Bears–Packers week is here, and Chicago’s four-legged fans are getting in on the rivalry.    Ahead of the big game, PAWS Chicago and Foam Party Hats are teaming up to bring you the pet-sized Graterhead!   Grab yours online now at foampartyhats.com/products/g…, or get one in person at the PAWS Chicago Lincoln Park Adoption Center this Friday, Oct. 9 from 11 a.m.–1 p.m.   Part of our Great Pets Grate Cheese collaboration, each $30 Graterhead gives your pet the ultimate game-day look, with a portion of proceeds from every hat donated to PAWS Chicago to help homeless pets.  
Quantities are limited, so get your pet game-day ready with A Grate Hat for a Great Cause. Bears–Packers, here we come.

Luther knew exactly where to go for help. 
  Early one morning, this little guy walked right up to the doors of our Medical Center and started pawing to be let inside. He waited there until PAWS staff began arriving for the day, and they quickly came to his rescue. In a way, it feels like Luther rescued himself.
  He was dirty, thin and battling an upper respiratory infection. And while he was brave enough to ask for help, learning to trust the people giving it to him has taken a little more time. Luther is still shy and tentative, but each day, he’s coming a little further out of his shell. We’ve also discovered the quickest way to his heart: Lick Sticks. Those he’s VERY sure about.
  Now, what he needs most is a quiet foster home where he can kick his kitty cold and learn that indoor life can be pretty great.
  Help Luther take his next brave step. If you’re interested in giving this shy guy a safe space, reach out to our foster team. 💛

The sweetest adoption is brewing this National Coffee Day!   After spending eight years with a family, senior sweetheart Latte was returned to PAWS in February through no fault of her own. Suddenly back in a shelter, Latte was understandably overwhelmed and needed time to feel safe again.   Thanks to a few wonderful foster families, Latte slowly came out of her shell, revealing the sweet, loving girl we knew was there all along. And her most recent fosters? They fell HARD.   Today, on National Coffee Day, Latte's fosters made it official and adopted her! We couldn't think of a more perfect way to celebrate than with a fresh start for our favorite kind of Latte. 
  Help us brew up more happy endings like Latte's! Donate to our Cup for a Pup campaign: donate.pawschicago.org/campa… Today, every donation will be MATCHED, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000, thanks to @StellaBlueCoff

Tomorrow's forecast: 100% chance of falling in love! These adorable faces (and MANY more!) are headed to Winnetka tomorrow, and they're ready to meet you! Join us from noon to 3 p.m for an afternoon of wagging tails, happy purrs, shopping for a cause, and plenty of adoption opportunities. Want a sneak peek at who you'll meet? Head to our website and browse our available pets! Look for the "AWT Winnetka" banner to see which animals will be at the event. Find participating stores, event details and adoption requirements at the link in our bio. Angels with Tails Winnetka is sponsored in loving memory of Bruno Marvin 💛

Four months old and already a survivor💛 Roma was found wandering alone before she was brought to Chicago Animal Care and Control. When PAWS picked her up, she was very underweight and had painful ulcers on her lips, likely from eating sticks, plastic, or anything else she could find while trying to survive. Now, Roma is a PAWS dog. She’s getting the medical care, nutritious meals, and love she needs to get stronger every day. She was understandably shy when she first arrived, but little by little, her sweet personality is starting to come through. Her next step? A foster home where she can keep building confidence and learn just how good life can be! Roma is ready for foster now! Apply on our website to welcome this sweet puppy into your home.

Swipe to see an incredible transformation!   Adonis spent weeks wandering the streets and was difficult to safely catch. During that time, a Good Samaritan looked out for him, making sure he had food and keeping watch over him until Animal Control could finally bring him in.   When Adonis came to PAWS from CACC, he was battling a severe upper respiratory infection and was unsure about interacting with people. He needed time to heal, build his confidence, and learn that he was safe. Foster care gave him exactly that. Adonis grew healthier, stronger, and more trusting, and his foster family fell completely in love with him along the way.   They made it official and adopted him, turning what started as a temporary place to heal into exactly where Adonis was meant to stay 💛

Did someone order fresh oranges? 🍊🍊🍊   These three orange girls are serving up plenty of sweetness, and they’ll be available for adoption at Angels with Tails Winnetka on Saturday, September 26!   They’re just a few of the adoptable cats and dogs you’ll be able to meet throughout participating Winnetka stores from noon–3 p.m. If you’ve been thinking about adding a new pet to your family, save the date and come see who catches your eye.    Find participating stores on our website, and check back closer to the event when attending animals will be flagged so you can plan who you want to meet!   Angels with Tails Winnetka is sponsored in loving memory of Bruno Marvin 💛

Annie is looking for someone who will help her see the world in her own way 💛   This sweet 4-year-old girl is blind, but once she learns a space, she navigates it with confidence. She loves a peaceful routine, leisurely walks with a little guidance, cuddling with her people and bringing over a toy when she’s excited to see you.   Annie’s ideal adopter will give her time to adjust and help her through unfamiliar sounds and surroundings. The most important thing to understand is that sometimes she just needs a little reassurance.   She also needs daily eye drops, which she handles beautifully. A gentle hand, a few treats and she’s good to go.    Annie doesn’t need much. Just patience, consistency and someone ready to love her exactly as she is.   If you can give Annie the calm, patient home she needs, come meet her and see if you’re her match!

Great segment on Fox about @PAWSChicago this morning. Adopt don’t shop!

