What is PAWS Atlanta?

PAWS Atlanta is a humane society located in Decatur, Georgia, just 10 minutes east of Atlanta.

As a no kill shelter the cats and dogs in PAWS Atlanta's care stay there until they get adopted. Every pet adopted from PAWS Atlanta is spayed or neutered, current on vaccinations, de wormed and microchipped.

The cats at PAWS Atlanta live in a cage free environment.

The dogs at PAWS Atlanta have inside and outside dog runs and a one acre wooded dog trail an off leash area.

In our 43rd year of operation PAWS Atlanta started operations as The Dekalb Humane Society. The name was changed in 2006 because of the incorrect perception that Dekalb County funded the organization.






In fact PAWS Atlanta has always operated on donations from the public, grants and fundraisers.



Most of the animals at PAWS Atlanta are picked up from local animal control offices. Unfortunately the supply is always greater than the demand and our cage space is rarely empty. Having said that PAWS Atlanta does adopt more than 1,000 animals a year. The sad fact of pet overpopulation dictates that regardless of how effective we are at finding them homes, there will always be more.



PAWS Atlanta does offer a vaccination clinic at least twice a month that is open to the public. This allows folks to get their pets vaccinated for $45 or to get a heartworm test or a la carte shots.




PAWS Atlanta can use help in a number of different ways.



Pass the word about one of our great cats or dogs to your circles of influence.

Attend one of our fundraisers. The next one is October 10, The Posh PAWty for PAWS Atlanta, hosted by Victoria Stilwell.



You can purchase tickets to The Posh PAWty here.

Volunteer. We need folks to get walk dogs, socialize dogs, clean cat litter trays, tape animals (then upload them to YouTube) and more.

Adopt. Get a shelter pet, that's an easy way to help...

Regardless of how you can help, or what you can do-THANKS!

Engine kittens make it safely to PAWS Atlanta

She drove to the church under the impression that she was the only one going with her.

When she got out of the car at church she found out otherwise.

She had two little stowaways that had curled up next to the engine for shelter. What a surprise to find these two, dirty little kittens screaming from underneath the hood of her car!


The girls were filthy, caked with oil and debris that had been kicked up from the movement of the car.

Filthy, but alive.

The girls were given a very long and special soapy bath. They were a little tired at first, but are now bouncing back to the happy, active three month old kittens they are.

They'll be spayed in the second week of May and then available for adoption around the third week.