Paws Humane Society

Paws Humane Society is a solution-based community resource with a clear vision: to create a no-kill community where every healthy and treatable animal finds a loving home. We operate as both a publicly trusted service provider and a privately supported nonprofit

Every great story begins with people who care. Ours began in 1969 when Colonel Syd Sacerdote looked at the stray and abandoned animals in Columbus and decided to do something about it. He founded the Muscogee County Humane Society, the very first animal shelter in our region. For four decades, this shelter provided a safe haven for animals seeking their forever homes. Thirty years later, in 1999, another group of animal advocates came together with a different approach. They formed PAWS Columbus, determined to prevent pet homelessness before it began. In 2009, these two organizations joined forces to become Paws Humane Society. One brought 40 years of sheltering experience, the other brought a decade of advocacy work. Together, they formed the largest companion animal welfare organization in the Chattahoochee Valley, headquartered at 4900 Milgen Road in Columbus, Georgia. That same year, we opened the Paws Humane Veterinary Clinic. By 2016: Over 40,000 surgeries performed. By 2020: More than 60,000 procedures completed. Today: Over 100,000 animals spayed or neutered. On February 1, 2025, we accepted the responsibility of managing all of Columbus's animal care and control services

Mission — The mission of Paws Humane Society is to keep pets out of the shelter system and in loving homes