In this world many people dream of making a difference. A few, like Aubrie Kavanaugh, turn that dream into a reality. Aubrie is the founder of Paws4Change. Paws4 Change is not a non-profit organization, it is not an animal rescue group, and it does not legislate change. Instead it fills a unique role in the animal welfare world. Paws4Change produces beautiful, non-graphic videos set to music designed to educate the public about animal welfare issues. Aubrie says in her website, “Your values are expressed through the choices you make.” It’s obvious from her work that animals are an important aspect of her value system.
Until 2006, Aubrie was a typical dog-loving American. Her dog, Snake, was on the decline. At 16 years old she was “winding down physically” and Aubrie’s family knew the day would come when they’d have to let her go. That day came on Earth Day 2006. Snake’s death was a catalyst that propelled Aubrie down the path from regular dog-loving American to animal welfare advocate.
Aubrie says, “I really didn’t do well with the loss. My grief was intense. I could not focus. I felt broken.” In an effort to honor Snake’s life, Aubrie started donating to the local municipal shelter. Like many other people, she knew that some of the animals died, but didn’t realize the system was broken. That all changed in the summer of 2006.
Aubrie says, “I happened across a video about the shelter.” The video turned out to be about animals being killed. Aubrie describes watching a Beagle, “tail wagging [and] outwardly healthy,” being taken to the kill room. She couldn’t watch the rest.
When she confronted the shelter director the next day, the response she got shocked and outraged her. According to Aubrie, the director said, “Yes. That dog was put down. Nobody wants Beagles these days." Aubrie added, “She could just have easily have been talking about a disposable thing that had been destroyed. A couch. A lamp. That was the day that changed my life.”
Aubrie could have done many things after this incident. She could have stopped volunteering and donating at the shelter, she could have forgotten the whole incident and gone back to her regular life, she could have joined a non-profit animal rescue group to try to save some animals. Instead of going in these predictable directions, she took a path all her own. She decided to educate herself, and try to educate the public about the realities of animals in our world.
Her first video was for Dogs Deserve Better, an organization dedicated to keeping dogs from a life at the end of a chain. Aubrie’s own dog, Snake, had been rescued from this life. She says “ She had been chained to a tree for two years of her life ... so I have a soft spot for the chained dogs.” The video was very well received and encouraged Aubrie to make more.
Aubrie says she makes videos based on a subject, such as puppy mills, and she also makes videos for specific groups.
Finding the time to make the videos during lunch breaks and weekends, Aubrie says it can take her from a couple weeks to a month to make them. She receives no payment for this, it’s truly a work of love.
Aubrie hopes to help animal lovers like her do the right thing. She says she wants to “encourage others to educate themselves so they’ll think about their choices and perhaps make better choices which are more consistent with their values.... I really believe ... your values are expressed through the choices you make.”
Aubrie Kavanaugh had a life changing experience in 2006, and she has truly proven that one person, using her talents, can make a difference.
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