Left Behind, Never Forgotten: A Second Chance for Cats Staff Reports March 26, 2026 4:54 pm Charities and Nonprofits, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County In Brief: Who: Save Our Cats and Kittens (SOCKS), PetSmart Charities, local adopters What: $20,000 grant to prepare cats for adoption When: March 27 (4–7 p.m.) & March 28 (11 a.m.–3 p.m.) Where: Destin PetSmart, Emerald Coast Parkway Why: To remove adoption barriers and help cats, especially from deployed military families, find homes A local nonprofit is getting a major boost to help more cats find homes in Okaloosa County. Save Our Cats and Kittens (SOCKS) has received a $20,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to prepare more cats for adoption during National Adoption Week, set for March 27–28 in Destin. The funding will allow SOCKS to pull cats from a volunteer-run shelter at Eglin Air Force Base, provide medical care, and make them adoption-ready before bringing them to a more accessible location for the public. That includes spay and neuter services, vaccinations, and microchipping, removing barriers that often prevent animals from being adopted. “These cats, sadly, had to be left behind because some of our military heroes are deployed to areas where it’s impossible to take their pets,” said Nancy Schimmer, executive director of SOCKS. The adoption events will take place at the Destin PetSmart location along Emerald Coast Parkway, where additional cats will be available for prospective pet owners to meet. Schimmer said the grant also eliminates another hurdle: base access. “Because of this...
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