PAWS Chicago’s Animal Health & Behavior Programs Are a Model in Animal Welfare

Oct 26, 2021

Consistently saving greater than 98% of the vulnerable population of animals who walk through our doors requires an army of medical and behavioral staff, as well as volunteers and fosters, to ensure that each animal receives the individual treatment and rehabilitation he or she requires.

Medical staff treat the physical body, rehabilitating pets suffering from illness and injury. For generations, getting sick in a shelter meant a death sentence. The PAWS Chicago Medical Center—the first stop for homeless animals when they arrive at PAWS—treats the most serious cases on site.

The accomplished medical team treats animals traditional shelters can’t. Pets’ deeper medical issues require specialized care including bloodwork, ultrasound, X-rays, oxygen therapy and IV care; soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries and tumor removal; eye procedures, advanced dental care. On any given day, the PAWS Chicago Medical Center provides hospitalization to more than 200 pets. The below chart is a snapshot of the conditions the team treats each year. 

In addition, an outpatient clinic offers free and low-cost vaccines and spay/neuter surgeries to thousands of animals in low-income communities, as well as a Trap-Neuter-Return program for feral cats.

We also use a robust foster network for pets more simple treatments that do not require a hospital stay. This not only improves outcomes for healing animals, it frees up space for additional pets to be saved.

Some of our pets come to us with emotional scars from the past. Others were never socialized in a family and don’t understand basic manners. Our Training Center’s staff behaviorists and team of trainers work with dogs on obedience, manners and agility, giving them the enrichment and stimulation essential to a quality life while in the shelter, and also helping them find homes.