Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats, data estimates 2015- 2018). It is estimated that 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year (view data overview) .

In 1994, under the direction of Richard Avanzino, the San Francisco SPCA launched the no-kill revolution by ending the killing of healthy dogs and cats in the city. Paw Works is one of a few non profit rescue shelters building on the no kill legacy. Paw Works, founded by Chad Atkins and Christina Morgan, was established with the clear mission to help make Ventura County “No Kill.” Paw Works takes in over 1,600 abandoned animals from multiple counties in Southern California, as well as from other rescue organizations throughout the state yearly. 98% of every donated dollar goes back directly to the rescue, care, education and adoption to Paw Works animals saved. Please read our exclusive interview with Chad Atkins, from Paw Works, and Larissa Wohl, who follows around Paw Works in their Hallmark Channel special Tails of Joy, to learn more about their beautiful work.

Where is Paw Works based?
CHAD: We are based in Ventura County, CA. We have two adoptions centers, Thousand Oaks at the Oaks Mall and Ventura at the Pacific View Mall. Our facility is located halfway between our adoption centers in Camarillo.

Can you tell us about Paw Works and its mission?
CHAD: Established on January 17, 2014, Paw Works was founded with the clear mission to help make Ventura County "No Kill". By forming a rescue organization designed to place unwanted animals from county and city shelters in permanent homes, we hoped to help ease the tragic burden that is created when owners abandon their animals, and fail to spay or neuter their pets.

Ventura County was able to achieve “No Kill” status less than a month after Paw Works was formed, through the sheer determination and support provided directly from our organization. Today, Paw Works takes in over 1,600 abandoned animals from multiple counties all over California, as well as from other rescue organizations throughout the state yearly.

With 98% of every donated dollar going back directly to the rescue, care, education and adoption to Paw Works' animals saved, we have been able to achieve significant growth in the past six years:
1)Nearly 7,000 dogs and cats saved to date
2) Two adoption centers in upscale, local malls
3) Opened and operated a board and train facility for our rescue animals
4) Created the Child Pet Ambassador (CPA) Program, which services over 200 local children with hands on interactive volunteer opportunities
5) Provided over 500 free spay and neuter services for low-income residents of LA and Ventura County.

What inspired you to start Paw Works?
CHAD: After volunteering for a local nonprofit animal rescue, I noticed a lot of pitfalls that many rescues fall into, i.e., not running as an efficient, effective business that utilizes the goodwill of its community. It was this frustration that catapulted my desire to take my knowledge and skill to make a larger impact within my community and animals’ lives overall. On January 17, 2014, Paw Works was co-founded by Christina Morgan and myself. We felt our biggest impact would occur directly within our community first, so we dedicated all our time, financial resources and energy by making Ventura County a No-Kill County, something we help facilitate within the first 30 days of operation.

Congrats on making Ventura County achieve “No Kill” status less than a month after Paw Works was formed. What goes into becoming “No Kill” status?
CHAD: Blood, sweat and tears… oh, and a lot of money.

When we began, we approached our County officials with our desire to help them become No Kill. What No Kill means is that 90% of animals brought into the shelter make it out alive, and no adoptable pet is ever euthanized.

Just 30 short days after Paw Works began, we were able to achieve this goal with the county shelter and they have maintained that status to this day. Initially, we pulled anything and everything the shelter needed us to, no questions asked. We took in extreme behavioral, extreme medical, elderly, pregnant, you name it we rescued it. As time progressed and the shelter was able to implement new programs, we were able to use our resources to assist other shelters and areas in California.

Today, Paw Works takes in over 1,600 abandoned animals from multiple counties in Southern California, as well as from other rescue organizations. Can you briefly walk us through a typical animal rescue procedure?
CHAD: Honestly, every single rescue is different at the beginning. Whether it be a transport from the Central Valley, rescuing strays from Devil’s Punch Bowl, or driving 29 dogs from Louisiana, rescue is always dramatic for all the right and wrong reasons.

However, once in our hands, all our animals start out with the same care, which is:
Day 1 -

A good bath
Vaccinations
Microchip
A nutritious meal
Flea treatment(usually Nexgard)
A photograph, to put in our system.

Day 2 – 5 -

Deworming
Spay/Neuter
Grooming with groomer if necessary
Additional medical treatment if necessary

Day 6 -

Go up for adoption if medically cleared.

Many of our animals get adopted very quickly, within the first 10-14 days. However, there are those special cases that do not show well at our adoption center or have some socialization issues that require more extensive work.

