–Press Release–

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Alex Tonner
15321 Brand Blvd
Mission Hills, CA 91345
Info@PawsForLifeK9.org
310-738-0842

 

PAWS FOR LIFE K9 RESCUE CHOSEN AS A 2024 CALIFORNIA NONPROFIT OF THE YEAR BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER LUZ M. RIVAS

 

Los Angeles, CA – April 24th, 2024 – Paws For Life K9 Rescue is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2024 California Nonprofit of the Year by Assembly member Luz M. Rivas who represents the 43rd District – East San Fernando Valley.

Paws For Life K9 Rescue is one of more than one hundred nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assembly members for their outstanding contributions to the communities they serve.

Paws For Life K9 Rescue opened its doors in 2018 but initially began as a prison-based dog training program in 2014 with a partnering organization. At the time of inception, Paws For Life was the first dog-training program in a men’s maximum-security prison in California and served as a model for more than a dozen training programs to follow in our footsteps.

In 2018, with a renewed vigor, Paws For Life truly became an industry leader in corrections-based dog training with the goal to pull as many dogs as possible from overpopulated shelters and incorporate formal instruction in leadership skills, mentoring, team-building and other necessary life skills. Paws For Life continues to build upon their programs, strengthening the skills of their trainers, expanding the knowledge of their dedicated participants, and growing services to best meet the needs of our community. Paws For Life is proving that dogs and humans alike deserve a second chance.

“Paws For Life K9 saves and transforms the lives of animals and people through innovative canine-centered programs that provide purpose, support, and opportunity. We are deeply humbled to be recognized by Assembly Member Luz M. Rivas as a 2024 Nonprofit of the Year,” stated Alex Tonner, Founder of Paws For Life K9 Rescue.

“Nonprofit organizations touch the lives of millions of Californians in ways that can often go unrecognized. From the childcare program to the soccer team, from the art class to the health clinic, and from the community organizer to the animal shelter – nonprofits improve the lives of all Californians and make our communities stronger,” said Geoff Green, CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits), a partner for this initiative. “Nonprofits are also a key economic driver in our state, accounting for 1 in 14 jobs. It’s important to recognize all they do.”

According to “Causes Count,” a 2019 report commissioned by CalNonprofits, the nonprofit sector is the 4th largest industry in the state, employing more than 1.2 million people. Each year, California nonprofits generate more than $273 billion in revenue and bring in $40 billion in revenue from outside of California. The unpaid labor contributed by volunteers at nonprofits is equivalent to 330,000 full-time jobs every year.

Now in its ninth year, the Californian Nonprofit of the Year initiative provides the opportunity for each California state legislator to recognize a nonprofit organization doing outstanding work in their district. The program culminates with a celebratory luncheon at the Capitol on California Nonprofits Day, which this year is June 5.

The program is sponsored by the CalNonprofits in partnership with the state Senate and Assembly Select Committees on the Nonprofit Sector. CalNonprofits, the leading policy voice for California’s nonprofit sector, focuses on advocacy, education, and research to build a more powerful and politically engaged nonprofit network across the state.

 

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Paws For Life K9 Rescue saves and transforms the lives of animals and people through innovative canine-centered programs that provide purpose, support, and opportunity through the Prison/Re-Entry, People & Pet Innovation Center, First Responder and PTSD Support, Adoptions, Transports, and Vet Tech Program.