Partnership for Animal Welfare Adoption Event October 17, 2009

Natalie K

Beware of PAW's policies! I used to volunteer and donate money to them but resigned over their ways of doing things. Their requirements for adopting dogs can be strange at best. Don't tell them that you might move in the future or no dog for you. I was almost denied my dog because I "might" have a grandchild in the future and my other dog would be "a bad influence" on the dog I wanted to adopt. Partly as a result of a high rate of application denials, PAW’s adoption rates for dogs are low: in 2008 they placed only about 40 dogs with an overall budged of over $150,000; other rescues I know of have placed 150+ dogs for under $10,000, so where does the money go? Also, despite much opposition, PAW supports a vet whose competence is seen as questionable by some and whose actions are inconsistent with the philosophy of rescue: when two cats were abandoned at his doorstep, he ordered his staff to have them picked up by Animal Control, and that's on a day when our (high-kill) shelter was full. When my cat's heart failure was missed by this vet's staff and I confronted him about it, he turned nasty against me and my family and banned me and three more volunteers (my husband, son and son's girlfriend) form walking PAW's convalescing dogs boarded at his facility 24/7. We were their only source of breaks in cage confinement at that time. Those of you who want to adopt from PAW: for the sake of the animals, please try to do it but encourage PAW to be a more responsible rescue.