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Local nonprofit proposes foster‑based pet program to ease treatment access; CCP directs idea to innovation fund
Summary
A newly formed nonprofit, PAWS (Protecting Animals While Supporting Sobriety), requested $20,000 in startup funding to foster pets for people entering treatment; the CCP said the proposal is appropriate for the innovation fund and asked organizers to return under that process.
Dan Potts and Liz (last name not provided) presented a proposal for PAWS (Protecting Animals While Supporting Sobriety), a new 501(c)(3) seeking to provide temporary foster care, veterinary services and regular updates for pets while owners enter treatment or are temporarily unable to care for them.
"If you have any animals ... and you want to seek treatment ... most people are not gonna do this. They're gonna avoid that," Dan Potts said, explaining the organization's founding. Potts said the group has formed a board that includes a longtime local veterinarian and a representative from Sammy's and Friends. Liz, identified in the presentation as the nonprofit's president, told the CCP the program would prioritize unhoused individuals and that similar programs show improved treatment uptake and completion.
PAWS requested $20,000 in initial funding with a $5,000 seed disbursement to cover start‑up costs, outreach and legal work to finalize bylaws and contracts with foster families. The presenters cited national research and local anecdote to say pet care concerns are a barrier to treatment; they proposed a foster model with 18–24 month commitments and a process by which owners sign the pet over temporarily with a contract that allows return of the pet if the owner meets specified criteria.
Members raised operational concerns. A representative associated with the county shelter warned that local shelter capacity and medical costs are already strained and emphasized the difference between a county‑run animal control shelter (which must accept seized animals) and an independent nonprofit foster model. Shelter concerns included availability of fosters, medical costs for expensive procedures and the difficulty of long‑term fosters if an owner remains incarcerated for extended periods.
The CCP did not vote to fund PAWS from the CCP budget. Multiple members, including an Animal Control‑adjacent participant and public health staff, said the proposal fits the CCP’s innovation fund process. The group recommended that PAWS apply through that competitive innovation fund process, refine eligibility and foster criteria, and return with a detailed budget and operating plan. Staff said they would include the requested amount on the innovation fund spreadsheet and schedule review under the innovation timeline.
No CCP funds were approved at the meeting for PAWS; staff directed the presenters to prepare more detailed eligibility criteria, foster agreements, a budget, and a plan for coordination with local shelters and veterinary providers before the innovation review.
