PAWS Chicago

PAWS Chicago can go the extra mile and take extraordinary steps to save animals because of our extraordinary donors. Donors and friends give our entire team, from the vets to the volunteers, strength to carry on even in the most heartbreaking moments. Mama Ripley could have been one of those heartbreaking stories. Chicago Animal Care and Control reached out to PAWS Chicago, desperate to find a place for her — and her 10 nursing kittens! Because of our donors, Ripley and her kittens are now melting the hearts of our staff and volunteers, not breaking them. Thanks to our donors, PAWS Chicago is here to give Ripley and her kittens the TLC — and advanced medical care — they deserve. The reality is, had PAWS Chicago not been able to take in Ripley and brood, they may have been euthanized. Instead, they will survive and, soon, they will thrive in loving, permanent homes.

Since our founding, Chicago has helped reduce pet euthanasia by more than 91% by focusing on programs that directly address the root causes of pet suffering and homelessness. Every animal at PAWS Chicago is given the best chance to live and thrive. Julianna is a wonderful example. She has a face that could light up a room. Her eyes are a beautiful yellow-gold and her black-and-white fur sparkles in the light. This petite domestic cat is just as gentle and sweet as can be. We first met Julianna a few years ago when her owner brought her to us to be vaccinated and spayed. The single best way to end animal homelessness is to prevent it before it happens. And the most effective prevention method is proactive spay and neuter programs.

During a regular outreach event to neighbors in the Englewood area, we met a young man who was so grateful we knocked on his door because his dog Alexis wasn’t feeling well. She had been vomiting, had diarrhea, and was lethargic — symptoms that had us concerned she may have a potentially deadly parvovirus. She needed to be seen by a vet ASAP. But Alexis’s pet dad didn’t have a way to get her medical attention, so our medical team arranged the necessary care. Thankfully, Alexis didn’t have parvovirus, and she made a full recovery after a round of antibiotics, plenty of fluids, and some anti-nausea medication to settle her stomach. In a few days, Alexis was doing much better and in the following weeks, we were able to bring her and her two dog siblings to the Outreach Center to be spayed and neutered, and to receive vaccinations and microchips. Our donors helped Alexis heal and prevented her and her brother and sister from adding to the pet overpopulation crisis. For every dog like Alexis and cat like Julianna who we spay, we’re preventing not just one litter, but their litters’ and their litters’ litters, and so on.