Companion animals enrich the lives of countless Pacific Northwest residents, but overpopulation, abuse and neglect are widespread problems. PAWS places 3,000 to 4,000 cats and dogs each year in loving, responsible homes, provides training and education to strengthen the human/animal bond, and works to end animal cruelty and overpopulation. We do this through the operation of a shelter, our satellite adoption facility Cat City, a spay and neuter clinic, lost and found services, as well as by offering animal behavior resources.

PAWS' shelter is considered "limited intake," which means that we limit the number of companion animals we admit according to space and available resources to care for those animals. We also have contracts with local cities—Brier, Lynnwood and Mukilteo—and unincorporated Snohomish County to provide sheltering for stray dogs and cats found in those areas.

In addition, PAWS partners with other local and out-of-state shelters and rescue groups to take in animals from them in order to provide more opportunities for those animals to find loving, permanent homes. No healthy adoptable animals are euthanized at PAWS. Our highly praised adoption process helps to ensure that each animal finds the perfect home. Since 1968, when PAWS began sheltering homeless pets, more than 115,000 Seattle-area homes have been enriched by the adoption of a companion animal from PAWS.