PAWS Chicago animal shelter has launched a fund to address the increase in pet homelessness

CHICAGO (WLS) — As Chicago and the rest of the country face an ongoing pet homeless crisis and the rising number of cats and dogs entering shelters continues, PAWS Chicago has launched the Chicago Animal Crisis Fund which will treat and save more homeless and endangered animals.

In 2023, the city’s impoundment facility, Chicago Animal Care & Control, took in 1,198 more dogs and cats than last year, leading to a 22.7% increase in euthanasia. It marks the first time more than 2,500 pets have been euthanized at CACC since 2016, and a reversal of hard progress in the effort to make Chicago a No Kill city where all healthy, treatable animals are saved . The city pound is a barometer of a community’s progress toward saving its most vulnerable animals.

PAWS Chicago, CACC’s largest transfer partner, further increased transfers last summer at the first signs of crisis, rescuing 38% of the cats and dogs transferred out of CACC by 2023 – 695 more pets than last year. The animals go to PAWS Chicago Medical Center, located 1.5 miles from CACC in Little Village, and receive treatments ranging from upper respiratory infection treatment to orthopedic surgery, until they are healthy and ready for adoption. If PAWS had not increased use, euthanasia at CACC would have increased by 50.6%.

In the first quarter of 2024, intake at CACC was up 22.8% – 608 cats and dogs – over the previous year, and PAWS continued its high volume of animal transfers out of Chicago Animal Care & Control, rescuing 34% of cats and dogs transferred out of CACC in the first quarter, a total of 495 pets.

Donations contributed to the Chicago Animal Crisis Fund will go toward the medical treatment and care of pets transferred from Chicago Animal Care & Control at PAWS Chicago, as well as supporting programs under the PAWS Chicago 360@CACC program umbrella launched in November 2023.

“Usually the first quarter is the slowest adoption time of the year, because the cold weather results in fewer births and fewer strays,” said Susanna Wickham, CEO of PAWS Chicago. “This year, there’s no reprieve, and we’re calling on our animal-loving community to help, as warm litter season approaches and will bring another wave of vulnerable pets.”

To give to the Chicago Animal Crisis Fund, or for more information, visit pawschicago.org/crisisfund.