PAWS was founded in February 1997 by Deirdre & Gina Hetherington in Sallins Co Kildare. The original concept was to rehome unwanted pets from their current homes and take in dogs from Kildare Dog pound to save them from destruction. At the time, there were 35,000 dogs being killed in Irish Dog Pounds every year, with Kildare being among the top ten and we felt this was no longer acceptable. Soon, word about PAWS spread via the media and Ginas weekly appearances on TV3 and we were assisting animals from the 26 counties and beyond.

By working with our committed employees, volunteers, local Veterinary surgeons and overseas adoption groups we are able to rescue hundreds of animals every year, provide them with loving temporary care, and find them well-matched, carefully screened forever homes.

We also serve as a resource to the public by providing education and information on responsible pet ownership, including the importance of spay/neuter, microchipping and Veterinary care.

With approximately 90 dogs in our care at any one time we rely heavily on the generosity of the public to fund and continue our work.

Here is a video with Gina från 2014