TINY PAWS FRESNO - THE STORY - the Promise

The Story 
Cinnamon adopted a small dog who she named Titan a few days before Mothers Day 2010. He was  1 1/2 years old and very malnourished. 

The night she brought him home, she had quickly realized he was very sick. She rushed him to the Veterinary Emergency and found out he had pneumonia. Titan was desperately struggling to breathe as his lungs gurgled with every breath he took. The Veterinarian did not know if he would live, but in order to try to save his life, Titan would have to be hospitalized, and even then, the outcome did not look good. 

The Cost

The vet showed Cinnamon the estimated bill was $3,000.00. It was then that she had to make a decision whether to euthanize him or try to get him back to health. She decided to take a gamble and try to save his life. 

At that time, she didn't have that much money, and was fortunate to borrow the money from her mother.  The Veterinarian said he was very surprised she would gamble that much money on such an undetermined outcome based on whether he would live or die, and he has never seen many people that would take that kind of financial risk.

The Treatment

After a few days in the hospital, the Veterinarian sent Titan home with some medications. 

The struggle and the challenge Cinnamon had to face, was far from being over.   

The Battle for Life

Cinnamon, her mother Mary and sister Asia teamed up together to help Titan get better. Cinnamon's mother fed him, kept him hydrated, and patted his back to loosen the phlegm in his lungs. Her sister gave him the prescribed medications, and Cinnamon would take him to the bathroom and sit in the steam for 15 minutes a few times a day.

There would be times when Titan would be very weak and it seemed like the life was leaving him. One afternoon, after taking him outside, Titan collapsed. Cinnamon picked him up, looked into Titan's eyes and said, "If you get better, I will find you lots of friends and give you the best life ever. Just stay with me." 

After four long months of fighting for his life,  their efforts finally paid off. Titan began to grow stronger, and become more active. The day of Titan's check up, the Veterinarian said that he was completely healthy. 

The Promise

After the Veterinarian gave Titan a good bill of health, Cinnamon immediately fulfilled her promise to him.

Cinnamon took Titan to different local dog parks, and noticed there were a few irresponsible dog owners who didn't correct their dogs negative behavior, therefore, could potentially cause bodily injury to other dogs. 

Dissatisfied with the dog park experience, Cinnamon started Tiny Paws on April 14, 2013 as a small dog play Meetup group at another local dog park.  Since it was her dog group,  her rules were simple. There was no negative dog behavior allowed during play time.  

Cinnamon started correcting other owner's dogs too, and found the owners actually liked that because their dog would listen to Cinnamon a lot better.  The dog owners loved the group because Cinnamon had all the dogs under control. Every dog was playing and having a good time. The owners felt that Tiny Paws was a safe play for small dogs to play.

Meanwhile, Titan was very happy playing and running around with a few small dog friends that he met up with every Saturday.

To Our Surprise

Then the unthinkable happened.......the small dog play group GREW! 

Every year about 100 people would join the group. During those years the fur parents would exchange information about dog care and their experiences. This group became more than just a dog get-together, it became a valuable resource for everyone.
Five years later with over 550 members, it was at that moment Cinnamon wanted to make a huge impact, and take Tiny Paws to the next level.  

What was once a small dog play group, is now Tiny Paws Fresno - Small Social Canines, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation helping the community with Canine Socialization, Education, and Resources.      ....But...the story doesn't end here....

The Social Impact

The Learn & Play Small Dog Socials are guided by on-site Canine Communications Specialists, Pet Psychologists, and Trainers to ensure playful and positive canine etiquette while socializing. 

Our goal is to help dogs get socialized with people, other dogs, and assist with negative etiquette & behavioral issues so they can be a confident and happy dog. 

There has been many small dogs that has joined our small dog socials and became mentally and physically better than they were before. Dogs gain new friends, build their confidence, learn better social skills, and become physically fit.

Through our socials and training classes, we share our expertise and educate dog owners about the signs of both positive and negative canine body language. 

The Future

The goal is to achieve a Resource Center to expand our Canine Learn & Play Socialization areas, while providing Education and Resource services to help the community on a larger scale.