PAWS

Name

PAWS

Legal name

Progressive Animal Welfare Society, Inc.

Website

https://paws.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Welfare Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Shelters & Adoption Services (BPAGAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Animal welfare services
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Companion animal sheltering
• Low-cost spay neuter
• Humane education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lynnwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: PAWS relies heavily on individual donations, monthly giving programs, matching gift programs, and employer workplace giving. The organization also receives donations through vehicle contributions, donor-advised funds, stock gifts, and IRA donations.
2. Spay/Neuter Clinic Services: Low-cost spay and neuter surgeries provided to qualified low-income individuals, with fees ranging from $100-$240 depending on animal type and weight. Additional services include vaccinations, microchipping, and other surgical add-ons.
3. Pet Adoption Fees: Fees charged for cat and dog adoptions from PAWS Companion Animal Shelter and PAWS Cat City adoption centers.
4. Signature Events Fundraising: Annual events including PAWSwalk and PAWS Wild Night generate funds through participant fundraising, corporate sponsorships, auction items, and ticket sales.
5. Third-Party Fundraising Campaigns: PAWS receives funds from Colossal's America's Favorite Pet competition, which has raised over $22 million for PAWS since 2022.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PAWS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal welfare organization that shelters and adopts out cats and dogs through facilities in Lynnwood and Seattle, operates a 365-day full-service wildlife rehabilitation hospital in Snohomish for sick, injured, and orphaned mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, runs a low-cost spay/neuter clinic for income-qualified pet owners, places animals in volunteer foster homes, and delivers humane education programs for youth and adults.

Product overview

PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) is a nonprofit animal welfare organization offering an integrated portfolio of services for companion animals, wildlife, and community education. The core offerings include: Companion Animal Adoption Services (shelters in Lynnwood and Seattle's Cat City), the PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (a 365-day emergency hospital in Snohomish for sick/injured wildlife), Lost and Found Pet Services, Low-Income Spay/Neuter Clinic, Foster Care Program, and PAWS Education Programs (including PAWS Academy, Kids Who Care, and summer camps). PAWS also operates fundraising events including PAWSwalk, PAWS Wild Night, and America's Favorite Pet Competition. The organization provides companion animal sheltering, wildlife rehabilitation, and education as a unified mission to help cats, dogs, and wild animals go home and thrive.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Companion Animal Adoption Services PAWS operates companion animal shelters in Lynnwood (Companion Animal Shelter) and Seattle (Cat City), placing homeless cats and dogs with new families. Adoption advisors help match families with companion animals.
• PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center A full-service wildlife rehabilitation facility and 365-day emergency hospital in Snohomish providing veterinary care, surgery, X-ray, and ultrasound for sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. One of only two Washington State facilities permitted to rehabilitate American Black Bears and marine mammals.
• Lost and Found Pet Services PAWS reunites hundreds of lost dogs and cats with their guardians annually and is authorized to take strays from Edmonds, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Shoreline, and Woodinville.
• Low-Income Spay/Neuter Clinic Low-cost spay and neuter surgeries by appointment for qualified low-income families in King and Snohomish Counties, with procedures for cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies at $100-$240 depending on animal type, sex, and weight, plus paid add-on services such as microchipping and vaccinations.
• PAWS Education Programs Experiential learning programs for schools, scouts, and youth including the Kids Who Care 4th-grade classroom program, summer camps, scout badge programs, and workshops that inspire compassion for animals among youth and adults.
• Foster Care Program Foster families are trained to provide temporary care for cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies in their own King and Snohomish County homes, saving more than 2,000 animals each year.
• PAWSwalk Annual 21-day walk-from-anywhere challenge held in June where participants walk solo or form teams and each mile walked generates a $1 donation to PAWS through a corporate mile-matching sponsor.
• PAWS Wild Night An annual dinner and fundraising gala bringing together PAWS supporters and community leaders to celebrate accomplishments for animals and highlight critical work ahead.
• America's Favorite Pet Competition Viral online competition and fundraising campaign operated by Colossal, where participants compete for magazine covers and $10,000 prizes and raise funds for PAWS through vote donations.
• Middle School Summer Camps Four-day drop-off camps for students entering 6th-8th grade exploring animal behavior, welfare, and enrichment, including Companion Animal Week and Wildlife Week sessions at $400 per student with EARLY50 discount available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 5,000 wildlife patients representing 150 species cared for annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ColossalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerColossal operates America's Favorite Pet competition as a fundraising campaign, with PAWS as the nonprofit beneficiary. Since 2022, Colossal has raised over $22 million for PAWS through this competition. The annual viral online competition allows participants to compete for magazine covers and $10,000 prizes while raising funds for animal charities.
• DTCarecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAmerica's Favorite Pet competition is operated as a fundraising campaign for DTCare, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Donations raised from Donation Votes go directly to DTCare, which subsequently grants funds to PAWS at the end of each competition. The 2026 campaign raised $7.5 million to support DTCare's grants to PAWS.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ASPCA: One of the largest U.S. animal welfare nonprofits, providing adoption, veterinary, advocacy, and rescue services. Overlaps with PAWS on adoption, low-cost veterinary care, and humane education, but operates nationally as a broad incumbent.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National leader in the no-kill animal welfare movement operating the largest companion animal sanctuary in the U.S. and a national adoption/transport network. Comparable mission and adoption program model but operates nationally at much greater scale.
• Humane Society of the United States (HSUS): National animal welfare organization with advocacy, rescue, and direct-care programs. While not a direct shelter operator in WA, it competes for donor dollars across PAWS' mission areas including wildlife and companion animals.

Others

• Woodland Park Zoo: Seattle-based AZA-accredited zoo with conservation, education, and animal care programs. Adjacent rather than directly competitive; PAWS' new CEO came from a peer zoo (Dallas Zoo), and Woodland Park's former Chief People Officer sits on PAWS' board, indicating operational overlap.

Direct peers

• Pasadena Humane Society: California-based animal welfare nonprofit offering adoption, spay/neuter, wildlife rehabilitation, and humane education under an integrated service model directly comparable to PAWS' multi-program structure.
• Seattle Humane: Regional direct peer in the greater Seattle/Washington area offering companion animal adoption, pet support services, and humane education. Directly competes with PAWS for donors, adopters, and volunteers in the same King/Snohomish County geography.
• The Marine Mammal Center: Specialty wildlife rehabilitation organization focused on marine mammals (including harbor seals) along the California coast. Closest functional peer to PAWS' marine mammal rehabilitation work, with similar veterinary hospital model and rescue/release mission.

Regional players

• Oregon Humane Society: Major Pacific Northwest animal welfare organization offering adoption, veterinary, and humane investigation services. Operates in adjacent geography (Portland metro) with a similar integrated service model, comparable scale, and overlapping donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pawstweets
• Facebookfacebook.com/PAWSWashington

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PAWS