Callie Clemens | Founder of Paws Off The Street

Dana is joined Callie Clemens, founder of Paws Off The Street, a nonprofit aimed at reuniting lost pets with their owners and providing food and supplies to pets in need.

~ Follow Callie and Paws Off The Street ~
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LOSTandFOUNDinSPRINGBRANCH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pawsoffthestreets/
Callie's IG: https://www.instagram.com/callieclemens/

~ Follow Sunny 99.1 and Dana ~
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunny99houston/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sunny99Houston
Dana's IG: https://www.instagram.com/danatyson/

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
My guest on My Houston Women podcast. She doesn't want anyone to hate her,
but she does say I like petsmore than people find out what Calli's
talking about. She is my guestdoing some great things for pets all around
Houston. And I want to thankGallery Furniture's Mattress Mac for always sponsoring the
Dana Tyson podcast. Kelly, Iknow you're a mom working hard. You're

(00:20):
a mom working hard with kids,and yet you still find time. And
I love when people do this.You've got your own stresses, but you've
got a heart for something outside ofyour family, and that's pets. And
so I just wanted to introduce youto our Sunny audience and maybe we can
learn a little bit about what youdo and how we can help. Yes,

(00:42):
So I do a lot of communityoutreach in the neighborhood of Spring Branch
and Spring Valley. Due to beinga single mom and working full time,
I really can't branch out too far, but I do try to help where
I can. I just started anonprofit where we we're working on collecting donations,

(01:03):
like we do a lot of microchippinganimals, like every time we reunite
a lost animal or found animal,we will microchip it for free. So
we do get a lot of donationsfor that, and then we also do
a lot of spay and neutering inour area and also help provide food and
supplies because you know, inflation's killingeverybody. So we run a lost and

(01:25):
Found pet page of Spring Branch inthe Spring Valley. So we try to
help out where we can in ourcommunity. And the animal problem is so
bad, I would say we probablyget about twenty requests to assist animals a
day. So are you working ata veterinary office or is this something?
How are you doing this? SoI do have a neighbor that's a vet

(01:48):
that helps a lot, and shehad a microchip and then she also will
helped me with a lot of assistance, like low cost options with our nonprofit
pain for things just at a rescuerate. And wish I could go back
and be a vet. I feellike I'm kind of like a backyard vet.
All come to me for like,oh my cat has this or this,

(02:10):
and I'm like, oh, wecan give it this medicine, So
I try it. I mean,anybody's welcome at my house. People know
where I live, and I'll randomlyget door, my doorbell going off,
and can you scan this dog fora microchip? So it's just kind of
something that I just started doing onmy own about seven years ago, and

(02:31):
it's fun. And what what isyour relationship with animals? Where? How
did your heart grow so big forthese little guys? So about eight years
ago I adopted two dogs, Loboand Ellie. Lobo's now with my ex
husband, and Ellie passed away.She had a freak accident where she jumped

(02:51):
in a water fountain that a contractordid some bad work on and she got
electrocuted to death in front of me. So it was terrible. So after
that, I kind of dove headfirst, and I knew that the dogs
that I help will be what Elliewas to meet to somebody else. And
I just I get in trouble forsaying this all the time, but I'll

(03:13):
say it. I like animals morethan people. You sound like my mom.
She likes animals more than people too, But that's because I'm her daughter.
I'm sure she's wonderful. I meanit's and Houston has such a really
bad problem right now. I'm hopefulwith our elections tomorrow that we get a
new leader that will help us withthe animal problem, because I'm sure you

(03:37):
don't know, but the shelter hasbeen closed since COVID. It's appointment only
in appointments of four to six monthsout. So people are dumping dogs and
it becomes the rescuer's problem and weneed a lot more people out there on
the streets to help, or Imean, it's going to look like a
third world country if it already doesn'tin some places, and then the stray
dog attacks. If you could waveyour magic wand what what would you hope

