Animal Control
Animal Control in Okaloosa County was provided via a contracted vendor, PAWS, for decades. That contract ended 9/22/2026 at midnight. The new delivery model divides unincorporated Okaloosa County into north and south service areas, with Eglin Air Force Base being the dividing line.
North Okaloosa County:
All areas north of Eglin Air Force Base (including Laurel Hill) are serviced by the City of Crestview through its Animal Control Division of the Crestview Police Department.
- The number for North animal services by the City of Crestview is (850) 682-2055.
South Okaloosa County (Unincorporated):
Okaloosa County Animal Control Officers will serve unincorporated areas South of Eglin Air Force Base.
- The number for South animal services by Okaloosa County is (850) 651-7400 (Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line), which includes after-hours emergency calls.
After hours (South Okaloosa)
The number for South animal services after-hours, non-emergency calls (a voicemail box which will collect details, contact information and result in a call-back on the following shift) is (850) 331-2195.
South: Incorporated (Cities)- PAWS still has ongoing contracts with a limited number of municipalities, including the City of Destin, City of Fort Walton Beach and City of Mary Esther through varying dates in 2027.
For service in those areas, please contact PAWS during business hours at (850) 243-1525. For after-hours emergency service during the hours of 4:30 p.m. through 8 a.m., (injured animal, aggressive animal or an animal bite), contact the on-call Officers at (850) 685-6003
City of Niceville: Animal Control services in the incorporated City of Niceville are currently provided by the Niceville Police Department.
The number for City of Niceville animal services is (850) 279-6436, ext. 1200.
Callers should dial 911 for life-safety emergencies involving a threat to human life.
Okaloosa County Animal Control is operating under the Animal Control “Light” Model, which includes response only to statutorily required life-safety and quality-of-life issues. Services include dangerous dog and bite cases, animal cruelty and neglect, quality-of-life-related ordinance violations, livestock at large and disease reporting. The County will not handle non-emergency stray pickups or owner surrenders at this time.
As animal control services are divided north and south of Eglin Air Force Base, sheltering and veterinary services for animals in the care and custody of animal control officers will be divided in the same manner. Crestview Animal Services will provide sheltering services for Northern Okaloosa County (areas north of Eglin Air Force Base), while Niceville Animal Clinic will provide services for Southern Okaloosa County (areas south of Eglin Air Force Base).
The evolution of this service is dynamic, and we expect additional changes in the southern end of the County as municipal vendor contracts evolve.
Okaloosa County Animal Control services in the South, unincorporated areas of the County will be staffed Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-7 p.m. An Animal Control Officer will initially be on duty Saturdays from 8 a.m.7 p.m. for those who need in-person guidance or follow-up investigations but can’t contact Animal Control during work-week business hours. Saturday service will be monitored for efficacy and altered if not needed.
We encourage all residents to call the service agent responsible for their jurisdiction directly in order to avoid confusion; however, we’ve partnered with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office to bring technology to the table for you. If you call the non-emergency Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office line for animal control service, you will be greeted by a friendly AI personality who will assist in determining which jurisdiction, and therefore which service agent, is responsible for assisting you with your need. This will be based on information you will provide and your call will be appropriately routed. If more information is needed, you may be connected with an operator directly.
For after-hours calls, weekend and holiday calls which are non-emergent in nature, you will be routed to a voicemail box where you can leave details of the incident and a preferred contact method. An Animal Control Officer will contact you during the next work shift.
At this time, Okaloosa County Animal Control is operating under the Animal Control “Light” Model, which includes response only to statutorily required life-safety and quality of life issues. Services include dangerous dog and bite cases, animal cruelty and neglect, quality of life-related Ordinance violations, livestock at large and disease reporting.
The County will not handle non-emergency stray pickups or owner surrenders at this time. There are, however, organizations that specialize in this service and have limited capacity to assist.
Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR)
Ordinances are being modified in an attempt to combat the stray population by reducing hurdles for registered non-profit organizations to engage in Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) programs. PAWS is not going away at this time. They just aren’t performing animal control duties for the county.
Owner-surrender
We encourage responsible pet ownership at every level and encourage owners to re-home their animal with a responsible party before attempting to surrender the animal to a shelter. Shelters are very often at full capacity and may not be able to take your pet. Surrendering the animal should be a last option.