Paws In Need (PIN) is dedicated to improving animal welfare. Since its founding in 2013, the nonprofit’s primary mission has been to reduce dog and cat overpopulation in the Tri-Valley area through an aggressive spay and neuter program that gives local residents access to affordable services. It also provides financial assistance to pet owners for one-time urgent veterinary procedures.

“Both of these cost-share programs were created with the same end result in mind, namely preventing unnecessary suffering, illness, surrender, and euthanasia of companion and stray animals,” says Leslie Silberman, Development and Marketing Director, who also serves on the Board of Directors. “PIN focuses on directly serving the needs of individuals experiencing financial hardship in our surrounding communities through partnerships forged with other local organizations and veterinary providers. We are uniquely positioned to narrow the divide between the rising demand for critical animal welfare services and the lack of adequate resources available to underserved populations, such as the elderly, homeless, and other low-income individuals.”

Over the past 10 years, PIN has helped more than 8,000 dogs and cats in the East Bay Area region. In 2023 alone, PIN assisted a record number of 1,125 animals. The success of both the Spay and Neuter and the Advanced Procedures programs can be evaluated in terms of emotional impact as well as financial impact, according to Silberman. “As far as emotional impact, we have witnessed how treating these helpless animals helps keep families and their beloved pets together.”

In its first decade, PIN established a track record of improving animal welfare. PIN’s success is based on several factors, including community support, targeted programs, an effective case management strategy, and a compassionate trap-neuter-release (TNR) system to deal with the Tri-Valley’s increasing numbers of feral cat colonies. The PIN team is also committed to an accommodating, personal approach when evaluating individual cases for cost-sharing resources to help with both spay and neuter and one-time emergency medical procedures.

“Everyone within the community benefits from our programs” notes Lisa Williams, President, Medical Programs Director, and PIN Co-Founder, “not just pet owners, but also the surrounding local businesses, industrial parks, ranches, vineyards, homeless populations, and local animal control agencies. The countless hours that PIN volunteers spend managing an incredible volume of cases each and every month is a testament to the lasting impact that our efforts have had on the community.”

An aggressive low-cost spay and neuter program is a critical step in meeting current challenges resulting from a steady rise in stray animal and feral overpopulation affecting so many communities. Thanks to community support, PIN has expanded its reach over the years by developing a compassionate trap-neuter-release program. This best practice approach to feral and semi-feral cat colonies has succeeded in reducing diseases and injuries, controlling animal overpopulation, and promoting health through wellness checks and vaccinations, officials say.

“I am thrilled to be part of this compassionate organization whose top priority is safeguarding the health and well-being of furry companions,” says Bea Bauerly, PIN Board Vice President and Secretary. “Our dedicated team of volunteers is focused on reducing overpopulation by providing trapping services to community guardians as well as educating these animal welfare advocates about the benefits of spaying and neutering.”

For more information about Paws In Need, please visit www.paws-in-need.org, www.facebook.com/PawsInNeedBayArea, www.instagram.com/pawsinneedba, or www.linkedin.com/company/paws-in-need.