Holiday Cheer at PAWS Chicago: Finding Forever Homes for 125 Animals
As temperatures drop below zero this weekend, PAWS Chicago is gearing up to find warm and forever homes for 125 of its furry friends in time for the holiday season. The non-profit animal shelter's annual Adopt-a-Thon kicked off on Friday, with a line of potential adopters waiting outside the doors.
Inside the shelter, animals were dressed in festive outfits, playing with toys or snoozing away. According to PAWS Chicago's Chief Program Officer Celene Mielcarek, having a companion animal is life-changing and brings immense joy and unconditional love into one's life. With the holiday season being a time of joy and festivity, it's the perfect opportunity for people to welcome a new pet into their homes.
PAWS Chicago has seen an increase in intakes at its shelter, with around 50 animals arriving every day. The organization frequently takes animals from the city's Animal Care and Control to prevent euthanasia. Mielcarek emphasized that fostering and adopting are crucial to clearing space in the shelter for more animals.
Among the adopters on Friday were families looking for their new pets and those who had previously fostered animals, hoping to give them a forever home. The Rileys, a family from Lincoln Park, were among the first to adopt a pet – a cat named Sprinkle Belly they had been fostering for over eight years.
The shelter has overseen 5,000 adoptions this year, according to Paige Krueger, a volunteer with PAWS for 10 years. Among the many animals vying for attention was Ambrosia, a two-month-old terrier mix wearing a red cape as her holiday outfit.
As intake continues to rise across the country, public shelters like Chicago Animal Care and Control are overpopulated. Krueger stressed that adopters play a vital role in saving lives by adopting pets from shelters. "It's so important that adopters come in, adopt these pets, and that's really the only way we can save more lives."
The PAWS Chicago Adopt-a-Thon will continue until midnight on Friday and 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Potential adopters are encouraged to make appointments or walk-in to find their new furry friends.
As temperatures drop below zero this weekend, PAWS Chicago is gearing up to find warm and forever homes for 125 of its furry friends in time for the holiday season. The non-profit animal shelter's annual Adopt-a-Thon kicked off on Friday, with a line of potential adopters waiting outside the doors.
Inside the shelter, animals were dressed in festive outfits, playing with toys or snoozing away. According to PAWS Chicago's Chief Program Officer Celene Mielcarek, having a companion animal is life-changing and brings immense joy and unconditional love into one's life. With the holiday season being a time of joy and festivity, it's the perfect opportunity for people to welcome a new pet into their homes.
PAWS Chicago has seen an increase in intakes at its shelter, with around 50 animals arriving every day. The organization frequently takes animals from the city's Animal Care and Control to prevent euthanasia. Mielcarek emphasized that fostering and adopting are crucial to clearing space in the shelter for more animals.
Among the adopters on Friday were families looking for their new pets and those who had previously fostered animals, hoping to give them a forever home. The Rileys, a family from Lincoln Park, were among the first to adopt a pet – a cat named Sprinkle Belly they had been fostering for over eight years.
The shelter has overseen 5,000 adoptions this year, according to Paige Krueger, a volunteer with PAWS for 10 years. Among the many animals vying for attention was Ambrosia, a two-month-old terrier mix wearing a red cape as her holiday outfit.
As intake continues to rise across the country, public shelters like Chicago Animal Care and Control are overpopulated. Krueger stressed that adopters play a vital role in saving lives by adopting pets from shelters. "It's so important that adopters come in, adopt these pets, and that's really the only way we can save more lives."
The PAWS Chicago Adopt-a-Thon will continue until midnight on Friday and 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Potential adopters are encouraged to make appointments or walk-in to find their new furry friends.
They're literally dressed up for the holiday season! I'm all about finding forever homes for these fur babies, especially during this time of year when people have more free time to spend with their new pets. It's amazing that organizations like PAWS Chicago are doing such an incredible job in shelters, rescuing animals from being euthanized... and now they're getting so many adoptions! 
As someone who loves animals (and binge-watching cat videos), I know how much of a difference having a companion animal can make. The more people adopt, the less space there is for other poor critters to get stuck in shelters. Let's get those foster homes filled and bring home those furry friends! 
, especially with the holiday season coming up! Its so cool that they have 125 animals ready for adoption and dressing them up in festive outfits 
... I mean, who wouldn't want a furry friend to cuddle up with during the holidays? 
The shelter has been seeing an increase in intakes which is kinda sad but also super helpful in raising awareness about animal shelters... 5,000 adoptions this year is pretty impressive! 
and I'm still trying to process the incredible scenic views of Lake Delton 
. But, you know what's even more breathtaking? The art of making the perfect grilled cheese sandwich 
! It's all about finding that perfect balance between melty goodness and crispy crunchiness... just like how PAWS Chicago is finding perfect forever homes for their furry friends 
i mean, who needs a warm home when you can have a cold floor? PAWS Chicago is doing amazing work trying to save as many lives as possible, but it's crazy to see the numbers rising 
and intake is getting out of control 
. 50 animals a day? that's just too much 
. i think we all know how important adopting from shelters is 
, it's literally the only way to make space for more furry friends 
. i'll be there to make an appointment ASAP to find my forever pet 
? I'm reading this and thinking 'back in my day' we didn't have all these animals pouring in every single day. I mean, I know people's lives got busier and stuff, but come on! It's just so many furry faces needing love and homes 
. Having that little buddy in the house, always happy to see you, is just the best thing ever 
Ugh, I'm so sick of these "adopt-a-thons" that every shelter does this time of year... it's just a bunch of people trying to make money off the sentimentality of others 
. Like, can't they just be honest about the fact that shelters are overcrowded and need more resources? 
. I mean, I get it, people want to make cute posts on social media, but can't we focus on actually making a difference here? 
.
! they have soo many adoptions every year & its amazing 
. but like, it makes sense why intake is high rn... its cold outside & ppl want to stay warm at home w/ a cuddly companion 
i also feel bad for the animals who are waiting 2 find their forever homes, but at least PAWS Chicago is doin its part 
. and btw, who doesnt love an animal in a holiday outfit? 
think its kinda messed up that ppl gotta wait in line 2 adopt a pet during the holiday season. like, cant they just come in & adopt whenever? 
its actually pretty sad 2 hear about public shelters being overpopulated tho... all these adorable fur babies need homes ASAP 
!
?! It's like, totally meant to be! 
!
. With around 50 animals a day, it's like, a lot of mouths to feed and hearts to care for