Hand2Paw

www.hand2paw.org
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Hand2Paw empowers at-risk youth who’ve faced housing insecurity, foster care, and justice involvement through hands-on animal care—helping them build confidence, skills, and stability while giving homeless pets safety, socialization, and love. Hand2Paw’s mission is to provide a safe and supportive work environment, for youth ages 16-24, who are experiencing housing insecurity or foster-care involv

ement, as a means of enhancing resilience, compassion, and connection with people, animals and the community of Philadelphia.

05/20/2026

🐾 Community Support in Action! 🐾

A huge thank you to Drexel’s and for hosting a Pet Pantry Donation Drive to support Hand2Paw’s upcoming Pet Pantry! 💙

Now through 5/29, donations of unopened dog & cat food, cat litter, and gently used pet supplies (leashes, collars, toys, bedding, etc.) can be dropped off on Drexel’s campus in both buildings.

Can’t make it to Drexel or our office but still want to help? You can support our efforts directly through our Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/gp/wishlist/

Every donation helps keep pets fed, cared for, and together with the families who love them. We truly appreciate all efforts and support from our community! 🐶🐱

05/13/2026

🐾✨ Meet our newest Adoptables: Pumpkin & Milo!

These two 3-year-old kitties made their way to Hand2Paw a couple weeks ago when their family could no longer care for them. Now they’re ready to find their forever homes 💛

Pumpkin:🎃Pumpkin brings the fall festivities all year long! He’s a social butterfly with ALL the orange cat energy. He loves meeting new people, getting attention, and is VERY food motivated (Churu = life 😻). He enjoys window-watching and people-watching the world go by. Pumpkin has done well with other cats in the past and may do okay in a multi-pet home, but he’d also be perfectly happy as the only spoiled pet 🐾. Quirk alert: Pumpkin HATES feet and shoes (yes, really 😭). If he sees them, he may hiss, swat, or lunge. Because of this, his future family should be mindful and work on building positive associations over time.

Milo: Milo is a sleek gray gentleman who prefers a calm, quiet vibe. He’s a shy guy at first, but once he warms up… he’s all sweetness 🥺💕. He loves gentle pets, quiet purrs, and will happily lean in and relax beside you with his eyes closed in pure comfort. Milo can be a bit sensitive with other cats and would do best in a single-pet home where he can soak up all the love and attention 🏡💛. With patience and decompression, he may do okay with other pets in the future.

💌 Interested in adopting one of these cool cats?
Fill out an application on Waiting on a Friend’s website, and their team will reach out to schedule a meet-and-greet at our location! 🐾.

Let’s find Pumpkin and Milo the loving homes they deserve 💛

05/08/2026

✨ Philly, we’re bringing the vibes AND the impact 🥂 and we want you to be part of it.

We’re inviting sponsors to join us for Cheers to Change: A Hand2Paw Celebration of Impact, an open-to-the-public, ticketed happy hour celebrating our internship cohort and raising critical funds to support a community where youth thrive and animals matter 🐾💛 all while enjoying a fun evening of food, drinks, networking, raffles, and community connection.

If you or your organization want to show up for impact while gaining meaningful visibility, we’d love to partner with you. 🤝

👉 Sponsorship commitment voucher - https://forms.gle/zHJjbdzadFG2pDGB8

Can’t sponsor but still want to support? Keep an eye out, tickets go on sale in early June 🎟️

📅 July 9, 2026
📍 Philadelphia, PA

05/06/2026

Today was a very exciting day! 🎉

After 3 years of waiting, Macaroni has officially found his furever home!!!!!!

For those who don’t know, Macaroni has been a staple at Hand2Paw for several months, and we’ve been fostering him through since last summer. With FIV, a heart murmur, and a very strong belief that he should be the only animal in existence, we knew finding his perfect match might take time.

But sometimes, the right match is closer than you think. ❤️

During his time with us, Macaroni formed an incredible bond with our MSW intern, Frannie. The two quickly became inseparable, and by the end of her internship, it was clear, there was no way they were parting.

