“The Paw Promise: How It All Began”

A Letter from Our Founder
The Paw Promise That Changed Everything

I was ten years old when I adopted my first dogs from a local shelter—two scrappy, wide-eyed pups with wagging tails and hearts full of trust. I didn’t know it then, but that day changed my life forever. They weren’t just pets. They were my protectors, my therapists, my best friends. We grew up together.

When I turned seventeen, I left home to attend university in a new city. I was excited—hopeful for the future—but my heart was heavy. The dorms didn’t allow dogs. And my parents, who never really bonded with them, told me outright: “We’re not keeping them. We don’t want them here.”

I searched everywhere—asked friends, neighbors, even distant relatives. But time ran out. With tears I couldn’t hide, I brought them back to the shelter I had once saved them from. I made a quiet promise as I let go of their leashes: “I’ll come back for you.”

A year later, I returned. My heart was racing. I asked about my boys, but the staff member paused… then looked at me with sadness. “We’re so sorry. Due to overcrowding and lack of food, we had to make some incredibly difficult decisions. They didn’t make it.”

I broke. Right there on the floor, surrounded by barking and whimpering and the cold reality of an underfunded shelter, I cried like I never had before. My dogs—my family—were gone. Not because no one loved them, but because no one could feed them.

That moment shattered me. But it also gave me purpose.

I couldn’t save them. But I could fight like hell to save others.

That’s why I created My Paw Promise—not as a business, but as a mission. For every shirt, hoodie, or tote we sell, we donate meals to shelter dogs across the country. Because love shouldn’t come with an expiration date. And no dog should go hungry while waiting to be adopted.

Starting out was messy. I hand-packed orders from my bedroom, emailed shelters one by one, and cried every time I saw a picture of a dog that looked like mine. But then—our first 100 meals donated. Then 1,000. Then 10,000.

Today, we’ve donated over 150,000 meals and supported shelters in more than 10 states.

This isn’t just about clothing. It’s about compassion. It’s about the promise I made on the worst day of my life—and how that promise can now live on in every package we ship.

So I invite you to join me.
Make your Paw Promise today.
Wear your heart. Feed a soul.
Because every time you do, a dog gets a second chance.

With love and purpose,
Lila Shepherd
Founder, My Paw Promise 🐾