My Story

For as long as I can remember, animals have been part of how I understand comfort, connection, and home.

 

In my professional life as a mental health and addictions therapist, I have the privilege of walking alongside people during some of the most vulnerable transitions of their lives — entering treatment, navigating hospitalization, rebuilding stability, and finding their way back to safety and hope.

 

And in those moments, one quiet fear would surface again and again:

“What will happen to my dog?” “I can’t lose my cat too.” “They’re all I have.”

 

I witnessed how deeply companion animals anchor people — emotionally, relationally, and sometimes spiritually. I also saw the heartbreaking reality that when crisis happens, safe options for pets are extremely limited. People were forced into impossible choices: delay getting help, remain in unsafe situations, or surrender a beloved animal simply because there was nowhere for them to go.

 

That realization stayed with me.

 

Safe Paws began not as a plan, but as a feeling I could not ignore — that our community could do better in protecting the bond between people and their animals during times of crisis.

 

What started as quiet wondering gradually became conversations, research, and collaboration with animal welfare partners, social service providers, and community leaders across Michiana. Again and again, I heard the same thing: the need exists, and preserving the human–animal bond matters.

 

Today, Safe Paws is being thoughtfully developed to provide safe, temporary housing for pets while their owners navigate hospitalization, treatment, or housing transition — with the goal of reunification whenever safely possible.

 

My hope for Safe Paws is simple at its heart: That no one has to choose between getting help and keeping the companion they love. That pets are recognized as family in times of crisis. And that healing can happen without unnecessary loss.

 

This work is deeply collaborative, and I am profoundly grateful for the encouragement and guidance of the many partners and supporters who have helped shape Safe Paws from its earliest days.

 

Thank you for being here and for caring about this mission.

 

With warmth and gratitude,

Heather Mason

Founder of Safe Paws Recovery Housing of Michiana