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Minn-Kota PAAWS (People Advocating Animal Welfare Services) was created to educate the area population of the importance of spaying and neutering companion animals and to take a proactive approach to the animal population problem. Our mission is to spay and neuter barn, feral, stray and companion animals, thus reducing the number of unwanted litters. We serve Moorhead, Minn., Fargo, N.D., and their surrounding areas.

February 2010 - Help PAAWS earn money in the Humane Society of the United States Spay Day 2010 photo contest. Spay Day is an annual campaign of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animal lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats. When you donate and vote, you can choose to apply all your votes to one pet photo, or save votes to your vote bank and vote for multiple pets in the contest. Either way, your donations will go right to the charity (or charities) chosen by the pets' caregivers—so each vote means one more dollar for their cause! So please…donate and save pets' lives! Use this link to learn more: http://photocontest.humanesociety.org/contest.html?contestId=2

January 26, 2010 PAAWS receives funding from Moorhead City Commission! The funding will provide spaying/neutering services to cats that would otherwise never receive these services.

January 25, 2010 In December, the Fargo City Commission made funds available for TNR (trap, neuter, return) in Fargo's trailer parks. PAAWS has been trapping for the last couple weeks. So far we have provided services for 19 cats/kittens in Countryside Trailer Park. Of these 19 cats, 9 cats have been placed in our shelter or foster program (2 have already been adopted). 10 cats have received veterinary care (including spaying/neutering) and returned to the original place they were trapped.

December 2, 2009 Please consider adoption first when adding a furry friend to your family. PAAWS has many wonderful cats to choose from. Our adoption fees are $65 for a male cat and $85 for a female cat. These fees include FeLV/FIV testing, shots, worming, microchipping and spaying and neutering. Give the gift of life for Christmas by adding a rescue cat to your family!

October 1, 2009 There are many wonderful cats in need of forever homes or temporary fostering at local pounds. PAAWS is full with over 50 cats in our program. If you can provide a home or help with fostering, please contact PAAWS at (701) 356-0523 or send an email to PAAWSPROJECT@AOL.COM.

Adoptions: In addition to low-cost spays/neuters and other veterinary services, we also have several cats available for adoption. Each cat has its own rescue story, and although we take great care of our resident cats, each needs and deserves a loving "forever home." Check out photos of our cat family by clicking here, and stop in to visit them at our clinic and shelter at 25 21st St. S. in Fargo, just off of Main Avenue.

Adoption updates: Have you adopted a cat from PAAWS? We'd love to hear your and your cat's story. Send your story along with any photos or videos you'd like to include to mera52@hotmail.com. We'd like to keep track of how our adopted cats are doing.

Facebook: Are you a member of the social networking Web site Facebook? If so, join our PAAWS group to stay up-to-date on our goings-on and to show your support for our cause! Click here to join.

 Emergency pet treatment, expensive surgical treatment, costly preventive care - can you handle a big vet bill, or would you rather make low monthly payments with the option of no interest? How's your credit rating? CareCredit could allow you to get the treatment your pet needs, right away! With a CareCredit card you can benefit from low minimum monthly payments and choose between several payment plans. They have no interest payment (you must pay at least the minimum monthly payment each month when due). Their Web site shows only a few area vets offer the service. Visit Carecredit.com. Is your vet listed? Do you want the option to have this card? If so, call your vet and tell them you want CareCredit now!

Having your pet spayed or neutered doesn't just help the pet overpopulation problem, it is good for your pet! Read on:

  • Spaying/neutering helps dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives.
  • Spaying/neutering can eliminate or reduce the incidence of a number of health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat.
  • Spaying/neutering eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer, particularly when your pet is spayed before her first estrous cycle.
  • Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.


    • We advocate responsible pet ownership. When you decide to get a pet, make sure you will be able to care for it properly. Can you provide it with a warm, safe, home, feed it and provide it veterinary care for its life?

    We'd like to start setting up an e-mail database! If you're interested in getting e-mail notices (notification of news and upcoming events and fundraisers, for example), please e-mail us at paawsproject@aol.com or mera52@hotmail.com.

    Save Purina weight circles.

    Cut out the weight circles on Purina dog and cat food products for us. We use them for veterinary services. Ask others to do the same!

    Recycle your aluminum cans.

    We recycle aluminum cans for cash. You can take cans to any of the three Minn-Kota recycling centers and ask them to credit the Minn-Kota PAAWS account. We will pick up cans from business sites.