This is the PetFinder "Volunteer Supported" Website for the Rutherford County Animal Shelter (PAWS)
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Contact the Shelter
615-898-7740
615-898-7994 FAX


Map to the Shelter

PAWS List of Vets

PAWS Approved Animal Rescue Groups



Pet Adoption & Welfare Services is Rutherford County Animal Control, and it is the local animal shelter for the county. Adoptable unclaimed stray and owner surrendered animals are available to the public at PAWS on Mon thru Fri Noon till 6PM, and on Sat 11AM till 2PM. An approved adoption application is required to take an animal home with you. Adopted animals requiring spay or neuter surgery are transported to a local vet by shelter personnel, where you can pick them up after recovery. PAWS adoption fees for altered animals are $48, and $80 for animals requiring surgery. Heartworm test for dogs, feline leukemia test for cats, 1st shots, and vouchers toward surgery ($32) and rabies shots ($11) are included in the adoption fee.
There is NO veternarian on duty at this shelter. This shelter does NOT take plastic or debit cards. Please bring Local check or cash only. You must come in person to adopt an animal from PAWS. If you are considering adopting a pet from PAWS, please do not hesitate!!!! Based on the animal's health and available shelter space, an unwanted or sick animal at this shelter can be euthenized at any time.



Volunteering at the Shelter. You can help provide some comfort for the animals at this shelter by signing up as a volunteer. An approved volunteer application and an orientation class is required. Dog walking, grooming, kennel maintenance, cat box maintenance, and help at the adoption desk are volunteer services most appreciated by the shelter staff and the animals.
Help support this website by taking volunteer pictures of the animals you spend time with and emailing them to rc paws rescue network for posting.
The shelter provides only 1 online photo of the animal, and your pics and videos are needed to enhance and update the pet listings on , and to send out to animal rescue groups everywhere that might be able to help.
Volunteers Needed. We need volunteer picture takers for this PetFinder site. If you can help, visit PAWS today with your digital camera... sign in... grab a leash... take a dog out for a walk... get some pictures... Email them to this site... Help save an animal's life.



There are many PAWS Approved Animal Rescue Groups who would appreciate your volunteer help.
After 5 days at the shelter, unadopted animals are available to PAWS approved rescue groups. Quite often, any interested group only has a day or two to arrange for the animal's rescue. Local and especially out of town rescue groups need shelter helpers to visit PAWS and take additional pictures and videos, do temp testing w/ other animals, get any available history on the animal from shelter personnel, and quickly Email that information to waiting rescue groups. Then, as soon as the decision is made by a rescue group to go ahead and save an animal, a sponsor who can take a reimburseable check or make a tax deductable donation to the shelter to cover the pull fee saves a life. The paid fee is required by the shelter to start the adoption paperwork, and the shelter takes only local check or cash, so somebody has to go to the shelter with the fee to save the animal. After the adoption paperwork is completed, rescued animals will also need volunteer rides, and foster homes for 2 to 4 weeks, or until they are ready to travel to their new home.



RC PAWS receives over 8500 animals a year. Of that number only a little over 19% are adopted or reclaimed. Due to the overwhelming amount of animals that have to be euthenized on a daily basis, animal rescue groups are encouraged to assist PAWS in the placement of unadopted animals.



RC PAWS Rescue Network offers local volunteer support for rescue groups that help the homeless animals at this shelter.
Our goal is to maintain a local network of dependable sponsors, shelter helpers, volunteer drivers, food donations, low cost boarding, and foster homes to assist PAWS Approved Rescue Groups when they pull a last minute rescue animal from this shelter.
Your help is needed. To get involved, please visit RC PAWS Rescue Network

Your help would be very appreciated, and will help in the rescue and rehoming of many animals.








At the end of the day, our hope is that every dog has their couch, and every couch has their dog.



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