11/11/2025
More than 2,000 dogs and cats have made it out of shelters, off transport vans, and into homes because of Paws From Afar.
TWO THOUSAND lives given another chance.
One of the rescues that will always stay with me was in Mississippi — over 40 Australian Shepherds packed onto one property in one of the worst hoarding cases in the country.
My testimony in that case led to federal charges against the woman responsible — something I’ve never shared publicly until now.
We’ve always taken the ones no one else would — the pregnant mamas, the seniors, the three-legged, the one-eyed, the shy, the stubborn, and the slightly feral (and I’m not just talking about the dogs). Some had ears so big they deserved their own zip codes.
Every single one was worth it.
Paws From Afar has always been a team of one—and my dad, the undisputed Reference King. Between the two of us and a small army of fosters and friends, we somehow kept this rescue running on coffee, compassion, and a lot of duct-tape solutions.
This January, Paws From Afar will close as I move to Tuscany, Italy. And yes — the dogs and cats are coming with me.
I started this rescue with nothing more than a car, a crate, and the belief that doing the right thing matters.
I still believe that.
We’ve never been a fundraising operation, but we have one unexpectedly large medical bill that we weren’t prepared for.
If you’ve adopted from us, followed our stories, or just believe in what we’ve built, I’d be grateful for your help in ending this chapter debt-free.
👉 www.pawsfromafar.org/donate or get some of swag https://bit.ly/3WPhemE
Thank you for every message, every mile, every “I’ll foster, but just this once.”
You made this rescue what it is—messy, miraculous, and full of heart. Here are just a few of the pups we have saved, and lost. 🌈
— Deb 💙
