The PAS Initiative: Supporting Pets and Their Guardians

Though less than a year old, Napa Humane’s PAS (Pet Assistance and Support) initiative is already having an amazing impact on pets (and their guardians) of our unhoused community.

Our PAS program is a partnership with Napa County Department of Housing & Homeless Services to provide services for the pets of the unhoused. Napa Humane’s Case Manager works with Abode clients to connect them with necessary pet-related services – such as veterinary care, grooming, and Napa Humane’s own spay/neuter, vaccination and training programs.

While Napa Humane staff spends most of our time with clients at the South Napa Shelter, we also recently added office hours at the North Napa Shelter, Valley Lodge Apartments and Heritage House, where permanent housing has been made available to formerly unhoused people. Providing permanent housing at these locations has allowed people with families and pets to come in off the streets together – and stay together.

Recently, our case manager spent some time getting to know a truly special cat Thor and his guardian J.

               

Meet Thor & J

How did you meet Thor?

J:   I was looking for a friend for my last cat, and my friend had Maine Coons. I was looking for a large cat. He was the last one of the litter, all of his other brother’s and sisters were orange and white. He was 12 weeks old when I got him, we lived together in a motor home at Skyline park for the first couple years so we were always in close quarters. That’s where he learned how to climb trees, learned about horses, and learned how to walk on a leash.

Do you have any stories about Thor?

J:  One day he got out and was gone for 3 months and 17 days. I had him microchipped but didn’t have a phone at the time, so I had his chip registered to my friend’s phone. When he was found the lady ended up calling my friend’s number, but my friend had broken his phone screen. Getting Thor back was so important to me, I paid $100 to get my friend’s phone fixed and then called roughly 30 of his missed calls to finally find the lady who found him.  She didn’t want to give him back but the woman at the shelter advocated for me and we were reunited!

What does Thor mean to you? 

J:  Everything! I was so depressed when he was gone, he’s my best friend, no doubt about that.

Has the PAS program been helpful for you and Thor. 

J:  Oh yes, getting regular litter has been amazing, before when I’d run out I would have to use bark. This program really makes our life so much easier when staying here. As hard as it’s been, you took off some of the stress off and that’s big.

Facts about J & Thor:

• • J and Thor have been at Abode for over 6 months
  • Thor weighs around 20lbs! Maine coons grow slowly and for about 5 years so he’s still growing!
  • Thor has so much personality and is so smart, he knows how to walk on a leash and how to put himself in his own crate.
  • J walks over 3 miles a day pulling Thor in his wagon
  • Thor turned 3 on March 3rd

We are so thankful we are able to provide assistance to this pair, to keep Thor happy and healthy and their bond strong.  The human-animal connection is so special and we love seeing magical pairings like J and Thor!