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Final Hours: All Gifts Doubled for PAWS’ Tooth Fairy Fund

Time is running out! Through MIDNIGHT TONIGHT, a group of generous donors is matching every gift to our Tooth Fairy Fund, up to $60,000. Give now to help PAWS say “YES” to pets suffering from painful dental disease and provide the lifesaving care they need for a healthy mouth and a second chance. Give now to provide a healthy mouth and a second chance at life!

RESTORE A SMILE, SAVE A LIFE

Your perfect match is waiting!

This March, excitement isn’t just for the basketball court — there’s an adoptable pet waiting to be your MVP! From March 13 through April 6, adopters can name their fee for participating cats and dogs in PAWS’ Match Madness adoption promotion, including pets with longer stays or special needs. Are you ready to score a new furry family member?

MEET YOUR MATCH

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!

SIGN UP TO FOSTER

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.

VIEW JOBS

Meet your new best friend!

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

03.12.26

PAWS Announces ‘Match Madness’ Adoption Promotion

This March, excitement isn’t just for the basketball court—there’s an adoptable pet waiting to be your MVP! PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) is excited to announce Match Madness, an adoption promotion running from Saturday, March 14 through Monday, April 6. PAWS’ shelters are full, and with so many pets waiting for a home, adopters can […]
Read More
02.11.26

Vote PAWS as your Philly Favorite!

Make PAWS a Philly favorite by casting your vote today! Voting is officially open for the Philadelphia Inquirer’s 2026 Philly Favorites, and we need your support. This annual celebration highlights the region’s top businesses, services, and organizations — and PAWS is proud to be nominated in FOUR categories! We’re honored to be in the running […]
Read More
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43,727 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.

411,301 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.

166,081 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

View Instagram post by phillypaws

Mar 13

Open post by phillypaws with ID 18306910789286845
You know how some dogs just radiate Good Boy energy? That’s Chuck! He’s got a loving heart, a playful spirit, and absolutely no clue how to sit in your lap (but he’s going to keep plopping himself there anyway)! Chuck is around 10 months old and thinks everyone he meets is his new best friend. We recently watched him get adorably excited when he saw his own reflection, just because he thought it was another dog pal 😭 Chuck is a bright and curious guy who looks to his humans for direction and confidence, and is a quick learner when treats are involved. He loves other dogs, and would be a great fit if you have a pup at home who’d enjoy a good-natured playmate! If you’re looking for a sweet and goofy companion, Chuck would love to make your acquaintance! He’s ready to find a foster or adopter at PAWS’ Grays Ferry clinic, so drop us a line at adoptions@phillypaws.org or foster@phillypaws.org to make an appointment, or read more about him at our adoptions page!

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View Instagram post by phillypaws

Mar 12

Open post by phillypaws with ID 17878224906520932
Get ready to sip, snack, and save lives! Early bird tickets are now available for the 4th annual Pours for PAWS, coming up on Thursday, April 23 from 6-9pm at @positanocoastphilly 🥂 Hosted by the Young Friends of PAWS, this event is open to all 21+ animal lovers and features a silent auction with goodies from local vendors, tasty apps (including vegan options), and an open bar with select beer, wine, and cocktails. New for 2026, a limited number of VIP ticket packages are also available for purchase! Proceeds directly support PAWS’ mission of making Philadelphia a city where every healthy and treatable pet is guaranteed a home. 🐶🐱 We can’t wait to see you there! 🎫 $80 early bird tickets are available through March 23, so don’t wait to RSVP! Register now at our #linkinbio. Are you a local business looking for a meaningful way to get involved? Visit our bio link to learn more about our sponsorship opportunities!

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View Instagram post by phillypaws

Mar 12

Open post by phillypaws with ID 18074252201450579
Celebrities might be sharing their old pics from the 90’s, but we’re most excited about Roberto’s *new* life now that he’s received the dental surgery he desperately needed! It’s all thanks to PAWS’ Tooth Fairy Fund, and through midnight tomorrow, you have the power to deliver TWICE the hope and healing to even more pets while donations are doubled. For many homeless pets, dental care means the difference between living with chronic pain — with little chance of being rescued and adopted — and being able to eat, groom, play, and find love again. As Roberto’s family can attest, it’s not just life-saving — it’s life-changing! “When we first started fostering Roberto Rigatoni, he had already been through so much,” shares foster-turned-adopter Shannon, “He was abandoned in a small cage and was recovering from being shot in the hips with a BB gun. It was clear he wasn’t feeling good, and his breath was a sign that something wasn’t right.” “After his dental surgery, he was able to eat comfortably, without the discomfort we’d noticed before. Just as importantly, his personality got to shine. Rigatoni is the sweetest boy and we are so glad he’s a permanent part of our family. Every morning he proudly delivers toy mice to his dad for “breakfast,” he melts for chin rubs, and loves curling up on his mom’s lap to soak up the maximum amount of snuggles. Dental care didn’t just improve his health, it also helped him feel comfortable, and fully himself.” Right now, more pets like Roberto are counting on us for healthy mouths and new beginnings — but we have less than 48 hours to meet our matching goal of $60,000. Thanks to amazing supporters like you, we’re already halfway there, but we still need to raise $30,000 to fully fund this critical program in the year to come. Please join us before this incredible opportunity runs out! Make your gift today via Instagram, Venmo (username @phillypaws), or through our #linkinbio.

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

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