Meet Gabe Horton | Executive Director and President, Pawster Nashville

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gabe Horton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gabe, what do you attribute your success to?
The success of Pawster is 100% due to the community who dreamt of the organization before it existed, volunteer time and resources to do the work, give advice and wisdom, and continue to work collaboratively to build a stronger community for animals and people. Before launching, our board spoke with nonprofit leaders in our community to make sure we understood the need for Crisis Foster Care for pets. We never had to “reinvent the wheel” because so many others were willing to share their experiences. The animal welfare world in Nashville is very collaborative, and Pawster was fortunate to be welcomed into it with open arms. Once launching in 2020, it was the people who signed up to foster pets, drive them to and from appointments, help plan events, and donate their financial resources who have helped Pawster continue to grow to meet the need in Middle Tennessee.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Pawster started as an animal organization, meant to help solve the problem of overcrowded shelters and unnecessary euthanasia. Crisis Foster Care keeps animals out of shelters by giving them a temporary place to stay until they can go home to their families. That’s why our mission is “To end pet homelessness before it begins” — There is no need for a pet to become homeless because of a temporary crisis.

But we soon learned that Crisis Foster Care is about people, too. Last year we received a call from Vanderbilt’s emergency department. They had a patient who desperately needed medical treatment, but he had left his dog at the motel where he was staying. The motel managers were going to take the dog to the shelter if the owner didn’t come back. Rather than lose his dog, this man was about to leave the hospital.

But a volunteer foster was willing to care for the dog until her owner was healthy enough to bring her home. Because we found care for the dog, this man was able to stay in the hospital and receive the care he needed.

Crisis Foster Care for pets = Access to resources for people.

Pawster is a human and animal organization, and our work has just as much of an impact on the wellbeing of people as their companion animals.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Do a social enterprise tour! Start with a little coffee at Humphreys Street Coffee, where all proceeds help empower youth in South Nashville. Then hop over to Project 615 for some clothing shopping that helps people recovering from homelessness, addiction and mental illness. The Café at Thistle Farms is a great spot for lunch, and you can shop for wellness products next door that help women survivors recover and heal from prostitution, trafficking, and addiction. Next go explore some of the artwork at Daybreak Arts, which exhibits artwork and helps build professional skills and passive income for people trying to break the cycle of homelessness. If you have pets, make sure to pick up a present for them at Crossroads Pets, where innovative programs use the healing power of the human-animal bond to help people and animals in need. Finally, finish off the night at Listening Room, a venue that hosts 1 show per month to fund a specific cause in Nashville.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Pawster would not exist without the advice, mentorship and collaboration of Natalie Corwin, co-founder of Pet Community Center. She first described the ongoing need for temporary care for animals in times of crisis, and helped us dream what Pawster would eventually become.

Website: www.pawsternashville.org

Instagram: instagram.com/PawsterNash

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/80408358

Twitter: https://twitter.com/pawsternash

Facebook: facebook.com/PawsterNash

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ60ST2oyAIkaBnfNdJI2RQ