Exploring the World of Animal Shelters: An Inside Look at Four Paws and a Wake Up, Inc.

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An interview with Four Paws and a Wake Up, Inc. from El Paso, Texas.

Introducing Four Paws And A Wake Up, Inc.

I’m Andrea Joseph and I’m the Founder and Executive Director of Four Paws and a Wake Up.  I’ve had a service dog for years and have experienced how they can save a person’s life so when I decided to retire, I decided to start 4Paws.

How Did Four Paws And A Wake Up, Inc. Start? What Are The Challenges Encountered Along The Way?

At 4Paws we rescue dogs from local shelters to train them as service dogs and then donate them to Veterans at no cost to them.  Dogs that are unable to complete our rigorous 12–24-month training program are repurposed as Pets and we strive to find them their forever family.

The biggest obstacle was starting a non-profit during the pandemic.  Our ongoing obstacle is finding grants and funding for the program. 

I had a vision of building a state-of-the-art training facility which finally opened in October of 2022.  

Tell Us About The Most “Unusual” Animal That Four Paws And A Wake Up, Inc. Has Ever Taken.

We only rescue dogs although one day a day-old chick was found outside the front door (we think it may have fallen from a hawk). We kept it warm, and the next day got food for it.  It didn’t take long for us to find the little guy a home.

Tell Us About Your Events

Paws on Parade is our annual community dog walk and fun day at the park.  We have vendors, food, service dog demonstrations, raffles, and activities for kids.

What Would You Say Has Been The Most Rewarding Part Of Running An Animal Shelter?

Rescuing dogs from other shelters and giving them an opportunity to change a veteran’s life.  

What Do You Think Might Be The Greatest Challenge Of Running An Animal Shelter?

When we have to rehome a dog it’s always hard to say goodbye and really hope they are going to a good home.  Other than that, our animal shelter badly needs funding.

Tell Us More About The Volunteers In Freed Spirits Animal Rescue

We have been blessed with some truly amazing and dedicated volunteers.  Most of them have seen us do demonstrations.  Most of them have had dogs in the past and just love playing with the dogs and brushing them out.  We use our volunteers primarily for helping with dog enrichment activities.

What Is The Process Of Rescuing, Rehabilitating, And Matching Them With Those In Need?

We rescue from other shelters – usually kill shelters.  We do a temperament test to try to find dogs with the best aptitude for service dog work.   We’ve gone to a shelter and done 9 tests and came back with no dogs and we’ve done tests on 1 and brought that dog in to 4Paws.  After their “Freedom Ride” from the shelter to our facility they are given a bath to wash off the shelter smell.  Then we’ll let them roam and explore before introducing them to the rest of the dogs.  For the first 3 days we just let them get settled before we start training and assessing them.

What Animals Does Four Paws And A Wake Up, Inc. Focus On?

We focus on dogs that are, or will be, around 23” or more at the withers (shoulders) and less than 24 months old.  We need dogs that have the potential to do mobility work – pulling wheelchairs, helping with balance, lifting someone’s legs into bed, or helping them stand. The height is needed for this type of work.  Training dogs also takes 12-24 months and we want them to have the longest working life possible – if we place a dog any older than 4 we have decreased their time helping their veteran.

Working With The Local Community

We work really closely with our local shelters who have been amazing in helping us. Particularly Mesilla Valley Animal Services and Animal Rescue League of El Paso. 

For every dog we bring into our program we create a space for them to bring in another one.  For dogs that we have to rehome, again it’s one less dog that they have to find a home for.

Tell Us More About Your Events

We have our annual Paws on Parade which is our annual community dog walk and fun day at the park.  There are also vendors, foods, service dog demonstrations, raffles, and activities for kids.

We also have a booth at the Southern New Mexico State Fair.

There are merchandise for sale at https://www.bonfire.com/store/four-paws-and-a-wake-up/

We accept case donations on our website at https://www.k94paws.org/ and donations of towels, toys and dog treats – Dog food has to be Avoderm so the dogs don’t get the runs.

What Is Done Differently At Four Paws And A Wake Up, Inc. ?

Our dogs are trained as service dogs for veterans with PTSD, mobility limitations and/or TBIs.  Even dogs that need to be rehomed early will generally have mastered all their basic obedience and sometimes even some task training.

How Has Four Paws And A Wake Up, Inc. Adapted To The Challenges Presented By The Pandemic?

Funding has been hard to get due to the pandemic.  We’ve also encountered staffing issues due to Covid.

Share With Us Some Of The Heartwarming Stories Of Animals Rehabilitated And Rehomed By Four Paws And A Wake Up, Inc.

We’ve placed dogs in their forever homes but the best one was a Shepard/Malinois cross who became scared of her own shadow after being trained for 4 months.  We found a wonderful single woman willing to take it slow.  On the last report the two are bonding and the dog is adjusting well.

What Are The Help Needed From The Local Community?

Donations – cash donations are the most helpful but we’ll also accept towels, toys, treats and avoderm dog food.

We also welcome volunteers to come play with the dogs.

Connect With Four Paws And A Wake Up, Inc. here:

Address: 4286 Taurus Drive, Las Cruces, NM 88005

Phone: 575-524-4444

Website: www.k94paws.org

Wondrousdrifter.com is thankful to Four Paws And A Wake Up, Inc. for the interview. 

Check out this page for the list of animal shelters in El Paso, Texas.

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