“Our Home, Their Haven” campaign launches to create facility that will allow PAWS to save more homeless pets and serve more pet owners in need through affordable vet care and Safety Net programs

Philadelphia’s largest rescue partner and provider of affordable veterinary care, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), announces plans for a new, state-of-the-art 18,500 sq. ft. facility located at 2129 Oregon Avenue that will enable the organization to save and serve more of the city’s most vulnerable pets and support more families in need. As part of the groundbreaking milestone and its 20^th anniversary, PAWS is launching Our Home, Their Haven, a $15 million capital campaign to build the larger, permanent home for its lifesaving work. The space is slated for completion in late-2027.

Twenty years ago, Philadelphia was a different place for homeless animals: only 11% of the cats and dogs entering the city’s animal control shelter survived. Today, that “save rate” has climbed to 87%, and shelter intake has been cut nearly in half. At the heart of that transformation has been PAWS, whose work over the past two decades has helped reshape what is possible for the city’s most vulnerable pets. From rescuing and rehabilitating tens of thousands of homeless animals to providing affordable veterinary care and helping families keep their beloved companions, PAWS has become a lifeline for pets and the people who love them.

PAWS is taking its most ambitious step yet: building its new headquarters – a specially designed facility that will triple PAWS’ current space and dramatically expand its capacity to rescue homeless pets and keep families whole. PAWS is proud to share that it is 71% of the way to its $15 million fundraising goal.

What began in 2006 as a small, volunteer-driven effort has grown into one of the region’s most vital animal welfare organizations. In that time, PAWS has rescued more than 45,000 animals, provided affordable veterinary care to more than 426,000 pets, including more than 173,000 spay/neuter surgeries, and helped more than 27,500 pets through Safety Net programs designed to keep families together. Today, PAWS’ rescue, veterinary, and prevention programs impact more than 40,000 animals and their families each year.

“When PAWS began two decades ago, we were determined to make lifesaving – not euthanasia – the norm for homeless animals in Philadelphia, and make our city a place where people and pets have every chance to thrive together,” says Melissa Levy, executive director. “The progress we’ve made is extraordinary, thanks to the incredible community that has formed and works tirelessly to save animals in need. But our work is far from finished. There are still far more people and pets who need our support than we can accommodate, and shelters are still far too crowded. This new home is about building on everything we’ve accomplished, expanding what is possible, and ensuring we can be there for pets and their people for generations to come.”

The Future of Lifesaving, Care, and Support for Pets and People in Need

When it opens in late-2027, PAWS’ new facility will bring the services currently offered at its Grays Ferry shelter and veterinary clinic and its Old City Adoption Center together under one roof, creating a welcoming, purpose-built space for animal rescue, adoption, affordable veterinary care, and support for pet owners. PAWS’ Northeast Philadelphia clinic will remain open and continue serving the community.

Designed with the wellbeing of animals and people at its core, the new building will feature expanded veterinary clinic and surgical facilities, spacious and calming animal housing, dedicated areas for enrichment and adoption, outdoor play spaces, and gathering places for volunteers, staff, and the community. The facility will double PAWS’ current capacity for dogs and increase capacity for cats by 20%, while creating a healthier, less stressful environment for animals while they await adoption.

Just as importantly, the new space will allow PAWS to support more pet owners facing financial hardship, housing instability, and other challenges that threaten to separate them from their beloved companions. Through affordable veterinary care, pet food and supplies, temporary foster care, and other safety net services, PAWS works to prevent animals from entering shelters in the first place. This approach recognizes that keeping pets with the families who love them is not just essential to lifesaving, it is vital to community wellbeing as a whole.

For years, PAWS has stretched its resources and facilities to meet an ever-growing need. PAWS’ new home will finally allow its committed staff and volunteers to expand services, work more efficiently, and create a permanent foundation for the organization’s future.

A Community Effort to Bring a Vision to Life

With more than $10.7 million already committed in contributions and pledges toward its $15 million fundraising goal, PAWS is now asking the broader community to give.

“This new home is a reflection of what Philadelphia has made possible over the last 20 years, and a promise of what we can accomplish together in the decades to come,” Levy added. “Every animal we save, every family bond we protect, and every life we change is made possible by a community that believes in this work. We can’t wait to welcome Philadelphia into a space built not just for the animals who need us today, but for generations of pets and the people who love them.”

The announcement of the building project and accompanying capital campaign marks a major milestone in a multi-year effort to secure a permanent home for PAWS. Following an extensive search, the organization acquired a 1.2-acre property in 2025 and assembled a team of experts who have been designing and planning to make the project a reality. Construction will begin in the coming weeks, and the new facility is expected to open in late-2027.

The team is led by Meyer Design (architecture), Animal Arts (shelter and vet hospital design and engineering), Colliers (civil engineering), Paradigm (mechanical engineering), Camfred Construction (construction management), and AR Spruce (project management).

For PAWS, the campaign represents far more than a brick-and-mortar location. It is an investment in a city where fewer pets enter shelters, more animals receive the medical care they need, and families have a safe, trusted place to turn to when they need help.

To learn more about Our Home, Their Haven and how to help build PAWS’ future, visit ourhometheirhaven.org. For more information about PAWS and its lifesaving programs and services, visit phillypaws.org.