Help Make Philadelphia a No-Kill City.

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Meet your new best friend!

Alice
Foster Care

I'm a playful, affectionate, cat-friendly girl who starts out shy but warms right up with some chin scratches!
Cody and Cobalt
Foster Care

We're a kind-hearted pair of bonded senior brothers who love people as much as we love each other!
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!
Miss Honey
Foster Care

I'm an affectionate sweetheart who loves all humans and will snuggle with you for hours if you let me!
Mr. Mister
Foster Care

I'm an easygoing senior who just wants love, affection, and a sunny window to snooze in!
All Available Dogs
All Available Cats

Support Our Lifesaving Efforts

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

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

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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.

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

12.21.23

Gizmo’s grand adventure: Touring the country and providing emotional support


When Gizmo arrived at PAWS, he’d already been through a string of traumatic events. His beloved owner passed away, and soon after his human sister who took on guardianship lost her home. She’d been struggling to care for him, but made the heartbreaking decision to bring him to PAWS when he developed an acute case […]
Read More
12.07.23

Toast the holidays with Titos and PAWS!


Raise a glass and save lives! This holiday season, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is donating $1 for every Cause-Mo cocktail sold at participating bars and restaurants across Philly, up to $5000 through New Years Day. Be sure to enjoy some holiday cheer with one of our partners soon! Bru Craft & Wurst Capriccio Cafe Craft Hall […]
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View All

39,063 animals saved to date


We take in rescues from the city shelter almost daily with a focus on the most vulnerable: adult dogs, kittens, and cats recovering from illnesses. 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.

354,349 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.

142,217 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

Shea is every bit as soft and snuggly as you think she is 🥹 She’s looking for a foster who has as much love in their heart as she does!

This incredibly sweet girl has had a very hard time finding a home due to her special needs. Her bladder has been leaking small amounts of urine, and we’re still learning whether there’s a solution to help her. She may end up entering our hospice program, but we’re hoping there’s a medication that can allow her to live a normal life.

Shea doesn’t need a foster with special skills — just love, patience, and an easy-to-clean area where she can be comfortable. It’s still a tall order, we know. But we also know she’s worth it.

Shea is one of the most loving, gentle souls we’ve met. She enjoys being held like a baby, will climb into your lap the second you sit down, and will snuggle with you for hours if you let her. Sometimes, she’ll put her paws on your chest and just gaze into your eyes.

Everyone who meets Shae instantly adores her, and we know you’ll feel the same way. Our foster team can’t wait to tell you all about sweet Shae, so email foster@phillypaws.org if you’d like to learn more about helping this cuddly princess!
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Hank and Pedro were tiny kittens when Zoe adopted them from PAWS years ago. Recently, Zoe experienced a major life upheaval and quickly needed to move. With nowhere for Hank and Pedro to go while she focused on getting resettled, Zoe turned to us for support. Through PAWS’ Safety Net program, these two brothers were placed in a temporary foster home, and when Zoe was ready, the trio was reunited. Now, they’re all safe at home, together again where they belong.

Many animals entering shelters have owners who are desperate to keep them, and just need a temporary place for them to stay through times of transition. By opening your home to a friendly pet for 1-3 months through PAWS` Safety Net Foster Program, you`ll open a space at the shelter for another pet who truly has nowhere to go, and help a family remain intact.

Sign up today through our #linkinbio!
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Our sweet buddy Bilbo has a lot of healing ahead of him, and he’s urgently seeking a foster to help him on his journey!

This friendly former stray came to us covered in skin lesions that we suspect may be chemical burns. Even though he must be in a great deal of discomfort, Bilbo is a bright and loving little guy who adores affection and enthusiastically seeks it out from everyone he meets!

Bilbo is currently receiving daily pain meds to keep him comfortable, as well as a topical cream for his wounds. He’s looking for a foster who:
❤️‍🩹 Can continue administering his meds and daily cream
❤️‍🩹 Is comfortable gently cleaning his wounds as needed
❤️‍🩹 Is able to take him for checkups at our Grays Ferry location every 3 days for the next couple of weeks (check ups will be more spaced out as his healing progresses)!

If you can help, please email foster@phillypaws.org to learn more about sweet Bilbo!
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Say hello to Frog 👋🐸 Frog is a super lovable grandpa who is looking for a family to spend his golden years with. Despite being around 9 years old, Frog still has a lot of energy! His favorite hobbies include fetch, tug-of-war, walks, and cuddles with his people. ⁠

Frog loves being with people and wins the hearts of everyone he meets. He’s happy to hop in the car and join you for adventures or even for mundane errands. And who doesn’t want this cutie tagging along for errands?!⁠

Frog has been pretty quiet and calm in his foster home. He knows basic commands and is completely housebroken. Frog is also an easygoing walker, but beware that he is a self proclaimed Neighborhood Squirrel Watch™ and will let the squirrels know should they cross his path on walks.⁠

We haven`t seen Frog with cats, but he seems unfazed by other dogs and could potentially live with another calm and respectful pup after slow introductions! ⁠

Frog has a few medical needs typical for a dog his age and would do best in a home where he doesn’t have to climb a lot of stairs throughout the day. But this doesn’t slow him down!⁠

To learn more about this affectionate pup, visit our dog adoptions page (link in bio)!
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Make lifesaving a part of your legacy! By planning a future gift to PAWS through your will, trust or other financial plan, your kindness will have a lasting impact on the city`s most vulnerable pets.

