When I first moved to Austria to begin working on my Masters degree, I was completely alone. I didn’t know a single person in the country, I had only just started learning the language, and I was a fulltime opera student. So I did what any rational person would do: I fostered a dog! Lily was a Russian street dog that had lived in a construction zone for the first 4 months of her life. She was wild, destructive, aloof and had clearly abused. She had been adopted out to two other families and returned within 2 weeks. So naturally, 2 weeks later I told the foster organization that Lily would be staying with me forever. Four years later, this wild street dog is a fully certified therapy and crisis dog and a fully trained medical alert and response service dog. Adopting a dog has taught me so much about the power of connection and love. Not only did I see what love could do in Lily’s life, but I saw the power of her love in my life. Lily has helped me get though the hardest moments in my life. She was there for me when no one else could be. As Lily grew older she began to share that love with everyone she met. Every person she meets, she greets them with bright eyes and a loving tail wag! I’ve had the privilege to see how this one dog had effected the lives of so many people. Paws-to-Share takes loving dogs just like Lily and spreads that joy to thousands and thousands of people every year! I’m so excited to be a part of such a wonderful company and so exited to continue spreading happiness through the power of a dogs love.

I’m exceptionally fortunate; for as long as I can remember I’ve been surrounded by a loving family—complete with animals to complete the picture.  My life is enveloped by my loving wife, two loving daughters, and two loving dogs — Mia and Lila, and two loving (yes, loving) cats — Milo and Toulouse. 
 

But as fortunate as I am, I’m also surrounded by loved ones who were not in the same boat — within a single week, my daughters shared how much they missed our animals while at school, my mother, who’s in an Assisted Living Facility, bemoaned not having pets around, and my Nephew, an apartment dweller, was looking longingly at Scottie’s online to make up for the fact he couldn’t have one.  So in that week, the idea that became Paws-to-Share was born; because we should all be that fortunate to share the love of a pet.

I believe that pets are our four-legged heroes.  He doesn’t know it, but my dog helps me every single day.  Since the age of 2, I have always had a dog by my side, and I could not imagine my life without one.  During college, I negotiated out of the mandatory 2 years on campus, and instead lived off campus so that I could bring my dog.  Unfortunately, that left me isolated from the students and a bit lonely, so I began to bring my dog to campus and could see how much joy he brought to those in dorms, living without their family pets.  Even though I may have been a little lonely off campus, I still had my Poindexter, and being able to bring the joy he brings to me, to others made it all worth it.  To know that many people out there love dogs just as much as I do, but are in situations where they can’t have their own, breaks my heart.

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Paws-to-Share is on a mission with amazing goals; to bring love to those who need it, one paw at a time.  We have the chance to make people’s days a bit brighter, offer loving and mutually beneficial relationships between people and pets, and most of all, make life a little more furry, and a lot less lonely.

When I was studying abroad, my pet Sandy passed away. It was painful for quite a while, but I found some comfort when interacting with the pets brought to my campus for stress relief during finals. It wasn't the same in any way though. They were so tame and timid, there was no energy or or excitement from them, they just laid there like cute, warm stuffed animals. There's something about a pet; that energy, that love, the unique quirks that make them more than just a dog which was missing.

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At Paws to Share, I've found a way to bring that to other people. Every handler brings their unique pets who run and play, but also flop down in front of you and beg for belly rubs. The animals and handlers we work with here are all unique and bring that same feeling of having a pet to others. Even though I spend a lot of my time on the back end of it all, it makes me happy to think that I can bring fluffy joy and smiles to people through Paws to Share.