The PAWS Companion Animal Shelter offers many services to the community. Let’s take a closer look:

The Main Shelter

PAWS operates a shelter in Lynnwood for dogs and cats. The shelter is a large building that has separate areas for dogs and cats. While they wait to be adopted, each dog or cat gets their own cage or kennel, a soft bed, toys, fresh food and water. The dogs are walked at least twice a day on a nature trail. Each of the cats gets time in a small room to exercise and play.

The shelter is open six days each week for people to come and meet the animals. Each year PAWS finds new homes for 3,000—4,000 dogs and cats. The shelter is limited admission, meaning that we take in animals depending on how much space and resources we have and no healthy, adoptable animals are euthanized (put to sleep). When someone wants to adopt an animal, the person fills out an application and goes through a process that helps ensure the animal and person are a good match. PAWS wants to make sure that the animal finds the perfect home to spend the rest of his or her life.

Cat City

PAWS also has another cat adoption center in Seattle, called Cat City. Cat City has two large cat rooms where cats can climb cat trees and play with each other while waiting to be adopted.

Behavior Helpline

• In addition to the shelter, PAWS helps animals who live with families, but who are having behavior problems. Some of these problems are cats who go to the bathroom outside their litter boxes, or dogs who bark too much. People can call our Behavior Helpline and Staff and volunteers give these people solutions that make the animals and the people happy.

Training Classes

PAWS also offers training classes for dogs.