Record-Breaking Adopt-a-Thon

Jan 17, 2022

Last month, PAWS hosted our 14th annual Holiday Adopt-a-Thon. And to be perfectly honest, it made us feel just like Oprah.

You get a home! And you get a home! And you get a home!

We originally set out to find families for 120 pets, but thanks to an outpouring of enthusiasm, we exceeded that goal and placed a tail-wagging total of 183 dogs and cats in loving homes. Which meant making space to bring that many more outcast animals into the safety of our shelter. Exactly what we were hoping!  

During this push to get pets in homes, we maximized impact while adhering to COVID guidelines by leveraging our new appointment-based model, which significantly reduced crowds and long lines. We also extended our hours, making it easier for potential adopters to stop by after work.

The entire week, our Lincoln Park Adoption Center was abuzz with adopters and the most beautiful sight of all: families petting the soft face of a new friend. Included in these picturesque moments was Pepe.

Pepe is a 10-year-old terrier whose little smile will melt your heart. Pepe arrived as a stray with terrible teeth and the early stages of kidney disease. Thankfully, at our newly renovated Medical Center, we were able to give Pepe a full-mouth makeover and a much better quality of life by extracting dozens of painful, decaying teeth and restoring his sweet smile. Our team was also able to do blood tests in-house to assess his kidney function.

While he healed, Pepe stayed with foster mom Noemy Penafiel who fell in love with his quiet disposition and adorableness in sweaters. And after spending over a month together, Noemy officially brought Pepe into her family during our Adopt-a-Thon and we couldn