Celebrating Adopt a Shelter Pet Day with Philly PAWS

This post comes to us from our engagement intern, Katerina


It shouldn’t come as a surprise that here at Free People, we love our pets! We believe that all companion animals deserve the love and care they deserve, including a happy and safe home. Many of us here in the office are quick to share our own adoption stories, from Fp Julie’s tale of finding the perfect kitten on the side of an abandoned dirt road, to FP Aubrie’s unbreakable bond with her rescue pup, Sage. So, to honor that bond that we share across Fp and to celebrate National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day (today!), we paid a visit to one of our favorite Philadelphia-based non-profits, PAWS. PAWS (which stands for Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) prides itself on being a no-kill shelter that also offers an affordable clinic for other rescue organizations and pet owners as well. They are dedicated to saving the lives of Philadelphia’s abandoned, unwanted,  or surrendered animals, ensuring that every companion animal who is healthy and treatable can find their forever home. Take one look at their Instagram feed and you’ll be convinced, this organization is doing amazing work.

While visiting we were able to meet so many wonderful pets who are currently up for adoption right now! Through brief introductions and photos we wanted to feature these little guys on the blog today to show you the wonderful pets that are looking for the perfect companion. Read on for a serious dose of cuteness and if you’re in the Philly area we urge you to pay a visit to PAWS, and if you’re not, check out this directory to find a no-kill shelter near you!

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Pearl is a 1 year old female pitt mix! During our visit she was so sweet and loved to hang out, and was so calm and friendly around the other pups on the yard. Pearl was surrendered to PAWS because of landlord issues and would love to be with an owner who is as happy-go-lucky as she is.

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Boomer Brown is an 8 month white and tan lab/beagle mix! He was so lovable and energetic; I could not stop smiling when we were playing! He was originally purchased at a pet store but given to PAWS due to an unrealistic expectation about owning a dog. He would love to be with an owner who is just as fun and enthusiastic about life as he is!

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Chelsy is about 1-2 years old and is an adorable brown terrier mix. She was the absolute sweetest and would be an amazing pet! Chelsy was found as a stray in West Passyunk and is looking to be the best pet she can for a great owner!

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Dora was one of the most relaxed dogs I have ever met. She is an 8 year old Shih Tzu mix and would love to be with someone who loves to snuggle and relax and indulge her in her penchant for laps.

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Angel is a 10 year old Jack Russell who is incredibly shy, but very sweet. She’s a PAWS alum, and her previous owner, who loved her deeply but could no longer care for her due to circumstances beyond her control, drove her all the way back to PAWS from Georgia to ensure she finds the right home in a safe shelter. She would love to be in a quiet home where she could relax, de-stress, and leave the worries of shelter life behind. Angel is super sweet and calm and would make a great companion!

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Ava is an adorable 4 year old puggle/min pin mix! She is super friendly and gets along well with other dogs and cats. Ava is now at PAWS because her owner had to surrender her due to landlord issues.

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Snoop is a 1-2 year old male who was picked up by animal control because he was living outside in an inadequate housing situation. Snoop was the cuddliest pup of them all and if it weren’t for his size, you’d swear he was a lap dog! He had a great personality and was incredibly gentle.

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After playing with all the dogs up for adoption, we were eager to visit a few of the adorable cats! Incidentally, all of the cats we visited with were found as strays in different parts of West Philly and are currently looking for a family to snuggle up to.

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Gracie is a 4-6 year old smokey grey beauty who is in need of a chill home out in the country. She’s been at PAWS far too long and is in need of some serious relaxation and love. Don’t be fooled by her serious expression, Gracie loves to be loved and especially appreciates a good belly rub.

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Edmund is a sweet male white and grey kitten who is 6 months old. As you’d imagine, he was super playful and eager to trade in his cage for some fun. Edmund isn’t up on the PAWS site quite yet, but his still available for adoption through the Grey’s Ferry location.

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Samoa is an adventurous orange and white 1-2 year old male. After a little coaxing, he came out of his shell, playfully batting around his string toy. Samoa’s profile isn’t up on the PAWS site yet, but available and ready for his new home through the Grey’s Ferry location.

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Odette is a 9 month old black and white kitten who wanted nothing to do with the camera! She was far more interested in playing an exploring and would love to find a forever friend to adventure with.

