About NWA PAW

Northwest Arkansas Partnership for Animal Welfare (NWA PAW) is a group of animal welfare agencies working together to help pets in Northwest Arkansas.

The mission of the NWA PAW is to use collaborative public and private partnerships to end the killing of healthy and treatable cats and dogs in Northwest Arkansas area shelters and to promote humane alternatives for community cats, ultimately attaining 100% safe placement of healthy and treatable pets.

NWA PAW is a voluntary association of nonprofit organizations and government animal shelters working toward achieving the mission.  Each coalition member maintains its own independent status as a stand-alone 501(c)(3) organization or government agency. 

The NWA Coalition is governed by a Steering Committee which provides direction for the NWA Coalition, considers issues and questions that arise, and works to oversee the work of the NWA Coalition.   

When appropriate, NWA PAW members may receive funding from Best Friends Animal Society to carry out programming in alignment with the Coalition’s mission.

In furtherance of the mission of the NWA PAW, Coalition Members commit and agree to the following:

  • Despite the current reality, Coalition Members are working towards a goal that no animal in the care, custody, or control of the Coalition Member is euthanized other than for irremediable suffering caused by a terminal illness or untreatable aggression.
  • To ensure that no animal in the care, custody or control of the Coalition Member is bred or used for breeding purposes.
  • To respect, support and promote the activities of the other Northwest Arkansas Partnership for Animal Welfare Members and the programs of the Northwest Arkansas Partnership for Animal Welfare.
  • To make no public statements critical of other Northwest Arkansas Partnership for Animal Welfare Members or the programs of the Northwest Arkansas Partnership for Animal Welfare.
  • To bring Northwest Arkansas Partnership for Animal Welfare program complaints or disputes to the attention of the Steering Committee.
  • To allow representatives of the Steering Committee responsible for the administration of the Northwest Arkansas Partnership for Animal Welfare program access to adoption and spay/neuter records when requested and as needed to verify activity for which an adoption subsidy or other request for grant funds is claimed.
    • Government entities will comply with the spirit and intent of this commitment to the extent permitted by applicable law regarding access to government records
  • To allow representatives of the Steering Committee responsible for the administration of the Northwest Arkansas Partnership for Animal Welfare program access to facilities housing animals, including unannounced visits. Government entities will comply with the spirit and intent of this commitment to the extent permitted by applicable law
  • To report all animal intake and disposition data monthly via the Shelter Animals Count website or otherwise as approved by Best Friends Animal Society.