Paws and Think

What an incredible experience it was to celebrate Paws & Think’s 25th Anniversary at our Tails of Celebration fundraiser last week! With over 175 passionate supporters in the room and surpassing our goal by raising nearly $53,000, I am overwhelmed by the generosity of our community. ❤️🐾

The energy of the evening was a testament to the fact that our mission is truly powered by people (and pups!). It was a privilege to connect with so many individuals who hold personal stories of how Paws & Think has touched their lives, from sharing space with the family of our founder, Gayle Hutchens, to honoring volunteers and partners who have stood with us for nearly all of our 25 years.

Your support ensures that we can keep this work thriving for the next 25 years and beyond. Whether you were with us in the room or supported us from afar, thank you for believing in the life-changing power of the human-dog connection. 🐶

Visit our Tails of Celebration page to see the highlights, read the inspiring stories shared by our guest speakers, and view all of our photos from this special night.

✨ Visit: http://www.pawsandthink.org/tails

A huge shout out to our incredible emcee, Jillian Deam, to the team at Hub&Spoke for hosting us in such an amazing space, to Christine Erlandson Photo Co. for always capturing the best pictures, and to Amanda and Amanda Houser Finney for being there and sharing in the celebration with us. We also want to thank our wonderful catering and bartending partners, Sweet & Savory Catering and Catering, for helping us toast to 25 years. Thank you all for helping make our anniversary celebration extra special!

— Ashleigh Coster, Executive Director

🎨🐾 Turn your pet into a work of art!

Join us for Paws on Tap on Wednesday, November 11, from 6–8 PM for a fun night of painting, pets, and supporting Paws & Think!

Tickets are $50 per person, and $15 from every registration will be donated to Paws & Think! Choose a canvas or tote bag, send in a photo of your pet, and create your own one-of-a-kind masterpiece. No artistic experience needed. It's fun for all skill levels!

📅 Wednesday, November 11
⏰ 6–8 PM
🎟️ $50 per ticket
🐾 $15 from every ticket is donated to Paws & Think!

Ready to paint your pet? Register here: https://paintyourpetparty.com/register-for-a-party-here?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Once you’re on the registration page, scroll down to find the Paws & Think fundraiser and select it when registering.

After signing up, send your pet's photo to [email protected].

We can't wait to see all those pet masterpieces! 🐶🐱🎨

🐾💛September has been a busy month for Paws & Think, but we couldn’t let it come to an end without recognizing Responsible Dog Ownership Month!

Responsible dog ownership is something that’s important to us all year long. It means giving our dogs the training, exercise, veterinary care, enrichment, and love they need to thrive, and being committed to helping them be their best selves. 🐶

Here’s to celebrating the humans who do their very best for their dogs, not just in September, but every day! 🐾💙

Please join Paws & Think in congratulating our 4 new teams that passed their evaluations recently - they did outstanding jobs! ✨

Pamela Clark & Winona: Winona is a beautiful 4-year-old Australian Labradoodle who loves pets. Pamela and Winona are most interested in volunteering with our Paws to Read program. We are looking forward to seeing all the joy this team brings!

Lesley Ackman & Marcel: Marcel is a 3-year-old Standard Poodle who is simply a handsome man. Lesley and Marcel are excited to try out several different venues to learn what they enjoy most. This team is sure to make many smile!

Joe Gorajec & Karma: Karma is a precious 2.5-year-old Cavalier King Charles. Joe and Karma are eager to volunteer at venues on the Southside of Indy. These two are sure to brighten your day!

Cate Porter & Betsy: Betsy is a 1-year-old Samoyed and one cute ball of floof. Cate and Betsy are looking forward to volunteering at nursing homes as well as checking out several different venues to see what fits them best. We can’t wait to see these two shine!

Way to go teams! We look forward to seeing you at our partner venues and special events. 💛🐾💙

Come join us at IndyVolved presented by AES Indiana!

This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about our mission and how you can get involved in a casual and fun environment. Best of all, it's all FREE!

📅 October 1, 5-7:30pm
📍 Victory Field
🎟️ FREE to attend, Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/indyvolved-2026-tickets-1992657424999?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

‘Twas the night before Tails of Celebration… 🐾✨

After a weeks of prepping, planning, organizing, and putting all the little details together, we’re finally here!

Here’s a peek at some of the behind-the-scenes prep from our staff and volunteers over the past week. The calm before tomorrow’s excitement… because tomorrow, it’s GO TIME! 🎉🐶

We can’t wait to see everyone at TOC! 💙💛

🐾🎉 Our Tails of Celebration Silent Auction is officially LIVE! 🎉🐾

We’ve gathered a fun collection of items and experiences for you and your favorite furry friends! From things to spoil your pup to exciting experiences, delicious food and drinks, sports tickets, and unique local offerings, there’s a little something for everyone! 🛍️🍷🏀🐾

🐶 You do NOT have to attend Tails of Celebration to bid! So grab your friends, family, coworkers, and fellow dog lovers and invite them to join the fun from wherever they are!

💙 Every bid makes a difference. All proceeds from the Silent Auction will support Paws & Think and help us get one step closer to our fundraising goal, allowing us to continue improving lives through the power of the human-dog connection.

📲 Ready to start bidding? Register now so you’re ready when you spot something you can’t live without! And if you’re joining us at Tails of Celebration on Friday, registering ahead of time will make bidding even quicker and easier.

👉 Start bidding: https://givebutter.com/c/2026-tails-of-celebration/auction

Ready, set, BID! 🐾🎉

Kindness was in full swing at Central Elementary’s Service Night! 💙🐾

Students and their families came together to give back through acts of kindness, and we were so happy to be part of the evening with our therapy teams!

As part of the night, students created special bookmarks for our Paws to Read program, helping spread a little kindness and a love of reading to others. 📚🐶

We loved seeing so many students and families come together to make a difference. Thank you, Central Elementary, for including Paws & Think in such a meaningful evening! 🐾

What’s your favorite way to spread a little kindness? 💙

🎉🐾 ONE WEEK TO GO! 🐾🎉

We are officially just ONE WEEK away from our 25th Anniversary Tails of Celebration! We can hardly wait to gather with our Paws & Think family, friends, supporters, and fellow dog lovers to celebrate 25 incredible years of improving lives through the power of the human-dog connection. 💙🐶

We have a limited number of tickets still available, so if you’ve been thinking about joining us, now is the time! Grab your tickets here: https://givebutter.com/c/2026-tails-of-celebration

We can’t wait to celebrate this special milestone with everyone next Friday! 🥂🐾

🐾📚 Back to school is always a little better with therapy dogs!

Last month, our therapy teams had so much fun visiting the student athletes at the University of Indianapolis as they kicked off a new school year. From plenty of pets to lots of smiles, we loved helping students start the semester on a pawsitive note! 🐶💙

We’re so grateful for our partnership with U-Indy and the opportunity to be part of their campus community. Here’s to another great school year! 🎓🐾