When Ira Lehman was looking for a dog for her 3-year-old son, a friend introduced her to some people she knew in Pittsburgh, Kansas. There, she met a dog that stood out to her.
“He's missing one of his back legs. They looked at him and were like, 'Just put him down.' But I thought, 'No, I'll take him,''' Lehman said.
She named her husky/mastiff mix “Aries.” He has been Lehman's partner for nine years and has been through a lot with her, including an abusive relationship. Lehman said her dog hid with her as she was trying to escape the violence.
“There aren't many dogs that would do that.”
Aries was there when Lehman sought treatment for his addiction. She needed to go to a rehab facility, but there was no place for Aries. A social worker told her about her Pause4Paws, a Tulsa nonprofit dedicated to pet owners dealing with homelessness, addiction, or mental illness. The organization found a foster home for Aries and also sent photos of Lehman while he was recovering.
“Photographs were very helpful. It gave me hope.”
Evan Taylor said Lehman's story is becoming more common in Tulsa. He is Pause4Paws' new and first full-time Executive Director. Taylor said demand for foster care services increased by 140% from 2022 to 2023.
“We clearly know that in Tulsa there is a huge number of people experiencing homelessness and other mental health crises and addictions,” Taylor said.
Pause4Paws operates on a referral basis, Taylor said. A social worker recommends a client who needs inpatient treatment, and a nonprofit organization arranges for the client's animal. The pet is treated, spayed/neutered, and then placed in a foster home where you don't have to pay for the pet.
This process is funded by donations and is done anonymously. Although the services provided are personal, foster families and clients do not meet. Taylor said caring for a pet can be an important decision in determining whether someone seeks care.
“For people who are struggling with these issues, sometimes that's the only family they have. And they abandon their care, they continue to live in their cars, they continue to stay on the streets, they continue to live on their own while they are… “They will continue to do drugs because they feel like there is no one to take care of their pets,” Taylor said.
Amanda Rea decided to become a foster parent with Pause4Paws after her beloved dog passed away. A puppy named Malachi was her first charge. She now works as a case manager coordinating care for the nonprofit organization. She said foster homes are needed, especially for large dogs.
“Just recently, we faced the challenge of not having enough foster homes to cover the pets in our program, which meant owners were unable to receive treatment,” Rea said.
For more information, visit Pause4Paws.
