PAWS Community FAQ: October 2025

We’ve heard your questions, concerns, and incredible support in recent weeks. The outpouring of love for PAWS and the animals we serve has been humbling, and we want to address your questions directly. This is the first of several updates as we continue working toward stability, transparency, and a strong future for both the Kyle campus and the PAWS mission.

Why were we not made aware of the financial troubles earlier?

You’re right—communication should have been more proactive. For more than a year, our team worked to address growing financial and operational challenges internally, hoping to stabilize without disrupting services. Unfortunately, the situation escalated faster than expected, and we recognize that the community deserved earlier transparency. Once we understood the full gravity of the situation, the Board had to make an extremely difficult decision in order to keep PAWS viable. We take full responsibility for the delay and are deeply grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support since that time. We are committed to clearer, more open communication going forward.

Why has a successful nonprofit of 40 years suddenly come under such bad circumstances?

PAWS is not failing, but like many long-running nonprofits, we faced a combination of challenges: rising veterinary and supply costs, facility maintenance needs, and a slowdown in donations post-COVID. These pressures compounded over time and reached a breaking point. The positive news is that PAWS still has a strong foundation of community support—and this difficult moment has sparked renewed energy and involvement to rebuild sustainably.

What are your plans to make sure this doesn’t happen again?

We are taking decisive action to strengthen operations and accountability. Our plans include: – Developing a long-term financial sustainability plan – Adding new board members focused on problem-solving, fundraising, and hands-on support – Continuing targeted fundraising campaigns to prevent future financial crises – Increasing fiscal oversight and accountability – Collaborating with community, academic, and consultancy partners for new ideas and action plans – We will use our quarterly newsletter as our primary communication channel, while also committing to engage with this strong community sooner should we anticipate any challenging times ahead. This is a turning point for PAWS, and we’re committed to learning from it and growing stronger.

What does Save Kyle actually mean?

“Save Kyle” is the campaign to keep the Kyle campus open and operational while we stabilize the broader organization. Donations to this effort directly fund animal care, staffing, food, medical supplies, utilities, and urgent facility needs. Every dollar helps us continue saving lives for all dogs and cats under PAWS care.

Is every single penny donated to the “Save Kyle” fundraiser going to keeping Kyle open?

All funds raised through the “Save Kyle” campaign directly support PAWS’ ongoing mission and overall operations, which include both the Kyle and Dripping Springs campuses. Because the organization’s financial stability impacts both shelters, funds are managed as part of our overall operating budget to ensure that resources are used where they are needed most.

That said, much of the current need—and therefore much of the funding—will be directed toward the Kyle campus to address critical maintenance issues, essential animal care, staffing, and utilities.

PAWS is 100% funded through donations, grants, and community support. To keep both facilities open, healthy, and able to continue our lifesaving work, we must make strategic, informed decisions that serve the entire organization. Right now, that means focusing heavily on stabilizing Kyle while ensuring both campuses remain strong for the animals and people who depend on us.

Will you do a town hall?

Currently, we are not planning to hold a public town hall. Our immediate priority is ensuring PAWS’ long-term stability by focusing our energy on the areas that matter most—staffing, fundraising, fiscal discipline, and staff growth and retention.

We understand that many supporters want opportunities for open discussion, and we genuinely value that interest and engagement. For now, we believe the most effective way to rebuild PAWS is through consistent action and regular communication updates rather than a single public meeting.

We are committed to keeping our community informed through this FAQ and ongoing updates about our progress, needs, and plans. As we stabilize operations, we will revisit opportunities for more interactive community conversations in the future.

Is the Kyle facility affiliated with the City of Kyle or Hays County?

While we do collaborate on many initiatives across the county, both the Kyle and Dripping Springs facilities welcome any donations or grants available. With that said, PAWS DOES NOT receive funding from taxpayer dollars, city, or county funds. We are 100% reliant on donations, gifts, and contributions to maintain our mission.

What is the current disposition of PAWS Kyle location?

Thanks to the incredible outpouring of community support, PAWS has been able to stabilize our immediate financial situation. This means the previously planned temporary closure of the Kyle facility has been suspended for at least the next three to six months.

This period gives us the opportunity to strengthen the organization—by expanding the Board of Directors, growing our donor base, supporting and retaining our dedicated staff, and continuing to provide exceptional care for the dogs and cats who depend on us.

That said, significant work remains. The Kyle shelter still requires maintenance and facility improvements, and we must sustain ongoing operational costs at both campuses. With continued community support, we’re confident we can build a more stable, sustainable future for PAWS and the animals we serve.

How will you commit to being more transparent from here on out?

Transparency is not just a promise—it’s a commitment we’re embedding into everything we do. Going forward, we’ll provide regular public updates via a quarterly newsletter, continued social media updates, and our website with financial highlights, events, volunteer opportunities, and strategic goals. We’ll also keep this FAQ updated as new questions arise.

How can each of you help PAWS going forward?

We are deeply grateful for every donor, volunteer, foster, employee, and supporter—each of you is the heart of PAWS. At this moment, PAWS needs action. We need people who are willing to give their time, skills, resources, and voices—whether that’s volunteering, fostering, donating, or joining the Board of Directors. Together, we can strengthen this organization, protect the animals who rely on us, and ensure PAWS continues to serve Central Texas for decades to come.

Thank you for holding us accountable and for standing with us. Your voice, trust, and compassion make PAWS what it is—and together, we will ensure the next chapter is stronger, steadier, and full of hope for the animals and people who depend on us.

—The PAWS Board of Directors