Once a PAWS Pet, Always a PAWS Pet
Apr 10, 2024
Going the extra mile (or a few hundred) for a PAWS pet in need!
Our commitment to PAWS Chicago pets goes far beyond their adoption day. Life happens, so our PAWS lifetime guarantee means we will always welcome a PAWS alum back with open arms if they need to find a new home.
The saddest of those circumstances is when a pet becomes homeless due to their owner passing away, and that’s what happened for PAWS alum Tahiti, who had been adopted back in 2016 as a kitten. We were notified by Lexington Animal Control in Kentucky that Tahiti had arrived with another cat, 12-year-old Zoey, whose health was declining. Although we didn’t know Zoey, we arranged for a volunteer to go pick them both up and bring them back to PAWS for care.
Once they arrived, we had an urgent care room ready for Zoey. She was extremely weak, dehydrated and experiencing anorexia, but a few days of fluids and medications helped get her stable enough to be reunited with Tahiti.
Any time two pets come in together, they are evaluated by our behavior team to determine if they’re bonded. Tahiti and Zoey were indeed a bonded pair, and although healthy Tahiti wasn’t the one who needed our help the most, our care for his companion also provides care for him because he wouldn’t be the same without Zoey by his side.
It has been about 2 months since Tahiti and Zoey made the trip here from Kentucky, and they are guaranteed any care they both need now until their adoption day. In addition, we’ll always be here if they need us again in the future – if something happens and their new owner can no longer care for them, we will always take them back. Our new feeding partner, Purina, helps us make that possible by feeding all our cats no matter where they are in their PAWS journey: recovering at our Medical Center, relaxing in foster care, awaiting homes at our Adoption Center, and even sending new adopters home with food to get them started!
Tahiti and Zoey both need dental surgery, which they’ll receive at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center. In the meantime, they’ve been snuggling up in the comfort of a foster home. When they’re ready, we’ll help them find a home together to live out their golden years!