Pets and families thriving together
Founded in 1967, Animal Welfare Society (AWS) is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization located in Kennebunk, Maine.
Our mission
Animal Welfare Society exists to serve as the safety net for lost and homeless pets and to provide access to affordable services and resources necessary for long term well-being, so pets and their families stay together and thrive.
Featured Pets
These pets have been waiting the longest for their new families to adopt them. Will one of them become your new best friend?
Our 2022 Impact
In a year like no other, we supported our pet community’s needs as families faced inflation, economic uncertainty and housing instability while also adjusting our operations to fit the “post-COVID” era.
2023 Year in Review
Events & Programs
Join us!
From the Blog
Whether it’s a dog who likes to blog, a cat who enjoys a chat, a bird who shares the word, or the occasional funny bunny, you’ll love hearing from our resident animals directly. Our blog also contains news & updates, training tips & tricks and more. Keep up with AWS!
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Technology Makes a Difference
It’s no secret that being a volunteer or foster for AWS makes a big difference for the pets in our facility. Volunteers not only help clean, run errands, and answer […]
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Social-Emotional Learning with Animals
It’s no secret that animals can help teach children and adults alike about their emotions. Animals make us feel safe, feel seen, and are great listeners. As such, our Youth […]
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Puppy Socialization & Vaccinations
Puppyhood, particularly up until about 4 months of age, is a critical time for dog socialization. This is when your puppy learns how to positively interact with the world and […]
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We’re So Grateful
Last week at AWS, we celebrated or hardworking fosters and volunteers during Volunteer Appreciation Week. To show our gratitude, we had prizes, raffles, and lots of delicious food for them […]
Values That Guide Our Work
Compassion
We demonstrate kindness, understanding, and concern for the animals and people in our community whatever their circumstances. We appreciate others’ perspectives, listen, acknowledge needs, and practice patience. We offer assistance and support in the absence of judgement.
Community Focused
We are dedicated to supporting people and pets in our community through creating progressive, innovative programs and services so that pets can get what they need to thrive. We believe healthy pets make healthy people and healthy people make a healthy community.
Collaboration
We acknowledge it takes all of us working together to successfully promote and protect the human-animal bond. We prioritize teamwork and partnerships in all that we do and commit to building positive relationships with individuals, groups, and organizations in order to further our mission and goals.
Inclusion and Equity
Diverse voices make us stronger. We strive to create an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected, and heard. We seek to build a fair, equitable, honest, and healthy place for our staff to work and for our community to seek support.
