PAWSTVE are the first of its kind. We are the only club on Hult’s campuses dedicated to animal welfare. I’m Szu Ping, the founder and current President of PAWSTVE and like most clubs ours was born out of passion. Specifically, passion for the welfare and protection of animals.
Innovation in Malaysia
I, myself am Malaysian and it’s in my home country that I first encountered the issues of having a large animal population. Our issues specifically relate to stray dogs, who can be seen everywhere. The dogs themselves get very stressed in the hot weather, so I was part of a drive to help mediate their distress.
We did this by designing a climate-controlled harness that could be applied to both cats and dogs equally and we rolled it out across some parts of Malaysia. The main issue however is overpopulation. My goal is to go back one day and start a foundation that neuters and spays a proportion of the stray animal population in my home country. PAWSTVE, however, are based in London where the situation is obviously very different.
The mission
I think I should start off by saying we are not a club for pet enthusiasts. Of course, most of our members are fans of our furry friends but what we focus on is animal welfare and aiding the homeless animals in London. One of the largest issues we have here is overpopulation of shelters and a lack of homes because of the restrictions placed upon people renting in London (no pets etc).
The day-to-day
Whatever the goals of the rescue and shelter organization, those are our goals too. PAWSTVE is still an organization in its infancy, but we dedicate our time to helping out in any way we can. his could involve fundraising, volunteering, raising awareness, and providing other forms of assistance as needed by the shelters and rescuers.
I have already reached out to several major rescue organizations, such as Battersea, Mayhew, and Wood Green, and have engaged with the RSPCA as well. The club has been officially approved, and I have already recruited 45 members, which is a relatively large number compared to most clubs at Hult.
Events
As I already said, we are in the really early stages of this club’s life, so we are in the process of getting the word out. One way we can do that is by attending events hosted by shelters and animal lovers. We are going to an event called a “jumper parade” which will be a huge procession of animal owners and their furry friends in a walk through Central London. The aim would be to organize a potential future collaboration with the shelters who are running the event.
A moral purpose
My vision for the club is to have around 100 members by the time they graduate in August next year. The goal is to leverage the business skills and resources of the Hult students to provide valuable support to the rescue organizations, whether through fundraising, marketing, or whatever form of assistance the shelters require. I see this as an opportunity to not only give back to society but also to find fulfillment and well-being through this meaningful work.