PAAWS for Life

01/20/2026

After much thought and heartfelt discussion, we are sharing that PAAWS For Life services will be coming to an end.

Our mission has always been to support our community by providing financial assistance for spay and neuter services—helping reduce pet overpopulation while easing the financial burden of veterinary care for families who love their pets deeply. We are incredibly proud of the impact we’ve made together.

Unfortunately, due to declining volunteer participation and not having enough board members to sustain the requirements of our 501(c)(3), we are no longer able to continue operations.

We want to extend our deepest gratitude to every donor, volunteer, veterinarian, and supporter who believed in this mission and helped make it possible. Your compassion made a real difference in the lives of pets and the people who love them.

While this chapter is coming to an end, we hope the work we’ve done inspires continued support for responsible pet care and community-based animal welfare. Thank you for being part of this journey. 💙🐾

12/06/2025

📢 Temporary Pause on Applications

PAAWS for Life is taking a short pause from accepting new applications while we complete some internal restructuring. 🐾

We truly appreciate your understanding and patience. We’ll share an update as soon as applications reopen! ❤️

Send a message to learn more

10/27/2025

🎃🐾 THANK YOU for a Spooktacular Day! 🐾🎃

A huge thank you to everyone who came out and participated in our Howl-oween Photo Minis fundraiser! Your support (and your pets’ adorable costumes!) helped make this event such a fun time for PAAWS for Life and our mission to help animals in need.

We are incredibly grateful to Photos By Amanda for donating her time and talent to capture these amazing memories, and to Ally at Furreal Pawsibilities for generously hosting the event and giving us the perfect space to bring it all together.

Because of supporters like you, we can continue helping pets and families in our community. We appreciate each and every one of you! 🐶🧡🐱

10/20/2025

✨ We’re Here to Help ✨
Cat and dog overpopulation is a growing issue in our community, with shelters and rescues stretched beyond their limits. One of the most meaningful ways we can all make a difference is by spaying and neutering our pets — it helps reduce unwanted litters, improves long-term health, and protects animals from ending up in overcrowded shelters.

We know veterinary costs can feel overwhelming, especially during financial hardship. Our nonprofit provides assistance with spay/neuter services to pet owners who need support, so your pet can get the care they deserve while relieving some of the financial stress.

If you or someone you know is struggling with the cost of these services, please reach out — there’s help available, and you are not alone. Together, we can keep more pets in loving homes and make our community a safer place for animals.

🐾 Message us or visit our website www.paawsforlife.com for assistance or more information on how to get started.

10/13/2025

BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR SPOT!

👻🎃 Get your pets and kiddos ready for a spook-tacular time! Join PAAWS For Life this Halloween season for our Howl-o-ween Pet Photo Minis, where your furry friends can show off their cutest, funniest, or spookiest costumes. 🐾 📸 Bring your pets dressed to impress, and Photos by Amanda will capture paw-some memories you’ll treasure forever—all while supporting a great cause. Every photo taken helps us continue our mission to provide financial assistance for care and resources for pets in need. Come out, have some fun, and let’s make this Halloween one to remember—for you and the animals in our community! 🎃🐶🐱
When: Saturday, Oct. 25th, 2025
Time: 11am - 4pm
Location: Furreal Pawsibilities
729 Circle Drive, Aberdeen, SD
Cost: $25 for a 15 minute session, you'll receive 5 digital images!
Cause: All proceeds go to PAAWS for Life to help us continue to help pet owners in the community

Please sign up in a time slot in the Google Sheet by clicking this link. If for some reason you are unable to enter your info, please message us and we'll get you in there!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1543415y0UF3KrPJH3EDw9s1zmJJqBKkB6yY5-U_BL-g/edit?fbclid=IwY2xjawNab6ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFPejcwV0ZHVFo1OFBHSWwwAR46swdZ6l8z6zsH5yBGupHqsN3mXgsGieZrKsD4RDMX0WAkHo9JOawf9dhTDw_aem_yrnCQvOCn7C20CXy63E6ug&gid=0 =0

09/14/2025

We realize these are difficult times, but spaying and neutering our pets is essential to addressing the overpopulation crisis and ensuring fewer animals face hardship.

If you’re unable to afford this care for your pet, PAAWS for Life is here to help. Our non-profit works to provide access to veterinary services that reduce cat overpopulation and promote healthier, happier pets in our community.

09/14/2025

We understand that times are challenging, but taking steps to spay and neuter our pets is one of the most important ways we can work together to reduce the overpopulation crisis and prevent more animals from suffering.

If you have a pet you’re unable to spay or neuter due to financial constraints, please reach out to PAAWS for Life. We are a non-profit that is here to help provide the veterinary care needed to reduce cat overpopulation and support the well-being of pets in our community.

The Aberdeen Area Humane Society will be closed for cat intakes effective immediately(9/14/2025). The shelter is over capacity at this time and it is no longer safe or humane to continue taking in cats, until we are at more manageable numbers. We will continue to take in strays via our partnerships with the City of Aberdeen and Brown County, but we are unable to accommodate owner surrenders at this time.

4 years ago, the AAHS took over operations for the Aberdeen City Animal Shelter as well as animal intakes for Brown County. We have avoided euthanizing for space over the course of the last 4 years, including hoarding cases that have involved 50+ cats. This is an achievement that we are incredibly proud of and that we hope to continue. The stark reality of our situation is that to continue our mission to not euthanize of space, we will need to close our cat intakes to focus on the strays that have been brought in, in addition to the cats currently in our care.

We are so fortunate to serve this community. We are continuously trying to do better and closing cat intakes was a difficult decision to come to, but it is currently what is best for our shelter as a whole.

In the meantime, check out our adoptable cats on our website anewleashonlife.net and as always, spay and neuter your pets.