On this episode of Along the Rock, host Kierstyn Long sits down with Krystal Spencer of PawPack Pride, along with Bruce, to discuss the organization’s goals and its plans to make a difference for animals and their owners throughout the area.
PawPack Pride was created in response to a growing need in the community and surrounding areas. The organization is beginning as a small group of people volunteering their time, family time, and resources to help families who are struggling to care for their pets.
One of the organization’s initial goals is helping families provide food for their animals. PawPack Pride recently participated in a pop-up market in Morrison, where the group raised nearly $200. Those funds were used to purchase pet food that can be provided to families in need.
The organization is also preparing to launch a donation fund dedicated to helping families with spaying and neutering expenses. PawPack Pride hopes that by making these services more accessible, it can help reduce the number of unwanted puppies and kittens entering an already strained animal welfare system.
Another area of focus is emergency assistance. PawPack Pride has seen families turn to social media when their pets are injured or require unexpected veterinary care. In some situations, families can find themselves facing difficult financial decisions when they cannot afford emergency treatment.
As PawPack Pride develops, the organization hopes to provide another resource for families facing those situations.
Building Toward Foster Care and Rescue
The organization is currently working toward obtaining its rescue license. Once that process is complete, PawPack Pride hopes to begin developing a foster network.
Some local ordinances and requirements must be considered before animals can be housed in foster homes. The organization is working through those requirements to ensure it establishes its rescue program properly.
While the immediate focus is on helping families and animals with basic needs, the long-term vision for PawPack Pride extends well beyond dogs and cats.
The organization hopes to eventually assist a wide variety of animals, including birds, reptiles, horses, and other farm animals. Spencer’s previous experience in animal-related work exposed her to many of the challenges facing animals and their owners, including financial hardship, limited resources, and situations involving animals that people can no longer care for.
PawPack Pride also wants to help address the issue of exotic animals that are purchased as pets but later become difficult for owners to manage. Providing responsible alternatives could help prevent animals from being abandoned or released into the wild.
Community Support Will Be Key
As a new organization, PawPack Pride is starting from the ground up and is looking for community members who want to contribute.
The organization is building its presence on Facebook and is looking for people who can help with social media, event promotion, and other outreach efforts. Volunteers with artistic or creative skills could also help develop promotional materials and products that could eventually be sold or used to raise money.
Event support will be another important part of the organization’s growth. PawPack Pride is interested in participating in community events and encourages people who know about upcoming opportunities to reach out.
Donations can take many forms. Monetary contributions are important as the organization works to establish its programs, but PawPack Pride can also use practical items such as sheets, towels, and cleaning supplies as it prepares to care for animals eventually.
The organization is also open to people who are willing to create items that could be sold to raise funds or provided to families and animals in need.
Supporting Other Animal Organizations
Even as PawPack Pride works to establish itself, the organization also wants to support other animal welfare groups in the region.
The group recognizes that local rescues are already facing significant demands and hopes to eventually conduct fundraisers that can provide smaller contributions to organizations doing animal rescue work in the community.
PawPack Pride sees collaboration as an important part of its mission. The organization hopes to support existing rescues while developing its own programs and resources.
The group also recently planned to donate a basket to an animal-related vendor event at The Barkery on October 10th. The donation is intended to help support the event or another rescue selected by the organizers.
How to Help PawPack Pride
For now, PawPack Pride is relying heavily on community involvement as it builds its foundation.
People interested in volunteering, donating supplies, contributing financially, helping with events, offering creative talents, or simply sharing the organization’s information can reach out directly.
The organization can be contacted by email at pawpacpride@gmail.com.
With plans for pet food assistance, spay and neuter support, emergency assistance, foster care, and eventually a broader animal rescue and sanctuary operation, PawPack Pride is beginning its work with a simple goal: helping families and animals when they need it most.
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