Jill Goldstein (Pause 4 Paws)

Jill Goldstein is the founder of Pause 4 Paws, which provides love and support to cats and dogs by directing donations to where they’re needed most. 

Her childhood split between the Twin Cities suburbs of Golden Valley and Plymouth, Goldstein later attended UW-Madison for a couple years before transferring to St. Thomas. 

Highly social but also deeply analytical, Goldstein has spent the last two decades working as a family mediator, specializing in the divorce and post-divorce arena. 

This is a position that exposes her to the difficult situations people face, but also how adversity can be overcome. 

“My clients often tell me they’re in crisis mode, which I totally get,” says Goldstein, who takes her coffee straight, minus any of the decorative frills an entity like Starbucks offers.  

“But with what I do, my goal is to help people resolve their disagreements on their own, and ideally stay out of court.”

Her message to her clients remains that the future can be better than one might otherwise expect. 

The same can be said about Goldstein’s philanthropic approach to Pause 4 Paws, which strives to alleviate suffering for animals by providing tools and resources for not only the animals in need, but also the families who so graciously take them in. 

Founded in 2011, Pause 4 Paws was established with the idea that there was more that could be done to assist animals in need, but Goldstein quickly realized that getting animals vital care is a difficult endeavor. 

“Most organizations need money, and a lot of the people who help these organizations are volunteers,” Goldstein shares.  

“They’re wonderful people, but in order to save animals they need more than just goodwill. They also need resources.”

Early on, Goldstein was encouraged by a colleague to make Pause 4 Paws a non-profit.

“That way, when people donated money, they could write it off on their taxes,” she explains, and 32 days after applying for that status, the state of Minnesota granted Pause 4 Paws that designation. 

“As crazy as it sounds, Quentin, I started having these feelings that what I was doing was for real, and that I could have a large impact.”

From 2011-2019, Goldstein’s intuition proved correct as Pause 4 Paws worked diligently to acquire donations and allocate those proceeds to organizations that were committed to helping vulnerable cats and dogs.  

“For those eight years, we were a fundraising arm for organizations who were already giving the animals everything they needed,” Goldstein says. 

“Throughout that time, we were also rescuing animals ourselves and saving their lives, but it was tough because our money was already committed to go elsewhere.”

That’s why in 2020, Goldstein and Pause 4 Paws changed strategies and took a more active approach in distributing resources. 

Since 2020, funds have been allocated to spay/neuter dogs and cats, vet care – routine care, emergency surgeries and dental care. Cat and dog food is also donated to rescues, Native American Reservations, low-income communities, and lastly, they assist dogs and cats who are in compromising situations. 

“It’s also fair to say that we often help dogs and cats with extensive medical and/or behavioral issues,” Goldstein adds. 

In a first-world country like the United States, it may be hard to fathom that cats and dogs are being systematically neglected, but whether it’s in metropolitan hubs or rural areas, too frequently Goldstein is seeing people treat cats and dogs with wanton disregard. 

“Sometimes animals are just lost, but often they are abandoned, and if those animals are not spayed and neutered, then the number of animals without a home only increases,” cautions Goldstein, who notes that there are some who will blatantly leave animals in cardboard boxes on street corners.

“I’ve seen video after video of these types of acts, and it’s just devastating.”

Again, animal mistreatment is not limited to socioeconomically challenged communities.

Even in more affluent neighborhoods, Goldstein receives calls related to jettisoned cats or dogs being injured by a car or poisoned.   

Yet, even in those instances, Pause 4 Paws will do what they can to help an animal. 

While it may seem that Pause 4 Paws and Goldstein’s efforts center around extinguishing tragedy, the reality is that the organization does a lot of good for animals in Minnesota. 

Smiles often trump tears, especially when a once forgotten animal finds a loving home and is embraced.

Still, there remains a faction of society that approaches pet ownership with a laissez-faire attitude.   

“Before someone adopts an animal, I encourage them to consider just how much of a commitment that is,” Goldstein emphasizes. 

Not only do cats and dogs need care and affection, but they also will live around 15-20 years.

“We have a very thorough vetting process for the people who want to adopt animals, but even with that being said, you just can’t predict how people will ultimately treat that animal,” Goldstein says, the animals clearly at the forefront of her heart and organization. 

While serious in tone, Goldstein’s many years involved with Pause 4 Paws has been a gift to countless animals and families alike. QS 

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