Once PAWS rescues a dog, we commit to providing all the care they need, for as long as it takes to find them a loving forever home.
We save stray and surrendered dogs from Philadelphia’s animal control shelter, and also take them in directly from owners who can no longer care for them.
We view all dogs as individuals, and choose which dogs to rescue based on whether we can meet their particular medical and behavioral needs. We do not discriminate based on age, breed, or physical appearance, and we take in as many dogs as we have space and resources for at any given time. We visit the city shelter almost daily to evaluate and rescue dogs, with a focus on saving those who probably would not survive otherwise: especially seniors, those with medical needs, and those who would benefit from training and socialization to make a smooth transition into a new home.
To date, PAWS has saved nearly 5,000 dogs. Our dog rescue program has been successful thanks to our commitment to careful evaluation, behavior enrichment plans tailored to each dog’s needs, and excellent matchmaking. Dogs in our shelters and adoption centers get daily care from staff and volunteers including walks, play, and training time to help them remain happy and healthy during their stay with us.
PAWS foster parents have always played a critical role in saving dogs’ lives by providing a caring and consistent home environment where they can thrive. Fosters enable dogs to heal more quickly from injuries and illnesses, help them adjust to a daily schedule, and teach them to become wonderful family members. Then, having gotten to know them so well, they become important advocates and guides in the search for a perfect forever home. When the time comes, they help their foster dog settle in with their new family, and often return to PAWS to bring yet another foster dog home to begin the process again. Thanks to these everyday lifesavers, dogs spend less time in our shelters and get a chance to really shine, and we are able to rescue more who are waiting.
PAWS dogs find loving homes through our adoption centers, special adoption events, media exposure, and by showcasing them to our large online community. We work to make lifelong adoptive matches based on personality, energy level, and lifestyle, and we offer resources and ongoing support to help ensure the adoption is a success. In the event an adopter can’t keep their PAWS dog – for any reason, at any time – our doors are always open. We will take the dog in again and tend to their needs as part of our lifetime commitment to animals we rescue.
