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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 Cletus

Meet Cletus, a lovable and energetic 9-month-old pup ready to bring endless fun and affection to your life! This goofball adores games like fetch and tug of war and never misses a chance for a cuddle. Cletus is crate trained and working on his manners, so he’ll thrive with a patient, active family eager to help him grow into his full potential.

Meet Cletus

Adopt Passie

Looking for top-notch rodent control? Meet Passie, a five-star professional hunter ready for the job! Passie is part of our Working Cat Program and is eager to patrol your property. She would thrive in a country setting where she can stay stimulated and active. If you have space for a dedicated mouser, Passie is your perfect match!

Meet Passie

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!

Reggie
Foster Care

I'm a short, stout, and beefy boy with a heart as big as my underbite! I've lived with other dogs and at 7-years-old, I enjoy the couch potato life.
Ace of Spades
Foster Care

If you're looking for an adventure buddy, look no further! I'm a sweet, fun-loving dog who’s ready to find a family that shares my enthusiasm for the great outdoors.
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!
Lucy
Foster Care

I love being the center of attention in any room, and I even enjoy belly rubs (it's not a trap, I swear!).
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!
Dr. Tom
Foster Care

I'm an expert birdwatcher and devoted companion who loves to be near my people and even enjoys rocking snazzy bow-ties at home!
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

12.18.24

Lori and Bella: A Lifelong Journey of Rescue and Care with PAWS


It all began with a simple online search. Lori, a musician and lifelong animal lover, discovered a stray kitten in Brewerytown and turned to the internet for help. That search led her to PAWS. As a West Philadelphia resident, Lori initially became involved in animal rescue through her work with Project Meow, a fellow rescue […]
Read More
12.17.24

Gateway Book Club: Teaching Compassion and Change


Sometimes, life gives us unexpected opportunities to make a difference — not just for ourselves, but for others, too. For Elizabeth, a dedicated Philadelphia-based teacher and animal lover, that opportunity came in the summer of 2011 when her scheduled class was canceled. Instead of viewing it as a setback, she embraced it as a chance […]
Read More
View All

41,324 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.

381,725 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.

154,819 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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Eyes? Soulful. Ears? Iconic. Love? Endless! Judy is our latest rescue from the city shelter, and she’s eager to find a foster home where she can enjoy all the cuddled her heart desires. We are still learning more about her since she was recently found as a stray, but so far Judy has shown us her passion for food and treats, pets and snuggles, and most importantly, baby talk!

Judy is starting to open up more and more, and we would love to send her into a cozy foster home where she can have a chance to decompress and to show off even more her personality. If you are able to give her some TLC and foster this oh so sweet househippo, please email us at foster@phillypaws.org to chat more about Judy!

🐾 Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society📍 2900 Grays Ferry Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19146 (by appointment only) ⭐️ PA License # 06172
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He’ll lure you in with the flirty chirps, then hit you with the spice when you least expect it: meet Sheldon! This adorable stinker came to PAWS through our Safety Net Program, and he’s looking for a special foster home to hang in until he can be reunited with his owner.

In his last home, Sheldon’s owner shared that he was a charming, playful boy who enjoyed petting and affection. But with so much recent upheaval in his life, Sheldon’s stress level has made things more complicated. He wouldn’t let anyone near him when he first arrived at the shelter, and during his brief time in a prior foster home, he lashed out a few times when things moved too fast.

As you can see, Sheldon is showing his charming and social side now that he’s back at the shelter with more time to acclimate – but he could still revert to becoming stressed again whenever he moves into foster care. Given his mixed signals, he’s seeking a quiet, cat-savvy home where he can have a room to himself, ideally where there won’t be a ton of in-and-out traffic throughout the day (eg. a spare room versus an office, bathroom, or primary bedrooms).

He may be a little more complicated than some cats, but the true charmers always are! If you have a spot for this sweet and spicy boy to crash while he waits to be reunited with his owner, please email foster@phillypaws.org!
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Together, we will make Philadelphia a no-kill city.

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