Georgia’s oldest no-kill shelter, PAWS Atlanta, is marking 60 years of aiding animals in 2026.
In honor of the occasion, PAWS launched a $1 million fundraising campaign as well as created a new five-year strategic plan for the shelter, including renewed mission and vision statements.
“PAWS Atlanta stands at a pivotal moment in its history,” according to a statement in the 2026-2030 strategic plan.
With rising housing, pet supply, and veterinary care costs, the organization has seen yearly increases in the number of surrendered and abandoned pets. Three key strategies – long-term financial sustainability, leadership and innovation in animal welfare, and emphasizing community partnerships – will be enacted to better help pets now and in the future.
Crystal Bowman, executive director of PAWS Atlanta said, “We have been partnering with some of our local government organizations on ways that they can better support PAWS Atlanta and, by extension, support the local community as well.”
In the past, the organization was funded almost exclusively by community individuals and local foundations.
“Our focus is really on becoming a financially sustainable organization so we can expand and offer more and more services as we grow to really be a leader in animal welfare,” Bowman said.
Government funding will allow PAWS to combat affordability issues by expanding public-facing services, like low-cost vaccinations and spay/neuter clinics.
PAWS Atlanta, originally known as the DeKalb Humane Society, was formed in 1966 by a group of volunteers. “These were homemakers, teachers, citizens around DeKalb County who really were concerned about the welfare of homeless animals,” Bowman said.
From the beginning, the group’s goal was to establish and maintain a no-kill policy, excepting grave terminal illness and severe refractory aggressive behavior.
The organization has remained on the same property for 60 years. Where there was originally a single house accommodating all of the organization’s operations, there are now multiple buildings including clinics, offices, and kennel areas. That first house now serves as the shelter’s Cat Cottage, where adoptable cats can roam free and comfortably spend time with prospective adopters.
After six decades, the PAWS organization has outgrown the original space. A portion of the funds raised will go to expansion and the construction of a new facility close to the current property “We really are tuned into making life inside the shelter a little less stressful for our animals,” Bowman said.
PAWS Atlanta currently offers several initiatives to serve the city’s animals, such as “a free pet food bank, professional training workshops, foster expansion, public vaccine clinics, and planned spay/neuter services,” according to a press release. With increased funding and a streamlined mission, the organization is looking forward to more future success and more happy, healthy animals with forever homes.
Bowman said, “Throughout the 60 years, PAWS Atlanta is really cementing our place, not just being a Band-Aid for the problems that we see, but being part of a bigger solution to overpopulation and all of the reasons why pets end up at our shelter and others.”
Read PAWS Atlanta’s strategic plan below.