Just a few weeks ago, Sweetpea was spotted darting across 26th Street, a high-traffic corridor just outside our Medical Center in Little Village. One of our volunteers saw her—a frightened, young dog, running loose and alone amid the danger of passing cars. When the volunteer approached, Sweetpea was so frightened she couldn’t even lift her head. But then she heard the quiet whisper: “You’re safe now.” And in that moment Sweetpea relaxed. She slowly walked forward and curled into the volunteer’s arms.
She had no collar. No microchip. And no one came to claim her. So Sweetpea became a PAWS pet.
In a few days, we’ll ask you to stand with us for PAWS Giving Day—a day when animal lovers across Chicago and beyond unite to build a No Kill Chicago through action, love, and lifesaving generosity.
But today, we simply want to remind you what our mission means.
It means safety for a scared dog on a busy street, open arms for a pet who has no one, and second chances—for animals like Sweetpea, and the more than 25,000 other homeless and at-risk dogs and cats we’ll serve this year.
If you’d like to help early, your support will be put to work right away—fueling medical care, food, shelter, and love for pets who can’t wait.
