Humane Response Line: 551-800-7297 (24-hour answering service)
Lost & found cats. Leave a message. We will return your call ASAP.
​PAWS Mission
"To promote and protect the rights and well-being of all domestic animals and wildlife, and to foster a greater understanding of animal welfare and animal rights through education."
Esther Nowell
Key Programs
​
Humane Response Line
Our Humane Response is a 24-hour telephone resource where volunteers answer animal welfare questions, assist with lost and found pets, and guide callers on issues such as:
​
-
adoptions or rehoming a pet with PAWS
-
other organizations that may be able to help with non-feline situations
-
cat behavioral issues
-
finding vet care and low-cost spay/neuter
Feline Adoptions & Rehoming
-
We rescue stray, abandoned, or surrendered cats and kittens, place them in loving foster homes, and carefully match them with forever families.
-
We assist pet families with re-homing when they are no longer able to care for their cats
​
PAWS Pet Food Pantry
PAWS Pet Food Pantry: Operating every Tuesday (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM) at our Wakefield office, our free pantry provides cat and dog food and litter to anyone in need—not just Wakefield residents. This vital resource helps prevent pet surrenders due to temporary financial hardship.
Community Cats Management
-
PAWS strives to ensure that found/free-roaming cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and, if possible, returned to their original colony or a barn or other safe area where caretakers can help provide food, water and appropriate shelter.
-
Friendly strays are either reunited with their families or adopted to new homes.
Medical Care & Microchips
We work with our local vets (including VCA Wakefield Animal Hospital and Mass Vet Referral Hospital) to ensure that the felines in our care receive vet exams and
-
are spayed/neutered and microchipped before adoption or placement in managed colonies
-
have age-appropriate vaccinations and deworming
-
receive needed medications and treatment for illnesses, injuries, infections and/or pain
​
In addition, PAWS provides the public with referrals to affordable spay/neuter services and other veterinarian care for their pets.
Educational Programs & Resources
PAWS provides our communities and schools with educational presentations and information about animal welfare and animal-related issues by
-
hosting speakers
-
subsidizing classroom materials
-
providing literature and other educational material at meetings and community events
-
posting periodic newsletters and animal welfare articles on our website and social media
​
PRIMARY SERVICE AREAS
We serve the people and animals in many communities, primarily the communities north of Boston.
Our core communities include Wakefield, Lynnfield, Reading, North Reading and Stoneham. However, we field calls from all over New England, and we are willing to accommodate requests from within Massachusetts and when we have a volunteer available and able to respond.
Whenever we are unable to help directly, we provide referrals to other organizations that may be able to help.
Our top priority is given to members, volunteers, adopters, and other PAWS supporters, plus requests from residents of Wakefield, Reading, North Reading, Stoneham, and Lynnfield.
PAWS is not certified to import animals from locations outside of Massachusetts.
However, we are approved and licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) to operate a rescue organization in accordance with the Shelter and Rescue Regulations 330 CMR 30.03 and 30.04.