PAWS Chicago got started in 1997 after its founder found out the city was killing 42,000 homeless animals a year. That number's down over 90% since.

They're the biggest no-kill shelter in Chicago. In 2024 they saved almost 98% of animals that came through their doors and placed 4,382 pets in new homes. Over their whole history — 86,000+ adoptions, 332,000+ spay/neuter surgeries.

Team PAWS is their marathon program. You pick a race somewhere in the world, raise money, and it goes toward vet bills, surgeries, foster families, all the stuff that keeps animals alive long enough to find someone.

I'm running Sydney 2026 for them.