Today we’d like to introduce you to Geraldine D’Silva.
Geraldine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
PAWS San Diego serves as the intake diversion program of San Diego Humane Society, which helps people keep their pets by providing essential pet services, resources and support to low-income pet families all over San Diego County. The goal of PAWS San Diego is to provide support services to people in need so that falling into tough times does not mean having to give up your pet. The best thing we can do for pets is to keep them out of animal shelters and together with the people who love and need them.
PAWS San Diego was founded in 1993 by Nancy Lubin and operated from her dining room to provide pet food and care exclusively to the AIDS community. Garage sales and small fundraisers were what PAWS initially relied on to keep its operations running in the beginning. In response to the growing need in the community, PAWS San Diego then began to provide services to seniors, chronically ill and disabled individuals and expanded its services.
In 2014, PAWS San Diego merged with San Diego Humane Society to unite resources and expand safety net programs to help more pet owners keep their pets. We now offer safety net services to low-income pet families including the homeless, home-bound and temporarily unemployed who are struggling to keep their pets. We also bring our services directly into underserved communities offering low-cost vaccinations, affordable spay/neuter surgeries, microchipping and other essential pet services.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The program has evolved and grown in response to the needs of the community. PAWS San Diego was founded as a volunteer-run organization. In 2011 a part-time team of three was hired. PAWS was reliant on volunteers for support services like Philanthropy, Communications and IT since resources were limited. The culture was changing to be staff-driven with a focus on a new strategic plan focused on growth, cultivating and a larger supply of in-kind donations, donors, clients and volunteers while standardizing branding, processes and procedures.
By building community partnerships with human and animal welfare groups, PAWS San Diego was able to broaden its scope of services and have a bigger presence in the community, ultimately leading to the merger with San Diego Humane Society.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about PAWS San Diego – what should we know?
In 2017, 3,520 San Diego pet families were able to stay together thanks to PAWS San Diego. The pet food, supplies and resources that PAWS provides to low-income pet owners allows them to keep their pet, rather than being forced to make the heartbreaking decision to relinquish their pet to a shelter.
PAWS San Diego also provides resources, tools and information to pet owners that help prevent animal homelessness.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5433 Gaines Street
San Diego, CA 92110 - Website: https://sdhumane.org/pawssandiego
- Phone: 619-297-PAWS (7297)
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pawssd/
Image Credit:
PAWS San Diego
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