The Paws of Chico Spay & Neuter Program has been serving the Chico area Since Sept. 2005
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We have assisted pet owners with spaying and neutering over
3,000 cats & dogs.
Pit Bull Rescued From a Miserable Life
Mammaz, a 2 yr old female Pit Bull, was discovered tied up in a backyard along with an intact male Pit. There was no escaping him. She was forced to endure having litter after litter. This was her life.
When Dennis found her, she was extremely skinny, had bite wounds, an infected eye, and a collar so tight it was almost imbedded. “No dog should have to live like that” says Dennis. He asked the so called owner if he wanted to keep her. He said “no, I don’t care, just take her.” So Dennis took her home. She was skittish and not socialized, yet she was fine with him. It seemed she instinctually knew that he was saving her. Though on a tight budget, he addressed her medical problems, concentrated on socialization, and getting her fit and healthy. She will always be semi-blind in one eye.
He contacted Paws of Chico when she was ready to be spayed. When asked why he decided to spay Mammaz, Dennis replied “she spent her whole life abused, neglected and having litters. I didn’t think it was right for her to have another litter.” Mammaz is now a happy healthy dog. The love between them is obvious. To Mammaz, Dennis will always be her hero.
Dennis Peterson, Chico
Companion Pet Becomes a Life Line
Banji is Teresa’s Guardian Angel. She didn’t realize four years ago, when she brought the adorable ball of fluff home, that Banji would play such an important role is her life.
Two years ago Teresa had a stroke and was in bed for three months. Banji never left her side. She suffers from chronic migraines and seizures. “I don’t always know I am going to seizure, but Banji does.” Teresa said. She becomes anxious, hovers, and paws at her. This alerts Teresa to get to a safe place such as a bed or sofa. Banji stays with her and continues to lick and nuzzle. Then she runs to find another family member and leads them to her.
Teresa knows the importance of spaying. With times being tough, and unable to work, she needed Paws of Chico’s help. Now she doesn’t have to worry about Banji having health problems common in un-spayed female dogs. The two are inseparable and have a very special relationship. “We take care of each other” says Teresa.
Teresa Mitchell, Chico
Scrappy Tabby Becomes Happy House Cat
Biddle is now a mellow, healthy kitty, content to stay indoors with his new family the Barnes, and his most ardent feline admirer, Money. A former neglected tomcat, Biddle was doomed to a life of roaming and fighting over both territory and females.
Bitten by a dog in yet another brawl, a weary Biddle succumbed to his infected wounds. He was in serious trouble. Sarah brought the collapsed cat home and took care of him. As tough characters will do, Biddle recovered, and returned to his nightly prowling. Money, the Barnes’s family cat, patiently waited at the window for Biddle’s return. Indeed, the entire family had fallen in love with the handsome tabby. As Biddle was not a stray, Sarah could only act as his safeguard, checking daily on his health, and patching up his numerous injuries.
The family was thrilled when Biddle was allowed to join them in their move to a new house. Sarah called Paws of Chico Spay and Neuter Program who helped with the cost of having Biddle neutered. Now Biddle prefers purring to prowling, Money’s companionship to territorial disputes, and staying home for dinner. The Barnes family and Paws of Chico are happy this tabby has changed his wandering ways!
A Little Less Testosterone… A Whole Lot of Benefits!
Charlie is a two year old Newfoundland /Labrador with a smile that will melt your heart. About a year ago, times became really tough for Charlie’s owner who works in the timber industry. Unfortunately, John’s financial struggles came at the same time that Charlie needed to be neutered. He had started to display the classic negative behaviors associated with an intact male dog, including food aggression.
“I never thought that I would need to ask for help,” said John. “I am so thankful that Paws of Chico was there for us.” Within a couple of months, Charlie was back to being his old easy going self. “Neutering Charlie definitely made him a better dog”.
John W. Read, Chico
Man To Man
Andre loves Pitbulls. He knows and understands the breed. Tyson, at 8 months, is already over 60 lbs. of pure muscle. He is an absolute love who doesn’t know his own strength. He can easily bowl you over while trying to give you a kiss.
Andre fully understands the commitment he has made to Tyson. Rigorous training, exercising, and neutering are all part of being a responsible pet owner. “Getting him neutered won’t change his personality or make him any less protective. He just won’t be going crazy to get out there to mate. He will still be exactly who he is.” Take it from a guy who knows. It’s the smart thing to do.
Andre Herald, Chico
A Humble Hero
Matthew loves his Country, people, and animals. He has served two active combat duties; one in the Philippines and one in Iraq. Despite the hardships and atrocities he has endured, Matthew prefers to focus on the positive differences he has been able to make.
There was the tiny village where Life consisted of survival on a daily basis, both for people and for animals. Matthew’s unit was able to pipe in water for the villagers. Something we take for granted, but life changing for them. Numerous stray hungry dogs were offered food and kindness, and in return gave back unconditional love, companionship, and so much more. The soldiers became so attached to two special dogs, who they named Duke and Goldie, that when it came time to leave them, they couldn’t do it. Arrangements were made to bring them to the US where they are now living with their Families. “We just couldn’t save them all” says Matthew.
Upon entering Matthews’s house, one finds a menagerie of foster animals, including bottle fed kittens, guinea pigs, reptiles, and birds, along with his own pets. When a black cat, approximately 2 yrs old, was dumped at a friend’s house, it was second nature to take him in. Black cats are notoriously difficult to find homes for. Paws of Chico was more than happy to help with the cost of having ‘Kitty” neutered.
