Our Story

Parker Paws was founded in 2007 by Barbara Pursley as a volunteer group at the Weatherford Parker County Animal Shelter. In 2012, we went out on our own as an independent animal rescue to expand our ability to save more lives across North Texas.  

2012 – 2023: Operating as a foster-based rescue without an animal housing facility, Parker Paws rescued 2,772 pets. Our primary focus was owner surrenders (75% of intake) offering the community an alternative to the shelter and helping to reduce shelter overcrowding. Our intake was limited by available resources – funds and foster homes. Our foster pets were spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped prior to adoption. Many pets only needed the basics, e.g., age-appropriate vetting, including wormer, vaccines (including rabies), microchip, spay/neuter, and start them on heartworm and flea prevention.  Others came to us injured and in need of major medical care. During this time in our history, we prided ourselves in adopting fully vetted, family-friendly pets who did well in diverse homes. 

Realizing that rescue is just a band-aid that doesn’t address the root of the problem, we expanded our services to include community outreach programs to help reduce shelter overcrowding and companion pet overpopulation.  

2019-2022: We partnered with area vet clinics providing 67 low-cost microchips to community pet owners to help reunite pets with owners more quickly and reduce shelter overcrowding, 

We cannot adopt our way out of a pet overpopulation problem.

We must fix it! Please spay and neuter. – Author Unknown

2020: The Spay Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP) was born to help our overwhelmed shelter and community in a different way. By partnering with area vet clinics, we are able to offer low/no-cost spay and neuters to pet owners who cannot otherwise afford it for their pets. Every pet spayed equals 15 possible offspring per year not being born!

2020-2023: Parker Paws made a significant impact in our community by providing 784 low/no-cost spay and neuter surgeries to pet owners needing financial assistance. 

2024: With the success of SNIP, Parker Paws has evolved into an animal welfare group and transitioned from rescue to concentrating only on spaying and neutering for our community’s owned pets as we place a greater emphasis on helping to prevent unwanted litters.  Although rescue will continue to be needed, Parker Paws is the only organization in Parker County with a focus on prevention at the source of our pet overpopulation problem, and are doing our best to reduce it with our Spay Neuter Incentive Program, SNIP.  

Reducing pet overpopulation and shelter overcrowding, 1 pet at a time!