MAX’S HELPING PAWS FOUNDATION

Max's Helping Paws has always had a single mission: To prevent needless suffering, surrender to overburdened shelters and "economic euthanasia" by providing financial assistance to families with a pet in a health crisis. We have seen firsthand how extraordinary circumstances directly and immediately impact and increase the need for support, as demonstrated by our Chestnut's Crisis Fund, which was launched mid-March to help those impacted by COVID-19-related business closures. We recognize we must continue to allocate funds on a long-term basis to this Crisis Fund, as the residual and ripple effects of this pandemic will be felt in our community for a long time to come. This leaves a huge gap in funds for our core program, which provides financial support to save and extend the lives of pets of low-income families or owners, including seniors, veterans, those on fixed income, homeless and others. We are a tiny organization trying to do big things. We made a promise 3 years ago to serve Monterey County. The community now - more than ever - deserves and expects us to continue our mission, which we will be able to do by raising critical funds needed for this work.

Due to the extreme nature of the pandemic, the need for financial support within this community is greater than ever. For Max’s Helping Paws, the increase in financial applications alongside the decrease in funds raised due to the cancellation of all 2020 events, COVID-19 has greatly impacted not only us as an organization, but the entire community we serve.