Pawsitive Beginnings announced it has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Ocean Reef Community Foundation. This funding will support the organization’s ongoing partnership with the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter, helping to sustain and expand its animal-assisted healing programs for youth in Monroe County.
Through this partnership, Pawsitive Beginnings provides regular visits for children, along with therapeutic art sessions and enrichment-based activities designed to foster emotional expression, resilience and connection. These experiences are centered around the sanctuary’s rescued foxes, whose stories of survival often resonate deeply with the children they serve.
This marks the second consecutive year the Ocean Reef Community Foundation has invested in this impactful work, reinforcing a shared commitment to supporting vulnerable youth and innovative approaches to healing.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Ocean Reef Community Foundation for continuing to believe in this program,” said Nicole Navarro, Pawsitive Beginnings founder. “This funding allows us to create a space where children can feel safe, seen, and supported. The connection they build with the foxes—paired with guided therapeutic activities—can be truly transformative. It’s an honor to be trusted with that process, and this grant ensures we can continue showing up for them in meaningful ways.”
Pawsitive Beginnings remains committed to bridging the gap between animal welfare and human healing, using its sanctuary as a place where compassion creates lasting impact. To learn more, visit pawsitivebeginnings.org.
