History of Paws of Wakulla
From Wakulla Humane Society to CHAT
The original organization, Wakulla Humane Society, formed in the early 1980’s due to concern about animal treatment in Wakulla County. At that time there was no animal shelter facility in Wakulla county. Society members carried abandoned or injured animals to the Leon County animal shelter. Unfortunately, most unwanted animals in Wakulla County ended up dead alongside the road and taken to the dump.
The organization’s goal was to build and operate an animal shelter. Members held fundraisers to raise money for this cause and in the meantime kept unwanted animals in their homes and adopted them out whenever possible. In 1993, the original shelter (where Animal Control is currently housed) was built and paid for ½ by Wakulla Humane Society and ½ by Wakulla County ($15,000 each). One Animal Control Officer and one truck served the entire County and worked out of a doublewide trailer alongside Wakulla Humane Society.
After years of lobbying and with the help of former Sheriff Harvey and prominent local business owners, an Adoption Center was completed in February, 2001 and doubled the shelter’s capacity with 18 runs providing housing for approximately 40 dogs and puppies, a cat room housing approximately 25 cats and kittens, a quarantine room, a reception area, an administrative office and several rooms that serve as medical and storage rooms. The facility was paid for by the County, but interior kennels and cages were purchased by the Wakulla Humane Society. The Wakulla Humane Society began occupying the new Adoption Center building in February, 2001. In August, 2001, Wakulla Humane Society disbanded and the Citizens for Human Animal Treatment (CHAT), a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit, was formed. Shortly thereafter, CHAT raised money to build a barn to provide shelter for farm animals such as horses and pigs and paid for the animal control truck cages. An air conditioned cat room and outside play area was added to improve life for the feline companions while awaiting adoption.
CHAT incorporated with the mission to improve, through education and charity the health, safety and well-being of animals in our community. CHAT’s income is derived from donations, fundraisers, grants and memberships. Examples of expenditures include helping citizens with pet food when they cannot afford to feed their animals but do not want them to go to the shelter and in 2009 spent $10K of its funds to spay/neuter 200 Wakulla County pets. CHAT obtained spay/neuter grants in the amount of $55K to combat the county’s pet overpopulation problem. The annual operating expenses were approximately $100,000.
In April, 2015, CHAT changed its name to "Paws of Wakulla, Inc."
2001 – 2013 - Operation of Wakulla's Adoption Center
While operating the Adoption Center, CHAT was a limited intake organization (controlled by space available at the Adoption Center and foster homes) with a guaranteed adoption policy. At times, CHAT assisted Wakulla Animal Control with emergency medical care expenses for animals in their care.
On a routine basis, CHAT visited the Wakulla Animal Control facility to select available, adoptable dogs and cats to be transferred to the Adoption Center. CHAT took owner surrenders and on rare occasions upon request, CHAT accepted animals from another rescue to fill vacant kennels (this occurred in 2013 when adoptable animals were not available from Animal Control.)
A volunteer veterinarian visited CHAT on a regular basis to inspect all animals and identify health related issues. Upon entering CHAT's care, dogs and cats were given vaccinations to prepare them for adoption. Dogs were given shots for distemper, parvo, parainfluenza, hepatitis, bordatella, wormed, tested for heartworms and thereafter given monthly heartworm preventatives. Cats were tested for Feline Leukemia/Feline Aids, intestinal parasites, dewormed and vaccinated for rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia, clamydia and leukemia. In other words, animals in CHAT’s care were provided all necessary medicines and veterinary care to prepare them to be healthy when adopted. Dogs and cats were required to be spayed/neutered before leaving CHAT’s care or within 60 days after adoption. Puppies and kittens under six months of age received a spay/neuter voucher. CHAT volunteers monitored each adoption to ensure the spay/neuter is performed on the adopted pet.
CHAT managed a Foster Program. The CHAT Foster Director was a volunteer who interviewed prospective foster parents, inspected the homes for compatibility and coordinated the animals in the Foster Program.
Over the years CHAT has held many fund raising and community events including Heide’s Annual Rose Sales, Poker Walks, Octoberfests, Pampered Paws Spas, micro-chipping events, TV spots and monthly adoption days at Petco inTallahassee. For the past 10 years, CHAT provided all 3rd and 5th graders in Wakulla County the educational publication “Kind News” which teaches responsible pet ownership and more.
