The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) is a U.S. based group for abandoned or abused performing animals as well victims of the exotic animal trade. They claim 30,000 members. As a member accredited by The Association of Sanctuaries (TAOS), the society follows guidelines stipulated by TAOS, one of which is that none of the elephants be bred.

History

Founded by former Hollywood animal trainer and author Pat Derby and partner Ed Stewart, PAWS works to ensure that animals are protected by the Endangered Species

Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...

 and the Animal Welfare Acts, as well as by local laws. In 2007, with the arrival of a retired circus elephant named Nicholas, PAWS' ARK 2000 became the first sanctuary in the United States to house bull elephants. Today, the sanctuary is home to three bull elephants following the arrival of Sabu in September of 2010, and Prince in July of 2011. Sabu and Prince are both retired circus elephants.

Sanctuary Facilities

PAWS maintains three sanctuaries for captive wildlife—a 30 acre

Acre

The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...

 sanctuary in Galt, California

Galt, California

Galt is a city in Sacramento County, California, USA. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, the 100 acre (0.404686 km²) Amanda Blake Wildlife Refuge in Herald, California

Herald, California

Herald is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California. Herald sits at an elevation of . It is located east of the City of Galt along State Route 104. The ZIP Code is 95638, and the community is inside area code 209...

 and a third, ARK2000, which comprises 2300 acres (9.3 km²) in San Andreas, California

San Andreas, California

San Andreas is an unincorporated census-designated place and the county seat of Calaveras County, California. The population was 2,783 at the 2010 census, up from 2,615 at the 2000 census. Like most towns in the region, it was originally founded during the California Gold Rush...

.

The animals live in facilities specifically designed for their needs; the elephants, for example, have access to 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of land and have been given a jacuzzi for the more arthritic

Arthritis

Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....

 members of their family.

Animal Population

The sanctuaries currently house approximately six Asian Elephants, three African Elephants , forty one exotic cats like tiger

Tiger

The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...

s, lion

Lion

The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...

s , cougars, a black leopard

Black panther

A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...

, a serval

Serval

The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...

, and a bobcat

Bobcat

The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...

, eight bear

Bear

Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...

s mostly American black bear

American black bear

The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

s, eight primate

Primate

A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...

s mostly White-headed capuchin

White-headed Capuchin

The white-headed capuchin , also known as the white-faced capuchin or white-throated capuchin, is a medium-sized New World monkey of the family Cebidae, subfamily Cebinae...

s, one coyote

Coyote

The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...

, emu, rhea, fallow deer, eland, Muntjack deer and a herd of scimitar-horned oryx.