Paws for a cause
Let’s all come together to help our canine and feline friends lead a happy and healthy life.
PAWS was founded in July 1999 by a small group of animal lovers who were very troubled by the terrible condition of domestic and stray dogs and cats in mauritius.
The milestones achieved…
For the first decade, we initially concentrated on helping wounded and sick animals around the island, and the re-homing of abandoned animals. We were facing the sad reality of the overpopulation of dogs and cats in Mauritius, and we realised we could never find good homes for all of them.
In 2001, we were advised to concentrate our resources on sterilising rather than re-homing, and on educating the public on how to take better care of their pets so that they did not become strays. In the first two years, PAWS sterilised 1,300 dogs and cats.
In all, PAWS has sterilized more than 37,000 dogs and cats in the last six years, preventing the birth of thousands of unwanted of puppies and kittens, most of whom would have suffered and reproduced, adding to the overpopulation of strays in Mauritius. Today, PAWS has three Mobile Clinics that go around the Island to treat and sterilize the pet dogs while abandoned puppies and kittens are rescued on a daily basis by the PAWS drivers or volunteers.
Creating awareness…
We realised that we cannot improve Animal Welfare in Mauritius without changing how the population thinks about animals. So, we educate people on how to take better care of the animals – in schools, in social centres, on local radios as well as on TV.
Finding homes for the homeless…
As PAWS is located in the South, we organize Adoption Days in Commercial Centres in the centre of the Island every 6 weeks, to give the opportunity to those who cannot come to the South to adopt a pet.
Helping pet parents…
PAWS has now got a Veterinary Clinic in Floréal (Centre of the Island), as there is currently no vet at all available in that region, during the day. The PAWS Team treats animals in distress and sterilises dogs and cats, free of charge. PAWS vets also give paid consultations to owned animals, to support PAWS charity work.
The permanent members at PAWS…
We permanently have about 25 puppies, 15 adult dogs, 10 kittens and 5 adult cats at PAWS. Our favourites are Billy, a German Shepherds, who was a troubled guy when he came to Paws and his good pal Amy. Besides, we have an Animal Welfare Team composed of five persons to feed the animals, clean the cages, walk the adult dogs and play with the animals. Volunteers also help at the PAWS kennels.
The driving force…
My strength is renewed each time an animal is rescued or finds a good home, this encourages me to carry on. The animals need PAWS, we need each other, so I feel I am not allowed to give up, whatever the circumstance.
Message to the readers…
If you see an animal in distress, it is your responsibility to do something to alleviate his suffering. Don’t think someone else will do it! The Animal Welfare Associations can only do a part, but we need volunteers and animal lovers to help us do the work.