Chad Atkins, the co-founder of Paw Works, a nonprofit animal rescue organization near Camarillo, passed away on Saturday morning at his home in Ventura due to heart failure. He was 44 years old. His unexpected death has deeply affected the Paw Works community, but his mission to save animals continues.
“We’re absolutely devastated,” said Brittany Vizcarra, Paw Works’ director of operations. “I don’t think anyone has fully grasped the reality of the situation yet. We have his voice in the back of our head saying, ‘Stop crying and work.’”
Atkins was known for his tenacity and good-natured personality. Bryan Diaz, Atkins’ partner for over 20 years, remembers him as the manager and timekeeper of their relationship who could push people outside of their comfort zone. “We relied so much on Chad for being our rock,” Diaz said.
Besides his tenacity and good-natured personality, Diaz said Atkins’ smile is what first grabbed his attention. On their first date over 20 years ago, Atkins met up with Diaz at his apartment. When Diaz opened the door, he saw a “tall, handsome, dark-haired guy with a great smile.”
“He was always very enthusiastic about our relationship,” Diaz said. “He told me, ‘You’re it.’ He picked me, and I feel so lucky.”
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The Founding and Mission of Paw Works
Atkins co-founded Paw Works in January 2014 with Christina Morgan, the current CEO. The nonprofit rescues dogs and cats from high-kill facilities throughout the state. Paw Works operates an animal rescue facility near Camarillo, a veterinary hospital in Thousand Oaks, and an adoption center in The Oaks mall.
Paw Works is dedicated to partnering with county and city shelters to give abandoned animals a second chance at life. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Paw Works relies exclusively on private donations and fundraising to fulfill their mission.
“Paw Works and the world have lost a truly incredible person who devoted his entire existence to saving animals,” the company said in a statement on social media.
Paw Works has been instrumental in creating No Kill City and County Shelters in California. Atkins believed that 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.
Paw Works Services and Impact
Paw Works offers a range of services to support animal welfare:
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- Animal Rescue: Rescuing dogs and cats from high-kill shelters.
- Veterinary Hospital: Providing medical care to animals in need.
- Adoption Center: Facilitating the adoption of rescued animals into loving homes.
- Spay and Neuter Clinic: Planned to help prevent pet overpopulation.
The organization is popular among celebrities. One of the rescue's dogs, a puppy named Mac & Cheese, was featured at the Academy Awards in March alongside actor Jamie Lee Curtis as part of a Betty White tribute. Not long after his appearance at the Oscars, Mac & Cheese was adopted by John Travolta.
Paw Works Veterinary Hospital offers affordable vet care for your best friend! Regular checkups save lives.
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.
Paw Works follows the rescue of a group of 60 dogs and cats, starting with transport from a rural area in Central California, caring for these animals, watching them begin to flourish, identifying their unique personalities, and ultimately placing them in loving homes. This heartwarming journey offers a powerful message of hope and encourages families to adopt not shop.
Paw Works also partners with Hallmark Channel; the two groups recently joined forces for a second Tails of Joy special following Paw Works’ efforts to assist St.
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The second special covers a shelter in Louisiana called St. Landry’s Parish. The special follows a transport of about 200 dogs from St. Landry’s, and it’s a joint collaboration between Paw Works here in California, a rescue in Florida, a rescue in Tennessee, and about six rescues in Michigan. It follows our collaboration of saving almost 200 animals from this one shelter.
Having Hallmark Channel as a partner definitely opens a door to a demographic. The demographic for Hallmark Channel is a majority of females 18 to 49, and that’s typically the audience that we’re speaking to ourselves in animal rescue. It opens those blinders up because a lot of people believe that we don’t have an issue, or they don’t understand how big the issue is and how it really impacts them.
Challenges and Triumphs
Atkins' death is the latest in a series of challenges Paw Works faced in the last year. In June, a 3-year-old rescue dog named Pretty Girl was stolen from the Camarillo animal rescue. The dog was found along Highway 101 in Newbury Park after apparently being struck by a car. Pretty Girl was rushed to Paw Works Veterinary Hospital where she later died.
Then in August, the animal rescue announced it would no longer accept dogs and cats because the organization was facing eviction and scrambling to find a new location. After looking at several locations in the county, Paw Works was able to find a larger facility in September just outside of Camarillo. The animal rescue moved into the new building in November.
Last month, the rescue facility moved to a larger facility just outside of Camarillo.
Despite these challenges, Paw Works has continued to move forward. In November, the Camarillo animal rescue moved into a larger facility outside city limits in an unincorporated area of Ventura County. Upgrades to the new property are being split into three phases. Vizcarra said phase one, which added utilities and general population areas, is complete.
A spay and neuter clinic was planned for phase three, but Vizcarra said Paw Works will begin construction on the project as soon as it can raise about $200,000. Paw Works has raised $10,000 so far.
“With Chad’s sudden passing, it would be the most suitable thing to focus on,” Vizcarra said. “It’s exactly what he would want. He didn’t like to waste time.”
Vizcarra said Paw Works had not begun fundraising before Atkin’s death but has raised roughly $14,000 as of Dec.
Paw Works’ staff is rallying around the death of their co-founder and pressing forward with a low-cost spay and neuter clinic.
Paw Works Animal Rescue
Chad Atkins' Early Life and Career
Atkins was born on Sept. 25, 1978 in Fresno. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration, management and operations in 2001 from CSU Fresno. Then in 2004, he started S.L.P. Doggy Day Care in San Francisco, which he ran until April 2014.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chad. 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 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.
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. 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.
Atkins was known and loved for his big personality. “I have never seen a more dedicated person in my entire life,” said Newbury Park resident Anita Siemon. “He would go out of his way to rescue an animal, near or far. . .
Siemon met Atkins while volunteering for Paw Works several years ago.
The Future of Paw Works
Vizcarra said Atkins’ passing will not stop the animal rescue from its mission. “The one thing that will stay with me as a voice in the back of my head for the rest of my life is Chad always taught there is a time for emotion, but there is always the need to push forward,” Vizcarra said.
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.
Atkins is on a mission to help animals in need. His organization Paw Works is working tirelessly to help abandoned pets find their forever homes, and utilizing a wide variety of resources to accomplish their goals.
How to Support Paw Works
To donate to the clinic, visit www.pawworks.org/donate and write "Chad" in the memo. Other ways to donate are listed on the organization’s Instagram page.
To learn more about Paw Works or to donate to the organization in memory of Atkins, go to pawworks.org/donate.
Atkins is survived by Diaz, their son Sebastian Atkins and his brother Shawn Atkins. The family is still planning the details of his funeral but said the ceremony will be private.
“Chad made me a better man, father and human. . .
Atkins’ death is a significant loss to the animal rescue community, but his legacy of compassion and dedication will continue to inspire Paw Works and its mission to save animals in need.
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