Protecting Animals While Supporting Sobriety (PAWSS) is a new non-profit organization, formed in January 2025, providing temporary boarding and pet care for animals belonging to individuals seeking treatment who are experiencing financial hardship and/or housing insecurity. The idea for PAWSS came about when Liz Newman and Nevada City Police Chief Dan Foss met and talked about possible solutions to help the homeless. Liz’s concern was “if somebody is homeless or struggling with homelessness and addiction and they have a pet, their only option in Nevada County is to turn that pet over or surrender the pet essentially to the pound or a shelter,” Foss said during a presentation to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. “People are just not going to give up their pets, no matter how critical the need is. So, we created PAWSS.”
PAWSS reached out to Sammie’s Friends, who runs the Nevada County Animal Shelter, and they confirmed this is an issue in Nevada County. Community partners are local veterinary clinics, Sammie’s Friends, the Rudiger Foundation, Nevada County Public Health and Behavioral Health, local animal shelters, and local groomers.
The statistics cited by Newman on Tuesday paint the picture, “Treatment completion rates increase by 38% when clients know that their pets are safe according to the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 91% of people in recovery report their pets are a major source of support, according to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute. Individuals with strong support systems, including pets, show 50% higher rates of sustained recovery, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. 6.3 million companion animals enter shelters annually. According to the ASPCA, um 23% of shelter surrenders are due to owner crises, including addiction treatment.”
Locally, the average shelter stay of a dog in Nevada County Animal Control shelter costs approximately $703 per animal in a 30-day period, not including medical care. The average cost for emergency veterinary care is between $800 and $1,500. With PAWSS’ solution, pet fostering costs an average of $300 per animal for a 30-day period, a difference of $403 per animal, compared to the shelter care. Total savings amount to $4,836 per animal per year.
PAWSS is looking for additional pet foster parents. Here are Newman and Foss with a message for you:
Learn more about PAWSS, how to get involved and apply to become a temporary pet foster parent here.