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Fosters needed: help save lives!

Foster homes are at the heart of PAWS’ ability to save lives. When you foster one animal, we rescue the life of another. With a brief commitment, you can be a hero for cats, dogs, and small animals. We provide supplies and support; you provide love and care!

Start fostering

Adopt Humble

Part muppet, part alpaca, and 100% original, Humble is playful, ridiculously cute, and marches to the beat of his own drum. He’s looking for a dog-savvy, adult-only home where his quirks will be appreciated. He’s got opinions (especially about neighbor noise—expect some colorful commentary!), but with the right family, we know he’ll gain confidence and embrace his independence.

Meet Humble

Adopt Andre

Andre is a big-hearted 10-year-old who loves human company and coexists well with other cats. He enjoys flexing his playful streak—pouncing on feather toys, scaling his scratching post, and expertly tracking tossed kibble—before settling in for well-earned chin scratches. While he eats a special diet and manages asthma with daily medication, his endearing quirks make him the perfect mix of silly and lovable.

Meet Andre

PAWS is Hiring: Join our team!

Join PAWS for a meaningful career in animal welfare! Work alongside passionate animal lovers and help us fulfill our mission of saving lives and building a better future for Philadelphia’s pets and people.

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Meet your new best friend!

TriSarahtops
Foster Care
In my previous home, I was full of energy and always ready for adventure. Since arriving at the shelter, though, I’ve been feeling a bit nervous. I’d love to find a home with another dog who can help me regain my confidence so I can get back to enjoying zoomies and snuggles!
Meet Me >
Choco Taco
Foster Care
I'm a sweet treat who just wants to relax, befriend everyone I meet, and be near my people where I'm happiest!
Meet Me >
Hustle
Foster Care
I'm a a seasoned snuggler and couch connoisseur who loves getting pets and belly rubs, sharing kisses, and playing with my favorite toys!
Meet Me >
Bumpy
Grays Ferry Clinic
I'm Bumpy, a 46-pound lap dog with a snuggly nature, named after the lovable dinosaur from Jurassic Park. While I'm adjusting to some life changes, I'm looking for a chill home where I can relax, get plenty of affection, and slowly build confidence in my new routine.
Meet Me >
Quartz
Foster Care
At 12 years young, I'm the definition of peaceful companionship. I dare you not to fall in love when I gaze into your eyes!
Meet Me >
Kona
Foster Care
I'm a loving, smart, and snuggly 6-year-old pup looking for a cat-free home where I can be your BFF and maybe share life with another dog!
Meet Me >
All Available Dogs
All Available Cats

PAWS is the city's largest rescue partner.

We are working to make Philadelphia a place where every healthy and treatable pet is guaranteed a home. We do so through rescue, foster care, adoption, and preventing pet homelessness in the first place by offering low-cost spay/neuter and basic vet care.

Support Our Lifesaving Efforts

Donate Today

Make a one-time gift or commit to monthly support. Give in honor or memory of someone special.

Donate

Create a Fundraiser

Raise support from family and friends for your birthday, in honor of your pet, or for any occasion.

Get Started

More ways to give

Donate needed supplies, provide for the animals in your planned giving, plan an event, and more.

Learn More

Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinics

Keeping pets and families together through low-cost basic veterinary services. Our clinics in Grays Ferry and the Northeast serve tens of thousands of pets every year whose caretakers may not afford care elsewhere.

Get Care

Recent News

04.02.25

2025 Kitten Week at PAWS!

As spring arrives, kitten season begins, bringing an influx of orphaned kittens and new mothers to the city’s shelters. PAWS’ nursery is quickly filling up with litters, and we’re seeking your assistance to support them — and many more who will follow — throughout the warmer months ahead! Help us welcome the little ones by […]
Read More
03.24.25

PAWS Announces Participation in PetSmart Charities® National Adoption Week & Receives Grant Funding

Pets are family. They offer hope, companionship, and unconditional love to their people. By adopting a pet in need, you not only gain a loyal friend but also help ease the strain on overcrowded shelters, which positively impacts the entire community. That’s why PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) is proud to participate in PetSmart Charities® […]
Read More
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41,775 animals saved

We rescue animals, primarily from the city shelter, almost daily with a focus on the most vulnerable: adult dogs, kittens, cats recovering from illnesses, and small animals. Once safe at PAWS, they receive everything they need to become ready for adoption, then are matched with loving homes.

