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Clear the Shelters: Fee-waived adoptions

Clear the Shelters is here, and fee-waived adoptions are happening all month long! From August 1–31, we’re waiving adoption fees for dogs 25 pounds and over and cats 6 months and older. Every adoption frees up desperately needed shelter space so PAWS can rescue another animal from the city shelter or the community who has nowhere else to go. Browse adoptable pets, apply, and help us save lives!

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PAWS 20th Birthday Celebration: Tickets available now!

Join us on Thursday, November 5 at FringeArts as we celebrate 20 extraordinary years of lifesaving and the community that has made it all possible! Enjoy an unforgettable evening featuring delicious vegetarian and vegan bites, festive cocktails, music and dancing, a silent auction, adoptable PAWS dogs dressed to impress, and more! Purchase your tickets today. 

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Affordable vet care: PAWS is here to support you

PAWS’ two wellness clinics in Grays Ferry and Northeast Philadelphia are open to the public by appointment to provide accessible spay/neuter and veterinary care for pet owners, rescue organizations, and community cat caretakers. Whether your pet needs preventative care, treatment for an illness or injury, or spay/neuter surgery, PAWS is here to help!

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Fetch your Early Bird Mutt Strut tickets

PAWS Mutt Strut 2026 returns to the Philadelphia Navy Yard on Saturday, October 3 for its 20th anniversary! Join us for Philly’s favorite dog walk and fall festival featuring a scenic walk, live music, food trucks, games, vendors, and costume contests, all while raising lifesaving funds for vulnerable pets. Early bird tickets are on sale now for a limited time for just $20 for adults, with kids 12 and under free.

BUY EARLY BIRD TICKETS

Shop our wishlist to support pets in PAWS' care

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!

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.

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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

08.10.26

Dog owner support survey

Philadelphia dog owners, we want to hear from you! PAWS is exploring new ways to support dogs and the people who love them — and your input can help us understand what resources would make the biggest difference. Whether it’s help with veterinary care, training, pet supplies, or something else entirely, we want to know […]
Read More
08.06.26

PAWS Medical Relief Fund Expands Access to Lifesaving Veterinary Care for Homeless Pets

Since 2006, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) has played a leading role in transforming animal welfare in Philadelphia, helping to drive a nearly 50% decrease in animals entering the city shelter and increasing the survival rate for those who do. But as Philadelphia has made great lifesaving progress, the animals currently most at-risk in […]
Read More
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44,695 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.

421,793 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.

171,686 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

Aug 14

Open post by phillypaws with ID 18111503297080244
Bubba’s official skill ratings are in! His specialties include cuddling, acting like a goober, befriending everyone he meets, and spreading joy literally everywhere he goes. He’s hoping his greatest professional achievement will be to finally find the forever home he’s been dreaming of! This cheerful 2-year-old has mastered the art of being both delightfully goofy and deeply affectionate. He loves his people, thrives on together time, and is so settled into his foster routine that he’ll even put himself to bed for a crate nap. Bubba does take daily prescription medication for a congenital heart defect, but he’s still living life with his signature sunny spirit. If your household has an opening for a full-time sweetheart, this 10/10 Good Boy would like to submit his application 🩷 Ps. Through August 31, Bubba’s adoption fee is waived during #ClearTheShelters! 🐾 Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society📍 2900 Grays Ferry Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19146 (by appointment only) 🗳️ PA License # 06172

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View Instagram post by phillypaws

Aug 13

Open post by phillypaws with ID 17909713284454125
Twenty years calls for a celebration! 🎉 Join us on Thursday, November 5 at FringeArts for a special evening celebrating two decades of lifesaving — and the community who has made it happen! A lot has changed since PAWS began twenty years ago, but one thing has always been true: none of our work would be possible without you. Please help us mark this tremendous milestone by joining us for a night to remember. Let’s celebrate how far we’ve come, and prepare for all of the work that still lies ahead! We have a beautiful evening planned at @phillyfringe, complete with: 🍹Delicious vegetarian/vegan bites and festive cocktails 🎵Music and dancing, courtesy of @DJByrdEvents 🎁Silent auction featuring exclusive experiences 📸Photo booth by @thetimelesscaptureboothco 🐶 Adoptable PAWS dogs dressed to impress ... and much more! Tickets are now on sale (single: $200, pair: $360). Get yours today at our #linkinbio!

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View Instagram post by phillypaws

Aug 13

Open post by phillypaws with ID 18074877092382374
Our horror movie: watching these feline friends get passed by at the shelter! Rick, Babs, Squid Ink, and Magellan are all sweet, gentle cats who’ve been waiting for their chance at some TLC in foster care. Whether they need physical recovery or just a soft place to land, all of them would benefit tremendously from the warmth and love of a temporary home! When cats sit for longer periods at the shelter, it puts them at increased risk of health complications, and means one less open space for others who desperately need it. PAWS provides all the medication, follow up vet care, and guidance you’ll need, and your feline foster friend will thank you with tons of snuggles and affection! Email foster@phillypaws.org if you can help, and sign up in the meantime at our #linkinbio!

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View Instagram post by phillypaws

Aug 12

Open post by phillypaws with ID 17902310154534659
Calling all Northeast pet owners! If you’re in need of affordable, compassionate veterinary care, PAWS has you covered. Our Northeast Spay/Neuter & Wellness Clinic has appointment availability for spay/neuter, wellness exams, vaccinations, and more. Whether you have a dog or cat at home, or you’re a community cat caretaker in need of TNR services, PAWS provides trusted care for thousands of Philly pets every year. Read more about our services: phillypaws.org/clinic-services. Contact us to book an appointment: 📧 neclinic@phillypaws.org 📞 (215) 545-9600 *Online self-scheduling is also available for many of our services at phillypaws.org/grant-schedule!

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

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