PAWS' Top Successes
for the Animals in 2017

I am very pleased to report that 2017 was another banner year for captive wild animals. PAWS has been working since 1984 to help captive wildlife through rescue, education, and advocacy, and it is so fulfilling to see the seeds we planted and our years-long efforts coming to fruition. This includes the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus bringing down its final curtain and incredible legislative victories for performing elephants. We look forward to providing PAWS' expert support for protective legislation in 2018, rescuing more animals in need, and getting nearer to our goal of ending the exploitation of wild animals in circuses, roadside zoos, and as exotic "pets." I look forward to working with you in the coming year. Together we can change the world for the animals!
 
Best holiday wishes for the New Year from the PAWS family!
 
Ed Stewart
President and Co-founder


Number One Victory of 2017!

PAWS is very proud of the part we have long played in the battle to end wild animal acts, especially in circuses. In recent years we played a pivotal role in banning cruel elephant bullhooks in Los Angeles and Oakland, California - the first cities to enact bans where large circuses actually performed. These bans preceded Ringling's remarkable decision to end its elephant acts in 2016. That same year PAWS co-sponsored a successful bill to prohibit bullhooks in California and teamed up to end their use in Rhode Island, ensuring elephants would never again have to perform or give rides in those states. Then in 2017 the  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus - the world's largest circus - shut down forever. This outcome is a tribute to the groundwork laid by PAWS' co-founders, Ed Stewart and the late Pat Derby, who Mother Jones magazine once described as the circus' "No. 1 antagonist." Still, there is more work to be done as there are many smaller circuses traveling with elephants, big cats and other wild animals. PAWS will continue to fight until every wild animal is freed from these cruel shows.


Key Events in Animal Rescue and Care  

The Colorado Eight
In 2018 PAWS welcomed eight rescued tigers from a defunct roadside zoo in Colorado. The facility was constantly breeding tigers so the public could have photos taken with their cubs for a fee. These operations are a never-ending cycle of misery, with cubs forcibly removed from their mothers soon after birth so the paying public can handle them. Once they grow too big to be handled, they may be sold to private owners or used to breed even more cubs. Today, the Colorado Eight live in spacious natural habitats filled with green grass, trees and bushes at PAWS' ARK 2000 sanctuary.
 
African Elephant Maggie Undergoes Second Dental Surgery
Maggie underwent a second procedure in April to address an impacted molar tooth that was causing problems. Her first procedure was in 2016. A team of more than 28 elephant care and veterinary experts was organized and led by PAWS Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Jackie Gai, and included representatives of the esteemed Colyer Institute to safely accomplish the mammoth task. Maggie will require additional dental procedures, which cost about $70,000 each. Dental disease is common in captive elephants and, left untreated, can have serious consequences.
 
Georgette the Emu Finds a Home at PAWS
It's not often that you see an emu - a large bird, second in size to an ostrich - running through a neighborhood, but that's what happened in Valley Springs, California. Once captured, the swift-footed emu went unclaimed. PAWS agreed to provide a lifelong home for Georgette at our Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge, where she resides with a flock of 10 emus and a small herd of Scimitar-horned Oryx in a large, grassy pasture featuring trees, covered shelters and a winding creek.  

Pat Derby Animal Wellness Center opens at ARK 2000
In January PAWS celebrated the newly completed Pat Derby Animal Wellness Center, named in honor of the late PAWS co-founder. The facility will allow on-site diagnosis and treatment of our animals, sparing them the stress of transport to a specialty veterinary facility. Thanks to the generosity of special donors, this well-designed facility and its state-of-the-art equipment have enhanced the level of care that we can provide to the deserving animals that call ARK 2000 home.




Progress for Captive Wildlife Continues with Outstanding Victories in Advocacy

Legislation is leading the way for great changes for captive wildlife, and PAWS played a key role in supporting some very important legislative wins in 2017.
 
Los Angeles Ban on Wild Animal Acts
PAWS led the effort to end the use of wild animals for entertainment in Los Angeles, including in circuses, other wild animal exhibitions, and rentals for house parties. The city council approved a motion for the ban, which includes some exceptions, for which the language is being drafted. Los Angeles is the largest U.S. city to take such action.
 
