Registered shelter Dogs/Cats

Panhandle Animal Welfare Society

Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

About

The Humane Society was first incorporated on March 26th, 1957 as the Playground Humane Society PAWS. We have played a key role in the field of animal care and control in Northwest Florida for over forty-five years. Our first facility was a small building in Valparaiso, Florida. In 1986, the shelter was renamed the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, affectionately known as PAWS. Today, we serve over 160,000 residents in Okaloosa County and surrounding communities. PAWS is a private, non-profit organization that presently handles more than 7,000 animals annually. The vet clinic is now in its seventeenth year and has been an enormous success! Since the opening in January 1995, the clinic has sterilized over 48,000 animals. The Panhandle Animal Welfare Society is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of animals.

Pets available

Dogs Cats

Adoption process

1. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. 2. All members of the household must be interviewed before an adoption is approved. A pet is a family member and so all members of the family need to be in agreement about when to adopt a pet, and which pet to adopt. 3. If applicants have a dog at home and are adopting a dog, they must bring their dog to the shelter to meet the new pet before the adoption will be approved. We want to make sure that their dog is happy with their selection and that the transition for both dogs will be relatively smooth. 4. Anyone renting or leasing must have written permission from their landlord before an adoption can be approved. Any restrictions regarding type or size of animal must be noted. 5. We prefer that applicants have lived at their current address for at least three months. This is to make sure that owners have had time to settle into their new surroundings, and have established a stable routine before bringing a pet into the home. Because pets have extremely sensitive noses, any remodeling projects that involve chemicals and paint - including the installation of carpet - should have been completed well in advance of bringing a new pet home. Please remember that any time of transition is probably not a good time to adopt a pet. 6. We do not adopt out “outdoor pets”, except for Barn Cats. Pets that are left outside do not bond as readily with their owners and are prone to nuisance behaviors like barking, escaping, roaming, digging, predatory behavior and other destruction. If applicants currently have an “outdoor pet” their adoption may be denied. 7. Applicants for dog adoptions must have a yard that is fenced on all sides, or a fenced kennel area. Dogs that do not have access to a fenced-in area are much harder to housebreak and are more likely to escape, roam and become a neighborhood nuisance. Some dogs may require a fence of a certain type and height. 8. Because young puppies require intensive training and care, we cannot place puppies younger than four months of age in a home where everyone is consistently absent from the home for long periods of time. 9. Because of potential injury and behavior/training concerns, we are very cautious when placing very young pets (those younger than four months) in homes with children under the age of five. Puppies and kittens chew, scratch and nip, and children may be unintentionally rough as well. We encourage adopters with young children to consider adopting a dog or cat that is at least four months of age. 10. We prefer not to adopt out two dogs at one time. Dogs need time to bond with their owners one-on-one. Dogs that are adopted together will likely look to one another for companionship and direction rather than to their new owners. 11. Adoption Prices range from $50.00 to $125.00 - Puppies and Kittens are $125.00 (which includes shots, micro-chipping & spay/neuter). The range of adoption prices vary with age, medical needs & length of time the animal has been at the shelter.