Reserve your seat before it's too late
There's less than a month until PAWS' Wild Night gala event, an elegant and inspiring evening to celebrate PAWS and raise funds to fulfill our life-saving mission. The night includes a delicious, animal-friendly gourmet dinner, the presentation of the Youth Helping Animals Award, our signature drink the PAWSmopolitan, and fun silent and live auctions. Wild Night sold out the last two years, so make your reservation today!

Love animals like we do?
At PAWS we're gearing up for our busiest seasons. We need lots of extra hands to help us care for the many wild and companion animals we will receive this spring and summer.

A fledgling House Finch being syringe-fed at PAWS Wildlife Center.

Looking for a more flexible commitment and enjoy speaking to people about animals? PAWS also needs folks who want to share the good word about PAWS at community fairs and festivals in King and Snohomish Counties. All volunteers must be at least 18 years old to sign up for a position, but those helping with foster care can enlist the help of everyone in the family. Learn more about volunteering at PAWS, and be a part of our life-saving work.

A safe cat is a happy cat
So your cat is driving you crazy, begging to go outside. You know that it's not safe for him out there, and you know he will probably do some serious damage to an unsuspecting wild animal (13% of injured wild animals brought to PAWS have been attacked by cats). What is a feline guardian to do? Lucky for you there are several options, from building an outdoor cat enclosure to taking your cat on a leashed walk. Explore these fabulous alternatives in "A Safe Cat is a Happy Cat."

Ambassador Abby
What's a surefire way to get the attention of a classroom? Bring a dog!

Students at Seattle Lutheran School give Abby treats.

In PAWS' Ambassador Abby workshop, kids of all ages learn about animal behavior, how to be safe around dogs, and how they can help animals in their community. Abby---the star of these workshops along with her guardian and PAWS Humane Education Coordinator Tiffany Ong---is a certified pet therapy dog and loves to be around kids.

Tiffany says that the best part about these workshops is seeing how the young people connect with Abby. "There are some kids who have never interacted with a dog before and are fearful at first," said Tiffany. "But after they see that Abby is friendly and they learn how to safely greet a dog, they are happily feeding and petting her by the end of the session." Abby has been a friend to a foster child who felt a special connection to this formerly homeless pup. She's also provided comfort and reassurance to a group of kids who felt a little sad after seeing a puppy recovering from an injury in the shelter. Abby is the perfect ambassador for the unconditional love and patience our animal friends give.

To learn more about PAWS' Humane Education Program visit PAWSkids.org.

Cat crazy
Katie Olney wanted a cat that didn't look like the two she already had---black, and black with white. But after searching other shelters in the area, her mind kept coming back to Lucy, a black six-month-old kitten she met at PAWS. "When I walked in the cat room, she stuck her paw between the bars and motioned me to come to her," recalled Katie. "She was all over me, purring and giving me kisses."

Lucy had just returned to PAWS after being in foster care with volunteer Chuck Springer for three months. As luck would have it, Chuck and Katie met when she came back to pick up Lucy. "It was really helpful to hear so much about Lucy's personality from Chuck," said Katie. "And I think he felt good that she would be going home with a crazy cat person, like me!"

That's not the end of the story either. As Katie was walking out of the cat room with Lucy in tow, another six-month old kitten caught her eye---this one had gray stripes. Jethro, now called Pants (named by Katie's 17-year-old son), joined the Olney household as the fourth feline. Thank you Katie, for being a "crazy cat person" and giving your furry friends the loving homes they deserve!

A food lovers' delight
From spicy veggie sausage to decadent dairy-free ice cream, you'll find something for everyone's tastes at Vegfest, March 29 and 30 at Seattle Center's Exhibition Hall. Come join PAWS at this event, hosted by our good friends at Vegetarians of Washington. There will be nutrition presentations, cooking demonstrations, books for sale and author signings, kids' activities, and thousands of free vegetarian food samples. For more information visit Vegfest2008.org. Come hungry!

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