New York City Says No to Wild Animals in Circuses
In July the New York City Council voted to prohibit the use of wild animals for circuses. PAWS provided significant support for this ordinance, including testifying before a key committee. PAWS' c elebrity friend and animal activist Bob Barker also lent his support.
 
Even More Momentum: States Ban Elephant Acts
PAWS actively supported successful - and unprecedented - statewide legislation to prohibit the use of elephants in entertainment, including traveling shows, carnivals and circuses. Illinois was the first to pass a ban, followed by New York.


Events Worth Sharing
 
Mack Goes Viral!
Mack is a young black bear who was found as a tiny orphan begging for food and missing part of his right rear leg. But that doesn't stop him from having a great time in his pool, with its special fountain-like stream of water that makes it just too much fun. Mack's antics in his pool made him an online sensation, with a video of his enthusiastic splashing shared on countless media outlets around the world.

ElephantVoices Visits ARK 2000 Sanctuary
PAWS was honored to host longtime PAWS' friends Petter Granli and Dr. Joyce Poole, co-founders of ElephantVoices , at ARK 2000 in September. ElephantVoices works to advance the study of elephant cognition, communication and social behavior, and to promote ethical and scientifically sound practices in the management and care of elephants.


Pictured left to right: ARK 2000 Sanctuary Manager Brian Busta,
ElephantVoices co-founders Petter Granli and Dr. Joyce Poole, PAWS Director of
Veterinary Services Dr. Jackie Gai, and PAWS President Ed Stewart


PAWS Reaches Out to Educate and Advocate
 
Award-winning Radio Show Features PAWS
Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Jackie Gai and Director of Science, Research and Advocacy Catherine Doyle were featured on Aches and Gains , a nationally syndicated SIRIUS XM radio talk show on overcoming pain, hosted by leading pain specialist Dr. Paul Christo. This special two-part program focuses on elephants in captivity and the health challenges they face due to unnatural confines. You can listen to Part One of the show here , and Part Two here .


Above: Third year U.C. Davis Zoological Medicine students visit ARK 2000.

UC Davis Students Learn About Captive Wildlife at ARK 2000
Every year PAWS hosts a few special tours for groups from the University of California, Davis, providing unique opportunities for students to gain knowledge about issues facing captive wildlife, and to learn how PAWS provides for the special needs of the animals in our care. In 2017 the groups included students from the Human-Animal Interactions, Benefits and Issues course, and Zoological Medicine students in their 3rd year of veterinary school.
 
Key Animal Conferences Feature
PAWS President Ed Stewart
In December, Ed Stewart (right) participated in a panel, "Animal Sanctuaries - More Than Just a Place to Live", at The Animal Law Conference, presented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Lewis and Clark Law School, in Portland, Oregon. He also presented at the Animal Grantmakers 2017 annual conference in Portland, speaking on a panel titled "Animals in Entertainment: Recent Victories and Ongoing Challenges."
 
PAWS Participates in 4th Global Animal Welfare Congress  at Detroit Zoo
In May, PAWS President Ed Stewart and Director of Science, Research & Advocacy Catherine Doyle participated in the 4th Global Animal Welfare Congress, titled Zoos and Aquariums as Welfare Centers: Ethical Dimensions and Global Commitment, held at the Detroit Zoo. While differences exist between the zoo/aquarium and animal advocacy worlds, PAWS seeks areas of mutual agreement in order to further the welfare of wild animals in captivity.
 
Organizing to Help Big Cats
PAWS is proud to be a member of the Steering Committee for the newly formed Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance (BCSA). The BCSA is the only professional sanctuary organization advocating for the welfare of captive big cats and wild felids, with a mission to eliminate private ownership and the commercial exploitation of wild cats in the United States.


Celebrating Big Anniversaries at PAWS
 
The Amanda Blake Memorial Wildlife Refuge Opened 20 Years Ago
One of PAWS' three California sanctuaries, the refuge consists of 75 acres of beautiful, rolling grassland studded with shade trees, and is home to Scimitar-horned Oryx and a flock of emu. The facility was created and named in honor of Amanda Blake, who played "Miss Kitty" in the popular television series "Gunsmoke" and was dedicated to wild animals and their conservation.
 
