Okaloosa County approves $824K PAWS contract, considers in-house animal control

In Brief:

🐾 Okaloosa County approves $824,018 one-year PAWS contract for animal control services.
🏢 Commissioners discuss future plans to manage animal control internally for consistency and reliability.
⚖️ Contract includes provisions for emergencies and potential PAWS financial collapse.

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SHALIMAR — Okaloosa County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a one-year, $824,018 contract with the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) to continue animal control services for unincorporated residents — but also signaled the county may soon take the responsibility in-house.

Public Safety Director Patrick Maddox told commissioners the deal, which begins Sept. 1, was negotiated after PAWS declined to renew its existing contract due to financial hardship.

“We are in the second year of a potential three-year contract … and they have cited some financial difficulties in not being able to operate within the existing contract levels, not only for the county, but for many municipalities as well,” Maddox said. “They will likely not be in the animal control service business within the next year, perhaps two years.

The new contract is based on a $6.50 per-capita rate for 126,772 unincorporated residents, up 15.43% from the prior year’s $713,843 cost. It eliminates in-kind contributions such as vehicles and fuel assistance, replacing them with direct funding only.

Maddox said the county’s reliance on a single outside agency has left it vulnerable. “The county is essentially over a barrel because we have depended on this agency for service,” he said. “I don’t ever want to put us in that position again.”

Commission Chairman Paul Mixon stressed the need for consistency, noting that Crestview launched its operation while other cities remain in flux.

“This just needs to be a county function,” Mixon said. “We need to be sure that there’s a level playing field with how this is maintained.”

Deputy County Administrator Craig Coffey said cities are watching closely to see if the county steps into the role.

“All these municipalities are looking to us for leadership … before they make big capital expenditures, they’re willing to partner with us if we come with viable options,” Coffey said

Commissioner Trey Goodwin pressed Maddox on whether the county could separate animal control officer functions from sheltering. Maddox responded that “no option is off the table” but warned against half-measures.

“If we are going to do it and go through the pain of developing it, we might as well build a facility that can handle both,” Maddox said.

Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel, who made the motion to approve the contract, said the temporary agreement buys time to design a better solution.

“We can do better, and I want us to do better,” Ketchel said. “I want us to run a first-rate facility … a no-kill shelter … a place that we can all be proud of in Okaloosa County.”

Commissioner Sherri Cox seconded the motion but raised concerns about PAWS’ practices, recounting a personal experience in which her daughter’s abandoned pet was slated for euthanasia because the owner refused to pay a surrender fee.

“Healthy, healthy animal. Nothing wrong with it,” Cox said. She described PAWS staff as well-intentioned but “well beyond their capacity financially to manage that institution.

The contract includes a “kick-out clause” allowing PAWS to terminate services if it collapses financially. Maddox said the county has “soft confirmation” from partner agencies to provide emergency coverage if needed.

While PAWS has served Okaloosa for nearly six decades, Maddox said the county must prepare for a future without it. “The wonderful thing about building our own service from the ground up is that right now, nothing is off the table,” he said.

The one-year contract runs through Aug. 31, 2026, and allows for month-to-month extensions by mutual agreement. Commissioners authorized County Administrator John Hofstad to finalize the contract with any minor, non-financial revisions.

The vote was unanimous.