Animal welfare & Advocate

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Dedee and Meredith met through their mutual animal loving friend and advocate Lindsey Brooks. Dedee just fell in love with Meredith’s passion, love, and her ‘I will never stop trying to help people and animals as long as there is a breath still in me’ mantra (which sounds exactly like Dedee herself) so much that we are having Meredith back on the show! We feel it is important to give people like this dynamic humanitarian the time she deserves in the hopes to bring more awareness to her mission.

My parents instilled a love for animals and people to me at a young age. We always had pets growing up and they encouraged my volunteer work.    They taught me to respect all living things... animals and people. Life is too short to sit idle. I grew up understanding all lives are precious. As a child, I volunteered at a local animal shelter. When I was in college, I worked at one.   I continued my work with animals volunteering with local rescue groups until I founded Paws Unite People in 2013.    The goal of Paws Unite People was to fill the gap that I saw... a middle ground place that was a step above a regular shelter, for animals not quite ready to go to a home. I also wanted to create an organization that found solutions, animals and people are so connected. You can't help one and not the other. So our mission became to help both.   Our goal at Paws Unite People is to help eliminate the suffering of animals and humans alike.    Funding comes strictly from private donations and small grants from various organizations. We are all volunteers. None of us are paid.   We are currently providing assistance to 2 groups of former animal shelter staff members and their families from Afghanistan who were supposed to make it into the airport prior to the end of the withdrawal. There are over 200 people in our group who rely on us for their survival.   We have a shelter with over 100 animals from overseas and local abuse, cruelty and neglect cases.    I have exhausted my life savings on covering the months we are short on funds at the shelter and keeping the Afghans safe in Pakistan while they wait on US processing. It's worth it. All the lives we are helping matter.    Giving up isn't something I do. I will always try.    I believe there is always a solution, you just have to have the resolve to find it. Instead of waiting for something good to happen, you should put every ounce of your soul into making something good happen.    Human or animal, all life is precious. Rescue is about making families, helping families, and healing hearts.   Life is top short to sit idle. We all need to be the change we want to see in this world or else all is lost.    All the small acts of kindness we do every day add up to amazing things. @pawsunitepeople www.pawsunitepeople.com  (This where you can donate)  “There is no such thing as a small donation especially if it comes from the heart   : ) Dedee