From the heart

Dear Friends,

I’d like to extend a warm hello to you from everyone here at PAWS. Thank you for checking in with us during this busy summer season!

While many people will soon be heading off on summer vacations, PAWS staff and volunteers are busy working miracles and giving untold hours to the hundreds of babies and adolescents in our care. If you’d like to get a small glimpse of what life is like at PAWS this time of year, take a look at the article about our wildlife center’s Bird Nursery Caretaker Volunteers on page 12. These dedicated volunteers ensure that the baby birds in PAWS’ care receive nutrition every half-hour throughout the day. The Bird Nursery is a constant rotation of activity that requires a special brand of patience, but it also provides a special kind of reward—the chance to see these baby birds grow and eventually fly free. Thank you for the generous support that helps make these and countless other summer miracles happen.

Thanks to the incredible vision, commitment and dedication of so many staff, supporters, and volunteers, PAWS Wildlife Center is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. From the wildlife center’s humble beginnings in a garage behind the shelter, which you can read more about on page 10, to our position today as an internationally recognized institution that cares for thousands of animals each year, PAWS clearly has reason to celebrate!

In June, we successfully released six of the seven bears that wintered with us this year. The remaining young bear is continuing to thrive and will be ready for release soon.

All of these amazing milestones, and the thousands of saved lives they represent, could not have been possible without your support. If you’d like to have fun and raise important funds for the animals, please join us for PAWSwalk 2011, held this year on Saturday, September 10 at Seattle’s Magnuson Park. This year, PAWSwalk will be bigger and better than ever as we mark the event’s 20th anniversary!

Thank you for making these life-saving accomplishments possible, and creating a better world for animals and people.

With gratitude

Annette Laico

Executive Director