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Fosters needed: help save lives!

Foster homes are at the heart of PAWS’ ability to save lives. And 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 Kona

Kona is a 7-year-old sweetheart who’s fully house-trained—even during big transitions—and one smart cookie! She lives for attention, loves being the ultimate wing-woman, and is always ready for a good cuddle. She lived with another dog before, but she’s looking for a cat-free home—and while she’s been thriving in a loving foster home, she’s ready to find her future family. Could it be you?

Meet Kona

Pours for PAWS: Sip, Snack, & Save Lives!

Hosted by the Young Friends of PAWS, Pours for PAWS is back for its third year at Positano Coast on Wednesday, June 25! Enjoy an open bar, tasty bites, and a silent auction—all while supporting PAWS’ mission to make Philly a place where savable pet is guaranteed a home. Get your early bird tickets by June 1 and be part of this exciting summer evening!

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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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Adopt Cardi

How can you say no to this face?! Cardi is a 13-year-old lovebug who’s happiest when she’s on your lap or gently head-butting you for attention. She’s not big on playtime but adores her scratching board and will chat to remind you it’s time for cuddles. She takes a daily steroid and GI diet to keep her tummy happy—and she’ll go home with a three-month care package to get you started!

Meet Cardi

Meet your new best friend!

Johnny Cash
Foster Care
"Hey there, I'm Johnny Cash" — a sweet, squishy homebody. If you need a relaxation coach for naps, toy time, and guilt-free TV binges, I’m your guy!
Meet Me >
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!
Meet Me >
Hustle
Foster Care
I'm a a seasoned snuggler and couch connoisseur who loves getting pets and belly rubs, sharing kisses, and playing with my favorite toys!
Meet Me >
Bumpy
Grays Ferry Clinic
I'm Bumpy, a 46-pound lap dog with a snuggly nature, named after the lovable dinosaur from Jurassic Park. While I'm adjusting to some life changes, I'm looking for a chill home where I can relax, get plenty of affection, and slowly build confidence in my new routine.
Meet Me >
Quartz
Foster Care
At 12 years young, I'm the definition of peaceful companionship. I dare you not to fall in love when I gaze into your eyes!
Meet Me >
Andre
Foster Care
I'm a gentle and mellow senior who loves to rock a bow tie and gets along with dogs and cats!
Meet Me >
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

05.07.25

Philly Loves PAWS Day: May 14, 2025

Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), the city’s largest rescue partner and provider of affordable veterinary care, proudly announces the return of Philly Loves PAWS, a full day, citywide fundraiser on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. On this day, a wide array of businesses throughout Philadelphia will generously donate at least 10% of their sales to support […]
Read More
05.01.25

Furry Faces Wanted: Dock Street Brewery and PAWS Offer Adopted Pets a Shot at Stardom with Found Friends IPA

Get ready, animal lovers and craft beer enthusiasts: one of the city’s most beloved collaborations is back and better than ever! Dock Street Brewery and the PAWS are teaming up once again to bring beer lovers and animal advocates a unique opportunity to make a difference. Dock Street Found Friends, a hazy IPA brewed in […]
Read More
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41,958 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.

389,733 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.

158,047 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

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May 19

Open
Come for the cause, stay for the good vibes! Young Friends of PAWS welcomes you to the 3rd annual Pours for PAWS, coming up on Wednesday, June 25 from 6-9pm at @positanocoastphilly 🥂 Open to animal lovers of all ages, this event features a silent auction with goodies from local vendors, tasty apps (including vegan options), and an open bar with select beer, wine, and cocktails. 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 June 1, so don’t wait to RSVP! Register now through our #linkinbio.

Come for the cause, stay for the good vibes! Young Friends of PAWS welcomes you to the 3rd annual Pours for PAWS, coming up on Wednesday, June 25 from 6-9pm at @positanocoastphilly 🥂

Open to animal lovers of all ages, this event features a silent auction with goodies from local vendors, tasty apps (including vegan options), and an open bar with select beer, wine, and cocktails.

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 June 1, so don’t wait to RSVP! Register now through our #linkinbio. ...

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May 18

Open
Humble is really breaking our hearts 💔Can you help this little guy find his people? He’s been back at the shelter for 3 weeks, and we can tell it’s starting to bring him down. We joke a lot about Humble being an oddball, but he wants the same thing as any of us: to love and be loved. Equal parts cuddle bug and class clown, our buddy is a 12-pound bundle of laughs. Walks in the sunshine? Count him in. A predictable daily routine? Even better. He’s played beautifully with other dogs, gets along with cats, and is just as happy goofing around as he is curling up beside you while you work. He’s also a sucker for lap naps, especially when you sing his name softly to wake him up. So why is he still here? Well, Humble can be touchy about handling when he’s surprised or things move too fast — but when you go at his pace, he shines. He needs someone who can read his signals, give him space when he asks for it, and love him for the quirky little gremlin he is. We know he’s not for everyone—but we also know his person is out there. Someone who sees past his quirks and into the sweet, sensitive, hilarious soul that has us all rooting for him. If you’ve got a dog-savvy, adult-only home and room in your heart for a little weirdo with a lot of love to give, please consider giving Humble the chance he’s been waiting for! Email foster@phillypaws.org to foster Humble, or learn more about him at our adoptions page (link in bio).

