PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society)
Our Mission
PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to saving Philadelphia’s homeless and at-risk pets. Through rescue, foster care, adoption, and affordable veterinary services, we are working to make Philadelphia a city where every healthy and treatable pet is guaranteed a home.
Our Story
Founded to combat the alarming rates of shelter euthanasia, PAWS has served as a catalyst for lifesaving change in our community for over two decades. By providing a vital safety net through our adoption centers and low-cost wellness clinics, we address the root causes of pet homelessness. We believe every companion animal deserves a future filled with love and stability.
Our Care Model
Our lifesaving work is built on a compassionate, community-centered approach. Many of our animals thrive in foster homes, where they receive individualized attention and care while awaiting their forever families. This network, combined with our dedicated staff and volunteers, ensures that every pet at PAWS is treated with the same warmth and respect we would want for our own.
The Adopter Connection
We pride ourselves on a unique, conversation-based matchmaking process that prioritizes lasting happiness for both you and your new companion. By considering personality, energy levels, and your specific lifestyle, we help create meaningful bonds that stand the test of time. Adopting from PAWS is a truly life-changing partnership that opens up space for us to save another animal in need.
Start Your Journey
Your new best friend is waiting to meet you. We invite you to explore our available cats, dogs, and small animals online or visit us to learn more about our adoption process. Join our community of animal lovers today and help us write the next happy chapter for a pet in need.
Trust Assessment
GoldRated Oct 25, 2026
NonprofitVerifiedPhysical FacilityOperating 10+ years
FinancesOnline Review Highlights
- Knowledgeable and kind staff
- Comprehensive medical documentation
- Inconsistent adoption requirements
Vetted by
How we assessCoverage We Reviewed
Stocktonia News
Improves Trust
10/22 - Why so many pet owners can’t afford a veterinarian - Stocktonia News
Private equity and corporate ownership are driving up prices and forcing people to make awful choices about their animal companions.
WHYY
10/22 - PAFA to memorialize Philly’s cat rescue hero and beloved art professor Al Gury
Al Gury, 74, was as committed to rescuing cats as he was to teaching art. He passed away after nearly 50 years at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Improves Trust
10/19 - Why So Many Pet Owners Can’t Afford a Veterinarian
Private equity and corporate ownership are driving up prices and forcing people to make awful choices about their animal companions.
NBC10 Philadelphia
10/3 - Clear the Shelters: Meet Craig
We’re so excited to introduce you to Craig. This handsome boy was found wandering as a stray. He loves people and is available for adoption at the Mutt Strutt event Saturday, Oct. 3, held by PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society).
PHILADELPHIA.Today
9/18 - Philadelphia Pet Store Guide: 19 Local Shops to Know
Find 19 Philadelphia pet stores for grooming, adoption, self-wash tubs and exotics, from Old City and Fishtown to Manayunk and Mt. Airy.
NBC10 Philadelphia
8/28 - Help Philly-area animals find forever homes on ‘Clear the Shelters’ day
On Aug. 29, 2026, animal shelters across the country, including the Philly area, will waive adoption fees as part of the Clear the Shelters campaign.
NBC10 Philadelphia
8/27 - Help these adorable animals find forever homes
NBC10’s Sheila Watko shows us adorable animals from our area who are looking to find a forever home.
NBC10 Philadelphia
Improves Trust
8/26 - How PAWS works to serve animals throughout the region
NBC10’s Lili Zheng has a look at how the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, or PAWS, works to protect animals in the community and has details on how the organization is helping pets during this week’s Clear the Shelter campaign.
Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society
Improves Trust
8/25 - Clear the Shelters Day - Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society
Saturday, August 29, Clear The Shelters will culminate in a fee-waived adoption event for *ALL* cats and kittens at PAWS’ Old City Adoption Center and Broad and Washington PetSmart location. Be sure to apply ahead of time to become an approved adopter at phillypaws.org/catapp, and come out this weekend to meet your new best friend. […]
Recent Videos
10/24 - Postgame Eagles rant 🤝 saving pets 🐶 🦅 After the Eagles’ loss to the Rams, lifelong Birds fan and animal lover Dan Price went viral with one question about the team’s halftime performance: “Are we eating meatball subs?” Dan decided to turn that moment into something good, creating T-shirts featuring the quote with a portion of the proceeds benefiting PAWS. Plus, he recently visited PAWS to meet some of the pets he’s helping and spread the word about an especially urgent need: finding more adopters and foster families! Dog interest has been slow, and we’re working to empty our cat housing room. If you’d like to help us save lives, now is the perfect time to foster, adopt, or treat yourself to a new piece of birds gear (link in bio)! Meet the pets featured in the video: 🐶 Eagle — looking for an adopter 🐶 Snow Pea — looking for a foster or adopter 🐱 Mario — looking for an adopter with his brother Luigi at our Old City location 🐱 Tink — looking for a foster
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10/24 - SOS: short term cat fosters are urgently needed! Our entire cat housing room needs to be emptied due to a kitten testing positive for panleukopenia, a feline virus that is extremely easy to spread at the shelter. While no other cats in the room had direct contact, they’re all considered “indirectly exposed”, and no new cats can enter the room until it’s been emptied and fully disinfected. Having our largest housing room out of commision will severely limit our rescue capabilities for at-risk cats at the city shelter, and we need your help! We’re seeking short term foster homes for all 19 cats and kittens in our cat housing room. You’ll be a good fit if: 🐱 Your home has no other cats (it’s only contagious to felines) 🏠 You can keep your foster for 2 weeks while monitoring for symptoms (we’ll tell you what to look for!) ☎️ You can keep in close contact with our team if symptoms do arise If you’re foster friend is symptom free after 2 weeks, they can be returned to PAWS (or you can continue fostering them until they find an adopter)! Want to help? Email foster@phillypaws.org for more info.
