PAWS' Grays Ferry location is closed until further notice and all animals are safely evacuated following the parking garage construction collapse on the neighboring property. We will reopen when we receive word that it is safe to do so, and appreciate your understanding and support.
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Last call to raise a glass at Pours for PAWS!

Tickets are going fast for our fourth annual Pours for PAWS, hosted by the Young Friends of PAWS!  for the fourth annual Pours for PAWS on April 23 at Positano Coast. Join us on April 23 at Positano Coast for an open bar, great food, and a night alongside fellow animal lovers — all in support of PAWS’ mission to make Philadelphia a safe place for pets and the people who love them!

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Be their bridge to a brighter future: foster with PAWS

When you open your home to a PAWS foster, you’re giving a pet a safe place to land when they need it most. With more animals arriving every day, even a short foster stay can be truly life-changing — offering comfort, healing, and hope while making space for another pet in need. We’ll provide everything you need…all you have to bring is the love!

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Shop our wishlist to help shelter pets today

With our kennels at capacity, our most-needed items run out quickly. From nutritious wet food to keep pets of all ages nourished, to paper towels and cleaning supplies that help us maintain safe, comfortable spaces, every item makes a direct difference. Shop our most-needed items and make sure pets have the essentials they rely on every day.

SEND SHELTER SUPPLIES

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!

Meet the PAWS animals who are most in need of homes! Whether they have special needs or simply have been waiting longer than others, they need your help to find loving families. Every animal we adopt out creates room in our shelters to save another, so each adoption truly saves a life.

View all adoptable pets

VIEW ALL AVAILABLE CATS


All PAWS pets are spayed/neutered, given age-appropriate vaccines, microchipped, and examined by a veterinarian before adoption. Click the button below to browse cats currently available by location. Our thorough matchmaking process allows us to find the best fit for you and your family.

VIEW CATS

VIEW ALL AVAILABLE DOGS


All PAWS pets are spayed/neutered, given age-appropriate vaccines, microchipped, and examined by a veterinarian before adoption. Click the button below to browse dogs currently available by location. Our thorough matchmaking process allows us to find the best fit for you and your family.

VIEW DOGS

VIEW ALL AVAILABLE SMALL ANIMALS


All PAWS pets are spayed/neutered, given age-appropriate vaccines, microchipped, and examined by a veterinarian before adoption. Click the button below to browse small animals currently available by location. Our thorough matchmaking process allows us to find the best fit for you and your family.

VIEW SMALL ANIMALS

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.

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More ways to give


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

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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.

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Recent News

04.16.26

Lefty’s lucky match


Sometimes, the right match doesn’t just change one life, it changes…well, everything! Back in 2018, Natalie was a PAWS volunteer and experienced cat foster preparing to bring home her third foster cat. That same evening, she was also heading out on a first date. As the night came to a close, she mentioned she needed […]
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04.16.26

Young Friends of PAWS to Host 4th Annual ‘Pours for PAWS’ on April 23 at Positano Coast


Join the Young Friends of PAWS for the return of their signature event, Pours for PAWS, taking place on Thursday, April 23, to benefit the lifesaving work of the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Hosted at Positano Coast and building on the success of the last three years’ events, Pours for PAWS will feature a […]
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43,902 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.

413,449 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.

167,998 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

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

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