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Paws volunteer tells Pampa commission group has cut shelter euthanasia but needs funding for veterinary care
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Summary
Paws volunteer Faustina Curry told the Pampa City Commission that volunteers and the shelter reduced euthanasia from about 95% to roughly 10–12%, but the group spent roughly $270,000 last year on veterinary bills and needs ongoing community support and grants to continue services for low-income residents and animals.
Faustina Curry, a long-time volunteer with the community animal-welfare group Paws, urged the Pampa City Commission during public comment to support continued funding and local partnerships to keep animals healthy and adoptable. Curry said Paws began in 2010 with "$240 in our budget" and has since helped reduce the shelter’s euthanasia rate from about "95 percent" to roughly "10 percent" (now closer to 11–12 percent), while expanding medical care and rescue transports.
Curry described the organization’s services: vaccinating every shelter animal (she said Paws will spend "$20,000 on vaccines" this year, not including rabies shots), running a low-income emergency medical program that helps owners afford urgent care, and transporting animals to out-of-area rescues. "This last year, we spent $270,000 on vet bills for city and low income animals," she told commissioners, citing grants and donations (including funds raised through Panhandle Gives and support from Zoetis’ shelter program).
Curry also detailed practical needs at the shelter and the volunteer role: volunteers help feed, clean, socialize and transport animals; Paws pays for van maintenance, insurance and transport; and the group helps pay for specialized care such as fracture repairs or infectious-disease treatment. She said the group spays and neuters roughly 800 animals a year in the city and provides microchip and vaccination programs in partnership with veterinary volunteers.
Curry asked residents and commissioners to visit the shelter and offered the group’s perspective on daily operations, fundraising and program priorities. Her remarks were delivered during the public-comment period; the commission did not take immediate action on funding but heard the request as part of routine public comment.
