PAWS - Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society

Please upgrade to the latest version of Flash Player.

Click here if you already have Flash Player installed.

WELCOME TO PAWS!

PAWS, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, is a 501(c)3 donor-funded division of the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association (PACCA), the City of Philadelphia's contracted animal control shelter. PAWS is dedicated to saving the lives of Philadelphia's homeless, abandoned and unwanted animals. Taking in nearly 30,000 animals each year, and operating the highest volume shelter in the region, PAWS is working to end the killing of healthy and treatable pets in the City of Philadelphia.

JOIN US AND SAVE LIVES

Adopt
Adoption is the only hope for many of the animals in our care. When you adopt a new best friend from PAWS, you are saving a life that might not have had a chance without your kindness. Click here for more info, or click here to see our calendar of adoption events.

Volunteer
Our dedicated volunteers mean the difference between life and death for PAWS animals. Whether you help at adoption events, socialize or bathe animals at the shelter, transport animals to foster homes or rescue organizations, or even provide administrative support, your time and compassion will make a tremendous difference. We have volunteer opportunities to fit every schedule and preference; please click here to get started!

Foster
Thousands of animals who are too young or too sick to be adopted arrive at PAWS each year. Temporary foster care gives them a chance at life, something the shelter cannot offer. The need for foster care is great throughout the year, but it is particularly urgent during “kitten season,” April through September, when hundreds of cats and kittens can arrive at the shelter on any given day. Click here to learn more about PAWS' Foster Care Program and to get involved.

Donate
Donations to PAWS support our lifesaving efforts: adoption programs, spay/neuter clinics, low-cost vaccinations, and other community-based programs. They also enable us to provide medical care to sick or injured animals. By giving generously, you play a critical role in helping PAWS’ greater endeavor of making Philadelphia a city in which every healthy and treatable pet is guaranteed a home. Click here to learn how you can help save a life today.

HAPPENINGS

Mark Your Calendar!
We have a variety of great adoption, fund raising, and community-building events on the calendar. Click "Read More" for the full list and join us! ***JULY EVENTS NOW LISTED.***

Help us save lives! Support our spay/neuter efforts.
As compassion and caring were the hallmarks of her life, the Joyce Ann Derby Fund has been established at PAWS to honor Joyce's memory. All donations to the Joyce Ann Derby Fund will support free and low-cost spay and neuter surgery programs for Philadelphia's animals.

URGENT! Kitten foster care needed
PAWS urgently needs temporary foster homes for orphaned kittens and for mom cats with litters of kittens. Without foster homes, these kittens will not have the opportunity to grow and mature to an appropriate adoptive age. Can you help save them?

Flyers Fans! Win Scottie Upshall Game Stick Signed by Team
UPDATE: PAWS' raffle of a one of Scottie Upshall's game sticks signed by the Flyers raised nearly $2,500 for our lifesaving efforts on behalf of Philadelphia's homeless, abandoned and unwanted animals. Congratulations to our winner: L. Pittner of Philadelphia, PA! Many thanks to everyone who supported PAWS by participating!

200 Lives Saved in First Month at PAWS Downtown Adoption Center
Open just one month, PAWS’ adoption center in Old City has found forever homes for more than 200 of Philadelphia’s homeless dogs and cats. Click "read more" for the full story!