Can you tell us a bit about your show “Tails of Joy” on Hallmark Channel? Why was it important to you to have a feature that shows all the ins and outs of what you do?
CHAD: “Tails of Joy” is a special that was greenlit in late 2019. It was created by me and our executive producer, Kristi Foley, Pleasant Street Entertainment. The first special follows Paw Works and our transport of 60 dogs and cats from Central Valley, CA. It took about four months to film the process of that rescue from start to finish. The second special follows the journey of nearly 200 dogs from Louisiana animal shelter, St. Landry’s Parish Animal Control. Nine rescues, including Paw Works, traveled to Louisiana from California, Michigan and Florida. Most of the dogs rescued were heartworm positive and have required extensive medical care.

I believe it is important to show the ins and outs of what rescue is because I feel the general public has no real understanding of what a process it is to save these animals. In addition, most are unaware of what an issue pet overpopulation really is in our society.

LARISSA: "Tails of Joy" is so important to me because every day I go on Hallmark Channel's "Home & Family" and showcase two animals that are looking for homes. The viewers get to see these amazing and adorable animals that they may never have realized are available to "rescue." That said, what they DON'T see is all the time, money, love and compassion it takes to get these animals ready for adoption. "Tails of Joy" unveils the heroes behind these rescue organizations that are on the frontlines everyday putting their mental and physical lives at risk to save these animals. I don't think people realize the toll rescuing can take on a person. It has SO many wonderful "ups", but it also has many heartbreaking "downs". My goal for this show is to inspire viewers to adopt as well as express the importance of having compassion for all the human rescuers of the world!

Can you tell us what it takes to turn an animal from a scared, shutdown animal into a loving, secure adoptable pet? How long does it normally take?
CHAD: Time and patience. There is no “normal” time it takes for an animal to come out of their shell.

Imagine being removed from your home right now and being thrusted into a home with new people, that you have never met. Would you trust them? How long would it take you to open up and begin to act like your normal self?

LARISSA: Some animals are ready to be adopted right away... while others may need months of physical or mental rehabilitation. I would say MOST animals being pulled out of shelters and into rescue organizations need at least a couple of weeks before going to their forever homes. During this time period, the animals will be evaluated by a veterinarian, given their vaccines, any medication needed, etc.. They will also be spayed/neutered and given time to decompress. This decompression period is vital because most of these babies are extremely stressed out. They've been uprooted from their lives and have no idea what's happening. Shelters can be loud, germ-filled and scary places, so giving these animals time to relax, unwind and trust is one of the most important things you can do before turning them over to a forever home. It's important that you have patience during this time and start to teach them basic skills they may never have learned. Things like potty training, boundaries, commands, etc..

You always want to set them up for success from the start so that they don't get turned back into the rescue and have to start the process all over again!

A little while ago, a drunk driver drove into your shelter. First, so sorry to hear that. Second, is everyone ok? Third, what happened? Fourth, where does this leave you?
CHAD: Yes, five days before our world went on lockdown from COVID-19, a vehicle crashed through our facility at 12:24 am. Thankfully, none of our animals were hurt. However, thousands of dollars in damage was caused. My three managers and I rushed in at just after 1:30 am, after Camarillo Police Department notified us. At this time, it is alleged that a drunk driver crashed into the facility, but it is unlikely if we will ever really know as she fled the scene. Currently, the police department is still investigating, but many things have been put on hold due to recent events.

Continuing with the crazy news lately, how has the Coronavirus impacted Paw Works?
CHAD: It has been a very surreal few weeks. With the initial news of COVID-19, I quickly realized that this crisis was not going to end quickly. With the help of my staff, we shut down both of our adoption centers. In order to continue our mission to lead, protect, heal, comfort and shelter those who cannot speak for themselves, I knew that we needed to continue finding forever homes for our animals and rescuing others in need. With that in mind, we completely restructured our facility and created our very own adoption center on site. Over the past ten days, the support and response have been overwhelming. We have seen record numbers of animals being adopted and fostered. Animals who have had little to no interest in the past months are now having the opportunity to open up with patient adopters and fosters who have the time to spend with these pets.