CHAT’s operating budget was provided primarily from the following:
Timeline at a Glance
---------- Early 1980’s
1. Wakulla had no animal shelter facility.
2. A group of concerned citizens joined together as Wakulla Humane Society.
3. Humane Society members carried abandoned or injured animals to the shelter in nearby Leon County.
4. Most unwanted animals ended up dead, either alongside the road or killed and taken to the dump.
5. The society's goal was to build and operate a animal shelter and fundraising began.
6. They obtained a doublewide trailer and placed it on county property.
7. Wakulla County Sheriff's Dept. provided one Animal Control Officer and one truck and they were co-located in the doublewide trailer.
---------- 1993
A concrete building consisting of runs was built at a cost of $30,000; the Humane Society paid $15,000 and the County paid $15,000. There was still only one Animal Control Officer and the building did not provide enough space to effectively manage all of the County’s unwanted animals. The Society started lobbying for another building to serve as the adoption center and additional housing for animals.
---------- 2001, February
A new building, now known as the “Adoption Center” was built (doubling the Shelter’s capacity) consisting of 18 runs accommodating approximately 40 dogs and a cat room with cages accommodating approximately 20 cats.
---------- 2001, August
The Wakulla Humane Society was disbanded and the Citizens for Humane Animal Treatment of Wakulla, Inc. (CHAT of Wakulla) was formed as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.
CHAT occupied and managed the Adoption Center when it opened in 2001. Initially, CHAT worked alongside the Animal Control Officers (employees of the Sheriff’s Department) at what was then known as the “Wakulla County Animal Shelter”.
---------- 2008, June
CHAT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sheriff Harvey to operate the Adoption Center for $1.00/year. An Animal Control Director was hired by Sheriff Harvey to manage Animal Control staff and activities including animal intake. Animal Control was housed in one of the doublewide trailers next to the Adoption Center.
---------- 2009, September
The control (supervision) of Wakulla County Animal Control was transferred from the Sheriff’s Dept. to Wakulla County. In that transition, the County agreed to assume the WCSO/CHAT Memorandum of Understanding (Attachment A) until a new agreement “can be entered into”.
---------- 2013
Since Animal Control was no longer operating as it was when transferred to Wakulla County, CHAT requested a formal written agreement with the county to establish the working relationship between CHAT and Animal Control and to request at least a one-year agreement. CHAT desired to begin several large scale projects and operating without a formal, workable agreement, with a 30 day termination, was too high of a risk to begin the projects.
---------- 2013, November
Upon presentation of a proposed agreement from the county, the CHAT Board of Directors, with much pain and disappointment, presented a letter to the county administrator advising that CHAT was not able to accept the proposal. In fact, the proposal was so far from a possible agreement that CHAT could accept, the board decided to not enter into negotians with the county and submitted the response below to the county.
---------- 2014, January
CHAT stopped managing the Adoption Center and began to focus energy and resources to projects that directly serve domestic animals and citizens in Wakulla County.
---------- 2015, April
CHAT changed its name to "Paws of Wakulla, Inc."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER TO COUNTY:
November 25, 2013
David Edwards, Wakulla County Administrator
3093 Crawfordville Hwy.
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Dear Mr. Edwards,
After much consideration the Citizens for Humane Animal Treatment (CHAT) Board of Directors voted 7-1 to cease operating the CHAT Adoption Center effective January 31, 2014. The County’s proposed Agreement dictates operation procedures more in line with a Shelter Management Operation and would move CHAT away from its commitment to improving the health, safety and well-being of domesticated animals.
If we broadened our scope of services to comply with the proposed Agreement, insolvency would occur within one to two years based on no additional financial support from the County, the required intake of 1,000 animals and historical rate of adoptions. CHAT provides all animals, while in our care, a health exam, the required vaccinations, feline leukemia/aids testing, treatment for intestinal parasites, treatment for various skin conditions (for example, mange or flea infestation), heartworm test and spay/ neuter at a total cost of approximately $120 per animal, plus the cost of food. As a guaranteed adoption facility, some animals remain with us for months. We pride ourselves in releasing healthy, spayed/neutered pets back into the community and operating a clean, respected facility. We believe the release of non-spayed/neutered animals with possible health issues is counter-productive to improving the animal population in Wakulla County.
