Paws for Love is a volunteer run organization

As the founder and president of the Paws for Love Foundation, Ellyn Boone is an artist with a passion for helping animals. She has been an innkeeper, a skier, a poet, a cowgirl, a house designer, and a photographer. Helping save the lives of homeless animals through Paws for Love has been a dream come true and the career that has eclipsed all others. Ellyn lives with her border collies and her husband in Sonoma County and Wyoming.

Ulrike has been responsible for organizing all the gourmet hors d’oeuvres and desserts served at our Gala for many years. She has a full time job in the culinary department at Starks Restaurants. Ulrike has recently taken on the responsibility of our raffle that benefits our Silver Paws program.

I grew up in Healdsburg, having extensive family ties going back many generations. My daughter, Krista, and I have been involved in helping homeless pets through California Animal Rescue, fostering over 150 dogs and cats. We photographed each dog and cat we fostered, and at the end of every year we created a poster with all the animals who called Camp Runamuck “home” for awhile. Happily, after their stay with us, most went on to find new homes. But one special little guy – an abandoned puppy born with deformed legs – remained in our home and hearts forever. We fostered T Rex throughout his surgeries and recuperation, and we met the Paws for Love Foundation during this time. Soon, I went from being his “foster” to a proud mama! T Rex is an inspiration to everyone who meets him, and he has now become a veteran artist for “Paws for Love.” For the past 26 years I have worked for a Healdsburg accounting firm as office manager/tax preparer.

I grew up in upstate New York in a small dairy community where I learned to love and care for a variety of animals. I came to California in 1984 for a visit, fell in love with Sonoma county and made it my home. I volunteered for the Gala and knew then that I wanted to do something to help these animals in need, and finding Paws for Love was exactly the organization I wanted to be part of. I have been a dog lover all my life and after the passing of my last dog, my husband and I are now the proud owners of 3 abandoned cats who found their way to us all at different times.

Pat was not a pet person until a little Peach Faced Lovebird flew into her kitchen. After being unsuccessful at finding the owner, Pat decided that this was an omen and they were brought together to take care of each other. Peachy now has a feathered partner named Mojo. It was at a women’s group meeting where Pat learned about Paws for Love and the romance with dog paintings began. Muffy, her Maltese-Poodle mixed rescue, is now a quite accomplished artist. In her retirement, Pat has taken classes at SRJC and has received Certificates in Graphic Design, Winemaking, Hospitality, Viticulture, Photoshop, and the other Adobe Graphic Design programs. She is a volunteer Webmaster for non-profit groups and has done Graphic Design for several non-profits including Paws for Love.

Linda was born and raised in Berkeley and moved to Sonoma County on 1974. Having owned many dogs and cats during her life, Linda eventually fell in love with Pugs. She became active in the Santa Rosa Pug Group and then found out about Paws for Love. Starting by volunteering at the Gala, she now volunteers at the painting events as well as the Galas. She currently owns one Pug and a Pug/ Pomeranian mix.

I heard about Paws through a friend and loved their mission. I have had rescue animals all my life and want to help groups support them any way we can. Since joining the group, I have helped out with the Gala and various communications with the donors.