Helping Keep New York City Pets and People Together

By Rachel Herman, Founder and Executive Director, PAWS NY 

What do pets mean to people? When talking about his 17-year-old dog, a 91-year-old New Yorker named Arnold said, “He’s the greatest anti-depressant you could imagine.  He means everything to my life.” 

That's Arnold and his dog Jade pictured above. Sadly, Arnold recently passed away, but our organization, Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS NY) worked hard to protect the relationship he had with Jade until the very end. In fact, last year alone, our nonprofit helped 243 people and their 336 pets remain together as a family.

Helping keep families together

PAWS NY strives to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers and pets in need, with a focus on helping those who are struggling to care for their pets due to health and financial obstacles, with a particular emphasis on seniors.

With the help of generous partners (and an incredible network of volunteers), PAWS NY ensures that our clients and their pets are not forced to separate simply due to age, disability, or illness.  At the core of our efforts is the Housecall Program. Through it, volunteers visit clients in their homes and help with dog walking, cat care, and other ongoing pet assistance that our clients struggle to provide on their own. We project that Housecall volunteers will conduct more than 20,000 home visits in 2019 alone.

Veterinary care and food are part of our mission

In addition, we donate pet food to those in need through our Pet Pantry, and we cover the cost of veterinary care through our Veterinary Care Program. We also provide foster care for pets when their guardians are hospitalized or facing other medical crises. Pets are family, and it's our mission to keep families with pets together.

We're fortunate that Wag! has provided PAWS NY a community impact grant. We're honored to have been selected for funding through this wonderful program. Wag! is a perfect partner and truly understands the importance of what we do. Together, we're improving the quality of life for people and pets in need across New York City.

Visit our website to learn more about PAWS NY and, perhaps, join Wag! in supporting our efforts. We know hundreds of pets and pet parents that would appreciate your donation, no matter the size.