Meet Chad Atkins of Paw Works in Thousand Oaks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Atkins.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Chad. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
For over 10 years, I had a successful dog boarding and walking service that I began while living in San Francisco. I had a love for animals my entire life and graduating college with a business degree I saw an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. In order to start a family and be closer to my husband’s family we decided to move to Ventura County in 2009, where I established a large clientele of new pets.

In 2013, one client was working with a small No Kill nonprofit animal rescue. She asked me to assist her with evaluating some of the dogs in the shelter. I informed her that I could dedicate myself to 5-10 hours a week, as my business was too busy to give much else. After a few weeks I was spending nearly 40 hours a week assisting the shelter. Unfortunately, I had come to a crossroads in my life, work tirelessly making a six figure salary for a job I liked or take a 70% pay cut, work tirelessly for a job I loved. To many people’s surprise I gave up my local business to pursue saving animals in the nonprofit world, and took a job as the shelter manager. However, after 3 short months and too many board disagreements I was terminated for “lack of funds”.

Distraught being terminated one week before Christmas, I joined forces with my prior client, Christina Morgan and formed Paw Works on January 17, 2014.

Understanding the needs of a small local No Kill shelter we met with the head of Ventura County Animal Services and dedicated our time, resources and money to create a whole County of No Kill shelters. Within 30 days, Paw Works was able to rescue enough dogs and cats to make Ventura County the first large No Kill County in California, a title they continue today.

Since our instrumental accomplishment of creating the first major County No Kill Shelter, we have dedicated ourselves to created more No Kill City and County Shelters in California. To date we have saved over 3,200 animals from high kill shelters all over California.

Has it been a smooth road?
Until February 2018, Paw Works has been a foster based rescue. We did not have a shelter to take our animals into.

After being instrumental in creating Ventura County into a No Kill County and receiving a lot of attention for our efforts, it became difficult to work with some of the local rescues and shelters.

Financially, we are run off public donations. We do not receive taxpayer’s money.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Paw Works story. Tell us more about the business.
Paw Works is a Southern California nonprofit animal rescue dedicated to partnering with county and city shelters to give abandoned animals a second chance at life. In just four years, Paw Works has saved over 3,200 abandoned dogs and cats and placed them in caring homes.

Our ultimate goal is to address animal overpopulation and abandonment through education, awareness and community-driven programs that offer spaying and neutering, training and veterinary care in underserved areas.

As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Paw Works relies exclusively on private donations and fundraising to fulfill our mission. To donate and help give our animals a second chance at life please visit us at www.pawworks.org.

I am the Executive Director and President of the Board.

Major achievements:

– Instrumental in creating the first major No Kill County in California.
– First nonprofit rescue to partner with a major mall company (Macerich) in Ventura County.
– One of the first rescues to create a boutique type setting to meet a rescued pet (3 years before Vanderpump Rescue)
– One of the first rescues to have a major television actress, Kaley Cuoco, as an active board member.
– Extremely effective in our 3 step process of changing pet overpopulation, Education, Prevention and Protection.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I believe in the next 10 years, we will be living in a No Kill state with our efforts in achieving a No Kill nation. Also, we will create cultural awareness on the prevention of pet overpopulation. I hope to one day put myself out of business!

Contact Info:

• Address: 79 E. Daily Dr, Suite 515
  Camarillo, CA 93010
• Website: www.pawworks.org
• Phone: 805-852-1744
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/pawworks
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/pawworks
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/pawworks

Image Credit:
Paw Works
Will Edwards Photography
Claudia Craig

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