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10/23 - As we close out #VetTechAppreciationWeek, please join us in saying THANK YOU to the amazing team of humans who quite literally keep our medical care running! Whether it’s clinic patients or our many rescues, PAWS’ vet techs go above and beyond for every pet who comes through our doors — and these heroes truly do it all! Administering meds, wound care, pre-operative prep and post operative monitoring, bathing ringworm cats, giving shots, prepping surgical packs, cleaning ears, giving fluids, and much, MUCH more. We love having a special reason to celebrate our amazing team, but we are grateful every single day for their care, dedication, compassion, and hard work. One week could never be enough to express our gratitude, but on behalf of the animals and every one of us at PAWS: thank you, vet techs, for all that you do! Do you have a story of a PAWS vet tech who stood out to you? Please share it below!
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10/22 - It may not look like it, but this is a big deal! Poor Esther has been very overwhelmed since arriving at the shelter, and would barely let anyone near her for her first couple days. With some time to adjust and encouragement from our shelter techs, she’s finally feeling comfortable enough to come to the front of her cage for affection — but what she really needs is a foster home where she can truly feel safe and come back out of her shell. Esther was recently returned from her adoptive home after a lot of changes occurred in a short period of time — a big move, her senior best cat friend passed away, and her owners had twins. It became clear that Esther was incredibly stressed by these changes, to the point that it started affecting her litter box habits after years with no issues. Her owners opted to return her to PAWS so a less busy home could be found for her — ideally without a household of very young kiddos! Esther would love to find a calm, quiet place to land, with a foster parent who can give this sweet granny multiple litter boxes to choose from. Esther is 10 years old, already spayed, and an absolute fiend for catnip. If you’d like to welcome this calico cutie, email foster@phillypaws.org for more info!
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10/20 - Kitten toes in abundance, but pantry supplies? Not so much 😭 If you can, please help us restock PAWS’ pet pantry by sending supplies today! No one should have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pet, but that’s what hundreds of loving pet owners in Philly are facing every day. Our greatest needs at the moment are for kitty litter and dry cat food, and even one bag can make an enormous difference for a family facing financial hardship! If you’d like to help, there are a few ways to give: 🐾Drop off unopened bags of dry cat food, kitty litter, or dry dog food at any PAWS location during regular hours 🐾Send supplies through our wishlists (link in bio)! 🐾Send supplies through the retailer of your choice to: PAWS 2900 Grays Ferry Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19146 Can’t donate right now? You can still help by sharing this post!
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10/18 - Scout is the saddest little drunk granny, and she’s looking for a foster to help her through her post-op recovery! ❤️🩹 This sweet senior got extensive dental surgery after arriving at the shelter with a mouth full of bad teeth that left her in constant pain. She’s going to feel much better once she heals, but to do that, she could really use a cozy home where she can rest and recuperate. Scout is around 16 years old, and is very kind and gentle. While she was sedated, we also discovered she has kidney stones (poor Scout!) so we’re making a treatment plan to address those as well. If you have a quiet home, an open lap, and a soft spot for gentle seniors, reach out about fostering Scout today!
