Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Williams.
Lauren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil (Brazilian mother & British father). I studied at an English school and grew up surrounded by a very international culture. My parents traveled a lot so my passport began collecting stamps when I was only 6 months old. I quickly learned to love traveling and I knew my life would end up somewhere far away from where I had been born. Once I graduated from high school, I moved to the U.S. as a foreign student to attend university in North Carolina. After graduating, I began working at a local bank in retirement services and mutual funds sales, I then moved to England to work in asset management & private banking. After a decade in banking, I decided I wanted a change of careers and left for Spain to rethink what I wanted to do with my life. It didn’t take long for me to decide that I wanted to return to the U.S. so I moved to Florida and attended culinary school at the Arts Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. It was something I always wanted to do and it gave me time to figure out my next move. While living in Miami, I met jojoba producers from Argentina who were looking for a national sales manager to bring their sales in the U.S. to the next level. I applied for the job and the rest is history. The company was later sold to a larger firm based out of California and that’s what brought me to San Diego. I’ve fallen in love with California during these past 10 years and San Diego is definitely my home now. I earned my green card in San Diego. I got married in San Diego. I became a U.S. citizen in San Diego. I also found a new passion, real estate. During these past several years my family and I have invested in older homes, renovated them and now I manage the rental properties while keeping my day job.
So, where does Compassion For Paws International fall under all of this? Well, ever since I was a child, I have been surrounded by dogs in some way or another. I had a Dalmatian who had 12 puppies and my grandparents had on average 8-10 dogs at a time, all of them were rescued. My aunts had rescued dogs and my cousins did too, so it’s not a surprise that I ended up loving them so much. I’ve been blessed to have rescued four amazing mutts so far (three of them from shelters and another was a stray I found on the streets). Throughout the years, I have helped save abandoned dogs by offering veterinary assistance and networked to find them forever homes. I have also supported numerous organizations but having a non-profit of my own was something I really dreamed of and I wanted to save more lives. One day, I contacted a bunch of friends in San Diego who were also animal lovers and asked them if they would be interested in being part of my board of directors because I was about to start a non-profit, they were all on board.
Compassion For Paws International was founded in 2017. We raise funds to sponsor transportation to rescue dogs out of kill shelters. We support funds which care for animals with special medical needs. We feed dogs who live with homeless people. We assist in providing veterinary care to shelter dogs who have exhausted all other opportunities for lifesaving treatment. We assist those who cannot pay for their veterinary bills. We sponsor wheelchairs to disabled dogs who require pet mobility devices. We work with several other non-profits to save stray dogs, foster them and ultimately find them a forever home. We are huge proponents of adoption and we try to educate the community about the benefits of adoption. We raise funds through our fundraising events, individual and corporate donations. Compassion For Paws International is a 100% non-profit 501(c)3 Organization so all donations are tax-deductible.
What can I say, it’s been an interesting life so far. One thing I’ve learned is that there’s more to life than acquiring material possessions. We always have room to better ourselves on a spiritual level. The older we get, the more we appreciate what we have. If you cannot help someone monetarily, you can still help them with kindness. All the money in the world can never replace love. Love is the ultimate form of kindness. Helping those who need our help is an amazing opportunity to grow spiritually, a true path to enlightenment. I believe every human who’s lucky enough to experience it is truly privileged. In my case, I chose to help animals. I’m a vegetarian and an animal lover. I believe all animals should be treated with dignity and respect. When people ask me what do you want to do when you retire? My answer is simple. I want to be a dog walker and continue saving lives. I couldn’t be happier with the path I have chosen and I thank my family and God for the opportunity.
Has it been a smooth road?
Struggles? Sure there were tears along the way. I left my country at the age of 17 leaving behind everyone I loved. My family. My friends. I had to start all over again. I quickly learned that friends were going to be my lifeline away from home and I invested a lot to find good ones. Many of them are still in my life to this day but it took time and dedication to establish those relationships. You have to ‘water the plant’ for it to live. I also moved around a lot, sometimes to a different state, sometimes to a different country, so I had to start over a few times. I was engaged to be married when I was only 22, yes I was very young. Fortunately I didn’t get married back then. There’s a song from Garth Brooke with the lyrics “I thank God for unanswered prayers” – these words sum up my experience. I was completely heartbroken and thought my life would end, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that there was an entire world out there for me and so much to learn. Thank goodness nobody dies of a broken heart and of course I found love again. As for my career, many years later I made the difficult decision of leaving a good-paying career in banking to follow my heart. I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do and all the money in the world wasn’t going to change my mind, I had to take a chance. At first, I accepted a huge pay cut but slowly worked myself up again. I also had to wait many years to get my green card. I was determined to obtain it the legal way through my career, which meant I had to be very patient with the US immigration system. There were times I felt extremely discouraged but I never gave up until I became a U.S. citizen. I was in my late 30’s, single and having a great time but I was constantly asked when was I going to settle down and have children. At times it did get to me but I was determined to marry for love and not settle. I met my husband when I was 38 and got married when I was 40. We don’t have children, we have beautiful dogs instead. Did I live a different life than many women I knew? Sure I did. Am I happy with my decisions? Absolutely. Life is not perfect, for anyone, but I feel very blessed. Some of the wrong choices we make in life actually take us to the right places, so we should all strive to live without regrets. When we’re young we feel invincible. We think we know everything and we have no fear. With time, we mature and realize how precious life really is. We start appreciating how incredibly lucky we are to be alive, to be here. I have three beautiful young Godchildren and I will always encourage them to love themselves with all their heart. When you truly love yourself, the rest will follow.
Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
Louise Hay was a woman who went through tremendous difficulties and survived them all. Not only did she become one of the most famous motivational speakers and authors in the world, but she also became respected by millions. She helped those who were lost and in the dark. She became one of the founders of the ‘self-help’ movement and I admire her for her compassion towards people of all backgrounds. She was a beautiful spirit who lived a beautiful human experience. Others I admire include Ellen DeGeneres, Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Ruth Ginsburg.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.compassionforpaws.org
- Phone: 619.300.1131
- Email: compassionforpaws@gmail.com or laurenwilliams3@hotmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compassionforpaws_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/compassionforpaws/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/20341988/admin/
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