🐾 PAWS faces a $750,000 deficit as cities back out of animal control contracts amid rising costs.
📉 Destin, Niceville, and Mary Esther have either canceled or stalled contract renewals, citing cost concerns.
🚨 Executive Director Tracey Kinsley warns that without community and government support, the county could lose its only full-scale animal control provider.
FORT WALTON BEACH — The Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), the primary provider of animal control services in Okaloosa County, is in financial crisis, facing nearly $750,000 in projected losses this year and grappling with broken contracts and stalled negotiations with multiple local cities.
Tracey Kinsley, PAWS’ executive director, is urging the public and government officials to understand the economic realities of running the nonprofit, and the risks communities face if it were to collapse.
“This year, we are expected to lose $750,000 in animal control services alone,” Kinsley said. “On average, animal control brings in 3,100 animals a year from all of the jurisdictions. That’s a lot of animals.”
At an average cost of about $700 per animal intake — which includes medical evaluations, vaccinations, sheltering, food, and staff time — PAWS is spending more than $2 million annually while receiving just $740,000 in municipal support.
“We’re a nonprofit, not a government agency,” Kinsley said. “And just because PAWS has been doing it for years doesn’t mean it’s the right way or sustainable.”
In recent months, PAWS’ relationships with several cities have unraveled. Mary Esther, Niceville, and Destin have either canceled or refused to renew contracts with the nonprofit, prompting public confusion and accusations of abrupt service withdrawals.
City officials in Mary Esther claimed PAWS canceled their agreement without notice. But Kinsley said discussions began in early 2024 when she discovered the contract hadn’t been updated since 2019.
“I immediately reached out to [City Manager] Jared [Cobb],” Kinsley said. “We met in February and just started having conversations about the increases PAWS has incurred and why it was time to bring the contract up to speed.”
PAWS offered Mary Esther a choice between two pricing models: a $6.50 per capita rate or a per-animal charge of $700. Kinsley said the city council rejected both options, opting instead to wait for the county negotiations to play out, which prompted PAWS to end the agreement formally.
“The county is its separate contract,” Kinsley said. “Each jurisdiction is different. You can’t compare apples to apples when the demographics, housing, and average income are all different.”
A similar misunderstanding occurred in Niceville. “Niceville canceled me,” Kinsley clarified. “I have that in an email. He canceled. I did not.”
Kinsley emphasized that PAWS, as a contractor, has the right not to renew contracts if the costs become unsustainable. “We are just not capable to do it anymore,” she said.
In Destin, Kinsley stated that PAWS initiated renegotiation efforts in December 2023 and presented multiple proposals, including fiscal and calendar year options.
However, the talks collapsed after six months with no resolution.
“Destin’s animal control responses and phone calls have gone up 352%,” Kinsley said. “In April alone, we took in 45 animals. That should have cost $31,000. We received $5,800.”
Destin had been paying $5 per capita and offered to increase it to $5.25.
Kinsley had requested $6.50.
“I know it’s a $1.50 jump, but that’s $24,000 annually. I don’t think they really did a deep dive to see why I was asking for that,” she said.
In response to accusations from some council members that PAWS was “price gouging,” Kinsley said the math tells a different story.
“Do the math. We’re bringing in 3,100 animals a year. At $700 per animal, that’s $2 million. We get $740,000. It’s a massive shortfall,” she said.
She explained that every animal brought in requires a medical assessment, vaccines, flea and heartworm prevention, and must be held for five days, per county ordinance.
If they get sick, PAWS provides treatment — all while covering the costs of utilities, staff time, and facility upkeep.
“Private vets in Niceville charge $450 just for a basic intake and vaccination assessment. We do all that and more,” Kinsley said. “We’re not overcharging — we’re underpaid.”
Kinsley acknowledged that PAWS has not always done a good job explaining its finances to local governments or the public.
“I think we haven’t done a great job expressing how large of a shortfall we have,” she said. “Our audit every year shows us losing a million dollars — and it’s public information.”
The contract with Fort Walton Beach — PAWS’ largest municipal partner — has been operating on a month-to-month basis since August 2023, with no formal renewal or rate increase in effect.
“No one has renewed the contract. No one has taken it to the next step. In two years, we’ve received no increase,” Kinsley said.
PAWS’ contract with Okaloosa County is up for renewal in August 2025, and Kinsley said discussions are ongoing. “Negotiations aren’t fun, but they’re necessary. We can’t keep losing money,” she said.
Kinsley said the community may be unprepared for the consequences of losing its leading animal control provider.
She cited Crestview, which parted ways with PAWS a few years ago.
“They were paying $60,000 annually to us, and then paid their animal control officer more than that alone,” she said. “They’ve done a great job now, but that first year was rough.”
She also warned that state statutes prevent outsourcing animal control outside the county, and that alternative providers are rare, and typically cost more.
“We receive more than 100 calls a week from people trying to surrender pets,” she said. “But we’re full with stray animals. If we don’t exist, those animals don’t have anywhere to go.”
PAWS currently operates with just 56 kennels in a building built in 1990 — one that Kinsley said is falling apart. Despite these constraints, PAWS took in more than 1,700 kittens last year, with over 1,000 of them being in poor health.
“We give these animals the best care we can,” Kinsley said. “Heartworm medication, flea prevention, proper housing — things many pet owners don’t even provide themselves.”
She urged residents to adopt, foster, volunteer, and donate. But most critically, she said the community must commit to widespread spay and neuter efforts to reduce overpopulation.
“A kitten can go into heat at four months and have three litters a year,” she said. “That’s how we end up with so many strays.”
Despite the challenges, Kinsley said she’s not giving up.
“I know it’s different, and I know it’s new to everybody because this is the way it’s always been,” she said. “But it still doesn’t mean it’s right.”