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Although the Paws Crossed housing facility may be closing for intakes, that doesn’t mean the organization is folding.
Paws Crossed Board Membr Edie Kelley said the shelter facility currently in use by the group will continue to be a tool for housing dogs in certain situations, but won’t be for long-term housing of adoptable pets.
“For sure we are not quitting,” Kelley said. “We will still have the building for emergencies, holding for spay/neuter transports or transports leaving out of state and for quarantined dogs.”
With that change going into effect, Kelley said the need for more foster families is growing.
“We definitely will need more foster homes,” Kelley said. “We are just modernizing and restructuring to do a better job. These dogs need to be in homes and although the building has helped us save so many lives, it isn’t the same as a foster home.”
Kelley said intake of any new rescues is closed at the moment, but should resume as new foster families step up to assist.
“Intake is closed for a short time while we make this transition,” Kelley said. “We are still taking in dogs when a foster steps up but no new dogs will be going to the building at this time. We still have 15 at the building currently.”
The local organization had been overwhelmed with housing animals over the past several months, but Kelley said the re-opening of the shelter, now run by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, took some of the burden from the group.
The Brewton Animal Shelter was closed for repairs last year and remained closed for more than six months leaving Paws Crossed handling calls and complaints of stray and abandoned animals.
“It got really crazy when animal control closed those seven months,” Kelley said. “We had almost 30 dogs at the building for months. We were being hammered and we started having to say no. It was hard because with a NO meant abandoned, stray dogs had no where to go.”
Currently, the group is made up of a handful of volunteers who were making twice-daily trips to the shelter facility to care for the animals being house there. That kind of work meant volunteers were needed 365 days a year leaving little time for other activities. But, with a foster based group, Kelley hopes that more fosters will be willing to help where help is really needed. Those changes will help keep the group viable and ready to assist, Kelley said.
“Paws Crossed is here for the long haul,” Kelley said, “and is not going anywhere.”
You may contact Paws Crossed on Facebook by searching Brewton Paws Crossed Dog Rescue. To make a donation through PayPal pawscrossedrescue@yahoo.com or Venmo@ ALpaws; or by ail to: 110 Wilson St., Brewton, AL 36426. Donations to help cover veterinarian bills, make donations at Brewton Animal Hospital under Paws Crossed account. 251-867-4355.