PAWS - Purrs and Whiskers Shelter

Purrs And Whiskers Shelter, Inc. (PAWS) is a non-profit 501 (c) 3, all-volunteer organization, dedicated to assisting cats and kittens through its rescue, foster, and adoption activities. We find loving homes for unwanted, abandoned, homeless, or abused cats and kittens. Most of our volunteers work full time.

Since our inception in 2000, we have found loving, caring homes for over 1,200 cats/kittens. We currently adopt at the Petsmart in Melbourne, Florida every Saturday by the cat food aisles. We have wonderful cats and kittens of all colors, shapes, sizes, and ages. Each of our felines has had all their medical requirements tended to: we work with several veterinarians that ensure this. Each cat has been tested for Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS when old enough, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, and de-fleaed. The adoption fee of $55 assists us in covering SOME of these costs. (It’s the best deal in town – a cat that is “fixed” and has its shots, and a Feline Leukemia test, all for $55??)

Other than adoption fees, which do not cover the full costs of most of the animals we have vetted, our ONLY source of funding is from the generous donations we receive from caring individuals.

PetSmart in Melbourne is an excellent place for us to adopt!! However, we find ourselves STILL with very few volunteers at this time (September 2005), which makes it a challenge to have our adoption booth at PetSmart every Saturday. Our regular help at PetSmart includes Ashley, Karen A., Ronda, and Karen Gibson (thanks, ladies!!). Frankly, PAWS had expected more participation from the community, so we could rotate volunteers monthly. Having so few volunteers leads to burnout! The hours are short just 3 hours on a Saturday, from 11-2 or 2-5, to work with one of our experienced volunteers. To volunteer, call Karen at 752-5120 (leave a message!!).

We now have plenty of foster moms. Currently, we have 12 foster moms, handling about 150 cats/kittens. With our small volunteer force, this is enough! Since we only have 8 cages at PetSmart, we have to coordinate which cats are coming every week (we have to alternate because the cats get tired of going to PetSmart to sit in a cage all day, especially the adults who get overlooked too often).

We also will sign off on community service hours, so let us know when you want to start volunteering with us! Just call Karen at 752-5120.

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