Jackie Coyote Celebrates 15-years at PAWS
Jackie coyote (right) is a survivor. She suffered a devastating stroke in 2016, but thanks to the care of PAWS' director of veterinary services, Dr. Jackie Gai, she regained her strength and mobility. Jackie lives at our Galt sanctuary, where she has an enclosure filled with tall grasses to hide in and soft soil for digging.
 
Black Bear Arthur -  Part of the
PAWS Family for 15 Years
At age 25, Arthur is the oldest bear at our sanctuaries. Born in the wild, he was captured after being spotted hobbling on three legs in a populated area. X-rays revealed buckshot in his hips as a result of being shot. Arthur enjoys his grassy habitat at our Galt sanctuary, complete with pool, pine trees and honeysuckle vines.  

Asian elephants Nicholas and Gypsy Mark 10 Years at PAWS
Nicholas and Gypsy were the last elephants to leave the notorious Hawthorn Corporation, which formerly trained and leased elephants for circuses. Nicholas was forced to ride a tricycle and perform other tricks when he was a calf. Gypsy endured more than 20 grueling years of traveling and performing in the circus. Today they roam spacious natural habitats, free from ever having to perform again.  

Ten Years Ago: U.S. Air Force Flies African elephant  Maggie From Alaska to California
After the Alaska Zoo made the compassionate decision to relocate Maggie (right) to PAWS, she was flown aboard a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska to Travis Air Force Base in California in a move dubbed Operation Maggie Migration. PAWS is endlessly thankful to Emmy Award-winning televison game host and animal advocate Bob Barker for making Maggie's move possible.
 
Five Years Since Ben the Bear
Arrived at PAWS
Ben was confined in a small and barren cement-floored cage for six long years, just so tourists could gawk at him. Today he explores a spacious enclosure in the Bob Barker Bear Habitat which is filled with shady trees, natural vegetation, grass, and a pool. Ben also was flown to California, this time courtesy of Fed Ex, on a plane the crew called "Bear Force One."


Ben the bear in his habitat at ARK 2000


A Peek at 2018
 
PAWS has always recognized that the only way to end the suffering of captive wild animals is to address the root problem: their use as entertainment. This includes circuses, "pay to pet" operations that use and abuse big cats and bears, roadside zoos, county fairs and Renaissance faires, the exotic "pet" industry, film productions, or any other place that exploits captive wildlife.
 
You can expect that PAWS will continue to work on campaigns and legislation aimed at ending the exploitation of wild animals. This includes supporting the federal Big Cat Public Safety Act that would end the rampant breeding of big cats by places that charge the public to take a photo with a cub. This bill better protects the public and the animals, and it needs your support.
 
We hope you will join us on January 1, 2018, to celebrate the new California law banning the use of bullhooks. PAWS proudly worked together with the Humane Society of the United States and the Oakland Zoo to pass this important elephant projection law. Once in effect, elephants will no longer be seen in circuses or used for rides, film productions and other "entertainment."  We will also be cheering the precedent-setting Illinois prohibition on elephants in traveling shows that goes into effect on January 1.
 
PAWS will need your help in 2018 for our "special needs" bears.  We will be raising funds to build specialized habitats at ARK 2000 for our older bears and for younger bear Mack, who has only three legs. These habitats will be built in an area of the sanctuary where the terrain is flatter, allowing easier mobility for these bears. This project also opens up space for more rescued bears.
 
PAWS looks forward to 2018 and the challenges it will bring. Thanks to your ongoing support (many of you have been with us since our founding in 1984!) PAWS can continue to help captive wildlife in need, fight for their protection, and provide these animals with safe refuge and a more natural life free from exploitation.



African elephant Thika

Only a Few More Days Left for
2017 Tax-deductible Giving
 
There is still time to make a year-end, tax-deductible donation to PAWS. Make your contribution online,  or call our office at 209-745-2606 (M-F, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST) and have your credit card ready. You can also make a gift of a stock donation to PAWS by December 31. Please contact Kim Gardner at  kgardner@pawsweb.org  or call 916-539-5305 for more information.
 
Your tax-deductible holiday gift of $5, $15, $50, $500, or even $5,000 provides expert daily care, necessary veterinary treatments, and food for the elephants, big cats, bears, monkeys, lynx, and other animals who have found safe refuge at PAWS. Every gift matters!
 
It's easy (and quick!) to make a year-end gift to PAWS.
 
