At the Edwards dog park last summer, I noticed a man pedaling the trail slowly toward the playful mass of canine chaos. As he neared, I saw that he was gently protecting several puppies he’d put in his pockets. As my body instinctively moved toward the man, my mind drifted to the timid blonde beach dog I’d fed each day on a recent trip to Egypt. Next came the memory of the Dominican dog who’d adopted my grandparents years earlier, desperate for food and medicine. Cut to a dusty street in Mexico, a remote doorstep in Belize, countless canine and feline encounters amassed over time. Still walking, I glanced over to check on my wiry rescue, Gordy. He was wading in the pond on the periphery, but looking toward the trail, also contemplating the unusual sight...

Puppies. Plural.

Like superheroes - Wondertwins - The Puppyman and I activated on the spot. He explained that his neighborhood had several perpetually pregnant dogs giving birth repeatedly to unwanted, imperiled litters of pups. Like me, he was heartbroken by the hazards these innocents face: illness, freezing, abuse, predation, and general suffering. For a moment the global mindset that had plagued me for years relented. That day was different. Before me were three tangible balls of purity, jostling at my ankles, tugging my shoelaces, ushering me toward an attainable purpose. A chance encounter with a gentle stranger, his bike, and the priceless contents of his pockets revealed My Joy.  

Those puppies became my obsession for the next few months. Getting them potty trained, fixed, and finding them the cushiest of homes absorbed my days. With my dream team of friends, and of course, Puppyman, the last year and a half since that meeting, we have adopted out 12 pups into the most stellar of homes… but the pups in need just kept coming as did the associated expenses.  

Behold:  Paddles for Paws, pickleball with purpose. 

It’s true, a place where every puppy is planned and each dog decorated is my Utopia, but people just need pickleball. In three frantic but inspired weeks, my friends and I organized the first Paddles for Paws pickleball tournament. The Sonnenalp generously gave us carte blanche access to both their pickleball and tennis courts. Singletree resident Marnie Cullen played mad mathematician, scientifically filtering fifty participants into brackets for the ensuing festivities. Paddles for Paws 2024 was an oversold celebration of competition, participants reveling in the concept of activity as charity. No black ties, just an afternoon of dirty dinks, rowdy rallies, and sneaky slams. 

With immense community support, Paddles for Paws has found a way to offer affordable spay/neuter opportunities for working locals’ pets, streamlining the surgery process with transportation, scheduling, and language translation. Additionally, our stated mission is to do the research, legwork, and necessary inquiry to simplify the adoption process. We continue our commitment to finding the perfect match of dog and home, never settling for anything but the best case scenario for the animal. For the pups already lovingly homed but with working parents low on finances, Paddles for Paws funds cover the upwards of a thousand dollar spay / neuter fee.  

I feel unendingly graced to have spectacular friends, Singletree neighbors, clients, and sympathetic veterinarians like Nadine Lober in my contact list. With the generous support of local businesses, clinics, and donors, we mobilized, and secured nonprofit 501c3 status and are now upwards of 15 spay neuters.

 

A valued client made a large anonymous “match this donation” challenge, quickly met by enthusiastic attendees at the Sonnenalp event.  Local businesses Fresh Tracks, Cosbar, Well & Being Spa at The Hythe Resort, “Neat Retreat”’s Georgi Dienst and Heidi Brunner, Hydrate IV, Ali Robinson Aesthetics, Ruggs Benedict, Liv Aesthetics, Blue Moose, Mountain Fish House, Beaver Creek tennis/pickle director Leo, Juli Young, and my own Uplift with Polly, donated enviable auction items.

My equally impassioned partner Mary Elizabeth Lowen, Singletree residents Marnie Cullen and Aimee Fisher, friends Kim Anderson, Tanya Brennan, Jen Burger, Polly Hinshaw, Heidi Jobson, and Ali Stevenson all rallied each offering up their unique talents to make the event a raving success.  We so look forward to next year’s event and hope you will join us for Paddles for Paws 2025!