Mission
Paws4Ever is dedicated to improving animal welfare and fostering a humane community, and building strong positive bonds between people and animals that last a lifetime.

Current Programs
EDUCATE: Paws4Ever works with rescue groups, county animal shelters, schools, churches, businesses and organizations to educate people of all ages about the humane treatment of companion animals. Paws4Ever offers summer camp for children in grades 3 thru 12. Each week-long session promotes animal welfare leadership and advocacy with crafts, guest speakers, demonstrations, and lots of hands-on time with our adoption center animals. We attend local events and festivals all over the triangle to promote animal welfare, encourage safe practices for children with animals, dispel common myths about certain breeds, encourage rabies vaccinations and spaying or neutering animals and answer questions for the public. We also offer tours of our facilities and presentations to groups and organizations.

CARE: Paws4Ever promotes affordable spay/neuter programs with the goal of decreasing the number of unwanted animals in our community. Paws4Ever contracts with the Nicks Road Veterinary Clinic to provide spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, and veterinary care for the animals at our adoption center, as well as low-cost spay/neuter services and vaccinations for the general public by appointment. We support Trap, Neuter and Return programs for feral cats in our community, participate in the United States Humane Society's annual Spay Day and receive foundation support for spay and neuter for low-income families and for American Pit Bull Terriers.

ADOPT: The Paws4Ever Adoption Center is a placement partner for several county shelters where the number of adoptable pets outpaces the space to house them, and with the support of dedicated and loving volunteers, guarantees the time, care, and training they need for success in a forever home. With only 25% of our needed support coming from adoption fees, the adoption center relies upon the generous support of individuals, foundations, and businesses. In 2008, 315 dogs and cats were adopted from our center into forever homes. Come meet your next best friend at our adoption center, or sponsor a pet until they find their forever home.

TRAIN: Paws4Ever offers high-quality training programs for dogs and their owners including life skills, puppy training, agility, and drill team at our Dog Training Center. Our one full-time staff member and fifty-five dedicated and experienced volunteers make these programs an affordable and valuable service. Paws4Ever also brings internationally recognized experts to our local area, such as Suzanne Clothier, John Rogerson, and Kate Moreaux. Our commitment to creating, and enhancing strong positive bonds and enhancing the quality of life for pets and their people through positive reward-based training is a vital resource worthy of your support.

History
Paws4Ever began advocating for animal welfare in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1962 as the Animal Protection Society of Chapel Hill. It incorporated as a non-profit 501c3 organization in 1972 and as its sphere of services expanded to serve the whole county, changed its name to the Animal Protection Society of Orange County, Inc. in 1977. From 1979-2004, the APS of Orange County, Inc., as a non-profit charitable organization also administered the county government contract to operate county 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, and with the help of several very generous donors, developed the Felicite' Latane' Animal Sanctuary on 50-acres near Mebane. It is here that the APS of Orange County built and operated a learning center for dog-training and a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.

In 2000, the APS of Orange County began a capital campaign to build a second shelter facility at the sanctuary location, to expand its capacity take in; shelter; and adopt out more companion animals. In 2003, the wildlife center moved from the sanctuary and out of APS of Orange County auspices to become Piedmont Wildlife Center. In July of 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. In October 2004, the APS of Orange County opened the recently completed adoption center at the sanctuary as a closed-admission, guaranteed adoption center and contracted with an independent veterinarian at the Nicks Road Veterinary clinic to provide low-cost spay/neuter and wellness services on-site for adoption center animals and the general public.

Today, the adoption center is a placement partner for animals transferred from county shelters, including Orange, Chatham, and Caswell, where the number of adoptable pets outpaces the space to house them. The learning center provides the most affordable and comprehensive array of dog training in our area, and the sanctuary is home to a 3-acre dog park. In October of 2008, 43 years after its beginning, the Animal Protection Society of Orange County changed its name, to better reflect current mission and programs. Our new name and its tagline: "Educate. Care. Adopt. Train." brings focus to the four core areas of service that continue to make our whole community a progressive leader in the humane treatment of animals.

2009 Board of Directors
Our dedicated and generous Board of Directors serve 2 year terms to govern and direct the programs and services available at Paws4Ever. Nominations for Board Service must be received by the November Board Meeting each year and members are elected in December.

• Sarah Gray Lamm, President
• Kendall Page, Vice-President
• Perry Dowd, Secretary
• Ann Peterson, Treasurer
• DeWana Anderson
• Suzy Armstrong
• Caroline Green
• Penny Leigh
• Debbie Leonard
• Fran Massa
• Beth Tillman
• John Wise

• Mailing Address: 6311-B Nicks Road, Mebane NC 27302
• Phone: 919-304-2300
• Fax: 919-304-2253
• General Email: info@paws4ever.org