To our PAWS community, 

Since our founding in 1997, when more than 42,000 cats and dogs were killed in the city of Chicago, PAWS Chicago has been wholeheartedly dedicated to the mission of changing the status quo for homeless animals. We’ve pioneered free and low-cost spay/neuter located in and serving under-resourced communities and established state-of-the-art adoption and medical centers for homeless animals. We’ve set higher standards for the care and treatment of homeless animals, while also using data to inform the most impactful solutions to bring an end to the killing of homeless pets in Chicago and beyond.   

As our work continues to grow, so does the need to effectively communicate the intricacies of our organization, the depth of our programs, and our results for homeless pets. We’re excited to share a first look at our refreshed PAWS Chicago logo—an identity designed to communicate our mission more powerfully and amplify our impact in the months and years ahead. 

Our North Star is now captured within our horizontal logo. For centuries, the North Star has been a symbol of direction, constancy, and safe passage. For PAWS Chicago, it’s more than just a point of light — it’s the embodiment of our mission. Our star represents the hope we offer to animals in need and the guidance we give to the people who love them. This custom mark also pays tribute to one of Chicago’s most recognized symbols - the Chicago star - rooting our visual identity deeply in the place we call home. Like the star itself, PAWS is a steady guide — lighting the path toward a No Kill future and helping pets and families find their way to each other. 

Three new words and a tag line that are at the heart of PAWS Chicago, encapsulating who we are and the mission we serve.  

‘Live. Love. Lead.’ isn’t a slogan pulled from thin air—it’s born directly from our DNA. It’s a distillation of who we are, what we do, and how we inspire others to join us. It’s uniquely ours and directly correlates with the main tenets of our mission statement. We’re calling it our Mission Activation.  

Live. PAWS Chicago programs are built on our No Kill model—a proven, scalable approach that turns compassion into measurable impact. Every homeless animal that comes through our doors is given a second chance to live, to heal, and to find love. Through spay/neuter and life-saving programs, we aim to prevent suffering before it begins. Living is core to our No Kill mission, where we work every day so that homeless and at-risk pets not only survive but thrive.  

Love is how we solve the problem of pet homelessness—together, harnessing the passion of our community to fuel our mission.  It has always been the foundation of PAWS. Through adopting, fostering, volunteering, fundraising, and advocacy, we have built countless ways for our community to take action. We know that it is people who solve the problems that homeless pets face. And with our connected community, our impact multiplies—exponentially.  

Lead reflects the innovation and advocacy that have been at our core since Day 1. Our founding was rooted in finding new ways to change the reality that homeless pets faced, when more than 90% were euthanized at our city impoundment facility. Back in 1997, it felt hopeless and insurmountable, but PAWS Chicago was there! And together, we led the way to an extraordinary transformation. Since that time, euthanasia has declined by 89%, but our work is far from complete. We take our responsibility as innovators and advocates for animal welfare seriously and will not rest until we have a real and sustainable No Kill Chicago. We know what it takes to build a No Kill future – state-of-the-art medical and behavioral care, proactive and strategic thinking around spay/neuter, and bold investments that bring our entire community together, like our 360@CACC programs and upcoming Rescue Ranch in Hawthorn Woods.

We thank you for all you have done to help build PAWS Chicago to where we are today, and for your continued passion and dedication to the animals we serve. Each of you are living examples of what it means to Live, Love, and Lead!