PAWS Atlanta was originally called the Dekalb Humane Society.

The DeKalb Humane Society was first formed in March of 1966.  Its Charter was granted in March of 1967.  The DeKalb Humane Society originally operated as a branch of the Atlanta Humane Society.  

The property at 5287 Covington Highway was purchased by the DeKalb Humane Society in 1983.  The Cat Cottage was the only existing structure on the property at the time of purchase.

The dog shelter building was built in 1986 and the walking trail property next door was purchased in 1996. 

The name of the organization was changed from the DeKalb Humane Society to PAWS Atlanta, Inc. in December 2002.  The name change reflects our mission of preserving a no-kill philosophy for companion animals that are adoptable.  It also clarifies to the public that PAWS Atlanta does not receive any funding from the county. 

In January of 2010, PAWS Atlanta was the beneficiary of an upgrade, courtesy of Lowe's and Animal Planet's "It's Me or the Dog with Victoria Stilwell".  The donation of time, talent and labor helped PAWS Atlanta renovate areas of the dog shelter, rebuild the outside dog runs and repair a portion of the Cat Cottage.  

PAWS Atlanta has rescued and adopted out over 30,000 cats and dogs to their forever homes.  We rely on donations from individuals and organizations, grants and our volunteers to fulfill our mission.