PAWS New England has the saved the lives of more than 3,500 dogs.

We rescue abandoned, neglected, and abused dogs from high-kill shelters, and provide them with veterinary care and much needed TLC. When they’re ready, we adopt them into safe and loving homes.

PAWS partners with Tipton County, a shelter in rural Tennessee with an 85% euthanasia rate. Nearly nine out of every ten dogs that enter Tipton County never leave. We’re working to change that.

We also educate the local community about spay-and-neuter programs to help control the dog population and stop the problem at its source.

Read some of our success stories…

How We Started

Four years ago, PAWS co-founder Traci Wood walked into the Tipton County Animal Shelter in search of her friend’s lost dog, Snowflake.

Snowflake wasn’t there (she was found alive and well later that day), but what Traci saw shocked and saddened her. “The pitiful dogs and cats that I saw there that morning – some injured, many sick, cold and wet, and the absolute hopeless expressions on their little faces – made my heart sink to my feet.”

Traci started going to the shelter several times a week. She took photos of the dogs, and posted them on Petfinder. She emailed various rescue groups around the country asking for help.

One-by-one, she started pulling dogs out of Tipton County and placing them in loving homes.

Later that summer, a woman from Boston named Kelly Parker noticed all of the dogs Traci was posting and asked, “How can I help?” PAWS New England was born.

Several months later, Joanne Hutchinson joined the team. Then a few more people. Then a few more after that. PAWS now has several dozen volunteers and a wonderful network of partners.

We started with a simple mission: Save lives, one dog at a time. And over the last four years, we’ve saved more than 3,500.

Get Involved

In addition to adopting one of our wonderful dogs, there are many ways for you to get involved in our life-saving work.

We’re always looking for people to foster dogs or volunteer their time. If you’re short on time but still want to help, you might consider making a donation.

And of course, one of the easiest ways to help is to spread the word about what we do.