Clayton MItchell Garrett, Member at Large

Currently living in Mariposa, CA, Clayton telecommutes and runs a division of a company out of Connecticut, focusing on large sustainable lighting and control projects.  Married with two daughters, Clayton and his family have a “hobby” farm in the mountains.  They have four horses, Tiki and Missy (quarter horses), Lucy (an Arab), and Ace (a Paint).  Their two dogs are both rescues, Pappy (Mastiff/Boxer mix) and Sunny, (a Malinois/German shepherd mix) along with three cats rescues, Fluffo the Mancoon, GeeGee a Tabby, and Frankie a Tortoise shell.  On the farm are seven kinder dairy goats with the does being Prudy, Molly, and Gingee, the mature bucks Ace and Amos, and the younger bucklings Archer and Chief.  Lastly are the eight chickens of various heritage breeds.  Clayton has a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Liberal Studies, from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Clayton’s experience with animals spans his entire life as there were always dogs in the house.  His work in rescue began in 2011 when he moved his office and “inherited” six feral cats.  Working with the Catnip Society, he was able to trap, spay/neuter, and release all of them, thereby breaking the breeding cycle.  Over the course of the next three years, as other cats took up residence, they were trapped and released in a similar fashion.  To date, there are NO remaining “unfixed” cats in his area, with four of the originals still with him to this day.  In 2015 he began assisting with abandoned animal capture as well as animal transport to various rescues throughout Northern California.   

On Rescue and R.A.W.R.:  “I have been an animal lover as far back as I can remember.  As a child, I was “that” kid who would bring home any and every animal to make sure they were safe.  I constantly professed to my mother, “Someday I am gonna have a dog ranch!”  As I got older, my passion for animals only increased.  Never one to shy away from any stray, I have constantly tried to be the help the voiceless needed. I believe that we all have a duty to help the less fortunate.  I have also raised my children to appreciate, love, and care for animals whenever and wherever possible.  My goal is for R.A.W.R. to be the loudest voice possible for the voiceless.  To be the guide for others to see what needs to be done and to encourage them to be active in being part of the solution, NOT the problem.  As Mahatma Ghandi, said: “A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”