Five years ago when longtime Plymouth resident Jill Goldstein brought home her newly adopted and previously abused dog, Oliver, she didn’t just make a difference in Oliver’s life. The poodle-mix with the resilient personality forged an instant connection with Goldstein’s developmentally disabled brother, Bart. “If Bart is in the room, Oliver has to be on his lap. They both light up when they see each other,” Goldstein says. Since then, she’s started Pause 4 Paws, a non-profit that raises support and money for animal rescue organizations. The birth of Pause 4 Paws began soon after bringing Oliver home, when Goldstein began coordinating a fundraiser for the organization from which she adopted him. However, it quickly morphed into something much bigger. Local organizations were eager to sign up.
“We started off helping 13 organizations that very first year. After that, the money started coming in and the support was there, so we decided to turn it into a nonprofit,” Goldstein says. Since mid-2011, more than 20,000 animals have benefitted from Pause 4 Paws’ support. Today, it serves 18 animal rescue organizations, including the Adopt-a-Pet shop in Plymouth, where kitties lounge in non-barred cubicles amidst a homey couch-and-fireplace environment, waiting to be adopted. “Organizations like this don’t have the time or budget to fundraise because they’re run by volunteers, so their biggest need is money,” Goldstein says. For the future, she hopes Pause 4 Paws will expand to help the more than 200 other animal rescue organizations in Minnesota. Goldstein even hopes to take the model to a national level someday.
If you want to help the animal rescue cause, consider fostering a pet. You can also donate online at pause4pawsmn.com, fund needed medical supplies from the organization’s Amazon wishlist or attend one of Pause 4 Paws’ fundraising events.
