Non-profit organizations for animals are proof that this world still has kind people working hard to make a difference.
The Women’s Animal Center has been rescuing, providing medical care, and training cats and dogs regardless of age, health, size, and breed.
Learn who Women’s Animal Center is and their current initiatives in helping animals in the Greater Philadelphia Region.
You can also find out how to best help them in their mission to save animals.
Who is the Women’s Animal Center?
Women’s Animal Center (WAC) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and was the first animal shelter in America. This organization accepts all animals found or surrendered to them in Pennsylvania, regardless of size, health, breed, or age.
Dedicated to giving these animals a good quality of life while waiting to be adopted, WAC also offers veterinary care and behavior training to these rescue animals.
The Women’s Animal Center provides these services to 3,000 other animals annually. They reunite pets and collaborate with other organizations to conduct the No-Kill Coalition.
Aside from its shelter and training programs, WAS also has a low-cost veterinary hospital. They offer wellness exams, vaccinations, spaying and neutering, x-rays, bloodwork, dentistry, and more.
How Women’s Animal Center Started
The Women’s Human Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was formerly known as the Women’s Human Society.
The organization has been around for over 150 years, helping pets in Greater Philadelphia find a forever home.
The Women’s Animal Center has also advocated for animal welfare since its founding year, 1869.
Known as America’s first animal shelter, WAC currently collaborated with other organizations for their Philadelphia No-Kill Coalition.
They have also continued their legacy of establishing one of the first human education programs in the country.
What Do Women’s Animal Center Do?
Aside from housing thousands of cats and dogs without families, the Women’s Animal Center is also dedicated to training and providing medical care for these pets.
WAC’s non-profit mission is to offer dog training classes to dogs in their shelter and dogs from other families. According to the organization, enrolling in a professional training class teaches them new skills while discouraging unwanted behaviors.
The Women’s Animal Center also has a veterinary hospital, which provides healthcare services for dogs, cats, and other small domestic pets.
The medical practitioners in the vet hospital are trained to reduce fear and anxiety among animals during vet visits.
One of the current initiatives of the Women’s Animal Center is the Shelter Dog All-Stars Program.
This program uses the same methods for training shelter dogs as the ones they perform in community dog training classes.
The organization understands that shelter dogs can develop depression when they spend the whole day in their kennels. So they conduct training classes to help them focus their energy on something productive.
How Can You Help Women’s Animal Center?
Adoption
The best way to help the Women’s Animal Center is by adopting a pet from their shelter. Check out these adorable cats, dogs, and small pets that need a home and complete the adoption process now.
If you wish to visit in person, their Adoption Center is open to the public for walk-in visits every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 12 noon – 6:30 pm and Friday and Saturday between 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.
When you’re fully dedicated to adoption, you must bring the following documents to speed up the adoption process:
- Landlord’s permission statement stating you’re allowed to own a pet at the property. This is only applicable for renters.
- Your adoption application papers.
Donation
The Women’s Animal Center offers multiple ways for you to help. You can become a “Guardian” by donating a gift of $200 or more to sponsor an animal’s kennel.
In return, you get a photograph of the cat or dog whose life has become more comfortable because of you.
You may also choose to offer gifts in tribute through a charitable contribution of $25 or more. This donation allows you to personalize a gift for a friend, celebrate a special event to honor an animal lover, or memorialize the life of a deceased loved one.
You might also include Women’s Animal Center in your Last Will and Testament to leave a legacy. Gifts of bequest to the organization are deeply appreciated by everyone in the charity, especially the shelter animals.
If grand gestures are not your thing, then small acts of kindness are still appreciated. The animal shelter accepts towels, dog beds, harnesses, laundry detergent, clay cat litter, and more.
Find out more about donating goods to the Women’s AnimalCenter here.
Volunteer & Shop
Other small ways you can do to make a difference include volunteering in their facility and shopping for their official merchandise.
The Women’s Animal Center requires volunteers to be 18 years of age or older so they can handle animals.
But they also conduct occasional, meaningful projects for youth who want to get involved.
Support Their Training Programs
The Women’s Animal Center also offers various training programs for your furry friends. If you live nearby you can give them additional support by registering for training classes.
This will not only help your furbaby with proper training, but will also help provide additional funding for the foundation.
Check out their training methods here. Additionally, you can meet their trainers here.
Spread the Word
Women’s Animal Center are also very active on social media. You can help the foundation by spreading the word – it’s free.
Follow them on their social media profiles, engage with their posts, and share the word.
In addition to social media, you can also subscribe to their newsletter to get weekly updates about the foundation.
Join Community Programs and Events
Lastly, you can join Women’s Animal Center’s various community programs. These programs are the heart of their foundation.
Through these programs, they provide services and resources not only for animals, but for people as well.
Learn how you can be a part of their community programs here. You can also check out their upcoming events here.
Help Organizations Saving Animals
The Women’s Animal Center has become one of the most successful non-profit organizations dedicated to improving pets’ lives.
The charity not only has an animal shelter. It also established a vet hospital and training center to help pets in and out of the shelter.
Are you interested in learning more about animal charities? Check out the Charity Spotlight series to find more ways to help these organizations.