As presented in the proposed Agreement, CHAT would be responsible for 85-90% of the county’s intake of stray and unwanted animals up to 1,000 per year. At the cost of approximately $120 per animal, the animal treatments alone could be $120,000 per year. In order to comply with the Agreement, we would be required to move animals not adopted within two to three weeks to rescues at our expense. Putting our county’s problems off on other cities and states is not within our mission, nor our philosophy. And, it also seems to be a conflict to push our animals outside our county but not be allowed to help other communities when they have a need for assistance (reference Agreement Section 2 (f)); this requirement goes as far to say that any CHAT employee or volunteer found in violation will be banned from the facility for a year and, at the option of the County, the Agreement may be terminated. To the majority of the CHAT board, this is unreasonable and seems like an attempt by the county to micro-manage a private, non-profit organization.
CHAT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We do not wish to be subject to the total oversight from Wakulla Animal Control, nor be restricted to determine our daily operating procedures. We have always followed state and county laws and continuously improve our Standing Operating Procedures. We require the flexibility to adjust as needed to work efficiently, to be effective in our mission and goals and provide the best possible outcomes for animals in our care.
CHAT officially states that we are leaving the following items which were purchased by CHAT and are valued at over $30,000: livestock trailer, permanent cages, the addition to the cat room, livestock barn and the Animal Control truck’s slide-in unit. Mobile cages and kennels will be donated to other non-profit organizations. CHAT will take control of computers and other items purchased by CHAT.
CHAT would like to thank the County of Wakulla for the opportunity of operating the Adoption Center for the past 13 years. We will continue to work within Wakulla County and within our missions and goals.
Respectively submitted,
CHAT Board of Directors
Enclosures: Proposed Agreement from County
CHAT Information
cc: Board of County Commissioners
From Wakulla Humane Society to CHAT
The original organization, Wakulla Humane Society, formed in the early 1980’s due to concern about animal treatment in Wakulla County. At that time there was no animal shelter facility in Wakulla county. Society members carried abandoned or injured animals to the Leon County animal shelter. Unfortunately, most unwanted animals in Wakulla County ended up dead alongside the road and taken to the dump.
The organization’s goal was to build and operate an animal shelter. Members held fundraisers to raise money for this cause and in the meantime kept unwanted animals in their homes and adopted them out whenever possible. In 1993, the original shelter (where Animal Control is currently housed) was built and paid for ½ by Wakulla Humane Society and ½ by Wakulla County ($15,000 each). One Animal Control Officer and one truck served the entire County and worked out of a doublewide trailer alongside Wakulla Humane Society.
After years of lobbying and with the help of former Sheriff Harvey and prominent local business owners, an Adoption Center was completed in February, 2001 and doubled the shelter’s capacity with 18 runs providing housing for approximately 40 dogs and puppies, a cat room housing approximately 25 cats and kittens, a quarantine room, a reception area, an administrative office and several rooms that serve as medical and storage rooms. The facility was paid for by the County, but interior kennels and cages were purchased by the Wakulla Humane Society. The Wakulla Humane Society began occupying the new Adoption Center building in February, 2001. In August, 2001, Wakulla Humane Society disbanded and the Citizens for Human Animal Treatment (CHAT), a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit, was formed. Shortly thereafter, CHAT raised money to build a barn to provide shelter for farm animals such as horses and pigs and paid for the animal control truck cages. An air conditioned cat room and outside play area was added to improve life for the feline companions while awaiting adoption.
CHAT incorporated with the mission to improve, through education and charity the health, safety and well-being of animals in our community. CHAT’s income is derived from donations, fundraisers, grants and memberships. Examples of expenditures include helping citizens with pet food when they cannot afford to feed their animals but do not want them to go to the shelter and in 2009 spent $10K of its funds to spay/neuter 200 Wakulla County pets. CHAT obtained spay/neuter grants in the amount of $55K to combat the county’s pet overpopulation problem. The annual operating expenses were approximately $100,000.
