Who we are
Founded in 2013 as “The OTIS Foundation Inc (OTIS),” and rebranded in 2020 as Parke County Animal Welfare Services Inc (PAWS), we are a small, grassroots 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. We are just two people—a mother and daughter—who shared a lifelong dream of helping animals and decided to make it happen!
What we do
Our top priority is to be the resource for animals who truly have no one else. We started PAWS based on the need for stray or unowned animals’ ability to obtain emergency veterinary care. We bridged the gap between immediate euthanasia and lifesaving veterinary care. We have saved many animals from being needlessly euthanized by covering the cost of their emergency vet care, while also sparing any potential owners further heartache by giving them the chance to reclaim their lost pet. Things happen. Pets get loose; and pets can get hurt while lost. While we can’t save them all, no pet should ever have to lose their life due to lack of resources. If they’re not claimed, we try to find foster homes and eventually adopt them out. Those who aren’t fostered or adopted stay with us for life.
But that’s not all we do. A few of our other services include...
- Pet food assistance. We partner with Sugar Creek Resource Center food pantry to provide this crucial service to the community.
- Advice and assistance in suspected or confirmed animal neglect and cruelty cases.
- Advocacy and a voice for all animals.
- Permanent sanctuary for all animals we’ve taken in, in the past, and who never got adopted. Currently, 24 cats and 5 dogs.
Why we do it
Parke County has no animal control and no animal shelter physically within it. The closest animal shelter, which is supposed to serve Parke County, is a 30-mile round trip from Rockville, our county seat. They also serve Vermillion County. It’s a small shelter without enough room, staff, or resources to accommodate two counties, nor do they have an after-hours emergency contact. We try to always be available—day or night—to pick up some of the slack for the most urgent situations.
How we do it
Nearly ALL of our efforts are funded by kind and generous public supporters, such as yourself. PAWS receives zero funding from the county or any local government agencies. We rely solely on public donations and the occasional fundraiser. Our spay/neuter surgeries are funded by Pet Friendly Services of Indiana through annual certificates provided by their sales of the “pet friendly” license plate. The majority of our pet food and supplies come from a partnership we have with Indy Humane’s Rescue Relief Pet Food Program, which is a chewy.com warehouse for redistributed damaged goods. The rest is simply sheer grit, an unwavering commitment, perseverance, and determination.