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10/9 - Why hello, Cherie! This sweet and spunky pup is a party on four legs who brings 10/10 enthusiasm to everything she does. She’s technically full grown at a year old, but she’s still a puppy in all the ways that matter. This goofball is looking for a foster or adopter to show her the ropes — and the snuggles! Cherie’s personality is the best of both worlds. She’s a zesty gal who’s always down for a round of zoomies, fetch, or tug, but she’s equally committed to her side hustle as a full-time cuddle bug. She loves people and making new friends, and will happily soak up attention from literally anyone — and, she seems quite interested in making friends with other pups! Cherie already knows “sit,” is very food and treat-motivated, and enjoys walks on leash. And while she may be a lady of mystery when it comes to her past, she’s making it clear that she’s ready for a future filled with toys, snacks, adventures, and a person or family to call her own. Want to learn more? Drop us a line at foster@phillypaws.org or adoptions@phillypaws.org today! 🐾 Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society📍 2900 Grays Ferry Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19146 (by appointment only) ⭐️ PA License # 06172
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10/9 - Hailey and Bella are such a sweet pair! These ladies might be at the shelter right now, but they actually have a family who loves them very much. Can you foster them for a couple months until they can be reunited? Through PAWS’ Safety Net Foster Program, pets with owners facing a short-term crisis are matched with temporary homes rather than being permanently surrendered to our care, ensuring families can stay together just as they should be. Per their owner, Hailey (orange spots) is more introverted than her sister, but loves wet food and treats and will play with Bella when inspiration strikes. Bella is more extroverted, and can be quite chatty to boot! They’re both about 4 years old, and are looking for a place to crash through the end of December. If you’d like to help these sisters stay together, feel safe, and remember what it’s like to relax in a home, email foster@phillypaws.org to learn more about Hailey and Bella today!
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10/8 - A kitten low on brain cells? Delightful. A shelter low on supplies? Disastrous! We’re in urgent need of kitten food, paper towels, and churu treats to keep our furry friends fed, clean, and thriving (even if we can’t keep them from shenaninags). If you can send or drop off supplies, Sawyer and her friends would be very grateful! Choose whichever is best for you: 📦 Send through our Chewy or Amazon wishlists (link in bio) 🐾 Drop off at any PAWS location during regular hours 🚚 Ship through the retailer of your choice to: PAWS 2900 Grays Ferry Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19146 Thank you on behalf of the pets in our care!
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10/7 - Looking for a new friend, but want to start small? Take home a piggy pal like Pepita! We have lots of little ones who’d love to add some snuggles and squeaks to your life, and fosters are needed now so we can rescue even more piggies who need us. If you’ve got room for an adorable roommate (or two!) and are down to party with a piggie for a few weeks, we’d love to match you with a guinea pig friend to foster (or adopt)! We can also provide supplies to fosters if this is your first time taking home a guinea pig 🐽 Interested? Email foster@phillypaws.org to learn more!
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10/6 - Do you have plans on October 17th? If not, we'd love for you to join us here at Ciocca Subaru of Philadelphia for our Trunk or Treat and Pet Adoption event with PAWS Philadelphia from 12-3! Meet tons of adorable pets, pick from trunks full of goodies, and enter our best pet costume competition! #subaruphilly #cioccaonsocial #subarulovespets #PAWS
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10/5 - It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Over the Luna! 🌙 If you were at the Mutt Strut with us yesterday, you may have spotted the diva herself strutting her stuff in a rainbow octopus costume. We’re over the moon for this girl, and with good reason. At 7 years old, Luna is social, silly, and pretty much has a smile on her face 24/7. She has lots of experience as a loving companion, has previously lived with children and other dogs, and could be a fantastic fit for many different kinds of homes. Luna is currently in her glow-up era and working on shedding a few pounds to reach a healthier weight. She’s also getting some extra TLC for her skin, and once she’s slimmed down a bit, she’ll be ready for her spay. Her surgery is included in her adoption fee, and PAWS will take care of it when she’s ready! Ready to hear more about why we think Luna could be your new favorite gal? Email adoptions@phillypaws.org to learn more. 🐾 Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society📍 2900 Grays Ferry Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19146 (by appointment only) ⭐️ PA License # 06172 See less
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10/3 - Congratulations @phillypaws on a beautiful 20th annual Mutt Strut! The organization raised $140,000 to help save Philadelphia’s homeless pets. Thank you for everything you do and for having me as one of your emcee’s today. I met so many dedicated volunteers, organizers, and of course…adorable pups 😍🐶
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10/2 - There’s no denying it...Jesse is a vibe. He’s handsome, hilarious, delightfully orange, and at 8 years old, has more than enough personality to keep you entertained. He’ll come running when you call “Jesseeee!” He’ll greet you by hopping onto the couch or bed and showing off his tummy. He loves wand toys, chasing treats, chatting with people, and burrowing so deeply under blankets that sometimes the only way to find him is to follow the muffled meows. So why has this fabulous guy been waiting for a home since April? Well... Jesse has some opinions about litter boxes. 🥲 After lots of troubleshooting and ruling out medical causes, we’ve learned that Jesse simply doesn’t always want to use one. We know that’s a big ask for an adopter, and we don’t want to sugarcoat it. But we also don’t want this one challenging habit to overshadow everything that makes Jesse such a lovable, entertaining companion. He could be a fit for someone willing to manage his occasional accidents in a traditional indoor home, a safe indoor-outdoor setup, or even a working-cat placement where he can enjoy plenty of human attention without the pressure of perfect litter box manners. Jesse may not be the cat for everyone, but he doesn’t need everyone. He just needs one person willing to give this goofy, sweet, wonderfully weird guy a chance. Email adoptions@phillypaws.org to learn more or stop by our Old City Adoption Center to meet him in person! 🧡
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