178,607 volunteer hours served

PAWS’ dedicated and caring volunteers are essential in every aspect of our lifesaving efforts.

387,529 clinic patients served

Our low-cost Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinics prevent pet homelessness and provide a needed resource in our community, enabling loving pet owners to care for and keep their dogs and cats as family.

157,209 spay/neuters performed

PAWS provides low-cost spay/neuter surgery for owned pets, rescues and community cats to prevent the birth of unwanted litters. Our efforts are working: since our clinics opened their doors, the number of homeless animals entering Philadelphia’s city shelter has declined year over year.

PAWS Partners

Our lifesaving work is possible with the meaningful support of business and community partners.

See our Partners

Current Partners

PAWS' impact grows as our services expand & progress continues

By rescuing, rehabilitating, and finding loving adopters for homeless animals with nowhere else to go, and providing affordable vet care and other services so pets can stay in their homes where they are loved, PAWS provides a vital and growing safety net for Philadelphia's most vulnerable cats and dogs. The pandemic has prompted a shift toward more intensive, individualized care for more complex needs.
2010
7154
2012
16160
2014
26188
2016
36510
2018
40455
2020
33840
2021
34528
2023
34801
Pets Served 100 100
More Shelter Statistics

Join us on social media

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Apr 22

Open
We’re honored to share that PAWS has been named a 2025 Philly Favorite by the @phillyinquirer! 🏅 Silver – Favorite Veterinarian 🏅 Bronze – Favorite Nonprofit Organization Out of more than 339,000 votes cast, this recognition is a true reflection of the community we’re so proud to serve. It’s our passion and purpose to provide low-cost, accessible veterinary care to Philadelphia pet owners, and to rescue and find loving homes for the city’s most vulnerable animals. Thank you to everyone who voted and continues to support our work—you’re helping make Philadelphia a place where every pet is safe, loved, and cared for.

We’re honored to share that PAWS has been named a 2025 Philly Favorite by the @phillyinquirer!

🏅 Silver – Favorite Veterinarian
🏅 Bronze – Favorite Nonprofit Organization

Out of more than 339,000 votes cast, this recognition is a true reflection of the community we’re so proud to serve. It’s our passion and purpose to provide low-cost, accessible veterinary care to Philadelphia pet owners, and to rescue and find loving homes for the city’s most vulnerable animals.

Thank you to everyone who voted and continues to support our work—you’re helping make Philadelphia a place where every pet is safe, loved, and cared for. ...

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Apr 21

Open
Carl urgently needs a foster and *very urgently* needs you to admire his little vampire fangs🧛! This adorable crypt keeper is a staff favorite, but he’s at risk of diabetic complications at the shelter and is seeking a foster home ASAP. In addition to having a shelter cold and a painful mouth due to dental disease, Carl was diagnosed with diabetes by our medical team. That means this he needs insulin shots every 12 hours to manage his blood sugar, but that schedule isn’t possible within the shelter’s standard operating hours. We’re really worried about this sweet senior’s health if he goes too long without proper regulation, which is why it’s so important for him to skedaddle out of here! Carl was adopted from PAWS many, many moons ago, and his owner loved him but was not in the right place financially to be able to keep up with his senior care needs. He’s lived with cats before, but we’re not sure how he’d feel about dogs or younger human children just yet — his biggest priority is getting some much needed peace and quiet away from the shelter! If you’d like to learn more, please email foster@phillypaws.org to get in touch with our team about this adorable grandpa today. Have questions about diabetes care or insulin? Hit us up! Insulin should ideally be given as close to 12 hours apart every day as possible, but you do get some wiggle room for those 12 hours! PAWS can also help with follow-up diagnostics at our clinic if preferred, to make sure Carl is getting the optimum amount of insulin for his needs. Or if you’d prefer to save a clinic trip and perform his diagnostic testing at home, as us how! It’s actually pretty easy.