Humble is really breaking our hearts 💔Can you help this little guy find his people? He’s been back at the shelter for 3 weeks, and we can tell it’s starting to bring him down. We joke a lot about Humble being an oddball, but he wants the same thing as any of us: to love and be loved.

Equal parts cuddle bug and class clown, our buddy is a 12-pound bundle of laughs. Walks in the sunshine? Count him in. A predictable daily routine? Even better. He’s played beautifully with other dogs, gets along with cats, and is just as happy goofing around as he is curling up beside you while you work. He’s also a sucker for lap naps, especially when you sing his name softly to wake him up.

So why is he still here? Well, Humble can be touchy about handling when he’s surprised or things move too fast — but when you go at his pace, he shines. He needs someone who can read his signals, give him space when he asks for it, and love him for the quirky little gremlin he is.

We know he’s not for everyone—but we also know his person is out there. Someone who sees past his quirks and into the sweet, sensitive, hilarious soul that has us all rooting for him. If you’ve got a dog-savvy, adult-only home and room in your heart for a little weirdo with a lot of love to give, please consider giving Humble the chance he’s been waiting for!

Email foster@phillypaws.org to foster Humble, or learn more about him at our adoptions page (link in bio). ...

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May 18

Open
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Meet Jamie! Shortly after moving to Philadelphia’s Graduate Hospital neighborhood in January 2022, Jamie found herself missing the companionship of animals -- especially since her landlord didn’t allow pets. Eager to find a way to reconnect, she turned to animal rescue and kept hearing one name pop up: PAWS. "I heard so many wonderful things about PAWS from coworkers and friends," Jamie shares. "I wanted to get involved with a rescue organization in the city, and PAWS seemed like the perfect place." Jamie began her volunteer journey as a cat care volunteer at our Grays Ferry location. But with a busy and often unpredictable schedule, it became difficult to commit to regular shifts. Since PAWS offers a wide range of ways to get involved, Jamie soon found the perfect fit: voicemail transcription. As a voicemail volunteer, Jamie listens to and transcribes the messages that come in every day from pet owners and rescue partners seeking help. It’s given her a firsthand look at just how many lives PAWS touches daily. "I was so grateful there was an opportunity to help in a different way," she says. "Even with my schedule, I can continue supporting PAWS, even from the suburbs when I move! I also love that PAWS provides affordable veterinary care to pet owners and rescue organizations that might not otherwise have access. It’s just one of the many ways the organization makes an impact, and I get to see that impact through every voicemail I transcribe." What keeps Jamie coming back is more than just the mission...it’s the people. "I’ve never had such a great experience volunteering. The staff and fellow volunteers are so kind and passionate. It’s clear how deeply everyone cares, and that makes it such a joy to be part of this community." Even as Jamie prepares to move outside the city, we're grateful that her connection to PAWS won’t end. From caring for cats to transcribing calls with compassion, her journey as a volunteer is a reminder that every act of kindness counts. Thank you, Jamie, for all you do to support our mission!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Meet Jamie!

Shortly after moving to Philadelphia’s Graduate Hospital neighborhood in January 2022, Jamie found herself missing the companionship of animals -- especially since her landlord didn’t allow pets. Eager to find a way to reconnect, she turned to animal rescue and kept hearing one name pop up: PAWS.

"I heard so many wonderful things about PAWS from coworkers and friends," Jamie shares. "I wanted to get involved with a rescue organization in the city, and PAWS seemed like the perfect place."

Jamie began her volunteer journey as a cat care volunteer at our Grays Ferry location. But with a busy and often unpredictable schedule, it became difficult to commit to regular shifts. Since PAWS offers a wide range of ways to get involved, Jamie soon found the perfect fit: voicemail transcription. As a voicemail volunteer, Jamie listens to and transcribes the messages that come in every day from pet owners and rescue partners seeking help. It’s given her a firsthand look at just how many lives PAWS touches daily.

"I was so grateful there was an opportunity to help in a different way," she says. "Even with my schedule, I can continue supporting PAWS, even from the suburbs when I move! I also love that PAWS provides affordable veterinary care to pet owners and rescue organizations that might not otherwise have access. It’s just one of the many ways the organization makes an impact, and I get to see that impact through every voicemail I transcribe."

What keeps Jamie coming back is more than just the mission...it’s the people.

"I’ve never had such a great experience volunteering. The staff and fellow volunteers are so kind and passionate. It’s clear how deeply everyone cares, and that makes it such a joy to be part of this community."

Even as Jamie prepares to move outside the city, we`re grateful that her connection to PAWS won’t end. From caring for cats to transcribing calls with compassion, her journey as a volunteer is a reminder that every act of kindness counts. Thank you, Jamie, for all you do to support our mission! ...

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

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