Clove is only one year old, but she’s already fought a big battle.
  She came into our care through no fault of her own, only to be diagnosed with panleukopenia — a highly contagious, potentially deadly virus that can cause severe illness, dehydration and a dangerously weakened immune system. For young cats, it can be especially devastating.
  But Clove fought back. With dedicated care at our Kocourek Medical Center, she beat panleuk and made it through to the other side.
  We’re grateful to our feline feeding partner, @purina, for helping keep cats like Clove nourished every step of the way — from intake, through treatment and recovery, and even with a bag of food to help get them started after adoption.
  Clove fought hard to make it through. Now, it’s time for her next chapter: a loving home where she can settle in, feel safe and simply enjoy being a cat.
  If you’re interested in adopting Clove, you can meet her at our Lincoln Park Adoption Center!

The dog days are over 🐶

A state-of-the-art HVAC system might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about saving homeless pets — but for animals like Falcon and Orzo, it’s essential. Both arrived at PAWS Chicago battling upper respiratory infections, a common but highly contagious illness in shelter environments. Thanks to expert veterinary care, they recovered. But once they were healthy enough to move to our Lincoln Park Adoption Center, they still needed an environment that would help keep them well. Our specialized HVAC system provides 100% fresh air, stable temperatures, and 15 air exchanges every hour to help protect vulnerable pets while they wait for loving families. After 19 years of nonstop use, it’s time to replace it. To help make this critical project possible, a generous donor has provided a $35,000 matching gift in honor of their beloved cats, Buddy and Frankie. Every dollar you give today will be doubled, helping us create a healthier environment for nearly 5,000 pets who come through our Adoption Center each year. Falcon and Orzo got the chance to recover, heal, and find hope. Help us make sure every pet who follows has that same opportunity. Give today and have twice the impact: donate.pawschicago.org/campa…

When Isla came to PAWS, she was in serious need of medical attention. She had a ruptured eye, roundworm, and was severely underweight. We knew we needed to help her. Isla has been getting specialized medical attention at our Kocourek Medical Center, and with time, we’re starting to see her shining personality come out. She’s a real cuddlebug, loves ear scritches and playing with rope toys, and will always happily accept a lick stick. Isla still has some time left in her healing journey with us before she’ll be ready for adoption, but she’s shown us what a wonderful companion she will be!

When Mei came to PAWS from Chicago Animal Care and Control, we quickly discovered she has Cerebellar Hypoplasia (CH), also known as "wobbly cat syndrome."  This neurological condition affects her balance and coordination, making everyday tasks like walking, eating, and grooming more challenging. The good news? She's not in any pain. What Mei lacks in stability, she more than makes up for in love. She's an outgoing, affectionate little fighter whose favorite place is in someone's lap, soaking up all the pets she can get. She may experience the world differently, but she's already proving that a little wobble won't hold her back!

Kitten season is still in full swing, and every day brings more cats and kittens through our doors than the day before. Our Adoption Center is also full of kittens waiting for families, while new litters continue arriving almost daily.
  We're doing everything we can to care for the kittens already here, but rescue alone can't solve this crisis. To truly make a difference, we have to address the root of the problem: ensuring every cat is spayed or neutered.
  Spaying and neutering is at the heart of our mission. It not only saves the lives of cats and kittens who need help today, but also prevents future litters from being born into homelessness, suffering, and overcrowded shelters.
  Every surgery helps break the cycle. Every cat spayed or neutered means fewer kittens struggling to survive outdoors and more resources available for the animals already counting on us.
  By supporting spay/neuter programs, you're helping create a future where fewer kittens need rescuing in the first place. That's how we save lives—not just today, but for generations to come.

Today is Giving Day, and right now, your gift can go twice as far thanks to a generous $45,000 matching donation.   Just four weeks old, Phoenix was found in the debris after three abandoned structures went up in flames. The electricians responding to the fire discovered her among the wreckage and a Good Samaritan rushed her to PAWS.   When Phoenix arrived at PAWS, her whiskers were singed, her eyelids had been burned away, and she needed oxygen treatments to help her breathe.
  Since then, Phoenix has been fighting her way back. She’s growing stronger every day with the care and support she needs to heal. Soon, she will undergo a specialized surgery that will use tissue from her lip to create new eyelids and help protect her eyes.
  Phoenix’s story is one of resilience, but she is not alone. Every day, animals arrive at PAWS Chicago needing urgent medical care and a second chance.   This Giving Day, save more animals like Phoenix. Make your gift today and double your impact.   Together, we can give vulnerable pets the care they need and the future they deserve. Donate now: donate.pawschicago.org/campa…

When five-day-old Ike arrived at PAWS Chicago, he was tiny, fragile, and just starting his fight.   He came in with his mom and sister after being found as strays. When they arrived, they were examined by our medical team and sent to a foster home to continue growing. As Ike grew, it became clear that something was different. After additional testing, Ike was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid builds pressure in the brain. That pressure can affect coordination, movement, and development — especially in a growing kitten.   Today, Ike is stable, lively, and full of personality. He loves nothing more than exploring his surroundings and of course playing with his plethora of toys. His head has a slight wobble and his movement isn’t always perfectly steady, but it doesn’t slow him down.   He’s on medication to help manage his condition and is responding well. He’s comfortable and enjoying his days thanks to ongoing compassion and care.   Now he’s ready for a his next chapter: a home with a dedicated adopter who sees what a special little kitten he is!