Carl urgently needs a foster and *very urgently* needs you to admire his little vampire fangs🧛! This adorable crypt keeper is a staff favorite, but he’s at risk of diabetic complications at the shelter and is seeking a foster home ASAP.

In addition to having a shelter cold and a painful mouth due to dental disease, Carl was diagnosed with diabetes by our medical team. That means this he needs insulin shots every 12 hours to manage his blood sugar, but that schedule isn’t possible within the shelter’s standard operating hours. We’re really worried about this sweet senior’s health if he goes too long without proper regulation, which is why it’s so important for him to skedaddle out of here!

Carl was adopted from PAWS many, many moons ago, and his owner loved him but was not in the right place financially to be able to keep up with his senior care needs. He’s lived with cats before, but we’re not sure how he’d feel about dogs or younger human children just yet — his biggest priority is getting some much needed peace and quiet away from the shelter! If you’d like to learn more, please email foster@phillypaws.org to get in touch with our team about this adorable grandpa today.

Have questions about diabetes care or insulin? Hit us up! Insulin should ideally be given as close to 12 hours apart every day as possible, but you do get some wiggle room for those 12 hours! PAWS can also help with follow-up diagnostics at our clinic if preferred, to make sure Carl is getting the optimum amount of insulin for his needs. Or if you’d prefer to save a clinic trip and perform his diagnostic testing at home, as us how! It’s actually pretty easy. ...

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Apr 21

Open
It’s Volunteer Appreciation Week! Please join us in thanking the amazing community of animal lovers who make our work possible 👏 Every week is for volunteer appreciation here at PAWS, but we love having an extra reason to celebrate their compassion and dedication! In 2024, PAWS' volunteers gave over 21,000 hours of their time to Philly's most vulnerable animals, and they're already outdoing themselves in 2025 by supporting us daily in SO many ways! 🐶 Dog care (outside time, exercise and enrichment, skill building) 🐈 Cat care (socialization, feeding and cleaning, enrichment) 🧼 Shelter essentials (laundry, dishes, cage cleaning and prep) 👋 Events (info tables, dog and cat handling, sharing our mission) 🚗 Transport (driving pets and supplies between shelter locations, pet pantry deliveries to events and clients) 🐾 Adoption and foster support (processing applications, matchmaking, managing adoption bios) 🏠 Foster care (taking home and caring for a shelter pet until they're adopted) 📱 Social media (drafting posts, sharing stories, answering messages) 💻 Voicemail and admin support (transcribing voicemails, answering emails, data entry, processing volunteer applications) ….You get the idea! Whether they're volunteering in-person or remotely, once a day or once a week, for the first time or the hundreth, volunteers' time and compassion makes a tremendous difference every day in the lives of the animals who depend on us. From all of us at PAWS and the animals whose lives you change, THANK YOU volunteers!

It’s Volunteer Appreciation Week! Please join us in thanking the amazing community of animal lovers who make our work possible 👏

Every week is for volunteer appreciation here at PAWS, but we love having an extra reason to celebrate their compassion and dedication! In 2024, PAWS` volunteers gave over 21,000 hours of their time to Philly`s most vulnerable animals, and they`re already outdoing themselves in 2025 by supporting us daily in SO many ways!

🐶 Dog care (outside time, exercise and enrichment, skill building)
🐈 Cat care (socialization, feeding and cleaning, enrichment)
🧼 Shelter essentials (laundry, dishes, cage cleaning and prep)
👋 Events (info tables, dog and cat handling, sharing our mission)
🚗 Transport (driving pets and supplies between shelter locations, pet pantry deliveries to events and clients)
🐾 Adoption and foster support (processing applications, matchmaking, managing adoption bios)
🏠 Foster care (taking home and caring for a shelter pet until they`re adopted)
📱 Social media (drafting posts, sharing stories, answering messages)
💻 Voicemail and admin support (transcribing voicemails, answering emails, data entry, processing volunteer applications)

….You get the idea! Whether they`re volunteering in-person or remotely, once a day or once a week, for the first time or the hundreth, volunteers` time and compassion makes a tremendous difference every day in the lives of the animals who depend on us. From all of us at PAWS and the animals whose lives you change, THANK YOU volunteers! ...

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Together, we will make Philadelphia a no-kill city.

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