So today, the best kind of ending (and beginning) happened… Macaroni went home. 🏡

Congratulations to Frannie and Macaroni. You are truly a dream team! 🐾

05/01/2026

Happy Adopt a Shelter Pet Day! So happy to see amazing furry friends find their forever homes!

04/21/2026

We are truly grateful to the Connelly Foundation for this generous grant award and for believing in the work we are so passionate about.

Your support is more than funding. It is a meaningful investment in healing, growth, and opportunity for Philadelphia youth and the rescue animals we serve. Because of partners like you, we are able to continue creating safe, transformative spaces where young people and animals can learn from and care for one another.

Thank you for standing with us, for seeing the value in this work, and for helping us bring compassion and possibility to life in our community.

04/20/2026

We are deeply grateful to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for selecting us as returning recipients of the Violence Intervention and Prevention grant program and awarding $193,673 to support a major portion of our 2027 and 2028 programming. 🎉

This investment strengthens our organizational stability and ensures we can continue delivering consistent, high-quality programming that supports youth and animals in need. 🐾✨

We are honored by this continued partnership and commitment to our mission, and we look forward to the impact we will continue to build together. 💛

04/14/2026

Three years. 💛

That’s how long Tigger had been missing.

A kind member of our community reached out to us about a cat she had been caring for over the past several months. She brought her to us to foster through so we could help find her a forever home. But when we scanned her for a microchip, everything changed…

She already had a family. 🥹

We immediately contacted the family linked to her microchip, and their reaction said it all; they were overjoyed to learn that Tigger was safe. After she ran out of the house and went missing THREE YEARS AGO, her family was overjoyed to learn she had finally been found safe. And now, Tigger is finally back where she belongs. 🏡💕

Moments like this remind us just how powerful a microchip can be. It’s a tiny thing that can make a life-changing difference, reuniting families even years later.

We are so incredibly grateful to the compassionate community member who looked out for Tigger, and to everyone who helps keep animals safe and cared for. It truly takes a village. 💛

We are also so thankful to our partner . When we reached out to them with Tigger’s story, they immediately jumped in and wanted to be part of her journey home. Thanks to their support, Tigger received a full medical workup, updated vaccines, and everything she needed after spending so long outdoors to make sure she’s healthy and thriving.

✨ Please consider microchipping your pets. It could be the reason they find their way back home.

Welcome home, Tigger. 🐾

04/06/2026

Meet our adoptable kitty Slam-Dunk😻

This gorgeous 9-month-old girl is currently being fostered through and is searching for a very special, patient home 💛

Dunk is a chatty queen—she’ll happily “talk” to you while rolling around on her blankets and purring away. She’s a bit of a sour patch kid: a little spicy at first, but oh-so-sweet once you earn her trust. Because of this, she’ll need a cat-savvy, adult-only home where she can settle in at her own pace.

She’s still learning to feel safe with handling and is making great progress—recently allowing head scratches in short, sweet moments! Dunk will absolutely let you know when she’s had enough, so reading her cues is key.

What she does love? PLAYTIME! 🎉 Wand toys are her absolute favorite, and she brings serious athlete energy (hence the name). Dunk is an independent girly who values her space. She likes being near her human…on her terms…at a respectful distance…like a tiny, judgmental roommate who occasionally blesses you with affection.

If you’re someone who appreciates a cat with personality, boundaries, and lots of potential, Slam-Dunk might just be your perfect match 💖

Interested in giving Dunk the loving, understanding home she deserves? Reach out to learn more or apply to adopt!

03/27/2026

YOU MADE IT HAPPEN 🐾🎉

Thank you to our incredible community for showing up during our 15-Year Anniversary Challenge!

Together, we raised $21,467 and unlocked our full $20,000 match, bringing our total to $41,467 🙌🏾💛

Every donation and share made a difference and because of you, we can continue creating opportunities for youth and animals 🐶🐱

We are so grateful for your support. This impact belongs to all of you 💫

Address

5757 North 5th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19120

Website

http://www.hand2paw.org/

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