Pet Welfare Advisory Council

Pet Welfare is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, no-kill animal shelter located on Eglin Air Force Base in Northwest Florida . We receive no monetary support from the government, operating solely on donations, grants, adoption fees, fundraisers, and the Combined Federal Campaign. Our purpose is to support the military member and military lifestyle by easing the hardship associated with abandoning or euthanizing a valued family member, the family pet. Permanent Change of Station to certain locations makes it unfeasible or impossible in many cases to continue ownership and care. We also support DoD civilians, retired military members and local civilians as necessary. We provide shelter to many found animals and rescue many from local shelters that would otherwise be euthanized.

Pet Welfare was established in 1982 as a no-kill animal shelter to provide a temporary home for cats and dogs until appropriate adoptive homes can be found. Our original facility consisted of only the former military working dog kennel that we inherited when the base built them a new facility. The dog kennel consisted of a roof with open sides that have since been enclosed to provide the dogs shelter from the environment. The attached office was converted into a cat room where most of the animals were required to be in cages. Over the years we purchased two trailer-type buildings, one for use as a laundry and food storage area and the other as an isolation/quarantine area for the cats. Another building of this type was donated to us in 1995 by the 33d Fighter Wing and served as the shelter office.

In November 2002, we celebrated the Grand Opening of our new facility. It took 6 years of hard work and fundraising to make our dream a reality. The new permanent structure consists of a more functional office area, a large “free-roaming” cat room, a laundry and storage area and three dog isolation kennels with outdoor runs. It also contains an indoor bathing area for the animals and a permanent bathroom for the humans (we previously had to use an outdoor port-o-potty).

We operate with a part-time kennel manager and an all-volunteer staff. We place approximately 400 animals a year in caring homes and shelter numerous strays until their owners can claim them. All animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and provided with any necessary medical care prior to leaving the shelter.

Note: PO Boxes will not show correctly on the map below.