Our Mission

• To build No Kill communities – starting with a No Kill Chicago – that respect and value the life of every cat and dog.
• To end the overpopulation of homeless animals through solutions, practices and education.
• To transform animal welfare by setting higher standards in the way animals are treated and developing a sustainable, solutions-based model.

We Value

• Respect:
  • For each and every life.
• Community:
  • Of people and organizations committed to helping homeless pets—volunteers, employees, donors, adopters, fosters, clinic clients, corporations, small businesses, educational institutions, and government agencies.
• Innovation:
  • To constantly improve best practices and search out new ideas and strategies to save more lives.
  • To be a Learning Center that evolves and grows.
• Pro-activity:
  • To solve difficult problems and to be prepared to offer emergency and crisis support.
• Transparency:
  • That informs the public about the fate of homeless animals.
  • That allows the public access to truthful statistics about the likelihood of pets surviving private and public shelters.
• Education:
  • That raises awareness about the realities that homeless animals face in the community and across the nation, providing a forum for people to get involved in effecting change.
  • That promotes and supports responsible pet ownership.
• Sustainability:
  • Through financial management practices that maximize the impact and reach of our resources and ensure PAWS Chicago will always be a resource for homeless animals.
• Compassion:
  • Toward all people and animals.

Our Progress

Finding Homes for More Animals Every Year

• 5,606 animals found new homes through PAWS in 2012, up from 168 animals our first year in 1998, through:

‣ Our state-of-the-art, cageless, No Kill Adoption Center in Lincoln Park.

‣ Our innovative offsite adoption events.

• We have united more than 25,000 cats and dogs with new families since we started.

Preventing Unwanted Pets From Being Born

• We performed more than 18,000 spay/neuter surgeries in 2012.

‣ Over ten years, this reduces the unwanted pet population by hundreds of thousands of animals.

‣ These surgeries are either free or low-cost for pets of families who cannot otherwise afford the procedure.   

‣ We perform surgeries both at the Lurie Clinic and on the mobile GusMobile which allows us to reach the areas struggling most with the issue of homeless pets.

• We have spayed or neutered more than 140,000 pets since we started.

Defining ‘No Kill’

• We save more than 96% of the animals that enter our program.  

‣ Euthanasia is reserved only for pets when medical treatment cannot alleviate suffering or for vicious dogs who pose a threat to the public.

• Since PAWS Chicago’s founding, the number of homeless pets killed annually in Chicago has fallen 60% — from more than 42,000 pets killed in 1997 to less than 18,000 in 2011.  By continuing these efforts, Chicago should be a No Kill community in the next five years.

 

* Euthanasia rates in Chicago were less than 18,000 in 2011.

Engaging the Community

• Locally: By utilizing volunteers in every aspect of the organization to provide high quality care to all animals.
• Commercially: By partnering with corporations who share the same ideals as PAWS Chicago in order to extend the organization’s reach and impact.
• Academically: By building humane research and training programs with Purdue University’s Vet School and Maddie’s Fund to redefine medical best practices for animal welfare groups worldwide.

‣ At PAWS Chicago, pets with ringworm, parvovirus, FIV and other virulent diseases and lifelong conditions are treated with state-of-the-art veterinary care and protocols—each of these diseases means a death sentence in traditional shelters.

Fighting Animal Cruelty and Inhumane Practices on All Fronts

• We’re teaching communities and children about the consequences of allowing dog fighting, animal abuse and puppy mills.
• We’re working with legislators to raise the standards of care and transparency in animal sheltering, and to require that shelters provide accurate statistics of the probability of a pet’s survival.
• We’ve sponsored legislation to eliminate inhumane and outdated care in shelters, including eliminating the gas chamber and mandatory training for euthanasia technicians in Illinois shelters.

Launching No Kill Academy

• Building a global resource for shelters and individuals wanting to learn about live saving strategies and best practices.

Leveraging Resources To Maximum Effect

• Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent evaluator, ranks PAWS Chicago in the top 1% of charities in the nation.
  • They graded PAWS Chicago as its highest 4-star ranking for nine consecutive years.
  • They recognized PAWS Chicago as the highest-rated Animal Rights, Welfare and Services charity in the nation in 2012.