PAWS is proud of its 4-star rating with Charity Navigator  - the highest rating possible. We are part of an elite group of charities with an "exceptional" designation (at least 4 consecutive years of 4-star ratings), meaning that your gift will have the greatest impact possible. CharityWatch gives PAWS an "A" rating.
 
PAWS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. PAWS Fed ID# 94-3005157.


A Time For Thanks

It is with heartfelt appreciation that we thank: 
 
You, our supporters, who truly change the lives of captive wild animals in need and make our work possible.
 
PAWS' dedicated staff who put their hearts and souls into the care of every animal every day.
 
Our committed volunteers, who selflessly give of their time and talents to help further our cause.
 
The generous companies and individuals who provide in-kind services that help our animals.
 
Everyone who has supported PAWS and the care of our animals by making a donation, becoming a PAWS Partner, donating needed items via the Amazon Wish List, "adopting" an animal, and giving in other ways.

All of the animals we care for at PAWS, who teach us each and every day the importance of preserving wild places and conserving wild animals where they live. 
 
We wish you all the very best in 2018!


Thank You December Amazon Wish List Donors

David Grossblat: 24-pack AA batteries. Joanne and Paul Osburn: three Probiocin Oral Gels; one 24" heavy-duty red ball for the tigers. Olivia Jacobs: one 5 lb. bag of Missing Link Ultimate Skin and Coat. Leezer: one 5 lb. bag of Missing Link Ultimate Skin and Coat. Liliane Morin: one 24" heavy-duty yellow ball for the tigers. Cristen Esquibel: one 5 lb. tub of Psyllium; one bag of Greenies Pill Pockets. Kathy Milan: one 20 lb. tub of Psyllium. Dolores G. Delgado: one quart Red Cell. Carole Bognar: one bottle CosequinDS, 132#; one quart Red Cell. Willie and Jan Nelson: one box 42 gal. trash bags. Nancy Gordon: two sets of Motorola walkie-talkie radios. Anonymous Donors: one gallon Clorox bleach; one gallon Red Cell; one 10 lb. tub of Psyllium; one case of copy paper; one 12-pack of Probiocin Oral Gel.
 
View wish list items that are needed,
but not listed on the Amazon list, here.


There are many ways you can help PAWS animals:
 
 
 
Adopt A PAWS Animal
If you would like to help our animals, one of the best ways is to become an "adoptive parent," or give a PAWS adoption as a gift to an animal lover in your life. PAWS adoptions are symbolic adoptions only. No animal will be sent!
  
PAWS Amazon Wish List

EBAY Giving Works
List items on EBAY and choose PAWS as your charity. Donate a percentage of each sale to the animals. Visit our EBAY charity listing page here. Start selling!

Corporate Donations
and Matching Fund Programs
Learn more about what is needed.

Donate Your Vehicle
To PAWS.

PAWS Partnerships
Help us change the life of a victim of captivity by becoming a PAWS Partner.  PAWS partnerships help support our sanctuary operations and the day-to-day care of the animals.

FOR EVERYONE WHO SHOPS ONLINE!
Shop through IGIVE and raise money for PAWS!
Up to 26% of your purchase - at more than 1,600 retailers - can be donated to PAWS.
  
  
PAWS is rated
a 4-Star Charity 
Purchase PAWS apparel and merchandise.

Clothing for adults, kids, toddlers and infants, as well as other fun merchandise like coffee mugs - available from our online gift shop .

Estates/Planned Giving
You can help us make sure captive wildlife in need of shelter will always have a PAWS sanctuary to call home!
 
Donate To PAWS
PAWS receives no government funding and must rely on your donations to continue our work. Three ways to give and every donation matters.  Learn more


PAWS merchandise is fun, educational,
and makes great gifts for any occasion !
PAWS' Note Cards
Bears, Tigers, Elephants
Dozens of different designs are now available in our gift shop.
$24.99 for a set of 10 + tax + worldwide shipping

More items, more designs, more fun - all to benefit the animals at PAWS!
Logo clothing available in adult, children, toddler and infant sizes.


"Seeing the Elephant" Weekend Getaways | PAWS Animal Adoptions
Both available for gift purchases.
  
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PO Box 849
Galt, CA 95632
(209) 745-2606