Galt Tutors Come To You

Galt, California may be a small, obscure city tucked away into the greater Sacramento area, but it is by no means small-hearted. It’s population of roughly 24,000 people is joined by the likes of elephants, tigers, bears, primates, lions, bobcats, and other species housed at the Performing Animal Welfare Society—PAWS, for short. PAWS is a local non-profit organization that takes in retired, abused, abandoned, or neglected performing animals, as well as animals bought and sold on the exotic animal trade. Citizens can “adopt” these animals by making donations for their food, habitat, and care.

PAWS was originally founded in 1984 as a wildlife sanctuary by Pat Derby and Ed Stewart, animal rights activists who lobbied to have animals performing in Hollywood to be treated humanely by law. True to its mission, PAWS continues to run its operations in the best interests of the animals the house—they are not taken to shopping malls for photo opportunities, paraded onto the local news to tug at the public’s heartstrings, and most importantly, the sanctuary is not open to the general public like a zoo or animal park. In this way, PAWS puts the needs of the animals first as creatures deserving of humane treatment and not exploitation. At their sanctuary, animals are left to their own natural behaviors, which means they are not trained to perform for or entertain the public. PAWS does not use chains or other cruel methods to subdue their charges in their enclosures, nor do they breed or sell them for commercial purposes. Animals are provided food, medicine, therapies, and other medical treatments administered by volunteers to keep them healthy, or rehabilitate them from malnourishment while in captivity.

Since its founding, PAWS has grown in size and scope, and now works with regulatory agencies around the world to help end the suffering of animals. They also investigate reports of cruelty or neglect, and document known offenders and institutions that abuse animals. PAWS invests in lifetime care and housing of the animals they take in. As a result, the organization has worked to expand their facilities to other locations in Northern California, but the sanctuary in Galt remains the heart of the operation. A thriving charity, PAWS takes in just over 2 million dollars annually, the majority of the donations going to sanctuary maintenance and expansion, with additional barns recently completed on Bull Mountain. The ethical use of donors’ funds is public record, with financial reports readily available on their website.

Pat Derby and Ed Stewart were motivated by passion for wildlife and the idea that dignity is a universal virtue to expend to all living creatures. Finding passion as a student living in Galt, California—in whatever subject—can not only increase the capacity to learn, but also the capacity to make the world a better place. Intellectual growth is like character growth; when we are motivated by what we care about, we are met with success. It has taken PAWS over thirty years to see large scale success, but in the process, hundreds of animals have been saved by the humanitarians that run the sanctuary. Progress in a given subject might be slow, but it is always worth the reward given by the effort students put in with the tutors who work with and care for them.