In April, 2015, CHAT changed its name to "Paws of Wakulla, Inc."
2001 – 2013 - Operation of Wakulla's Adoption Center
While operating the Adoption Center, CHAT was a limited intake organization (controlled by space available at the Adoption Center and foster homes) with a guaranteed adoption policy. At times, CHAT assisted Wakulla Animal Control with emergency medical care expenses for animals in their care.
On a routine basis, CHAT visited the Wakulla Animal Control facility to select available, adoptable dogs and cats to be transferred to the Adoption Center. CHAT took owner surrenders and on rare occasions upon request, CHAT accepted animals from another rescue to fill vacant kennels (this occurred in 2013 when adoptable animals were not available from Animal Control.)
A volunteer veterinarian visited CHAT on a regular basis to inspect all animals and identify health related issues. Upon entering CHAT's care, dogs and cats were given vaccinations to prepare them for adoption. Dogs were given shots for distemper, parvo, parainfluenza, hepatitis, bordatella, wormed, tested for heartworms and thereafter given monthly heartworm preventatives. Cats were tested for Feline Leukemia/Feline Aids, intestinal parasites, dewormed and vaccinated for rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia, clamydia and leukemia. In other words, animals in CHAT’s care were provided all necessary medicines and veterinary care to prepare them to be healthy when adopted. Dogs and cats were required to be spayed/neutered before leaving CHAT’s care or within 60 days after adoption. Puppies and kittens under six months of age received a spay/neuter voucher. CHAT volunteers monitored each adoption to ensure the spay/neuter is performed on the adopted pet.
CHAT managed a Foster Program. The CHAT Foster Director was a volunteer who interviewed prospective foster parents, inspected the homes for compatibility and coordinated the animals in the Foster Program.
Over the years CHAT has held many fund raising and community events including Heide’s Annual Rose Sales, Poker Walks, Octoberfests, Pampered Paws Spas, micro-chipping events, TV spots and monthly adoption days at Petco inTallahassee. For the past 10 years, CHAT provided all 3rd and 5th graders in Wakulla County the educational publication “Kind News” which teaches responsible pet ownership and more.
CHAT’s operating budget was provided primarily from the following:
- Adoption Fees
- Donations
- Fundraisers
- Membership Fees
- Donations for craft and miscellaneous items.
Timeline at a Glance
---------- Early 1980’s
1. Wakulla had no animal shelter facility.
2. A group of concerned citizens joined together as Wakulla Humane Society.
3. Humane Society members carried abandoned or injured animals to the shelter in nearby Leon County.
4. Most unwanted animals ended up dead, either alongside the road or killed and taken to the dump.
5. The society's goal was to build and operate a animal shelter and fundraising began.
6. They obtained a doublewide trailer and placed it on county property.
7. Wakulla County Sheriff's Dept. provided one Animal Control Officer and one truck and they were co-located in the doublewide trailer.
---------- 1993
A concrete building consisting of runs was built at a cost of $30,000; the Humane Society paid $15,000 and the County paid $15,000. There was still only one Animal Control Officer and the building did not provide enough space to effectively manage all of the County’s unwanted animals. The Society started lobbying for another building to serve as the adoption center and additional housing for animals.
---------- 2001, February
A new building, now known as the “Adoption Center” was built (doubling the Shelter’s capacity) consisting of 18 runs accommodating approximately 40 dogs and a cat room with cages accommodating approximately 20 cats.
---------- 2001, August
The Wakulla Humane Society was disbanded and the Citizens for Humane Animal Treatment of Wakulla, Inc. (CHAT of Wakulla) was formed as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.
CHAT occupied and managed the Adoption Center when it opened in 2001. Initially, CHAT worked alongside the Animal Control Officers (employees of the Sheriff’s Department) at what was then known as the “Wakulla County Animal Shelter”.
---------- 2008, June
CHAT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sheriff Harvey to operate the Adoption Center for $1.00/year. An Animal Control Director was hired by Sheriff Harvey to manage Animal Control staff and activities including animal intake. Animal Control was housed in one of the doublewide trailers next to the Adoption Center.
