Saving with Soul Pet Rescue of NW Florida

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

Saving with Soul attended the Okaloosa County Commissioners board meeting yesterday along with representatives from other rescues and from PAWS. After some discussion, the board voted for "Animal Control - Light" which, as currently written, leaves much of Okaloosa County without animal control services, outside of the bare minimum required by law.

As Animal Control - Light (AC-L) was described during the meeting, Okaloosa County currently funds animal control services for approximately 200 animals per month through its contract with PAWS.

Under AC-L, the County anticipates serving only 15-25 animals per month. That leaves approximately 175-185 animals per month that will need to be handled by someone else.

What is the plan for them?

The proposal was very clear that budget was the driving factor behind this decision. I won't pretend to be an expert on that. I'm sure funding animal control is a challenge. However, the proposal did not address:

1. How will lost/found pets be reunited with their owners if there is no agency tasked with taking in/tracking lost/found pets?

2. What if a citizen or visitor finds a dog running down 98 and picks it up? Who do they call? What do they do?

3. If an Okaloosa County resident passes away with no nearby family, what happens to their pets?

4. If a tenant abandons his rental property and leaves his pets, what happens to them?

The proposal does not answer these questions except to say that "THIS OPTION DOES NOT INCLUDED (sic) NON-EMERGENCY STRAY ANIMAL, OWNER SURRENDER ETC. THAT WILL BE PERFORMED BY LOCAL SANCTUARIES AND REFUGES FROM THEIR INDIVIDUAL FUNDING SOURCES."

As the Executive Director of the largest "local sanctuary and refuge" in the county....

I assure you we cannot. We already take in 100 dogs per month - many from Okaloosa County - and remain over capacity at all times. We do not have the capacity to absorb even a fraction of the approximately 175-185 animals per month that, under AC-L, will need to be served elsewhere.

So who will handle these situations that occur every single day in Okaloosa County?

Even if you are not a dog or cat owner, this new policy affects you and your family.

As written and approved, I do not understand how:

• Lost pets will be reunited with their owners.
• Found pets will be tracked and returned home.
• Citizens or visitors who find stray animals will be assisted.
• Families facing emergencies involving their pets will get help.

If those answers exist, I would genuinely like to hear them.

Without clear answers to these questions, rescues, veterinary offices, area shelters and other animal service providers will be deluged with phone calls asking for help. And we won't know what to tell them.

While the Animal Control - Light was touted to be potentially temporary, this is the reality we as Okaloosa County residents will face for the foreseeable future.

If any of what I am saying above is incorrect, I welcome correction! I truly hope I am not understanding Animal Control - Light properly and am overreacting.

Am I?

Jennifer Hagedorn
Founder and Executive Director
Saving with Soul Pet Rescue.

06/15/2026

What is the first thing people say when they go out our back door and see The PUPStop Dog Adoption Village for the first time?

"Wow."

Usually followed by: "I had no idea this was out here."

And then: "This is absolutely amazing." Or some variation thereof.

And yes, we are pretty "Wow" if we do say so ourselves.

From the front, we look like a little roadside BBQ joint, maybe a gas station, maybe even a bait shop... and locals know that at one time or another, we were all of those things!

But now? We're... WOW.

Not because we're fancy. Not because we're bougie. Not because we're elegant, polished or perfectly manicured (although we do our best to keep the grass mowed and the weeds whacked).

No, we're "Wow" because we're unexpected. Visitors literally physically react when they step out that back door.

Because... The PUPStop is a "crazy wonderful place tucked between the cotton fields and the coast." A 17.5-acre campus filled with giant shady oaks, colorful cottages, a ridiculously friendly staff, an insane number of adoptable dogs and people who believe every dog deserves a second chance.

We have small dogs, large dogs and schmedium dogs. We have fluffy dogs, scruffy dogs and smooth-coat dogs. We have puppies, adults and our world-famous Crawford's Crusties aka our golden oldies.

And every one of them is loved and cherished while they wait for their forever family to find them.

If you're looking for a dog to adopt... or just a nice day trip in the Northwest Florida Panhandle... Come visit The PUPStop by Saving with Soul in Baker, Florida.

It's Worth the Drive.

