Clear answers to common questions about adoption, fostering, and PAWS
Adoption FAQs
Our adoption process is designed to create successful, lasting matches between dogs and adopters. It begins with an application, followed by a review, meet & greet, and home visit. Because every dog and household is different, timelines and steps may vary slightly.
Most adoptions take 1–2 weeks from application to adoption. Some applications move faster, while others take longer depending on veterinary checks, landlord approvals, and scheduling availability. Our goal is always the right match, not the fastest one.
No. PAWS is a foster-based rescue. All of our dogs live in foster homes, not kennels. This allows us to better understand each dog’s personality, needs, and behavior in a home environment.
Adopters must:
- Be at least 21 years old
- Commit to the dog as an indoor companion
- Ensure current pets are spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccinations and preventatives
- Provide landlord approval if renting
- Agree to provide routine and emergency veterinary care
Our adoption fee helps offset the cost of veterinary care, including spay/neuter, vaccinations, and medical treatment.
Yes, though additional requirements may apply depending on distance from central Ohio. We do not adopt outside of Ohio.
Foster FAQs
Fostering means temporarily welcoming a PAWS dog into your home while we search for a permanent adopter. Foster homes provide love, structure, and basic care — and play a vital role in saving lives.
No prior experience is required. Our foster team provides guidance and support every step of the way.
It varies. Some dogs are adopted quickly, while others need more time to find the right match.
PAWS covers veterinary care and provides supplies — including food, crates, and leashes.
Surrendering a Dog FAQs
State law requires that all stray dogs be taken to a county animal shelter so they can make further attempts to locate the dog’s owner. The dog will need to be held at the shelter (or possibly in your home or another foster home) for a holding period while there is an attempt to find the owner. The dog can be checked for a microchip at any veterinary office or shelter without any cost to you. We also suggest submitting pictures to local lost and found pet Facebook groups and PetFBI.org. Email pawsintake@gmail.com if you would like to surrender a found dog after taking measures to find the owner.
Though we’d love to help every dog in need, we are unable to take in a dog unless we have a volunteer who is willing to foster them. If we have available resources, we will do our best to assist you in finding a solution. If you need help surrendering a dog, email pawsintake@gmail.com with the information in the section below. Our general email address (contactus@powellpaws.org) will not respond to owner surrender requests. If you are interested in fostering the dog yourself, please consider listing your dog with Adopt-a-Pet’s Rehome service.
Please send the following information to pawsintake@gmail.com. If we are able to assist you in rehoming your dog, a PAWS volunteer will reach out to you.
- Several pictures of your dog
- Dog’s name, breed, sex, age, and weight
- Medical history (copies of vet records are very helpful), including whether your dog:
- Has been spayed or neutered
- Is up to date on rabies and distemper vaccinations
- Has tested negative for heartworm disease in the past 12 months
- Is on monthly heartworm and flea & tick preventatives
- Description of your dog’s temperament – any issues with:
- Strangers
- Children
- Cats
- Other dogs
- Any behavioral or medical issues a new owner should be aware of
General FAQs
Yes — Powell Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is a nonprofit, foster-based rescue located in Powell, Ohio.
We rely entirely on donations and fundraising to continue our rescue work.
There are many ways to support PAWS — including donating, volunteering, attending events, and sharing our dogs on social media.
If you didn’t find what you were looking for, we are happy to help answer more specific questions. For general or adoption inquiries, please email contactus@powellpaws.org. To inquire about surrendering a dog to PAWS, please email pawsintake@gmail.com.