Nauti Dawg Rescue closing, urgent need for adoptions

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. ( WMBB ) — After saving hundreds of animals from Panhandle shelters, a local dog rescue is closing this fall.

Nauti Dawg Rescue based in Okaloosa County has been operating for three years, helping animals from different panhandle county shelters find forever homes.

The rescue shutting down this fall creates an urgent need for the more than 30 animals they still have in kennels.

“We’ve got shepherd puppies. We’ve got beagle puppies. We’ve got five fluffy black lab puppies. So we’ve kind of got a little bit of everything,” said owner Andrea Bonnette.

Bonnette started Nauti Dawg Rescue in 2021 after fostering local rescues and wanting to find a way to help clear county shelters.

“They usually reach out to us and tell us that they’re a full or, hey, we have this one that really needs to get out of the shelter. Can you help us? And then we tend to go and check out what they have and usually pull more than what they ask us for,” Bonnette said.

On Aug. 1 Bonnette announced that her rescue is closing this year.

“The building that we are currently leasing right now, our lease is up come February 1st. We are hoping to have all the dogs adopted out by November,” Bonnette said.

To date, Nauti Dawg has rescued 661 dogs from shelters in the panhandle and Alabama.

Bonnette said she is thankful for the support and time she spent connecting animals to their new families.

“I wish I could save them all. That’s something you learn fairly quickly, that that’s something that you cannot do and you just have to be able to be OK with saving the ones that you have done,” Bonnette said.

Bonnette said the organization will run as is until all animals are adopted. After that, she will host a garage sale for all of the shop supplies.

Proceeds will be used to stay open through the lease and any extra will be donated to a local spay and neuter program.

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