Message to the Community from Tracey Kinsley, Executive Director of PAWS 

Facing a Crisis Together                                                                          August 1, 2025

Dear Community Members, 

As the Executive Director of the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), I feel it is important to address the many rumors circulating about the future of PAWS. PAWS is in a financial crisis, and we are facing the very real possibility of closure in early 2026 unless immediate action is taken. 

Yes, We Are Full 

This isn’t just a local issue. Shelters across the country are full—ours included—and cries for help are echoing from every corner of the animal welfare community. We are not alone in this struggle, but we are responsible for how we respond to it here at home. Let me be perfectly clear: we are not going to “let the animals go” or “release them into the wild.” That’s not who we are. That is not what we do. 

PAWS only has 56 kennels available to humanely house dogs. That is the total capacity for strays, surrenders, cruelty cases, dangerous dog holds, and bite quarantines. The current building was constructed in 1990, for the population and needs of that time. We are now serving a much larger community with dramatically higher intake numbers—and we are always full due to the overwhelming number of stray and abandoned animals entering our doors each year. I want to reiterate that we DO NOT euthanize for space, but we are at capacity almost every single day. 

What Animal Control Does—and Why It Matters 

Animal control officers are first responders for animals in crisis. They answer hundreds of calls monthly involving stray pets, injured animals, animal cruelty, bite cases, roaming animals, and dangerous dogs. They protect our neighborhoods, enforce state statutes and local ordinances, and serve as the voice for the voiceless. 

When an animal is brought in by animal control, their care doesn’t stop at intake. Every animal receives a complete medical assessment, vaccines, and any medically necessary treatments—from antibiotics and IV fluids to broken limb amputations, wound care, emergency surgeries, and pain relief. These costs are not optional. They are humane. They are what animals deserve. 

The Financial Reality 

Here’s the math: As of July, PAWS has taken in 2,240 animals since our fiscal year began in October 2024. At an average cost of $500 per animal intake, that totals $1,120,000.00— and that only covers basic needs like boarding/shelter, food, water, electricity, preventatives, vaccinations, and initial medical assessments. It does not include staff salaries, vehicle maintenance, gas, insurance, or ongoing medical care. And we still have two months left in the fiscal year. 

With all of the jurisdiction contracts combined, PAWS receives just $900,000 to cover these services. It’s simply not enough! This model is unsustainable, and we cannot continue on this path without your help. 

Understanding Per Capita, Contracts, and the Role of PAWS 

There is a common misconception that PAWS is a government agency—that we are automatically funded by your tax dollars or obligated to take in every animal. That’s not the case. 

PAWS is a nonprofit organization. We are not part of the county or city government, and we do not receive guaranteed public funding. Instead, PAWS is contracted by local jurisdictions (such as cities and the unincorporated county) to provide animal control and sheltering services on their behalf. These contracts are voluntary agreements—meaning, we do not have to take them, and they are not guaranteed year to year. 

As part of these agreements, some jurisdictions pay a per capita rate, which means they agree to pay PAWS a fixed amount per resident in their community to cover the cost of animal control services. For example, if a city has 10,000 residents and agrees to a per capita rate of $5.00, they would pay $50,000 annually to PAWS for services like: 

• Picking up stray, injured, or dangerous animals 

• Quarantining animals that bite or are exposed to rabies 

• Responding to cruelty or neglect complaints 

• Housing animals picked up in their jurisdiction for a legally required period 

While this may sound like a fair system, the reality is that per capita rates have not kept pace with the rising costs of care. The amount received from most jurisdictions does not begin to cover the full cost of feeding, sheltering, and providing medical care for the animals brought in under these contracts. 

What the Law Actually Says 

Per Okaloosa County ordinance, Section 5.33(a), animals brought in by animal control must be held for a minimum of five (5) days. This legal “stray hold” period gives owners time to reclaim lost pets before the animals can be placed for adoption or transferred to another rescue. During those five days, PAWS is responsible for feeding, housing, and providing medical care—often including urgent treatments, such as wound care, antibiotics, or surgery. 

The law does not say we have to take in every animal. Our contracts outline the specific services PAWS performs for each jurisdiction. These contracts don’t pay for everything. They don’t cover all the costs, and they don’t mean we have to take in every single animal. And while we want to help every animal, we simply can’t do it alone, without fair compensation, or additional community support. 

Your Tax Dollars and Our Salaries 

Another frequent misconception is that PAWS staff are “on the county payroll” or paid through taxes. That is not true. PAWS staff are employees of a private nonprofit. We are responsible for raising the majority of our budget each year—through grants, donations, sponsorships, and fundraising events. The money we receive from city and county contracts is limited and not enough. Your tax dollars do not pay our salaries, nor do they cover our rescue efforts, foster programs, adoption services, or emergency medical treatments. 

PAWS is One of Only Two 

Only two animal shelters in the entire state of Florida operate as both the municipal animal shelter and animal control provider—PAWS is one of them. Everywhere else, these services are handled by local government agencies or sheriff departments with direct access to taxbased funding and infrastructure support. We’ve been doing this for nearly 60 years—but we cannot do it alone. 

Surrounding County Budgets 

To give you some context:

 • Santa Rosa County: Animal services budget: $1.2 million and DOES NOT include intake costs, boarding, medical, food, or water. 

o Population - 207,983 

o Square Mileage - 1012 

• Escambia County: Animal services budget: $1.4 million and DOES NOT include intake costs, boarding, medical, food, or water. 

o Population – 336,358 

o Square Mileage - 875 

• Walton County: Animal services budget: $1.7 million  

o Population – 87,728 

o Square Mileage – 1240 

• PAWS– Panhandle Animal Welfare Society: Receives $900,000 

o Okaloosa County   

• Population – 221,806  

• Square Mileage - 1082 

These are all government-operated departments. PAWS receives just $900,000, has a population of 221,806, a square mileage of 1082, and is expected to cover everything from animal control enforcement to shelter care and lifesaving medical treatment. 

We Need the Community’s Help 

We’re working hard to negotiate fair agreements with local jurisdictions—and have made progress with a few—but we are still far short of what’s needed to continue operating. We need immediate funding from individuals, businesses, and those who believe, like we do, that the animals in our community and in our care deserve a future. 

This is a critical moment for PAWS! If we don’t raise the funds we desperately need, PAWS may be forced to close its doors—leaving thousands of animals with nowhere to go. That’s not a threat; that’s our unfortunate reality! We urgently need the community’s help! Please don’t wait, as time is running out. 

To hear more about our financial situation and how your donations can help us avoid closing our doors to the animals in our community, please don’t hesitate to email me at TraceyK@paws-shelter.org. I welcome the opportunity to answer your questions, share our plans, and show you how your support can save lives. 

Thank you for standing with us. 

With hope, 

Tracey Kinsley 

Executive Director 

Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) 

TraceyK@paws-shelter.org 

(850) 243-1525  ​