At Dorchester Paws, we believe every animal deserves love, care, and a forever home. As the only open-admission shelter in Dorchester County, we provide essential services to over 4,300 animals annually. Our mission encompasses not only sheltering and adoption but also community support through programs like our pet food pantry and low-cost spay/neuter clinics. Your support enables us to continue these vital efforts, ensuring that every pet has the opportunity for a better life. Join us in making a lasting impact on the animals and families in our community.
Ways to support Us
Support a Pet Family in Need
Want to help more pets stay in their homes? Contribute to our Angel Tree for Dorchester County residents!
Times have been extremely tough and costs to care for animals are rising. We want to help keep more pets in their homes by providing necessary supplies, such as food and litter, to owners.
We are asking for our community’s help to keep owned pets in their homes!
Ready to help? All you have to do is:
Choose the family you want to help (you can choose to contribute to all or part of their wishlist)
Purchase items – If you would like to purchase the items yourself, please wrap and drop-off items to the shelter (During operating hours 12-5 PM). Make sure to tell a staff member that it is for the angel tree!
We will deliver the supplies to pet owners on January 2nd!
Requirements
Please drop off to Dorchester Paws before Dec. 28th. Please come into our adoption lobby and tell staff what # family you are contributing to and they will place it separately from other donations.
You do not have to purchase everything for a family, if you would like to purchase a portion of the supplies please let us know.
Please only purchase Purina and Pedigree brand dog & cat food.
Toys must be new with tags & treats must be unopened. Food must be sealed & unused.
No rawhides or non-digestible chews/toys.
Feeling generous? The more the merrier. If you feel inclined to purchase more food, please do! Bags of food usually only provide a month or two’s supply.
Get festive! You can wrap your gift & include a name tag with the family # on the tag.
We will be dropping off the gifts on Jan. 2nd!
Family 1
6 small dogs- beds, treats, and blankets
Family 2
3 Adult Dogs- food, treats, blankets
Family 3
4 Adult dogs, 2 Adult cats- litter, beds (dog & cat)
Family 4
2 Adult Dogs
Family 5
2 Adult Dogs- Food (chicken or lamb) and beds
Family 6
4 Adult Cats- cat toys/balls, dry/canned food, blankets
Family 7
3 Adult Dogs, 2 Adult Cats
Family 8
5 Adult Cats- Clay litter, Temptation treats
Family 9
4 Dogs, 1 Cat- Small Dog bed & sweater, blankets, toys, dog shampoo
Family 10
3 Adult Dogs & 2 Cats- Kitten toys/scratchers, kitten food
Family 11
1 Adult Dog & 1 Adult Cat
Family 12
3 Adult Cats
Support Dorchester Paws by shopping through our partnered retailers! When you make purchases using our unique links, a portion of the proceeds goes directly to providing food, medical care, and shelter for animals in need. These collaborations allow you to contribute to the well-being of homeless pets effortlessly while shopping for products you love. Explore all our partnerships and make a difference today!
EVERY ITEM SOLD SUPPORTS THE DOGS AND CATS THAT DORCHESTER PAWS CARES FOR DAILY.
A NEW WAY TO SUPPORT DORCHESTER PAWS IS THROUGH BUYING AND WEARING MERCHANDISE THAT SUPPORTS OUR SHELTER.
We’ve provided new and various ways to show your support of Dorchester Paws with everything from tee shirts to buttons and stickers in various colors, sizes and designs. When you purchase a product through our merchandise suppliers, a percentage of the purchase goes right back to helping another animal find their forever homes through Dorchester Paws.
Hey Facebook Friends!
Did you know that it’s incredibly simple to start a Facebook Fundraiser for Dorchester Paws?
If you have a birthday, wedding, or other major life event, you can have your friends and family celebrate with you by supporting your community animal shelter.
Our adoption fees vary from $50 to $300 for dogs and $25 to $100 for cats. This fee covers everything from spaying and neutering, vaccinations, microchipping, medicine, and common tests like heartworm and some testing.
If you start your fundraiser today, you can set a goal and donate to sponsor an animals adoption!
5 easy steps
1
Click Fundraisers on the left of your newsfeed
2
Click Raise Money
3
Select Nonprofit or Charity
4
Select Dorchester Paws, choose a cover photo and fill in fundraiser details
5
Click Create
Start here with this link back to our Facebook where you can share previous fundraisers and start your own!
Every Year Dorchester Paws takes in nearly 4,000 animals. Each animal is spayed/neutered, microchipped, given vaccinations, basic laboratory testing, and monthly preventives, before being placed up for adoption.
Adoption fees help provide medical care, training, food and shelter to the animals. If you have a specific animal in mind please leave their name in the comment box, otherwise we will select a dog or a cat for you. Thank you for saving a life!
Since 1972, the mission of Dorchester Paws has been to instill humane principles into society through the prevention of cruelty to animals.
Dorchester Paws is a partner in the “No Kill South Carolina Coalition”. We are also the only open admissions shelter in Dorchester County. This means that we’re determined to end unnecessary euthanasia in Dorchester County, but also we’re the only shelter in Dorchester County that will take in every lost, abandoned, and abused animal and provide them with food, shelter & medical attention until they find their forever home.
This fund was named after Michael, a dog who came through our shelter gates. He was a case of animal cruelty, suffering extreme burns over his body after being tortured with gasoline. Michael left an impact on the hearts of Dorchester Paws.
This fund allows us to continue Michael’s legacy of fighting and continue our mission of helping every animal who comes through our doors.
These funds allow us to ensure that no animal will ever have to wait for funds to get the medical attention that they need and deserve. Through Michael’s Healing Heart, we’re able to pay for the medical bills of the neglected and abused.
Cats and dogs that have been able to get immediate treatment through Michael’s Healing Heart.
At some shelters, a positive heartworm diagnosis is a death sentence.
However at Dorchester Paws, we do not euthanize for time, space, or money. A broken leg or positive medical test shouldn’t mean that an animal doesn’t get a second chance.
To do that we need your help.
A typical heartworm treatment at Dorchester Paws costs $250.
This treatment consists of 30 days of doxy, the medication, and two injections.
Donate today to sponsor an animal’s heartworm treatments.
Dorchester Paws is committed to ending companion animal overpopulation and one of the ways that we ended on doing that is through providing high quality, high volume, spay and neuter services in our new facility.
We employ a fully licensed, highly trained veterinarian with a heart for every animal, as if they were her own.
We believe that spaying and neutering saves lives.