STREET PAWS

Street Paws in Locust Grove, GA

Street Paws, Inc. is dedicated to improving the lives of animals living on the streets in Georgia. As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, we are incorporated in the State of Georgia and recognized by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Our mission focuses on reducing the animal population through spay and neuter programs, promoting responsible pet ownership through vaccinations and humane education, and finding suitable homes for unwanted and neglected animals. Street Paws, Inc. collaborates with local animal control shelters, county governments, and other animal welfare organizations to prevent cruelty to animals and alleviate their suffering. We aim to reduce overpopulation through spay/neuter initiatives and raise public awareness about their benefits. Our efforts also include improving the lives of street animals, providing humane education to the community, and fostering healthy relationships between people and animals. We work to shelter homeless, neglected, and abused animals, provide veterinary care, and assist in finding homes for animals without owners. Our support extends to local shelters to enhance reclaim, adoption, and foster opportunities, thereby reducing euthanasia rates. We also transfer animals to other licensed rescue groups and provide euthanasia when necessary. Animals are surrendered or entrusted to us by their owners, animal shelters, humane societies, and other individuals. Street Paws, Inc. is actively engaged in the community, taking a proactive approach to addressing the stray companion animal issue through dedicated rescue efforts, sheltering, community outreach, education, and promoting responsible pet guardianship. Our mission statement emphasizes that any animal without a home will not go hungry or unloved. When resources permit, we will take in homeless animals, notify the appropriate authorities, and work to find them new homes. We provide care and comfort to homeless pets in various ways. For tame animals, we will seek to network them for adoption. For feral animals, we ensure they are fed and cared for in their environment, prioritizing spaying and neutering to minimize the feral population. We also educate pet owners about the importance of spaying and neutering, annual vaccinations, and the commitment required to keep pets as family members, helping to prevent them from becoming homeless. Our current activities include: We implement a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for semi-feral and feral cats, sterilizing animals to prevent overpopulation and the spread of diseases. We maintain food and water stations for these colonies, ensuring that only healthy animals are returned after recovery. As of February 2017, we have sterilized 351 cats, all of which receive rabies vaccinations prior to release. A designated volunteer Colony Caretaker ensures that these animals receive fresh food and water daily. We also operate a food and water program for stray, semi-feral, and feral dogs, supported by a network of volunteers who sustain these animals until they can be rescued. Volunteers replenish food and water supplies and collect data to assist with their care, which is vital for the animals' health and survival while awaiting humane trapping, spaying, neutering, and rehabilitation. In terms of education, Street Paws, Inc. provides information about Trap-Neuter-Return practices for feral cats, spay/neuter procedures, heartworm prevention, vaccinations, and general dog care. This information is disseminated through our website, flyers, and educational programs in schools. We have partnered with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity to offer animal welfare education to new homeowners quarterly. As of February 2017, our foster program includes 12 dogs, 2 puppies, 15 cats, and 6 kittens. We currently manage multiple cat colonies (11 colonies with approximately 50 cats) in populated areas such as Waffle House, Skybox, Children’s Healthcare, Sun Suites, a cemetery, Marathon gas station, Mobile gas station, and Burger King. From 2014 to 2017, we rescued 117 dogs and puppies, adopting out 103, and rescued 54 cats and kittens, with 33 finding new homes.