DONATIONS URGENTLY NEEDED to continue providing free services to low-income pet owners
UPDATE 1/25/2011: Due to overwhelming demand among low-income pet owners for free veterinary care, our Tom’s of Maine fund is almost gone! We have already served 270 pets thanks to our $20,000 grant. Please help us continue providing services to the pets and people who need them most by making a donation to the Tom’s Fund today. Click here and select "Tom’s Fund" when asked "How should we use your donation?"
Thanks to our supporters who voted for us online, PAWS was recently awarded a $20,000 prize from Tom’s of Maine to provide free spay/neuter surgery and basic veterinary care to pets belonging to low-income Philadelphians. PAWS’ Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic already offers basic services to the public at low
cost, but with 25% of Philadelphians living below the poverty line, there are many who cannot afford even our reduced fees. To help, we are providing free care to pet owners to enable them to keep their pets healthy and part of the family for a lifetime. In doing so, we’re preventing the birth of thousands of unwanted puppies and kittens and reducing the number of pets surrendered to shelters.
Click here to read about one pet owner who was able to keep his beloved cat thanks to this fund!
We have already helped more than 100 dogs and cats who would not have otherwise received veterinary care. To spread the word about the available services, we deploy volunteers to low-income neighborhoods to teach the importance of spay/neuter and veterinary care and help pet owners make appointments at our clinic.
Who qualifies for free services?
Pet owners need to provide proof that they receive some kind of public assistance, such as Medicaid, an ACCESS card, or public housing. Those who do not qualify for free care can still access our services at our normal low-cost rates.
What services are provided?
We offer spay/neuter surgery, wellness exams, vaccinations, and treatments for common illnesses.
Services are provided by appointment seven days a week. We also offer walk-in vaccination clinics (no appointment necessary) on Fridays and Sundays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (for vaccinations only; no other services are provided without an appointment).
How can pet owners make an appointment?
Call 215-298-9680 or email clinic@phillypaws.org.
How long will PAWS offer free services?
We will provide services for as long as the funding lasts, and we expect to serve 300-500 pets over a period of around six months. We are hopeful that additional supporters for the fund will come forward, enabling us to keeping serving pets after the Tom’s of Maine funding runs out.
About the fund: In September 2010, PAWS was voted one of five winners in Tom’s of Maine’s “50 States for Good” contest after a public online selection period, out of nearly 600 entrants. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to provide even more services to the neediest pets! Thanks to all of our supporters who voted for us, we are helping pets to remain as cherished family members, reducing the number of animals surrendered to and killed in city shelters, and bringing Philadelphia one step closer to becoming a no-kill city.
It costs an average of $50-100 to provide clinical care to one animal. Please donate to give a pet the care it deserves!
Photo courtesy of South Philly Review.
September 23, 2010:
PAWS has WON! Thanks to your votes, PAWS will receive $20,000 from Tom’s of Maine to provide free spay/neuter and basic veterinary care to low-income pet owners. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to provide even more services to the neediest pets! Thanks to you, we will enable pets to remain as cherished family members, reduce the number of animals surrendered to city shelters, and bring Philadelphia one step closer to becoming a no-kill city.
August 4, 2010: Vote for PAWS, Help Pets in Need
PAWS has been chosen as a finalist in the Tom’s of Maine "50 States for Good" contest, and voting is now open! 50 States for Good is a national initiative supporting grassroots community projects by funding the projects gaining the most votes from the public. If voted a winner, PAWS will use the $20,000 prize to provide veterinary care and spay/neuter surgery for pets belonging to low-income Philadelphians. For this project to become a reality, we need YOU to vote online for PAWS every day between now and September 10. One vote can be placed per person, per computer, per day, and anyone can participate. Click here to vote!
Our project: PAWS will provide veterinary care to dogs and cats whose owners could not otherwise afford or access it. The effort will be based at our Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic, which opened in March 2010 to serve disadvantaged pet owners. Our clinic - the only facility of its kind in the region - has already made a difference in the lives of thousands of animals and the people who love them. However, with 24.5% of Philadelphians living below the poverty line, there is an enormous segment of the community who cannot afford even our reduced costs. With your help, we can reach those in greatest need of care, empowering pet owners to keep their dogs and cats as cherished family members by giving them an alternative to surrendering them to shelters.
At the start of the campaign, we will deploy volunteer "street teams" to low-income neighborhoods to spread the word about the importance of veterinary care, teach the benefits of spay/neuter, and to give pet owners the opportunity to make an appointment at our clinic. As we provide free spay/neuter and veterinary treatment to the pets who need it most, we will prevent thousands of unwanted puppies and kittens from entering shelters or being turned loose on the streets. Ultimately, our project will reduce the number of animals killed in the city’s shelters and bring Philadelphia closer to becoming a no-kill city in which every dog and cat is guaranteed a home.
We can’t do it without your help. Please vote today (and tomorrow, and the next day)!
