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We rescue dogs and cats from dangerous, unhealthy situations. They come to us from neglectful homes, abuse cases, from being abandoned by owners, to strays and owner surrenders. Occasionally we work with local law enforcement and the court system to get animals to safety. Our volunteer foster families, a critical piece of our puzzle, take care of our animals until we place them into their forever homes.
We’re located in West Branch, Michigan, USA. Because we do home checks on all potential adopters, at this time we are unable to do adoptions out of state.
We offer Quality of Life
Rescued animals go to a warm, loving foster home with cozy couches and beds instead of a cage with a cement floor in what can be a sterile, unsettling environment.
The difference we make during this transition time affects the quality of life for these animals — and increases the odds of them being adopted because they are not as sad or skittish as they often become in a traditional shelter situation.
Meet Ollie, who came to us as a hospice rescue. He was a sweet and gentle old soul that just wanted to love and be loved. We can only imagine the rough life Ollie lived before we rescued him, but we rest easy knowing that he lived the rest of his life completely loved.
Fosters are the heart of rescue
Kind animal lovers sometime see animals running the roads, pick them up and take them home, only to discover that local animal control officers are not available. Others see animals in a bad situation but are not sure what to do.
Volunteer foster families make their homes available on an on-call basis. They often accept animals into their homes during evening and weekend hours — whenever the need arises. Rescued animals stay in foster homes for a few weeks to several months, depending on the situation.
Oftentimes our fosters take our rescued animals to the groomers and veterinarians who support our mission, so there is no direct cost (other than gas for the trip and time) to the foster.
You can help by fostering or adopting
We take it to social media when the time is right for one of our rescues to be adopted. We also tap into our growing circle of supporters to find loving, permanent homes.
Meet Chance (deaf) and his brother Scout who were adopted together and are living their dream life on the farm.
Our Mission is to Save Lives
Claws and Paws Rescue is an established 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization, that has successfully found homes for over 700 animals.
The rescue is guided by an active board of directors that is committed to the no-kill movement and saving lives.
Neglected and abandoned pets need your help
Your gift MATCHED dollar for dollar by a generous donor up to $5,000. Donate X2!
Right now, every gift Claws and Paws Rescue receives will be matched dollar for dollar (up to a total of $5,000) by a generous donor. Your donation will go TWICE AS FAR to help make our dream of a place to call HOME a reality for animals in need.
Please support us in any way you can.
Check out our How You Can Help page for options from donating money and time to delivering presentations on our behalf.