PAWS Chicago by the Numbers
Feb 11, 2016
The past year was record-breaking for homeless animals in our community
PAWS Chicago broke a number of records in 2015, including the numbers of adoptions, volunteer hours and spay/neuter surgeries. But it was also a year with significant new and life-threatening challenges for homeless animals. In early in 2015, Chicago faced the outbreak of Canine Influenza Virus (CIV). The H3N2 virus had never been seen before in the U.S. and is highly contagious.
As a result, all of the dogs who may have been exposed must be isolated for up to 30 days to prevent spreading the disease. The ability to innovate in response to a changing environment is critical for all industries, but it is even more urgent when lives are on the line. Because of our Medical Center, the generous support of our donors and the ingenuity of our team, PAWS Chicago adapted operations, treatment and isolation protocols and animal housing, becoming the only animal rescue organization in Chicago equipped to take in and care for a large volume of CIV cases.
Additionally, our innovative community engagement approach has expanded our capacity to save more lives by placing CIV-exposed dogs in trained
foster homesRelated Links
- Video: PAWS Chicago in 2015