NEWTON COUNTY, Texas — Two women started a non-profit organization to get stray animals out of the Newton County streets to, in turn, keep community members safe.
Stray animals have become a big issue in Newton County.
In one incident, an abandoned building was the home of a mama dog and her ten puppies. By the time rescuers with Hopeful Paws arrived, three of the puppies had already died.
It is situations like these that encouraged Mystery Smith and Lorayne Hinman to take matters into their own hands. The two women agree that stray animals are have become a widely-known problem throughout Newton County.
Newton County does not have an animal shelter. The closest one is in Orange, which is more than an hour’s drive away.
Smith and Hinman saw the need and decided to help and thus, Hopeful Paws was born. The two women started the nonprofit organization in the Summer of 2021.
“No shelter, no animal control to do anything about all of these strays in Newton County. So we decided to start our own,” Smith said.
Since opening, they have helped more than 70 puppies. The two want to focus on controlling the pet population by spaying and neutering animals.
Both women admit their love for dogs is not the only reason they want to find a solution to the stray problem. The non-profit also aims to make the community safer.
"Animals can bite you. They have diseases," Hinman said. "They get sick, and then your animals get sick. They can cause car accidents. You know, it's just roaming animals can create a hazard and it is manageable. It is controllable. We just have to stick with it, work together.”
As the non-profit organization continues to grow, so does its needs. Right now, Hopeful Paws is in need of a new building, so Hinman and Smith are asking for donations.
“Lorayne has five or six that she's holding,” Smith said. “She can't hold anymore. I have 15, so I can't hold anymore. We don't have more room. And if we had that building, that would allow us to separate a lot easier in the same location and hold more dogs as we needed.”
Those who want to donate can go to the non-profit's website to help Hinman and Smith afford a space to house the animals they rescue. They are also in need of cash donations for veterinarian visits.
The owners of the nonprofit said they have received a great deal of support from the community and hope to continue to expand their impact.