About Us

The distress of many pet-owners and suffering of their animal companions is preventable.

Progressive Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) is a volunteer-based charity organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged and in-crisis people access veterinary care to keep their animal companions safe, healthy, and in their loving arms. We know that animal companions support the physical and mental health of humans.

PAWS programs 

  • are directly accessible to applicants including in-crisis populations and agency representatives
  • help prevent downstream costs and issues by reducing the load on animal shelters/rescues/control and the community impacts of unwanted births and spread of disease. 

What We Do

  1. Subsidize Veterinarian Care for those who could not otherwise afford it.
  2. Guide Community Agencies towards implementing pet-friendly solutions for their clients.
  3. Educate about Preventive Care to decrease the severity of future issues and reduce the longterm cost of pet ownership.

How We Are Different

Our focus is on solving human needs:

  1. Access to vet care despite inadequate income
  2. Mental health support by eliminating traumatic loss or inability to care for a pet due to crisis or financial reasons.
  3. Solutions for family pets to assist humans fleeing violence.

We must solve people’s problems to truly address our most challenging animal problems!

Our focus is Prevention:

The biggest impact comes from education plus better access to care when it is needed most:

  • Spay/neuters to prevent unwanted births
  • Vaccinations that prevent disease spread
  • Treatment for dental, parasitic and other issues to prevent further deterioration
  • Emergency medical care to prevent continued suffering
  • Access to care that prevents the devastating impact of surrender or euthanasia for economic reasons
  • Support for community agencies to create pet-friendly solutions for their human clients

By keeping more pets safe and healthy at home, we also help prevent some of the pressure on overloaded rescues and shelters.

and …We are one of very few Ontario groups directly accessible to the public with no stipulations other than need-based ones.

History of PAWS

In the beginning, PAWS was instrumental in making London Ontario a friendlier place for animals.

Progressive Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) was first formed in 2012 in collaboration with seven local animal welfare groups in response to an urgent need for a more ethical animal control model for the City of London. Due in large part to our members’ influence and advocacy, the City of London enacted numerous new animal welfare guidelines, partnerships with local rescues AND designated London as a “No Kill City”. The focus shifted from euthanasia to collaboration, adoption and treatment programs.

PAWS and City leaders understood that there was a real need to support those with animal companions in difficult times. 

PAWS then evolved into a non-profit organization aimed at improving the lives of animal companions and their human families by facilitating access to affordable veterinary care and other support services. PAWS has been running as a non-profit in this capacity ever since and has successfully supported dozens of vulnerable families and animals in our community.

In 2019 PAWS set off to establish itself as a charity. After much paperwork and many COVID delays, we officially became a charity in 2022!

Location – We collaborate with many clinics and agencies across parts of Southwest Ontario. With more sustainable funding,  and community interest, PAWS’s intention would be to serve all Southwest Ontario communities. Currently we are able to serve clients in this area. 

Creating a better life for animal companions and those who love them.