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Paws Across The Water
Paws Across The Water
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About Us

Paws Across the Water (PAWs) is a foster-based, non-profit organization and a registered charity, located in the Greater Toronto Area. We are 100% volunteer-based and work hard to find the best homes for dogs that were strays or abandoned. 


It takes a village to do the work we do! We are volunteer-based and rely on help from volunteers to assist us with things like fundraising, transportation, administrative tasks, and promotion.

How to Help

Our Purpose

PAWs’ purpose is to promote the care and protection of animals and to prevent cruelty and suffering by:

  1. Rescuing animals in need of human assistance or care, such as those that are homeless, stray, injured, neglected, abused, or surrendered by their owners.
  2. Providing rescued animals with shelter and necessary medical treatment and/or rehabilitation.
  3. Adopting rescued animals into safe, caring and permanent homes
  4. Providing education and resources to the public regarding animal care, animal rescue, animal cruelty, and pet overpopulation issues and prevention measures.
  5. Improving society by promoting compassion and kindness toward animals.
  6. Advocating for laws, regulations, and public policies that will improve the lives and welfare of animals.  

How We Work

We partner with local and international rescuers to help dogs in need. Around the world the need for assistance with strays and unwanted animals is enormous, and we are approached on an ongoing basis by rescuers in need of help to rehome dogs. 


We have current rescuer partnerships in Antigua, Bahrain, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Mexico, Portugal, and the United States. Working with our rescue partners we address any medical or other needs and get the dogs ready for a happy life in Canada.   


We assist local rescuers or people in need of rehoming a dog. Many of our dogs have come to us from Manitoba and some from Ontario. 


We work with our foster and volunteer teams to provide the highest standards of care for our dogs, to ensure that the dogs have everything they need to set them up for success in their forever homes. 


We partner with vets, specialists, and rehabilitation therapists to provide the BEST care we can offer.  Our biggest satisfaction comes from the dogs' before/after stories, as it’s so obvious how much the dog has improved in its physical wellbeing and health. 


We sponsor spay/neuter clinics in other countries, where the stray population is currently out of hand. Our dream is that one day there will be no strays, and we’re actively working to make that a reality. 


We work together with our partners to educate people about animal care and advocate for changes in laws to better benefit animals.


We maintain a close connection with our adopters post-adoption and provide education and support as needed. We stand behind our dogs. We see our volunteers and adopters as our Paws Pack. 

See Our Happy Tails & Adoptables

Find out more

Our Team

Barbara Harrison

Executive Director

Copyright © 2025 Paws Across The Water - All Rights Reserved.  Registered Charity Number 721282325RR0001.


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