06/14/2026

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR OUR OKALOOSA COUNTY FRIENDS.
As an Okaloosa County-based rescue, we want to make sure our Okaloosa County friends and supporters are aware of a significant proposal regarding animal services and animal welfare scheduled to be discussed by the Okaloosa County Commission this Tuesday, June 16th.

The proposal recommends shifting Okaloosa County away from a traditional animal shelter model and focusing primarily on statutory animal control functions such as dangerous dogs, bite cases, cruelty investigations, livestock issues and related enforcement responsibilities.

According to the proposal, owner surrender pets and non-emergency stray dogs and cats would not be handled by animal control, but rather by local refuges and sanctuaries (rescues) using their own funding sources.

As both a county resident and the Executive Director of Saving with Soul Pet Rescue, I believe this is a conversation that deserves public attention.

This is not simply an animal welfare issue. It is also a community issue that could affect any Okaloosa County resident (or visitor) who:

• Finds a stray animal
• Loses a pet
• Experiences a family emergency involving a pet
• Encounters abandoned animals
• Needs assistance with an animal-related situation

As noted above, the proposal states that these situations will be handled by local rescues like Saving with Soul. However, speaking for Saving with Soul myself, we are already operating beyond capacity, both in space and financial resources.

We are not animal control. We do not employ Animal Control Officers, maintain a public stray-hold facility or operate a lost-and-found system. While we do have a facility, we do not have the ability to absorb stray animals and owner surrenders.

Most other rescues in our region are foster-based organizations with even fewer resources and no physical facility at all.

I am not posting this to advocate for a specific solution. I understand that county leaders face difficult decisions, and I appreciate the challenges involved.

I am posting because I believe every Okaloosa County resident should be aware of the proposal, understand how it may affect our community, and have the opportunity to participate in the discussion before any decisions are made.

I encourage you to review the proposal, learn more about the issue, and follow the County Commission meeting on Tuesday. Saving with Soul's leadership and Board will be in attendance.

Here are the relevant links to the agenda item. I welcome your feedback although I will only be able to answer questions related to how this proposal might affect the rescue community.

https://okaloosacountyfl.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=1993&MediaPosition=&ID=17683&CssClass=

(You might need to scroll around this link to get the relevant information.)

— Jennifer Hagedorn
Executive Director
Saving with Soul Pet Rescue

STATEMENT OF ISSUE: The County has contracted with Panhandle Animal and Welfare Services (PAWS) for more than 20 years. As recently as two months ago the County was advised that PAWS would no longer provide animal control services. Additionally, the County received a sheltering proposal that exceeds...

06/14/2026

WOW... what a few days it's been! 🐾❤️

Because of YOUR support, we've had an incredible wave of adoptions over the last several days. So many deserving dogs and cats have found loving homes, and we couldn't be more grateful!

And as if that wasn't exciting enough, our very first adoption event at PetSmart yesterday was absolutely amazing! The turnout, support, and adoptions exceeded our expectations, and we are so thankful to everyone who stopped by to meet our adoptable pets.

Every adoption does more than change one animal's life—it creates space for another homeless pet desperately waiting in a shelter. Thanks to all of these adoptions, we've opened up much-needed room and are now able to pull even more animals who need a second chance.

To everyone who adopted, shared our posts, volunteered, fostered, donated, or cheered us on: THANK YOU. You are directly helping save lives.

The best part? We're not done yet! Stay tuned as we welcome more deserving shelter pets into rescue and continue our mission of turning "at risk" into "adopted." 🐶🐱✨

Together, we're making room for hope, one adoption at a time. ❤️

06/13/2026

If you’re not at PUPSACOLA, you’re seriously missing out!!!

We’ve got puppies, kitties, adult dogs, fluffy dogs, short dogs, big dogs, little dogs, and pretty much everything in between!

We’re hanging out at PetSmart in Pensacola until 3 PM, and it has already been an amazing day! We’ve celebrated adoptions, received some incredibly generous donations, met sooooo many wonderful people, and we’re having an absolute blast.

There’s still time to come by, meet your new best friend, and join in on the fun!

We’re at PetSmart in Pensacola until 3pm!

Come see what all the excitement is about, we can’t wait to meet you! 🐾