About Us
Our Story of Love and Impact Since 2013
Our Story
Paws In Need began in 2013, when founder Lisa Williams and her co-founders set out to champion an animal welfare cause that truly filled a gap in the community. After years of serving on boards for larger rescues and shelters, they realized a critical need was being overlooked: affordable spay and neuter services for low-income families throughout the Tri-Valley and beyond.
Determined to address the root causes of overpopulation and the financial barriers many families face, they built an organization centered on prevention, compassion, and access to care.
And from day one, Paws In Need has been powered entirely by volunteers. No paid staff, no large budgets. Just a committed team working tirelessly to make lifesaving veterinary care possible for the pets who need it most.
That mission is still at the heart of everything we do today.
Paws In Need stands apart from traditional animal welfare groups by focusing exclusively on underserved communities lacking access to essential veterinary care. As our reach has grown, so has our impact. We have built targeted programs, a streamlined case-management system, and a compassionate TNR (trap-neuter-release) approach to support the rising number of feral cat colonies in our communities.
What really sets us apart is our personal touch. We look at every situation individually and offer cost-sharing options for spay/neuter services and urgent, one-time medical treatments that local shelters and rescues simply cannot provide.
More access. More compassion. More pets getting the care they deserve. Let's make it happen together.
Our Results
For more than twelve years, our mission has stayed rock solid: make lifesaving veterinary care accessible to the people and pets who need it most. And the impact is undeniable. Our programs have changed the lives of over 10,000 dogs and cats suffering from illness, injury, neglect, or abandonment.
Despite our small size, Paws In Need has delivered big results thanks to strong partnerships with local veterinary providers and other foster and rescue nonprofits, and the continued generosity of our donors. These relationships have built the foundation that sustains our important work year after year.
Our community feels the difference. With fewer animals entering local shelters, Tri-Valley taxpayers save millions annually. Even better, we have been able to maintain our entire operation solely through private donations, grants, and fundraising campaigns, channeling nearly every dollar directly back into our programs. And the results speak for themselves: our low-cost spay/neuter and urgent-care assistance programs are transforming neighborhoods, supporting underserved families, and providing peace of mind that both companion animals and stray populations are safer and better protected.
Over Twelve Years of Love and Impact
Love and impact. That's the heart of Paws In Need (PIN).
Co-founded in 2013 by President and Medical Director Lisa Williams, PIN was created with a simple but powerful vision: an all-volunteer organization dedicated to improving animal welfare by offering direct, compassionate assistance to the animals and pet owners who need it most.
No paid staff. No big budgets. Just a mission fueled by kindness, commitment, and community.
Your thoughtfulness gives us hope, your generosity gives us strength and your donations give us the resources to reduce animal overpopulation through access to affordable spay & neuter services and to provide pet owners with cost-share assistance for one-time urgent care procedures.
You are the voice of kindness for the animals who cannot speak for themselves.
Your gift, no matter the amount, directly fuels lifesaving care for our community's most vulnerable pets and the families who love them.
Please consider making a donation today. Together, we can ensure every animal receives the compassion, protection, and second chance they deserve.
Our People
Meet the dedicated volunteers leading Paws In Need
Lisa Williams
President and Medical Programs Director
Board member since 2013
Having participated in several advocacy groups over the years, Lisa honed her skills within various segments of the animal world, from fostering animals and running adoption events, to holding Board positions and managing fundraising activities.
As co-founder of Paws In Need, Lisa has created an organization committed to the principles of compassion, cooperation, and community support by adopting an accommodating, personal approach to animals and pet owners in need.
Beatrice "Bea" Bauerly
Vice President and Secretary
Board member since 2013
The strings of Bea's heart have always been pulled by animals, all animals. Bea considers herself very fortunate to share that passion and be a strong advocate for animals that cannot take care of themselves.
Paws In Need represents an organization that closes the gap left by regular rescue agencies in its efforts to eliminate unnecessary suffering and euthanasia.
Gail Requa
CFO/Treasurer
Board member since 2025
Gail never met a furry creature she didn't like...back in her paper drive days as a teen, she was well known for being distracted by every dog or cat that crossed her path, and that passion continues to this day.
She is excited to bring her varied work and service experiences to finding ways to enhance the bonds between owners and pets who find themselves in difficult circumstances and preventing unnecessary animal suffering and euthanasia.
Linda Heyes
Accounting Director and Bottle Babies Program
Board member since 2025
Linda has always been compassionate about the mission of Paws In Need. She has been part of the financial team since 2015.
She has dedicated herself to saving orphaned kittens who have been separated from their mothers and are vulnerable on the streets and in shelters. Fostering neonatal kittens gives them the best chance they have to survive.
Hathi Winston
Communication Director
Board member since 2017
Growing up on a ranch in Pleasanton, Hathi has nurtured a special appreciation of animal companions her entire life, mainly dogs all adopted from local shelters, rescues, or taken in as strays.
For this reason, the mission of Paws In Need spoke to Hathi, with its message of preventing overpopulation and helping pet owners who cannot afford urgent veterinary care.
Leslie Silberman, MBA
Development and Marketing Director
Board member since 2021
Since the guiding mission of Paws In Need appealed so strongly to Leslie's passion for animals, especially dogs, she decided to join the organization as Grant Writer in 2019.
In this role, Leslie has relied upon her communication and organizational skills to secure funding necessary to sustain the vital programs run by Paws in Need. In May 2021, she was asked to serve on the Board as Development and Marketing Director to further promote this organization's vision.