PAWS Shelter Opens

  

September 6, 2007 (WLS) -- No kill. No cages. No lack of chew toys. On Thursday, armed with this battle cry, PAWS Chicago (Pets Are Worth Saving), the city's largest No Kill animal organization, will set forth to revolutionize the sheltering of Chicago's homeless animals by opening the first state-of-the-art, cageless No Kill shelter in the Midwest.

The new facility will redefine the whole concept of "animal shelter" by creating a bright, welcoming, accessible home-away-from-home for homeless animals in the heart of one of the most animal-friendly communities in the country.

One of only a few in the nation, this state-of-the-art PAWS Chicago Adoption and Humane Center will reside in the heart of Chicago's own Lincoln Park neighborhood, designed to meet all the needs of its homeless canine and feline guests, while welcoming and encouraging involvement from the community. PAWS Chicago has consulted with sheltering and behavior experts across the country to ensure that the design, operations and practices of the new Center will offer the best temporary care and comfort for its homeless animal guests, while easing their transition into permanent homes once adopted.

"Our new facility will help redefine the concept of an animal shelter," says Paula Fasseas, founder of PAWS Chicago. "With the inception of this revolutionary shelter, we envision a No Kill Chicago; a city in which pets are not destroyed just because they are homeless. The center will increase adoptions and adoption retention by offering life-long counseling and support."

The opening of the facility marks the 10-year-anniversary of PAWS. Since it was founded in 1997, the number of Chicago pets euthanized has dropped by more than 50 percent to 19,701 dogs and cats in 2006. In 2007 alone, PAWS Chicago will find homes for over 1,700 cats and dogs. This number is projected to dramatically increase over the next few years thanks to the new shelter.

Steel, Concrete and Three Walks a Day

Designed by Holabird & Root, the PAWS Chicago Adoption and Humane Center is located at 1997 N. Clybourn Avenue, where the Center will be surrounded by thousands of young people, families and retail stores, with lots of activity and foot traffic to attract volunteers and adopters.

The new PAWS Chicago shelter will have distinct areas to best accommodate the animals, facilitate the sheltering and adoption processes, and serve the needs of the community, including:

Dog and Cat Pavilions, specially designed to enhance physical and emotional welfare of its homeless guests