Estate planning is an important step you can take at any age to ensure the people, animals, and organizations you love are protected. We encourage you to explore your options with your attorney, estate planner, or tax professional, and to learn more about planned giving with PAWS at phillypaws.org/planned-giving!
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Tucker was already giving us sad Eyore vibes, and now he’s got a kitty cold to boot! This kind, gentle potato would be so grateful for some TLC and chin scratchies in a foster home with you. He’s being treated for kidney disease and is also waiting on dental surgery to make his mouth less painful, so it’s especially important for him to recover so he can get the procedure he needs and start feeling better again.

If you have a spot in your home for sweet Tucker to crash for a few weeks, please email foster@phillypaws.org for more info!
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Wanted: puppy fosters! We’ll be taking in 5 puppies this Saturday (3 male 2 female) who are just under 3 months old, and especially vulnerable to shelter illnesses at their age. Our goal is to line up foster homes before then so these babies don’t have to spend a single night in the shelter (they’re not ready for adoption just yet)!

Potential puppy fosters should be prepared to:

🔸 Commit to fostering until puppy finds their forever home (usually 4-8 weeks)
🔹 Travel regularly to our Grays Ferry or Northeast clinic for puppy boosters and checkups as needed
🔸 Work on socialization and basic puppy training
🔹 Have plenty of cleaning supplies for potty accidents …and of course, have plenty of patience and love!

*We’ll be prioritizing homes with fosters who can take 2 pups, or who have a fully vaccinated, well socialized dog at home to help show them the ropes (but homes with past puppy experience are still welcome to sign up)!

Can you help? Email foster@phillypaws.org with the subject “puppies” if you can take a pup or two! If this is your first time fostering with us, you can sign up through our #linkinbio.
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Whiskers has the sweetest purrs, even when he’s not feeling his best 🥺(watch with sound)! This kind senior cow cat is recovering from dental surgery after losing his home, and would love to find a foster home where he can recover and feel safe again.

Whiskers is understandably overwhelmed at the shelter and spends most of his days hiding (often with his head stuffed in the corner 😭), but all it takes is some patience and head scratches to get him to warm up and share his sweet purrs. If you’d like to help this 13 year old gentleman feel better so he can enjoy his golden years, email foster@phillypaws.org to learn more about Whiskers!
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🎉 Happy New Year from Roland and all of us at PAWS! 🎉 ⁠All locations are closed today, but regular operations will resume tomorrow.

Our deepest gratitude go out to all of the supporters who gave this holiday season to start the new year on such a strong note, and to our adopters, fosters, and volunteer who make our lifesaving work every day.⁠

Thank you for standing with us and making Philadelphia a better place for at-risk pets and the people who love them!
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Just a few hours left to have your gift doubled for pets like Maggie! This fragile orphaned kitten was just two weeks old when she and her siblings were found outside and brought to our door, and she desperately needed help.

While her siblings were healthy, Maggie suffered from an abscessed wound on her chin, and was barely able to move her hind legs. X-rays revealed the heartbreaking cause of her troubles: she had been shot with a BB gun, and had metal fragments in her jaw and leg.

Maggie’s first days in the world were marked by cruelty rather than kindness, but her tiny frame housed a big spirit. Once in PAWS’ care, she eagerly guzzled down formula, bravely allowed our medical team to clean her wound and remove the fragment in her jaw, and gratefully snuggled with us for warmth and comfort.

Maggie and her siblings were placed with a loving foster family to care for her on her long road to recovery. Under the guidance of PAWS’ medical team, they provided round-the-clock bottle-feeding until Maggie and her brothers could eat on their own, daily exercises to help her regain strength and mobility in her legs, and doting support after we performed surgery to remove the remaining BB fragment in her leg.

After weeks of diligent care, monitoring, and love, Maggie grew into a bright, playful young cat who had not only survived, but positively thrived. She is now living every day to the fullest with her adopted family — the very same one that fostered her! Here’s what they shared:

“Maggie has grown tremendously from a fragile, injured kitten who needed a lot of support and nurturing into an independent, curious, healthy girl. She still has some weakness in her back legs but it doesn’t stop her from doing her favorite things: exploring the house, playing with her siblings, and her absolute favorite — cuddling. Maggie is such a sweet addition to our family and we couldn’t be happier with her progress!”

After a painful past, this special girl now has a lifetime of love ahead — thanks to supporters like you. Through midnight tonight, all gifts are doubled to deliver twice the hope & healing to pets like Maggie who need us.
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Together, we will make Philadelphia a no-kill city.

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