AWS, in West Kennebunk, Maine, is a non-profit animal shelter, providing animal admissions and adoption services as well as community outreach programs.

The Animal Welfare Society, a non-profit organization, exists to provide humane shelter and care to companion animals temporarily in need of housing, to assist in disaster response, and to further the cause of responsible animal adoption and ownership through education and public awareness. The society actively promotes kindness, the elimination of cruelty to and neglect of all animals, and the lifelong commitment of people to their pets. - See more at: http://animalwelfaresociety.org/about-us/mission/#sthash.5n9F41WA.dpuf

The Animal Welfare Society, incorporated in 1967, is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit humane society. The society was formed in the early 1960s by a group of caring individuals including the late Mrs. Elmina B. Sewall and the late Mr. Donald Shepard.

Today, AWS is an open-admission No Kill* shelter serving York County, Maine. AWS operates an animal shelter and adoption center in West Kennebunk and offers life saving community programs including Pets and Women to Safety, Paws in Stripes, Paws Across America, Humane Education, Behavior and Training classes and the Shelter Spay/Neuter Clinic. AWS is home to the Cleo Fund providing spay/neuter assistance to individuals and feral cat colony advocates statewide, and serves as the animal control impound facility for 21 municipalities in York County.

In 2016, AWS adopted out 4,057 cats, dogs, rabbits and other animals in need and achieved a live outcome rate of 98%.** AWS’ activities are supported by a staff of 42 full- and part-time employees and more than 150 active volunteers providing more than 20,000 hours of service annually.

We are able to fulfill our mission through the generosity of those who contribute through donations, pledges and bequests. These funds go directly toward the care of the animals at the shelter and to programs that benefit the people and animals in our communities.

*AWS defines a No Kill shelter as an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals regardless of space or length of stay. As an adoption guarantee organization we reserve euthanasia only for unhealthy animals that are terminally ill and cannot be treated or those with behavior that is dangerous to public safety.

- See more at: http://animalwelfaresociety.org/about-us/