I picked up a dog who had been running in the middle of the road. I took her in explaining the situation I found her in and asked if we could check for a microchip, said my mom could keep her until we found her home, and I didn't want her to get ran over. Faustina (shelter manager) looked me dead in the eye and said it would better if she got ran over because they didn't have room for her. I had obviously already said she would be going with my mom. I have never been more disgusted in my life.
I have worked with this organization since Oct of 2013 and can say I am proud to be part of this worthwhile effort. This organization works hard and is 100% dedicated to helping the dogs and cats get to safe havens. In bad weather or sunshine eveyone pulls their wt and goes beyond the call of duty. The Pampa animal shelter was a 95% kill facility but is now around 10% but not due to space. This happend only because of this organization. Every animal is a gift and this organization is a gift to the animals!
Hi! We have been involved with PAWS (Pampa Animal Welfare Society) since January 2014 as volunteers helping coordinate the transportation of the rescued animals (mostly dogs, some cats, occasional puppies and kittens, and 1 blind goat even!). Since then we have organized ourselves as 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pets', registered in Colorado as an actual entity -- working on the rest of the non-profit requirements. [If so inclined you can check us out facebook.]
We have helped with transportation by:
- soliciting additional volunteers,
- coordinated with an office building in Denver with a covered garage to provide protection from the elements as needed during transfer to the various rescue orgs
- held fund-raiser events (bakesale, garage-sale, etc.)
- facilitating cargo van rental when volunteer numbers a low and the number of pets to be transported is high
Through their work in Pampa, PAWS has been able to dramatically reduce the kill rate at the Pampa shelter due to over-crowding and together we have rescued/transported 697 (between Oct 13 and Aug 14) perfectly adoptable pets (491 dogs, 196 cats). While it has been an effort of many volunteers, this summer has been particularly busy - lately with 2 transports per month due to extreme overcrowding in the shelter.
While we help with the transportation, the work that PAWS does on a daily and weekly basis by volunteering at the shelter is just amazing. Tireless efforts done to help those in need, abandoned or just not cared for by their humans.
Just as a point of note, one of the criteria for ASPC transport is not to transport from one area to another with their own over-population issues -- but for all the pets transported and transferred to various rescues in Colorado pleasantly they adoption rate has been very short. Often within days or the first week of someone arriving, when a volunteer has called to ask about adopting one or more of them the dog or cat has already been permanently homed. :-)
PAWS is a very good organization of volunteers working for the good of animals. Sometimes the amount of money required to cover expenses of spay/neuter, meds, vet care required staggers me. But we're working to help there too.
As Beth (coordinator between PAWS and the receiving rescues) says in her email signature, if not I then who?
Review from Guidestar