSO livestock team partner. Thank you to all of you for what you do!
- Aunt Louise's Farm
- Bar5C Farms
- Country Feed Store
- Crazy 8 Ranch
- 4 Steps Horse Rescue
- Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranch
- Goat House Farm
- Rainbow’s Edge Farm
- Redemptive Love Farm
- Paradise Found Farms
- Triple R Horse Rescue
- Wild Melody
If you or your organization are interested in becoming a livestock team partner, please contact Administrative Manager Erin Tupper at tuppere@leoncountyfl.gov.