Carl, an elderly dog whose cute little pink tongue sticks out consistently, comes into PAWS of Coronado’s facility two to three times a week to get fluids.
These subcutaneous fluids are essential for Carl’s overall health and quality of life, since he struggles with kidney disease.
He is part of PAWS of Coronado’s lifetime care program.
Jennifer Stein, senior manager of fund development for PAWS, said the service for Carl comes directly from donations to the Pacific Animal Welfare Society.
“It is unique to our organization, so that Carl then can have that chance at a normal life,” Stein said.
Promise of lifetime care
The promise of lifetime care evens out the chances for elderly animals to be adopted, as opposed to, say, a puppy, who would require less medical attention, she said.
This program is one of the examples of PAWS’ overall mission: “To advocate for animal welfare by providing adoption and rehabilitation services.”
And, it’s only one of the services that PAWS has offered for many years.
20 years of caring for neglected animals
Louise Shirey founded PAWS of Coronado 20 years ago as a direct response to deal with the plight of unwanted animals in Coronado.
She started the organization to be more than just a shelter, but a space where neglected animals could get care, attention and opportunities for adoption.
As a rescue, PAWS can provide more specialized care for their animals and an alternative to euthanasia through hospice care and long-term fostering, Stein said.
She added that following a “legal stray hold and ID trace,” PAWS administers core vaccines and parasite prevention to all animals that come into its care. Additionally, all animals undergo spay and neuter surgeries.
“And, we offer necessary medical intervention,” Stein said.
Stein explained the process to administer vaccines and parasite preventatives is done by the staff of one veterinary doctor, three registered veterinary technicians and six animal care attendants.
From there, they take the animals to veterinary appointments out of town for imperative surgeries, such as spay and neuter surgeries.
This process happens with every animal that PAWS adopts out, which is over 400 animals a year.
Issues with overcrowding
PAWS currently houses 21 dogs and nine cats in its building at 1395 First Street. The numbers fluctuate weekly or even daily, said Stein. These animals are all up for adoption.
In addition, they have five dogs in foster homes and two cats, one of which is a medical foster.
Overcrowding has been a serious issue for PAWS in recent years, considering the building was initially designed for nine dogs and 12 cats.
“We try to provide them with as much space as we possibly can that fits in our building to accommodate.”
-Jennifer Stein, senior manager of fund development for PAWS.
“We try to provide them with as much space as we possibly can that fits in our building to accommodate,” Stein said. “Ideally, we get them out to different rescues or foster homes the best we can.”
PAWS accommodates the extra animals gracefully, however the overcrowding is less than ideal, she said.
The shower room was turned into a place for a dog and the garage space was filled for more dog locations.
Veterinary care deserts
Daniel Barbour, the doctor of veterinary medicine on site at PAWS, said the overpopulation of pets at PAWS is a microcosm of what is going on with animal shelters at a national level.
“It’s not just a Coronado thing. It’s not just a San Diego thing. It’s not just a California thing. It’s a national issue.”
-Daniel Barbour, doctor of veterinary medicine at PAWS.
“It’s not just a Coronado thing. It’s not just a San Diego thing. It’s not just a California thing. It’s a national issue,” Barbour said.
One of the things Barbour attributes the overpopulation of stray animals to is the increase in veterinary care deserts.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the working definition for a veterinary care desert is “a geographic area (census tract) where accessible, affordable and available veterinary care is limited.”
Overcrowded animal shelters
These significant barriers in access to veterinary care directly lead to overcrowding in animal shelters.
“People are just not able to get veterinary care,” Barbour said. “They’re not able to afford veterinary care, so it’s easier for people to really kind of just let these animals go. Or, people think that, oh this is an affluent community; they’ll be taken care of here.”
While Barbour said that this assumption is not necessarily untrue, it is a huge undertaking to take on animals with unknown medical and behavioral conditions, and more resources are necessary to fill the need.
Barbour said it is important for pet owners to understand that there are plenty of resources available to help with ownership, as opposed to abandonment, such as owner surrender programs, solutions in preventive care, vaccine clinics, and behavior training.
“A lot of people don’t think about animal shelters and their communities being a resource center, but that’s absolutely what they are.”
-Daniel Barbour, doctor of veterinary medicine at PAWS.
“A lot of people don’t think about animal shelters and their communities being a resource center, but that’s absolutely what they are,” Barbour said.
Meet volunteer Doug Deauzat
In addition to these resources, PAWS has a dedicated staff and volunteers who take care of the day-to-day needs of the animals.
While the board of directors volunteer their time to oversee the organization, the small staff is always keeping the best interest of the animals in mind, Stein said.
PAWS also is supported by the help of 30 to 40 volunteers each month.
Doug Deauzat is one of them.
Deauzat began volunteering at PAWS in 2011 after seeing someone walking a dog for PAWS as he was sitting on a bench. He said his wife had just passed away that year, and volunteering at the organization seemed like a good use of time.
“So I started walking dogs,” Deauzat said. “Sometimes two a day, sometimes five days a week. I mean, it was giving me something to do. And then they needed help at the desk, so if I wasn’t working here, I was walking dogs.”
Deauzat now fosters two cats – Jill and Tucker – in their 20s.
“I was bringing the dog back when I went by and I saw her,” Deauzat said about Jill. “She’s black and white and I went, ‘Oh, what a pretty cat,’ and I looked at the writing and I thought, ‘nobody’s going to adopt these. They’re too old.’”
So he took in the sibling pair as foster cats. Jill still comes into PAWS twice a week so she can get fluids.
Community support needed
Each animal gets 20 to 30 minutes outside two to three times a day and goes on multiple walks a day, so volunteers are essential to fill this role.
To best support PAWS as a volunteer, community members can spend time with the animals to help them acclimate to people and assist the staff in cleaning and caring for them.
For those interested in volunteering at PAWS, there is a volunteer training at 10 a.m. on Dec. 16.
The training will be followed by an open house from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. to celebrate PAWS’ 20th anniversary.
Those interested in adoption should start by checking out the PAWS’ website and completing an adoption application.
Bradley Thomas, the adoption and foster coordinator, will review the applications and set up a consultation.
In addition to adoption and fostering, individuals can support PAWS with monetary donations or by providing supplies from their Amazon wishlist.
