PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap

Mission

PAWS of Bainbridge Island & North Kitsap advocates, educates, and provides direct services nurturing the bond of companionship between pets and their people, for the health and well-being of both. Founded in 1975, our organization has become a thriving, vital presence in the community. Through education, awareness, and financial aid, PAWS is realizing its vision of reducing pet overpopulation and the unnecessary euthanasia of healthy, adoptable animals whilst facilitating responsible, caring relationships between people and their pets.

Description

For 50 years, PAWS of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap's purpose has been to provide the community with programs that not only offer animal companionship with adoption, but also enhance the relationship between people and their pets through programs designed to increase pet retention. PAWS has two adoption facilities in the region - Kingston and Pleasant Beach Village. Cat and kittens at these centers come to us from family surrender, abandonment, or feral colonies. They are not only from Kitsap County, but also overpopulated shelters that still euthanize for space all over Western Washington.

Our other programs include:

• Last Litter: Caring for owned or found pregnant cats through delivery and weaning. Momma cats are spayed and either returned to their owner, or adopted to a loving home if a found pet. Kittens are all vaccinated, micro-chipped and either spayed or neutered before placing for adoption. On average, the program costs PAWS $700 in clinical costs alone.
• Low-income Veterinary Assistance and Spay/Neuter: In the past 10 years PAWS has provided over $1,000,000 in veterinary care financial support to families and seniors in our community. In July 2023, PAWS doubled all levels of support for both programs. Our organization also partners with the Suquamish Tribe and Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe to cover spay/neuter fees for tribal member pets;
• Safe Harbor: Complementary cat boarding for families experiencing a medical or financial crisis;
• Cat Sanctuary for senior cats, or those with behavioral issues, that need a little more time before they are ready for adoption;
• Pets and Loving Seniors (PALS): A companionship program for seniors to permanently foster senior cats or dogs,  with all veterinary and pet care costs covered by PAWS;
• Pet Food Bank: Serving local food banks with dog and cat food throughout the year, with a new program serving the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe (over 3,600 lbs. donated last year);
• Education programs, including pet care and emergency/disaster preparedness for your pets. PAWS is the community resource to help people better understand their pet and build stronger relationships with them.

Supporting PAWS of Bainbridge Island & North Kitsap allows our organization to be a readily available animal resource to our Kitsap community. Whether it is reuniting lost pets with their owners, rehabilitating cold and hungry stray cats and kittens, adopting them into loving homes, assisting with veterinary fees and spay/neuter costs for families in need, providing local food banks with pet food and severe weather shelters with pet supplies, and pet educational opportunities such as ideas to solve pet behavior issues and information about how to best care for your furry companion.

With the support of programs like Kitsap Great Give 2025 and YOU, PAWS will continue to be your community pet resource for the next 50 years!