If you live in Centre County, chances are you<92>ve heard of PAWS, which stands for Promotion of Animal Welfare and Safety. PAWS is committed to finding humane solutions to the area<92>s pet overpopulation. PAWS maintains a non- euthanasia animal shelter, a spay-neuter assistance program, educational outreach, and emergency medical aid funding.
Carla Hass has been president of PAWS for several years and has worked with the group for the past eleven years. At the time, said Hass, they were not in their current building and animals were only in foster homes. They were showed at places like Wiscoy to attract potential families. <93>It really limited the number of animals that could be taken in,<94> said Hass.
PAWS is currently in a building near Metzger<92>s animal hospital on Benner Pike, but they began moving ground this week for their new building, which should open late next summer or early next fall, according to Hass. The new building will be able to house both cats and dogs, in separate wings while the current building only houses cats. Housing more animals is another advantage. The cat overpopulation in Centre County is formidable. <93>We could take in over 1000 cats,.. There<92>s the demand,<93> said Hass. She added that they get an average of 7-8 calls a day to house cats, and PAWS places about 250 cats and 15- dogs per year at the present. All PAWS dogs are currently in foster homes. <93>We still prefer foster homes,<94> said Hass. <93>It<92>s better for the animal<85>to see how they do in a home environment.<94> This is especially true for special needs dogs and geriatric dogs, many of whom are misplaced when their older owners pass away.
Additional advantages to the new building include an on-site surgery center where they will be able to spay and neuter. They<92>ll be able to do several spay-neuter clinics per month. The new building will also have additional room for educational outreach programs. They can do tours for groups and educate them on animal welfare. Right now, an elementary school class can barely fit into the building.
PAWS had been discussing the possibility of a new building for about five years, but raising money can be daunting, said Hass. They have no paid staff, only volunteers. And finding land was another obstacle. <93>Land in this area has gotten very expensive,<94> said Hass. In October 2005, PAWS began to raise funds. They sought the help of several fundraising professionals, including Linette Courtney, who is the head of the PAWS development committee. PAWS has raised $1.3 million to date. <93>This community has a really big volunteer spirit,<94> said Hass.
The biggest PAWS event is the annual Pet Extravaganza, which is held in Penn State<92>s agricultural arena. PAWS holds a rabies clinic for dogs and cats to be vaccinated. Animals over three months old are required to be vaccinated by PA state law. They also invite local animal groups involved in animal welfare to educate the public on the resources available to them. Such groups include veterinary practices, pet sitters, and dog-training schools.
This year PAWS also saw another new event, the Fur Ball. This was PAWS<92> first formal event, which took place on October 1. They had an auction with many donated items that attracted larger contributions. Veterinarian Fred Metzger and his band <93>Overhead<94> provided entertainment.
PAWS president Carla Hass has been in Centre County nearly 20 years, since 1988. She received a B.A. in marine biology from Dickinson in Carlisle, PA and then got her Master<92>s and Ph. D. in zoology from the university of Maryland. She came to the area as a post-doc researcher and is currently an instructor in the biology department at Penn State. She is married to Blair Hedges, a faculty member at PSU, and they have two dogs and three cats. Hass and Hedges have family in the Washington, D.C. area, some of whom have adopted PAWS animals. Although PAWS is unable to assist animals outside of Centre County, they do adopt to people out of the county who have seen animals on the website and make inquiries.
For more information on PAWS events, making a donation, or to see animals available for adoption, go to www.centrecountypaws.org.
Carla Hass has been president of PAWS for several years and has worked with the group for the past eleven years. At the time, said Hass, they were not in their current building and animals were only in foster homes. They were showed at places like Wiscoy to attract potential families. <93>It really limited the number of animals that could be taken in,<94> said Hass.
PAWS is currently in a building near Metzger<92>s animal hospital on Benner Pike, but they began moving ground this week for their new building, which should open late next summer or early next fall, according to Hass. The new building will be able to house both cats and dogs, in separate wings while the current building only houses cats. Housing more animals is another advantage. The cat overpopulation in Centre County is formidable. <93>We could take in over 1000 cats,.. There<92>s the demand,<93> said Hass. She added that they get an average of 7-8 calls a day to house cats, and PAWS places about 250 cats and 15- dogs per year at the present. All PAWS dogs are currently in foster homes. <93>We still prefer foster homes,<94> said Hass. <93>It<92>s better for the animal<85>to see how they do in a home environment.<94> This is especially true for special needs dogs and geriatric dogs, many of whom are misplaced when their older owners pass away.
Additional advantages to the new building include an on-site surgery center where they will be able to spay and neuter. They<92>ll be able to do several spay-neuter clinics per month. The new building will also have additional room for educational outreach programs. They can do tours for groups and educate them on animal welfare. Right now, an elementary school class can barely fit into the building.
PAWS had been discussing the possibility of a new building for about five years, but raising money can be daunting, said Hass. They have no paid staff, only volunteers. And finding land was another obstacle. <93>Land in this area has gotten very expensive,<94> said Hass. In October 2005, PAWS began to raise funds. They sought the help of several fundraising professionals, including Linette Courtney, who is the head of the PAWS development committee. PAWS has raised $1.3 million to date. <93>This community has a really big volunteer spirit,<94> said Hass.
The biggest PAWS event is the annual Pet Extravaganza, which is held in Penn State<92>s agricultural arena. PAWS holds a rabies clinic for dogs and cats to be vaccinated. Animals over three months old are required to be vaccinated by PA state law. They also invite local animal groups involved in animal welfare to educate the public on the resources available to them. Such groups include veterinary practices, pet sitters, and dog-training schools.
This year PAWS also saw another new event, the Fur Ball. This was PAWS<92> first formal event, which took place on October 1. They had an auction with many donated items that attracted larger contributions. Veterinarian Fred Metzger and his band <93>Overhead<94> provided entertainment.
PAWS president Carla Hass has been in Centre County nearly 20 years, since 1988. She received a B.A. in marine biology from Dickinson in Carlisle, PA and then got her Master<92>s and Ph. D. in zoology from the university of Maryland. She came to the area as a post-doc researcher and is currently an instructor in the biology department at Penn State. She is married to Blair Hedges, a faculty member at PSU, and they have two dogs and three cats. Hass and Hedges have family in the Washington, D.C. area, some of whom have adopted PAWS animals. Although PAWS is unable to assist animals outside of Centre County, they do adopt to people out of the county who have seen animals on the website and make inquiries.
For more information on PAWS events, making a donation, or to see animals available for adoption, go to www.centrecountypaws.org.
