Jade Ashford has been rescuing and rehoming dogs for almost a decade, but it wasn’t until a near-death experience that she realised her purpose; quit her job and build the ultimate doggie destination.
Every year, thousands of precious dogs lose their homes and their lives. Jade Ashford’s mission … to rescue as many as she can, give them shelter, full tummies, show them compassion and respect, and most importantly fill their lives with love. She’s also dedicated her life to proving that rescue dogs are hidden treasures waiting to shine.
“In a perfect world, every home would have a rescue dog. In reality, one of the biggest assumptions around animal adoption is that you don’t know what you might get. This is the reason I advocate so strongly for rescues. Dog adoption is one of the best ways to clear the shelters and enrich your life with a furry new family member or friend and, in most cases, a shelter dog winds up rescuing the person who saved him or her.”
Every time Jade looks at her rescues they ooze affection, happiness and gratitude for their presence in her life. What makes her bond with them so inspiring is the fact that she resigned after 16 years in the corporate world, because she knew that while sitting behind a desk, her dream would not become a reality.
“I have been rescuing dogs and puppies for almost 10 years. It all started when I was searching Facebook for dogs needing homes, as I wanted to adopt two, and I came across a post asking for someone to foster a mother and her pups who were found in the bushes.”
With an empty room in her home, Jade took up the challenge. The experience was so rewarding, that she took on one litter after another, and nursed them until each pup found a home. She fostered for other rescue organizations from 2015 until 2018, when she decided to start her own NPO, while still employed, which helped financially when it came to the dogs in her care. A year later Jade was involved in a serious car accident and believes she was given a second chance to make a difference.
Her purpose and vision were clear – to run an adoption centre for puppies and adult dogs. She’d call it The Ultimutt Doggie Destination – a warm, loving, friendly place where families could hang out with the rescues and it would be therapeutic for everyone. But, reality is often disappointing and Jade quickly learnt that her vision would take a lot longer to materialise.
“I bought a small holding in Botha’s Hill and started with two puppy areas and one member of staff. Soon afterwards, along with six other dedicated animal lovers, we were heading to a small fishing town in the Northern Cape, where we were faced with hundreds of homeless dogs, no local animal shelters and the closest SPCA was 150kms away.”
Jade returned with 53 dogs and pups and felt confident they’d be able to rehome them fairly quickly. But the riots and floods that followed in 2022, dashed those hopes. With so many homes damaged, people were giving up their dogs and Jade’s little rescue centre grew overnight.
“We put out an urgent plea for help and received a flood of generous donations which meant we could buy cabins to house the dogs. This also bought us time and saved so many dogs from an untimely demise.”
From a single dog and her litter, this humble organisation – registered as Paw Prints Rescue and Rehoming – has garnered the momentum and reputation it has today because of Jade’s love for animals and her determination to give them a second chance at a loving home.
In April 2022, she joined her team permanently. To date, they have homed more than 8000 dogs, and continue to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dogs and puppies that have been abused, abandoned or neglected. At any given time the adoption centre can have on average up to 30 adult dogs and 70 puppies.
Their objectives are to provide the highest level of care to every dog and pup, to promote microchipping, and match adoptable dogs and pups with loving families who will provide them with care and attention for the rest of their natural lives.
“I gave up my job to be at the adoption centre full time, so that I could be more hands on with the dogs and pups in our care and also provide the staff with daily on-the-job training. Being here full time means I no longer receive a salary and as a result Paw Prints relies solely on the generosity and the support of the public, our supporters, corporates, donors, and volunteers to keep our doors open.”
The funds raised are used to house, vaccinate, medicate, provide veterinary care for, sterilize and feed all the rescues, as well as to ensure a regular team of staff is on the premises to care for the dogs. The centre has a pup-nursery, a quarantine block to isolate new litters on arrival, two separate rooms and four enclosures for dogs and pups in need of rehabilitation and recovery.
“In addition to medical costs and food, there are operating costs for the centre itself – our water and electricity bills are astronomical – and costs related to maintaining and securing the property.”
To stay afloat, the centre has a list of tasks, from awareness drives to hosting adoption days to fundraising events and initiatives. Some of these include Central Bark – a charity shop that sells new and preloved items, the Mutt Motel – a unique boarding facility for dogs, Monthly Donor Debits – sign up for just R50 a month, My School Card – add Paw Prints as one of your beneficiaries and swipe so they can earn, Puppy Pawties – a fun initiative for children’s birthdays, an Annual PJ Sleepover and so much more.
Expenses aside, Jade says the hardest part of running the centre is turning away dozens of dogs and puppies in need of care on a daily basis.
“The reality is that many people are immigrating and cannot afford to take their dogs with them. The aftermath of Covid has also left many people forced to scale down, move and surrender their pets due to financial issues. It’s really heart-breaking.”
In a bid to inspire more people to adopt from and support shelters like Paw Prints, Jade and her team work hard to create a kinder future for animals by teaching learners about animal welfare, responsible pet ownership and the benefits of owning a dog. They also promote and educate on the importance of sterilising and educate on dog behaviour and bite prevention.
“One of our 2022 highlights was the growing number of learners who did community service at the centre. They spent time bathing and walking the pups and dogs, giving them much-needed love and affection, and also helped with feeding and specific projects. Feedback from the schools proved that it was just as beneficial for the learners as it was for the dogs.”
Jade says the reason shelters play such a pivotal role in society is that it would be chaos without them.
“There would be dogs everywhere and so many incredible lives and opportunities for second chances, love, safety and bonding, would be lost. I am more determined than ever before, to turn the shelter into a thriving five-star rescue and adoption centre, but we cannot do it alone.”
If you’re considering adopting a dog, go and spend an hour at Paw Prints. They understand that different people have different needs when it comes to dogs and can advise on which dog would be suitable for your home.
“Ricky Gervais once said, if you want a dog that will love you unconditionally and be loyal till the day it dies, the best breed to get is called a Rescued. I echo these words. With your help, we can save more lives and provide the best care for the abandoned and abused, while we search for loving families that will give them their happy ever after.”
Details: Paw Prints is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 12pm. They’re at 4 Clement Stott Road, Bothas Hill. Contact Jade on 082 210 4235, e-mail [email protected] or visit pawprints.org.za
Professional Photos: Lila Fine Art Photography; @neo_lilaphoto on Instagram
