About

My name is Calen Weston and I am a Detroit, AL resident and 2006 Hamilton High School alumni. In 2020, after having lived in Huntsville for almost 15 years, I moved back to Detroit to build a home on our family's land. I have two children, a full time Commercial Insurance Account Manager and Marketer position with iProtect Insurance & Financial Services out of Huntsville, and a number of my own animals. Being a life-long animal lover, I started Hoof or Paw in April 2021 after rescuing a 2.4 lb Hereford piglet (Billy Ray, picture below) from death from a local farm, you can see his full story on the Bill Ray Fan Page. After numerous vet visits, splints and casts, bottle feedings and baths, caring for him and getting him back to health really brought to my attention the lack of helpful resources for animals in need in our area, so the wheels in my brain began turning.

I developed this Non-Profit to serve Marion County, Alabama, and it's stray, unwanted pet population. The main thing we see come in are dogs and cats, however we are also able to accept cattle and other livestock, along with horses and other equines. There is a much higher supply than demand for adoptive animals in our areas so transporting and transferring out to other No-Kill facilities is something I knew we'd have to do to be successful. So far, my dream is living and it just takes the wonderful volunteers we have along with generous donors and supporters to keep it going! Please feel free to email us with any questions, comments or suggestions. The animals of HoP and I send our sincerest thank yous for making this possible!

In 2021 we took the extra step to become a registered animal care facility with the USDA. We became licensed in December 2021, License #64-B-0102, for more information on what this consists of please see the USDA website in the following link. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalwelfare/awa/ct_awa_program_information. We let that license lapse in 2023 after circumstances for the shelter changed that no longer required us to hold the license. Although no longer licensed, we continue to implement and train volunteers on the USDA guidelines, and do still operate by them in regards to care.