There is all this talk on the internet about the possibility of animals being able to contract the virus? Like if you are sick, one should try not to infect their pets. Have you heard any definitive facts on this?
CHAD: At this point we are hearing that pets cannot contract COVID-19 or pass the virus to humans. Like anything new, information is being dispersed as it is received. Our recommendation is to not jump to any conclusions at this time and just be aware of your and your pet’s surroundings. Take smart steps by washing your hands frequently, not putting your hands in or near your face and staying a safe distance from anyone coughing or sneezing. At Paw Works, we have the highest sanitation practices and have implemented social distancing practices for the safety of our staff and adopters, fosters and volunteers.

LARISSA: Thank you for asking this. I always like to preface this question with the fact that I'm not a veterinarian, so ALWAYS check with your veterinarian if you have any questions or concerns.

That said, I've been following this closely and want everyone to know the World Health Organization has seen no evidence of domestic pets being able to contract or give Covid-19 to humans. The one case where a dog possibly died from Covid-19 isn't truly reliable because the dog was 17 years old and may have died from other issues. It also tested "weak positive," which may have been because it was in close contact with its human who had the virus.

I think it is crucial that people understand this important information and do not abandon their pets at this time. Pets do more good than harm for us right now and we owe it to them to protect them.

I would always advise that you use common sense and wash your hands after dealing with pets and don't allow others to interact with your pets right now and vice versa.

Jejune is also sad to hear that with the virus going on there has been an increase of animals being dropped off at shelters. Can you speak a little about your experience with this?
CHAD: As this crisis grows and the financial impact becomes a more realized experience for many, animals will be the first to go. This fact is unfortunately a truth many will have to face. It is our hope that as people have to begin making choices of whether to feed their children or their pets, or pay for their animal to go the veterinarian or pay their utility bills, that the government will provide additional programs to help. Right now, there has been an upsurge of adoptions and fostering. However, as more and more hourly employees are laid off, more and more animals and people will need financial assistance.

Just this week, our local shelter has closed their doors to all fosters and adopters. They will only provide animal control services for our county. What this means is that as more and more animals come in through strays, owner surrenders, or humane situations, there will be no outlet to get these animals out. COVID-19 crisis is just getting started and the long-term effects will be felt for months if not years to come.

LARISSA: Unfortunately, any time there's a natural disaster or a situation like this, animals tend to get the short end of the stick. With the fear of Covid-19, more people being diagnosed with the virus and people losing their jobs, many pet owners are turning their animals in to their local shelters. At the same time, shelters and rescue organizations are having to get creative to try and adopt animals out because they've had to shut their doors to the public. This makes for an unfortunate math problem where animals are coming in, but not as many are leaving, oftentimes leading to euthanasia. That said, I am extremely happy to report that MANY amazing people are stepping up to help right now. There's been an increase in awareness of this issue and I'm seeing so many people offering to foster, adopt and spread the word! It makes my heart happy to see this and I hope it continues!

This is very heartbreaking to me as I would be going insane right now without my furry friends. How can animal lovers, like myself, and our readers help out?
LARISSA: I feel the same way! My three rescue babies and my current foster are the only things keeping me sane right now! They are SUCH amazing quarantine companions! They get me up in the morning, get me outside and make me laugh all day. I would urge everyone who is home to try and foster or adopt an animal in need right now. While many shelters and rescues aren't open to the public the same way as they may have been before, they are still working by appointment and are doing everything in their power to help people find their furry best friend. So please reach out to your local shelters and rescue organizations and see if they have an animal you can help! In addition to that, many rescues and shelters are in desperate need for monetary donations and supplies. They usually have a wish list posted on their website or an Amazon Wish List that you can access and send them items directly through there! No touching or elbow bumps necessary.

CHAD: Advocate: Follow us on social media. Share our content, like our posts, and comment.

Support: Attend our events and collaborations.

Donate: Running at $1.2M+ a year in expenses, every donation matters! Whether it be $5 or $500, or dog beds and collars, to supporting spay and neuter efforts or other life-saving surgeries. Every bit donated assists us in saving more animals.

Volunteer: Assist the staff in helping get animals ready for their forever homes.

Foster: Taking an animal into your home allows the animal the time it needs to recover and socialize to be ready for its forever home. In addition, it frees up additional space at the rescue for them to be able to save more animals.

Adopt: Visit us in store or online and adopt your furever friend.

Just get involved any way you can to make a difference!

To learn more about Paw Works please follow them via the below platforms:
Follow Paw Works:
www.pawworks.com | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Follow Larissa Wohl:
Instagram | Twitter | www.larissawohl.com

Watch Hallmark Channel’s “Tails Of Joy” online:
https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/hallmark-channels-tails-of-joy

Paw Works Saves Lives