The PAWS mission is multi-faceted to promote sustainable, humane animal control while at the same time teaching the community about animal welfare. This includes how to properly care for pets, but also extends to the humane treatment of roaming domestic animals, farm animals and all wildlife, whether caged or uncaged.

PAWS long-term goal is to spay and neuter 70% of the Palau dog population, at which time, according to Dr. Marvin Mackie, the dog population will stabilize, or begin to decrease. “The outcome at this 70% sterilization level is that the successful breeding encounters of the remaining 30% are reduced to the point that births then occur at a rate only great enough to replace normal attrition.” The goal is therefore not to have a program of continued animal control by euthanasia, but population control by spay/neuter success. This in turn will have a direct positive effect on the zoonotic transmission potential and public health issues as related to the Republic of Palau’s dog population.