Paws for Reflection Ranch’s mission is to provide a healing, educational, motivational and recreational environment utilizing equine and other animal-assisted therapies and experiences to enhance the quality of life for all clients, and to provide a loving home, whether temporary or permanent, for animals that meet a specific criteria.
PAWS was founded in 2004 by the late Melode Seremet, whose dream was to create a serene and caring environment that allowed people to pause, reflect, heal and grow. She envisioned this kind of place while studying to become a licensed veterinary technician (LVT), and later, after extensive research and volunteering at other equine facilities, she put PAWS on track toward becoming a reality. In 2007, Melode and Stan Seremet purchased and renovated a 15-acre property on Montgomery Road in Midlothian, Texas, and officially launched PAWS and its equine and animal assisted counseling programs. Ten years later, the Seremets, facing increased demand for services and the need for additional shelter during inclement weather, constructed a covered arena and added several horses to its existing programs.
Sadly, on February 14, 2021, Melode died suddenly and unexpectedly. Throughout the 14 years she served as PAWS founder and president, her dream touched thousands of lives, and her legacy continues today through the help PAWS provides in addressing and healing the mental health challenges of clients of all ages. Since Melode and Stan opened its doors in 2007, PAWS has served 21,767 clients.
In 2020, even against various challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, PAWS was awarded first place in the category of counseling services by residents voting in the Best of Ellis County contest in the Midlothian Mirror and Waxahachie Daily Light newspapers. That same year, PAWS was voted Best Non-Profit Agency by the Midlothian Chamber of Commerce.
The mission of Paws for Reflection Ranch is to provide a healing, educational, motivational and recreational environment utilizing equine and other animal assisted therapies and experiences to enhance the quality of life for all individuals, and to provide a loving home, whether temporary or permanent, for animals that meet a specific criteria to participate in therapeutic programs.
Our agency is in need of funding for client partial and full scholarships for services. At least 85 percent of our clients need scholarships to help defray the cost of services that they desperately need. Our services include Counseling programs (Equine/Animal Assisted Counseling, Play Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Therapeutic Riding & Horsemanship, Developmental Therapy, Educational Programs, and Volunteer Opportunities.
Many clients suffer life challenges that prevent them from maintaining employment and threaten their family structure. We believe it is our mission to serve these clients regardless of their ability to pay. We continue to serve Veterans free of charge. So many Veteran families are hurting as a result of their family member's service in the military, we feel it only right to help them reintegrate without the additional burden of financial strain. We serve Veteran dependents at a 50 percent discount of fees.
To our knowledge, there are no other resources such as ours in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex. Other agencies may offer a few of the same services, but do not offer a complete program to encompass the whole family. Each family member may benefit from counseling as they find their new "normal". The varied expertise of our counseling team enables us to work comfortably with each member individually and also as a family.
We also offer therapeutic horseback riding in our covered arena and on nature trails. As in counseling, time spent with the horses is healing and motivational. The physical benefits of riding are many and aid in the healing of the mind and body of Veterans and riders with special needs, such as autism. Therapeutic Horsemanship offers an environment of peer support and clients benefit from the camaraderie and understanding of others. Horsemanship groups are led by a professional counselor and equine specialist, designing activities that are both enjoyable and healing. These clients share they feel safe at the Ranch and that it calms their worried mind.
With 22 Veteran suicides each day, how can we not help those who have sacrificed for us.
PAWS’s Board of Directors is 83 percent female and 17 percent male, and 100 percent are white. PAWS currently has six counselors on staff, all of which are female. Four of the counselors are white and two are Hispanic. The board recognizes the need for diversity and is actively working on updating hiring policies, organizational procedures and annual training. The board has an established non-discrimination policy that aims to improve language diversity among staff to create a stronger and more trusted relationship with PAWS clients.
Organization name
Paws for Reflection Ranch
Causes
Mental and Behavioral Health, Veterans
Operating Budget
$500,000 - $999,999
Counties Served
Dallas, Ellis, Johnson, Navarro, Tarrant
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
5431 Montgomery Road