---------- 2009, September
The control (supervision) of Wakulla County Animal Control was transferred from the Sheriff’s Dept. to Wakulla County. In that transition, the County agreed to assume the WCSO/CHAT Memorandum of Understanding (Attachment A) until a new agreement “can be entered into”.
---------- 2013
Since Animal Control was no longer operating as it was when transferred to Wakulla County, CHAT requested a formal written agreement with the county to establish the working relationship between CHAT and Animal Control and to request at least a one-year agreement. CHAT desired to begin several large scale projects and operating without a formal, workable agreement, with a 30 day termination, was too high of a risk to begin the projects.
---------- 2013, November
Upon presentation of a proposed agreement from the county, the CHAT Board of Directors, with much pain and disappointment, presented a letter to the county administrator advising that CHAT was not able to accept the proposal. In fact, the proposal was so far from a possible agreement that CHAT could accept, the board decided to not enter into negotians with the county and submitted the response below to the county.
---------- 2014, January
CHAT stopped managing the Adoption Center and began to focus energy and resources to projects that directly serve domestic animals and citizens in Wakulla County.
---------- 2015, April
CHAT changed its name to "Paws of Wakulla, Inc."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER TO COUNTY:
November 25, 2013
David Edwards, Wakulla County Administrator
3093 Crawfordville Hwy.
Crawfordville, FL 32327
Dear Mr. Edwards,
After much consideration the Citizens for Humane Animal Treatment (CHAT) Board of Directors voted 7-1 to cease operating the CHAT Adoption Center effective January 31, 2014. The County’s proposed Agreement dictates operation procedures more in line with a Shelter Management Operation and would move CHAT away from its commitment to improving the health, safety and well-being of domesticated animals.
If we broadened our scope of services to comply with the proposed Agreement, insolvency would occur within one to two years based on no additional financial support from the County, the required intake of 1,000 animals and historical rate of adoptions. CHAT provides all animals, while in our care, a health exam, the required vaccinations, feline leukemia/aids testing, treatment for intestinal parasites, treatment for various skin conditions (for example, mange or flea infestation), heartworm test and spay/ neuter at a total cost of approximately $120 per animal, plus the cost of food. As a guaranteed adoption facility, some animals remain with us for months. We pride ourselves in releasing healthy, spayed/neutered pets back into the community and operating a clean, respected facility. We believe the release of non-spayed/neutered animals with possible health issues is counter-productive to improving the animal population in Wakulla County.
As presented in the proposed Agreement, CHAT would be responsible for 85-90% of the county’s intake of stray and unwanted animals up to 1,000 per year. At the cost of approximately $120 per animal, the animal treatments alone could be $120,000 per year. In order to comply with the Agreement, we would be required to move animals not adopted within two to three weeks to rescues at our expense. Putting our county’s problems off on other cities and states is not within our mission, nor our philosophy. And, it also seems to be a conflict to push our animals outside our county but not be allowed to help other communities when they have a need for assistance (reference Agreement Section 2 (f)); this requirement goes as far to say that any CHAT employee or volunteer found in violation will be banned from the facility for a year and, at the option of the County, the Agreement may be terminated. To the majority of the CHAT board, this is unreasonable and seems like an attempt by the county to micro-manage a private, non-profit organization.
CHAT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We do not wish to be subject to the total oversight from Wakulla Animal Control, nor be restricted to determine our daily operating procedures. We have always followed state and county laws and continuously improve our Standing Operating Procedures. We require the flexibility to adjust as needed to work efficiently, to be effective in our mission and goals and provide the best possible outcomes for animals in our care.
CHAT officially states that we are leaving the following items which were purchased by CHAT and are valued at over $30,000: livestock trailer, permanent cages, the addition to the cat room, livestock barn and the Animal Control truck’s slide-in unit. Mobile cages and kennels will be donated to other non-profit organizations. CHAT will take control of computers and other items purchased by CHAT.
CHAT would like to thank the County of Wakulla for the opportunity of operating the Adoption Center for the past 13 years. We will continue to work within Wakulla County and within our missions and goals.
Respectively submitted,
CHAT Board of Directors
Enclosures: Proposed Agreement from County
CHAT Information
cc: Board of County Commissioners