About Paws4ever
Who We Are
Paws4ever is an animal welfare organization offering a range of services to support pets and people in our community throughout their lifetimes.
Our Adoption Center rescues cats and dogs from our local county shelters and provides them with quality care in our Adoption Center for as long as it takes to find their forever homes.
Our Dog Training Program offers a variety of accessible private lessons and group classes using positive and effective methods.
Paws4ever’s services also include our Legacy Care Program, which provides a plan for your pet’s future if they outlive you, a members-only Dog Park and Nature Trail, facility rentals, and a ReSale Store.
Paws4ever believes in treating animals with dignity and respect. We believe that positive reinforcement is the humane and effective way to train animals. Paws4ever commits to our animals for a lifetime and never euthanizes for space. We support our entire animal welfare community, including our open-admission county shelter partners.
Our Mission:
Paws4ever is dedicated to creating and growing lifetime relationships between pets and people through adoption, training, education & care.
Our Vision:
A world in which pets and people thrive together
Our Values:
Every day, we are eager to learn new skills and discover better ways to support pets and people. Our impact grows as we improve through learning.
Our History
1962
The Animal Protection Society of Chapel Hill began advocating for animal welfare
1972
The Animal Protection Society of Orange County incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization
1977
The organization changed its name to The Animal Protection Society of Orange County, as the sphere of services expanded to serve the whole county.
1979-2004
The APS of Orange County administered the county government contract to operate animal control services and its open-admission animal shelter, providing rescue, health exams, humane care, nutritional food, disease and parasite control, and veterinary care for sick or injured animals arriving in its care. Through those 25 years, APS of Orange County, Inc., proved itself to be a progressive and dedicated organization to the welfare of all animals.
With the help of several very generous donors, APS of Orange County purchased a beautiful and spacious plot of land near Mebane to establish the Felicite Latane Animal Sanctuary. The sanctuary became home to the Learning Center for dog training and a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.
2000
APS of Orange County began a capital campaign to build a second shelter facility at the sanctuary location.
2003
The wildlife center moved from the sanctuary and out of APS of Orange County auspices to become Piedmont Wildlife Center
July 2004
After 25 years of administration, the county government ended its contract with the APS of Orange County to run its animal control services and shelter.
October 2004
APS of Orange County opened the recently completed Adoption Center at the Felicite Latane Animal Sanctuary as a closed-admission, guaranteed adoption center.
2008
43 years after its beginning, the Animal Protection Society of Orange County changed its name to Paws4ever to better reflect the current mission and programs. Our current name and its tagline, “Adopt, Care, Train.” brings focus to the core areas of service that continue to make our whole community a progressive leader in the humane treatment of animals.
Today
The Paws4ever Adoption Center is a placement partner for animals transferred from county shelters. The Learning Center is home to our Dog Training Program, which offers a comprehensive array of accessible group classes and private lessons. The sanctuary is also home to a 3-acre dog park and a beautiful nature trail.