It’s no secret that our four-legged friends are the best allies against the pandemic blues. There’s nothing like seeing an excited tail wagging by the door, waiting for your return home from a long day of work! Now more than ever, people are looking to adopt a cat or dog for companionship during these unprecedented times.
Diply had the opportunity to chat with Chad Atkins, founding member of the Ventura County, California pet rescue organization Paw Works about opening their first ever rescue-ran veterinary hospital!
If the name “Paw Works” sounds familiar to you, it might be because you’ve spotted some of these friendly faces on the Hallmark Channel special, “Tails of Joy 2.”
The special , hosted by Larissa Wohl, followed the stories of sixty rescued animals on their journey from shelter to safety.
Chad told us he wanted to show people a behind-the-scenes look at the rescue process.
Since founding Paw Works in 2014, Chad and his team have been responsible for saving over 8,000 dogs and cats. They have since made their home base of Ventura County, California the second in the state to be a no-kill county.
In addition to being featured on The Hallmark Channel, Paw Works puppies have brushed shoulders with some of Hollywood’s brightest stars.
The Big Bang Theory actress Laurie Metcalf and her daughter, actress Zoe Perry from Young Sheldon , both adopted Paw Works puppies in the same week!
Actress and animal activist Ariel Winter was featured snapping pics with Paw Works puppies while attending the 2020 American Humane Rescue Dog Awards, which will be airing on Hallmark Channel on Oct 19th!
These loveable canines are becoming stars in their own right!
Paw Works’ adoptions has been booming since the beginning of the pandemic. Since March, they have saved 1,700 dogs and cats. For context, their total rescues for 2019 was 1,640.
Paw Works has held COVID-19 friendly adoption events every weekend since March 21st in Ventura County, California in their make-shift adoption boutique to accommodate the skyrocketing adoption rates.
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Chad assured us the adoption screening was thorough, with a nine page contract, adoption fee and interview process to ensure all their four-legged friends are going to loving forever homes!
Paw Works employees are there every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and comfortable transition for the pet and their new family.
As a non-profit organization, Paw Works thrives off the generosity of others.
Donations are Paw Work’s bread and butter so to speak, as is the case with non-profits.
Their Amazon Wishlist can be found here , with the most requested items being potty pads, deworming medication, bleach, crates for transporting all their animals and of course, leashes!
Chad told us that Paw Works spends up to $250,000 every year on pet care alone: “I’m smart about every dollar I spend… Every dollar that I make goes right back into creating more programs, potentially building more hospitals down the road.”
He continued: “My biggest concern is that I make a difference in my community and with the animals I save.”
Since the pandemic, Paw Works was able to attain more funding than usual through government grants and small business loans, which meant Chad was able to open his dream facility — a rescue-ran veterinary hospital, which is set to open in January 2021!
“We have always had in the back of our mind that we would love to open up a veterinary hospital one day,” Chad told us. “I figured all I can do is fail, and then pick myself back up if I do, and if I don’t, I’ve made a huge difference in my community.”
Chad expressed that his focus has always been affordable vet care not only for Paw Works’ rescues, but for his community at large.
He went on to explain that the hefty veterinary price tag many pet parents pay for is for the vet’s time: “I don’t have to worry about my bottom line. No extra money is going into my personal pocket. I’m not benefiting financially personally by making more money.” This allows Paw Works to offer premium veterinary care for a fraction of the cost of private hospitals.
So far, the feedback for the Paw Works rescue-ran veterinary hospital has been nothing but positive, “I really foresee Paw Works being The Humane Society, the SPCA, the PETA, of rescue.”
When we asked Chad what he hopes our audience would take away from this interview, his message expanded beyond his passion for Paw Works.
He wanted readers to remember that one person can make a difference, “Some people think they can never do enough. Just doing something makes a difference. Volunteering your time, your service, liking a social media post, donations always — nonprofits thrive off donations, foster, give your time physically to whatever it is you have a passion about.”
“Just do something,” he concluded. “Everything we do affects each other.”
To learn more about Paw Works and their amazing initiatives, please click here .