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Strange Jack is a 1-2 year old grey tabby who is anything but strange. Strange Jack loves to play and is very curious and energetic. He’s also skilled in front of the camera.

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Towards the end of our visit, we caught sight of something cute from the corners of our eyes… the kitten room! Spring marks the beginning of “kitten season”, which means shelters will be crowded with new litters until early fall.  Often, these litters are too young to be adopted and are in need of foster homes to grow up in a stress-free and calm environment until they can be placed with their forever family.  These kittens are currently unavailable for full adoption but soon, when they are old enough, they will be listed on the website! To find out more about the foster care program, go here!

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We were so lucky to spend the day at PAWS and meet all these amazing animals.  Adopting a pet is an incredible, fulfilling experience and we encourage you to consider visiting your local shelter to meet the wonderful little guys waiting to be adopted, whether it is just for volunteering or looking for a new friend! Visit Philly PAWS to learn more about the animals featured here today and be sure to check out our recipe for an all natural dog biscuit for your current buddy!  We hope our friends at PAWS find their forever homes!

Folllow PAWS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

+ Do you have a rescue animal in your life? Please share your story in the comments!

Follow Katerina on Instagram and FP Me!

Images by FP Julie – Follow FPJulie on Twitter and Instagram!

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dee
8 years ago

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

8 years ago

These cute animals made my morning.

8 years ago

I absolutely love this piece and these photos – some of them are too funny! I adopted my mittle poodle mix, Bae, in December and it was by far the best decision of 2014. She provides me with so much joy, smiles, laughs, and companionship. Shelter dogs truly know how lucky they are and do so well with a bit of structure and the knowledge that they will be taken care of. She is at work with me today having such a fabulous time – it’s crazy to think that she was on the streets without a home only months ago. xo

Warm Regards,
Alexandra
www. Little Wild Heart .com

8 years ago

I adopted one of my pups and it was one of the best decisions I ever made! Great article :)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/crownofcreationshop

8 years ago

I have 3 rescue kitties and I couldn’t imagine life without them! Starskey, a Blue Russian I have been told, is about 10 years old and still acts like a kitten. He was found as a newborn kitten, tiny enough to fit in my hand with his eyes still closed. Trixie, my tiny little fluff ball is about 7 years old. I was having a bad day, and decided to go to a pet store to fix my blues. Lucky for me the humane society was having an event there and once I saw her I knew I had to take her home. She was a tiny kitten at the time. Nugget, my big orange fluff ball, who i’m pretty sure thinks he’s a human, I got from my sister. I had gone with her to the humane society because she wanted a kitten, and I helped her pick him out. A year later she ran into a few issues that made her unable to keep him, so instead of her taking him back to the pound, he came to our home. He’s around 3 years old.

8 years ago

Ava is a gorgeous dog! I would love to adopt some of these other dogs! :3

8 years ago

I have a dog from an animal shelter since last august! Shadow is a Boarder Collie and it was love on the first sight. All my life I wanted a pet/dog, but my parents never allowed to have one…
Now my dream came true and I can not imagine to be without my Shadow!
He is already 9 years old, but nobody can believe it. On our walks in the fields (we are both nature lovers) he is a fast runner and loves to play with me a lot!
For me adopting a dog from an animal shelter was and still is the only way I wanted to bring a pet into my life!
There are always so cute and phantastic souls. Sometimes I visit and if I have not the time I run through their website. Cause Shadow should not stay the only dog…

Stella Georg
8 years ago

They are all so adorable! I also believe that all animals deserve to have a warm safe home where they can be happy and loved. It is really amazing that this shelter in Philadelphia is created with nothing but love for the animals! They are all gorgeous and I hope that they will all find the homes they deserve. I have two cats and I can say that they are making my life so much better. It is amazing to have cuddly little buddies that are ready to make your mood better any time you feel bad. They are so funny! Yesterday I found a lovely post about cats that made me laugh. Here to all pet lovers : http://www.buzzfeed.com/petraaureole/13-charismatic-cats-from-movies-and-cartoons-1wpgn
Greets!

7 years ago

This celebration will surely be filled with cuteness! Those pets need a home, and anyone who will adopt one of them will have a happy and adorable house soon.

6 years ago

I love them, especially the cats they are so adorable I wish I could adopt them. But I live in Indonesia, is far away for taken this cat