The no-kill humane organization, PAWS Chicago, has been committed to helping dogs in need in the Chicago area for the past 25 years. In 1997, Paula Fasseas, the founder and chair of PAWS Chicago, and her daughter, Alexis Fasseas, became interested in animal welfare. When Alexis was in high school, she began volunteering at local rescues. She soon realized that many shelter animals were euthanized, and frantically adopted several cats. Her mother, inspired by San Francisco's no-kill policy, decided she needed to better the shelter system in Chicago.

The mother-and-daughter duo eventually realized that unhoused dogs and cats are a systemic problem, which would improve if more animals were neutered or spayed. 

“We would see litters and litters and we realized no matter how many you would adopt out, we would have got to the root of the problem. Something had to be done on the birth rate of these animals,” explained Paula during a 2014 YouTube video. “We got data from animal care and control and we found where the strays were coming from. The lower the income, the higher the stray calls, so we decided to put our resources into opening a spay, neuter clinic and we would locate it closest to the wards with the highest rates.”

She went on to say that they “opened the Laurie family spay/ neuter clinic” in 2001. 

“Anyone in the city of Chicago on Medicaid or public assistance could come in and get their animal fixed for free. Today we are doing 18,000 surgeries of which 70 percent are free for every animal that’s fixed. It prevents hundreds of animals from being born,” stated the PAWS Chicago founder. 

The organization  established a no-kill, cageless adoption center in Lincoln Park in 2007. Currently, PAWS Chicago takes in animals from 14 states that are considered “high-kill.” Injured or sick animals, who have been deemed to be adoptable, will receive care at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, which has eight veterinarians, three certified veterinarian technicians, and 15 other vet techs.  

“Our no-kill philosophy combined with our brand new state-of-the-art medical center makes us uniquely positioned to take in animals that would not have a chance anywhere else,” shared the former Director of Community Outreach and Organizational Integrity Officer, Laurie Maxwell, in a 2021 YouTube video. 

If you are interested in helping PAWS Chicago consider donating or adopting a furry friend from the organization.