(04:00):
for? What would you hope thecommunity would do? What can we do?
My magic wand would make span newyour laws mandatory and u sin and
more fosters and then finally build anew shelter that we've got approved. There
are some plans in place, butnothing's happened. It's not a priority for

(04:24):
our leaders. So I think oncethat gets opened, and then the veterinary
shortage, I would make more vetsbecause vets are hard to come by it
and there's really not many of them. And with the COVID crisis, with
everybody adopting animals, which is itdidn't fix them, and it's just created
a big mess and it's going totake a lot of people coming together to

(04:47):
change it because we all can't doit on our own, right right,
Well, you've started it, Sohow can people reach out to you?
What is the name of your organization? What's the best way for them to
help you? Okay? So Irun Lost and Found Pets of Spring Branch
and Spring Valley on Facebook, andthen my instagram is handle is at Palls

(05:08):
off the Street, so you canmessage me there or Lost and Bound Pet
Stage. I'm pretty responsive to bothwithin you know, a couple hours.
Or my personal instagram is at CallieClements and I'm happy to help that way
as well. What do you dooutside? What is your real job outside
of your side hustle job where yourpassion lies. I work in the legal

(05:30):
field. Okay, so you you'reaware, then I mean that you can
bring that knowledge into the pet world. Right It's dangerous, yes, yes,
quite dangerous, but yeah, Iwork and they're pretty flexible. We
had a little situation in July whereit was you know, now or never
for these puppies in a storm drain, and they were pretty flexible about letting

(05:53):
me leave because I was the onlyone that was crazy enough to get down
in there. So they're they're greatpeople. They're very under standing with my
passion. That is amazing. Soit's pause off the street. I love
that. I love that. Well, CALLI. Do you have any major
type of fundraiser coming up, maybeduring the holidays or you just constantly just

(06:14):
moving trying to get back to thephrase awareness, Yeah, we have a
wish list and I'll post on ourpage and be like, hey, like
the other day, I really neededa microdship scene over one of our one
of our volunteers, and it camelike that. So that's usually what we
do. I've kind of until mylife slows down, can't really take on
a whole lot more extra without somehelp. But eventually, probably within the

(06:38):
year, we'll have something kind ofhave something in the works, but I
can't say yet. Well, ifyou do, seriously, please call.
You know, we're all animal lovershere at Sunny and we would love to
help out. So feel free tojust, you know, call me and
we can get you back on theon the podcast and get some updates on
what you might have going on forfundraisers. In the meantime, we'll post

(06:59):
all your in so if people havea heart and they're in your area or
even surrounding areas, you know.I have worked with Bark in the past.
We had a lost dog. Welived in the East End and this
little doggie was chipped. The neighborfell in love with the little dogg and
wouldn't give it back to us.Well that's illegal, So I know that's
illegal exactly. But here's what happenedthat I loved so much. Because we're

(07:20):
trying to be good neighbors. Barkcame in, got the dog in his
arms, scanned the dog and said, this dog is not yours, and
we're going to give the dog backto the Tysons and you can come and
you can get another dog that's yours. I mean, he was the nicest

(07:41):
guy. And I know who itwas too. Yeah, so I was
like floored because I was mad,you know, and he's like, this
isn't the way to solve it.We're going to be good neighbors here.
It was amazing. I would haveBrian and that I'm pretty sure I know
who it was. He helps mea lot because I will lose it some
guys on bad owners, but Bartdoesn't get a good very good reputation,

(08:03):
but they're doing the best they canand they are. They are to me
tremendously so well. Thanks for thechanges coming well. I am glad to
meet you. I heard all thegood works that you were doing and definitely
wanted to give you an opportunity tokind of get the word out so people
can help you. Thank you somuch, You're welcome. It was good
to meet you, and we thankyou so much for all you do for

(08:24):
our little furry friends. They meanso much to us and I understand when
people say they like pets more thanpeople and play well my kind of people.
Thanks again, Cally, and happyThanksgiving to you. Thank you you
too, have a good day.