GRASSROOT BEGINNINGS
APRIL 2021
ESTABLISHED
SHELTER PARTNERS
From Chicago to Indiana, Michigan, and Louisiana, we built strong relationships to save more cats and give them a second chance.
MAY
2021
LAUNCHED
PAW PRINT CLUB
We knew we needed a sustainable way to support our mission, so we created a community of monthly donors committed to lifesaving.
JUNE
2021
FOSTER PROGRAM CONTINUED TO GROW
One foster turned into ten. Ten turned into fifty. With every home that opened its doors, more lives were saved.
SEPT 2021
HELD OUR FIRST
RALLY FOR RESCUES
A community united for cats. Our first-ever Rally for Rescues brought together adopters, fosters, and supporters to fuel our lifesaving work.
JAN 2022
BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR A HOME FOR PAWS AND CLAWS
Our rescue was growing faster than we had the space for. We set out to find a facility where we could expand our impact.
MAY 2022
FOUND OUR HOME AT 829 CHICAGO AVE
The moment we walked through the doors, we knew this was where we belonged—this was the place that would change everything for Paws and Claws.
DEC 2022
BROKE GROUND AT
829 CHICAGO AVE
A new chapter began, and as we laid the foundation for our future, we saved our 918th cat in the process.
JUNE 2023
BEGAN HIRING STAFF
AND INTERNS
As our rescue grew, so did our need for hands-on help. We began building a team of passionate, dedicated humans to care for our cats and community.
Traverse and Benton
Adopted 2/19/21
NOV 2023
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM TOOK OFF
What started with a few helping hands turned into a movement. Volunteers stepped up in every way and became the heart of our rescue.
DEC 2020
Charlotte
Adopted 11/3/21
SAVED OUR
142ND CAT
The moment it felt real, when the idea turned into a full-fledged rescue, making a difference one life at a time.
MAY 2020
Po
Adopted 6/2020
PAWS AND CLAWS WAS FOUNDED
Ashlynn saw a need and decided to take action—what started as a dream quickly became a mission to save lives.
DEC 2021
Miso and Barley
Adopted 10/2/21
SAVED OUR
500TH CAT
A milestone that once seemed impossible became reality—500 lives saved, even more changed, and we were just getting started.
MAR 2024
HAD OUR FIRST
ONSITE SURGERY
With medical care now onsite, we reached a new level of care, keeping our cats healthy— reducing overpopulation, and bringing care closer to home.
DEC 2023
Moshannon
Adopted 12/30/23
SAVED OUR
1,424TH CAT
We ended the year with a powerful reminder of why we do this: every life matters. Each cat had a story—and we listened.
MAY 2023
HOSTED OUR GRAND OPENING
We cut the ribbon on a space built with love and hope, and celebrated the beginning of a new chapter for Paws and Claws.
Kanga and Koala
Adopted 5/22/23
FIRST CATS
MOVED IN
In the weeks before opening, we welcomed our first residents. The empty rooms were now filled with life and second chances.
DEC 2024
HELD AN IMPACTFUL
END-OF-YEAR CAMPAIGN
The generosity shown through the Saving 829 Lives Campaign, including Giving Tuesday, proved this mission is shared—and our community is with us.
829 LIVES SAVED IN
JUST ONE YEAR
In a single year, we gave 829
cats a second chance, bringing
our total adoptions to 2,085
since the day we were founded.
DEC 2024
Leela
Adopted 12/14/24
INTAKE GREW
BY 63.83%
From 2023 to 2024, our capacity to say “yes” expanded as our community grew, meaning more lives were saved and more families made whole.
Pinky Sweater
Adopted 10/26/24
2024: A YEAR OF
COLLECTIVE IMPACT
352 volunteers
205 fosters, 820 adoptions
250 Paw Print Club members
Numerous community partnerships
MAY 2025
HOSTED OUR
INAUGURAL GALA
On May 17, we hosted our inaugural gala, The Catalyst Ball. In a single night, our community raised $115,012 for our felines.
JULY 2025
FIRST ONSITE SPECIALIZED SURGERY
Trumpet came to us with different-colored eyes, one being cancerous. To give him the best quality of life, he underwent the first-ever on-site enucleation at Paws and Claws.
SEPT 2025
CELEBRATED OUR
2700TH ADOPTION
French Horn, with his puppy-like personality, needed a family ready to keep up with his love of adventure. Like so many cats before him, and many still to come, he found the forever home.
OCT 2025
REIMAGINED
RALLY FOR RESCUES
We transformed Rally for Rescues into a full fall festival, bringing pumpkins, vendors, cats, and community together at Baker Park on October 11.
NOV 2025
Shang
Adopted 1/9/26
SAVED OUR
3000TH CAT
Shang was battling a chronic upper respiratory infection at his previous shelter, but they could no longer afford his treatment. We took him in the day of his deadline.
HOSTED
LIGHT THE NIGHT
To honor the lives we've lost and the cats still waiting, our community raised funds and gathered to cast a light forward, illuminating hope for the cats whose journeys are still ahead.
DEC 2025
CELEBRATED OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN
This campaign brought us back to the heart of what we do, the reasons we rescue. 324 compassionate members of our community raised $85,868 for our cats.
JAN 2026
WELCOMED OUR 6,500TH CUDDLE HOURS
Between Visitor Hours and Meet-and-Greets, we’ve met hundreds of members of our community. Our Adoption Center welcomes visitors every single day.
FEB 2025
French Horn
Adopted 9/30/25
EXPANDED SHELTER PARTNERSHIPS
APR 2026
Seabiscuit
Adopted 5/26/26
Ashlynn, Executive Director, visited 5+ shelter partners across Louisiana to witness the realities they face every day and explore how we can help support them.
Trumpet
Adopted 7/18/25
DEEPENED OUR ONSITE MEDICAL CAPABILITIES
After losing feeling in his leg and repeated injuries, Seabiscuit underwent a lifesaving limb amputation—the first-ever amputation performed onsite.