Love Your Pets
Give Them Care

Starting in 2000, PAWS provided medical services to sick
and injured animals, treating animals in parking lots and
later in a government-provided office, and hosted
spay/neuter clinics twice a year, bringing in
off-island veterinarians.

Adopt & Take Care
Of Your New
Best Friend
PAWS can help you to find your new best friend and keep them healthy.

Donate & Support
PAWS Today!

Your generous donations will help PAWS continue to provide
low-cost medical care to the animals of Palau.

NUGGET
Our Lovely Mascot

Vet Clinic

PAWS’s goal is to provide veterinary services in Palau by opening an independent, low-cost vet clinic. PAWS is drawing on community and international support…

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Adoption

PAWS focuses its effort on making lifetime, lasting relationships between animals and people. We encourage adoptions that fit the lifestyle of the adopter…

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Support PAWS

Help PAWS achieve its goal to open a low-cost vet clinic that will provide quality veterinary care and spay/neuter services to all domestic animals in Palau.

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About PAWS

The Palau Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is a non-profit corporation founded in 2000 by a small group of animal lovers to promote the health and well-being of domestic animals in Palau. PAWS promotes population control through spay/neuter clinics and public education, and is actively engaged in teaching the community about animal welfare. PAWS is currently in the process of developing its own low-cost veterinary clinic in Palau.

Did You Know?

One Unspayed Female Dog
Will Result In:

1 Year 16 Dogs
2 Years 128 Dogs
3 Years 512 Dogs
4 Years 2,048 Dogs
5 Years 12,288 Dogs
6 Years 67,000 Dogs

One Unspayed Female Cat
Will Result In:

1 Year 12 Cats
2 Years 67 Cats
3 Years 376 Cats
4 Years 2,107 Cats
5 Years 11,801 Cats
6 Years 66,088 Cats

Animal Welfare in Palauan Culture

Long ago in Palau there was a childless widow who wanted children of her own. One day her wish was granted, but she gave birth to a banded sea snake. Rather than becoming scared, she loved her snake son like a human child and cared for him until he became too big to live in the house. The mother was getting old and because of this she could no longer go fishing for her family. So the snake took over this responsibility. He would trap the fish with his long slender body. The snake, still a young boy wanted to play with other children, but the boys from the village were scared of him. He told his mother of his sadness so his mother wished for another child to become his playmate. Nine months later she gave birth to a cat. Despite the two being very different creatures the cat sister and snake brother got along very well. The snake kept fishing and the cat kept the rats away. They loved playing together at the beach by the house. Sadly, the village started talking about how unusual the family was, the stories reached the widow’s ears and she cried quietly about how she wished to have a family that was accepted. The snake heard this and told his sister. Deeply saddened by their situation the siblings rant away to sea. The cat jumped on her brother’s back as he swam out with the tide. A few days later they landed at Ngeluul in Yap. There the snake trapped fish on this sister rested in the shade. A man gathering coconuts saw them the trapped fish and ran to catch some. He was surprised to find a giant snake feeding fish to a cat.

Frightened, he turned to run way, but the snake called out to him: “Come have some fish and give us some coconut water, we are thirsty.”

The man was surprised. “Don’t be scared, we will not harm you.” the snake urged.

The man thanked the for sharing fish and gave them coconuts to drink and eat. They conversed for some time and finally the man asked the snake if he could stay and fish for his village. The snake declined but offered to teach the man how to fish with a beng (a circle trap for fish). The man lamented about rats chewing holes in his fish traps and eating all of his bananas. Hearing this, the cat offered her expert rat hunting services if he would over her a home. The man liked this idea, even though he had never seen a cat before. The snake, who was sad to see his sister go, spoke with her privately before leaving.

“You are a creature of land and I am of the sea. This is your new home, but don’t forget me! Befriend the people of his house but act as a reflection of their love and kindness. If they are kind and treat you will, be kind and treat them well.”

As they parted ways the snake called out to the man: “Please don’t feed her any bananas, it is forbidden where we come from, give her plenty of fish and lots of affection and love and she will be loyal and chase rats away from your home.”

– Story adapted from: Temegil, J.E. (2004). A collection of Palauan legends. Belau National Museum, Koror, Palau.
– Painting by John Swords