PAWS is a small and very successful shelter. We operate with 8 foster moms, yet still adopt 250+ cats and kittens per year! In order to rescue more cats and kittens, we need community help.

Currently our foster moms are doing all the fostering, plus all the website updates, grant writing, adoption booth chores, fundraisers, plus we work full time! HELP!!!!
(Students who need to work community volunteer hours are welcome to help us also.)

PetSmart in Melbourne has been an excellent place for us to adopt. However, we find ourselves with no volunteers at this time (April, 2004) and soon we may be unable to continue working the adoption booth at PetSmart. Frankly, PAWS had expected more participation from the community, so that we could rotate our volunteers. Due to having so few volunteers, and since those same folks have helped every weekend for 2 years, the obvious occurs - burnout! We need at least one adult per Saturday, from 11-5, to field questions, handle adoption paperwork, and manage the booth. Please let Karen know ASAP if you want to train (it’s not hard at all!!). She can be reached at 752-5120 (she does hold down a regular job, so leave a message if she’s not there!!).

We also have an extreme shortage of foster moms. Currently, we have 5 consistent foster moms. Mona handles the most of our fostering, with up to 60 at times (!) but mostly in the 20’s, with some requiring specialized care (like Jet). Judy also handles an extreme number of fosters, and she and Mona work closely together. Not only that, Judy lives 100 miles from PetSmart (talk about dedicated!). Betsy and her family usually have a young litter of kittens in their care. Marie averages fostering 5-10 adults and juveniles for PAWS. Karen is the “queen of the bottle babies” and really knows her stuff. Since we only have 8 cages at PetSmart, we have to coordinate ahead of time which cats are coming every week (we try to alternate as the cats can also become “soured” at going to PetSmart)!

As for fostering, Judy and Mona have plenty of adults who are already vetted, and are okay with other cats (and possibly dogs). These adults are good candidates to move into other foster homes, where the foster family would be responsible for daily care, and transporting them to and from PetSmart every other week.

Please let us know right away if you are interested in fostering, or working our adoption booth (we would like to get enough people trained
so that our PetSmart volunteers would need to come in only once a month).

Thank you!!

Here are some of our volunteer opportunities:

-- Managing our PetFinder website updates -- Setting up our adoption booth at PetSmart each weekend
-- Taking down our adoption booth at PetSmart each weekend -- Assisting with adoptions at PetSmart (in Melbourne) on Saturdays from 11-5
-- Washing and ironing our adoption booth linens each week -- Making catnip toys for fundraisers -- Cutting down and stitching oversized towels to handtowel size (for pet bedding)

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact
PAWS at (321) 752-5120 or send email to PAWS_Volunteer