About
PAWS NY is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization providing pet care assistance to individuals in New York City who find themselves unable to care for their pets due to circumstances such as illness, job loss, physical limitations due to disability and age, or other crisis.
PAWS NY will help individuals care for their pets when physical or financial barriers prevent them from doing so on their own. This will reduce the number of animals surrendered to shelters, and as a result, decrease the number of animals euthanized.
In April 2010, we officially changed our name from Partners United for People and Pets (PUPP) to PAWS NY to reflect a partnership with PAWS San Francisco, an organization that has been providing services to pets and their people for 24 years. For more information on this partnership, please click here.
Our Mission
Our mission is to promote the general health and well-being of underserved individuals through the provision of pet care assistance. Our goal is to advance wellness by maintaining and strengthening the bonds between these individuals and their animal companions – helping people by helping pets.
Board of Directors
Rachel Herman, Founder and President, works in Development at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and serves on the Board of Directors for Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN National). Ms. Herman has gained extensive experience in development and fundraising while working at a variety of nonprofit organizations. As founder of PAWS NY, Ms. Herman brings her vision to the Board as well as her passion for protecting the welfare of animals. Ms. Herman has two cats, Wylee and Milo. Wylee, whom she adopted from the ASPCA in 2004, enjoys playing soccer and fetch, and he does not enjoy sharing Ms. Herman with others. Milo is a stray cat Ms. Herman rescued off the street in Brooklyn, and despite her initial decision to find him a home, hasn’t parted with him since. Ms. Herman received her B.A in Political Science with a minor in Crime and Justice from the University of Michigan and her Master of Public Administration from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where she specialized in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy.
Janine Annett brings nine years of experience in the nonprofit sector to PAWS NY’s Board. In addition to her professional nonprofit experience, she also volunteers with numerous organizations. Ms. Annett is incredibly dedicated to animal welfare, and she spends much of her spare time finding homes for homeless pets. She has her own website about men and cats and she is constantly working to bring volunteers and/or donors to nonprofit organizations. Ms. Annett was attracted to PAWS NY’s Board because she loves helping both animals and people, and she understands the joy that pets can bring to people, especially in times of duress. Ms. Annett’s favorite animals include dogs, cats, bees, cows, alpacas and giant squid! Ms. Annett has two cats, brothers Charley and Thurston. Thurston is a tabby who is attached to Janine while tuxedo Charley prefers her husband. Ms. Annett received her B.A. in English from Barnard College.
Ann Cohen is a consultant to non-profit organizations, providing a variety of fundraising and communications services to clients in healthcare, medicine, education and youth development. She began her consulting business after a 20 year career in the non-profit world that started when she worked for the University of Pennsylvania, raising money for the first successful $1 billion capital campaign in higher education. She spent ten years as director of development and communications for a medical research institute, and five years as vice president of development and communications at Bideawee, one of the oldest animal welfare organizations in the country. During her tenure at Bideawee, she also served as acting CEO for a year. She is a life-long animal lover, though her current pet, a horse, is too big to fit in her apartment.
JR Hernandez brings an expertise in financial management to the PAWS NY Board. Mr. Hernandez has an extensive background in corporate finance, with over eight years experience including investment banking, public and private equity investing, and small-business management. In addition to his professional background, Mr. Hernandez is fluent in four languages, including Spanish, French and Italian. As a child, Mr. Hernandez had a cat named Mishu, a cocker spaniel named Pepe, and two parakeets named Pee Wee Herman and Tina Turner.  Currently, he shares his home with two cats. Mr. Hernandez received a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he specialized in Finance and Global Analysis.
Monika Salazar is a senior strategic thinker and marketing visionary with 20 years of experience spanning from TV, film entertainment and PR to fast-food and healthcare. Ms. Salazar is currently the Director of Global Franchise Development and Marketing in the Licensing & Entertainment group for Girls and Games at Hasbro, Inc. Prior to Hasbro, she worked at MTV Networks/Nickelodeon developing and writing creative strategies that unlocked and inspired unique product development. In her career, she launched a number of groundbreaking marketing and promotional campaigns for The Walt Disney Company, Ogilvy & Mather, Foote Cone & Belding and VIZ Media. Ms. Salazar resides with her two loves, Merlin Manhattan, her Tri-color Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Max, her Blue Merle Australian Cattle Dog. She holds an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, a B.S. in Business, Marketing, from Cal State University of Long Beach. She is also an accomplished photographer.
Joey Stearns, Secretary, is the Assistant Director of Ambassador Services at the Hospital for Special Surgery and brings ten years of fundraising, event planning and protocol experience to the PAWS NY Board, which includes time at NYU Langone Medical Center and the New York Public Library. Ms. Stearns loves animals and believes PAWS NY’s mission is important because it is helping both animals and people in need. Through her work experience in medical institutions she has seen the benefits of pet therapy and is amazed how an animal can bring such a big smile to a patient. While Ms. Stearns does not currently have any pets, there is a very special place in her heart for the animals that have come into her life, especially Scarlett, her cocker spaniel; she was not only a wonderful dog but a good friend. Ms. Stearns received her B.A. from Marymount College of Fordham University and a Master of Public Administration from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