Whether stationed abroad or here at home, Matthew is a hero.
The Reality of Pet Ownership
Jamie moved to Chico to attend CSUC. She brought along her companion, a five year old Chihuahua named Nalu.
Jamie knew that Nalu needed a friend. She found Milei a sweet, a long haired Chihuahua, who had not been spayed.
“I knew Milei needed to be spayed. The cost of spaying in Chico was more than I could afford, so I turned to Paws of Chico for help. This experience made me realize that choosing to own animals needs to be a well thought out decision.”
Jamie Lue, Chico
A Miracle Named Pepsi
Heidi had only planned on getting a soda. She had no idea it would be the beginning of a very long commitment.
She heard a faint mewing coming from behind the vending machine. She asked campus security to move the machine. To everyone’s surprise, they discovered a tiny 2-3 day old female kitten, umbilical cord still attached, fighting for her life. Heidi had come along just in the nick of time.
She rushed the kitten to the nearest veterinarian. She was given instructions on how to care for Pepsi. She was shown how to bottle feed and manually stimulate in order for her to poop and pee, something the mother would ordinarily do. It seemed overwhelming, but Heidi was determined. She and her boyfriend took shifts every 2 hours around the clock. The odds were not in Pepsi’s favor.
“In looking back, we had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into,” says Heidi. It is 4 weeks before a kitten can begin to eat on its own. Pepsi, now a beautiful healthy cat, was spayed at 3 months old. Heidi wanted to ensure that this was indeed a Purrfect ending.
Heidi Polonus, Chico
Dog Finds His Dream Job
One morning Ro received a hysterical phone call from his sister. A man was about to shoot his dog. It seems the dog wasn’t a very good hunter.
Hunting had never been Lou’s chosen profession. Instead, the 93 lb. Weimaraner, just wanted to be a lap dog. But at almost 5 years old, and in this economy, it is hard for an older dog to change careers.
Ro raced to the rescue. Having grown up with Weimaraners, Ro thought he knew what he was signing up for. Unfortunately, Lou was in bad shape. He was severely malnourished, had infected ears, and was not vaccinated or neutered. Ro committed to the time and cost needed to care for Lou properly. Paws of Chico was able to help with the cost of neutering.
Lou’s wish had come true. “Lou is with me all the time,” Ro said. “He is just a big love who thinks he is a lap dog.”
Rogelio Ocampo, Chico
Stray Kitty
If you think black cats are bad luck, think again. This adorable stray became a lucky cat when she met a local animal lover.
This homeless cat took shelter in a field, near a neighborhood in downtown Chico. Although she was a stray, the community fed her and looked after her. “She is a sweet kitty,” said Emily, a foster for Butte Humane Society. Since Stray Kitty did not have an owner, Emily took the initiative to get her spayed. While visiting the Butte Humane Society, she had mentioned Stray Kitty living in her neighborhood and asked about getting her fixed. They referred her to Paws of Chico Spay and Neuter Program. “I had a cat neutered through Paws before, but I didn’t know you helped with strays,” Emily said.
“I wanted to do my part to help out. I just know there are so many animals in shelters that have been put down because there’s not enough room. I didn’t want that to happen with this cat.” Emily contacted Paws of Chico Spay and Neuter Program, who helped her find a vet and pay for her spay. Then she got the neighborhood together to help raise money to get Stray Kitty fixed. “I’m glad you have this program so she doesn’t continue having litters with more unwanted animals running around.”
After spaying her, the vet recommended that she stay inside to recover. Stray Kitty did surprisingly well, considering she had never been indoors before. “She seemed thankful to have somewhere inside to sleep. She was a very nice houseguest,” Emily observed. She was so impressed that she started talking about the cat at her local church.
One woman in particular took an interest in this cute kitty’s story. She wanted to adopt Stray Kitty for her grandkids. “After speaking with the neighbors, we felt this would be wonderful for her,” Emily said. “Both kitty and her new owner are very happy.” Everyone involved with this heartwarming story was glad that this loving animal found the home she deserves. Emily is just as excited as her new family. “This turned out to be a very happy ending for everyone. Thank you Paws for what you do.”
Her new owner’s grandson named her Whiskers.
Jenny Wyatt, Chico
Momma Eva Has Her Last Litter
“Soft heart – soft in the head!” I thought described me accurately last summer. After seeing an emaciated cat “dumpster diving” at the business where I work, I began to leave cat food out for it. I shouldn’t have been surprised when, a few days later, I saw that it wasn’t ONE cat, but a cat with kittens. I continued to leave cat food out for them, hoping that the youngsters would get accustomed to me and become tame. Although one allowed me to pet it, I realized after a few months that none of them were ever going to be truly domesticated.
I finally faced facts. My boss was agreeable to me feeding the five cats now, but I had to do something, or next summer there would be thirty cats in the yard! I had heard of PAWS, and decided to ask for help. Cynthia assisted me in many ways – from lending me the traps to instructing me on how to feed the cats (boy, was I overfeeding them)!
Amazingly I was able to trap all five cats in two days! Mangrove Veterinary was wonderful, making the spaying & neutering process as easy as possible. I released the cats back to their familiar yard and within a few days our routine was back to normal, except I knew to feed less and not leave food out.
Now, thanks in large part to PAWS of Chico, the colony of five, “Tripper”, “Talker”, “Pi”, “Shy” and “Momma Eva” will be safe and have a stable existence here in our south Chico yard.
by Andrea Brinson, Chico