Compassionate Caregiving for those in Crisis

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Support families in crisis and the pets who love them. Your gift helps provide safe foster care, expand our sanctuary programs, and build a more compassionate future for animals and the people who depend on them.

Support Families & Pets

Join the National Animal Foster Network

Be part of a growing, coordinated movement designed to strengthen foster placement systems nationwide. Together, we can expand capacity, improve response times, and create a smarter, more connected future for animal welfare.

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A Letter From Our Founder

My name is JoAnn Lagace, and I founded Paws N Claws for the Cause from a place of lived experience, resilience, and hope.

This mission was not created in a boardroom. It was born from my own journey through addiction recovery, mental health challenges, domestic violence, and homelessness. During that time, I faced a question that too many people in crisis must ask: What happens to your beloved pets when you seek help?

As I rebuilt my life and later worked as a client advocate supporting others in crisis, I saw the same heartbreaking pattern again and again. Individuals were ready to enter treatment, flee unsafe situations, or begin recovery, but they refused help because they had no safe place for their pets. The bond between people and their animals was being overlooked in systems meant to protect them.

That realization became the foundation of Paws N Claws for the Cause.

Today, we provide temporary foster care for pets whose owners are navigating medical emergencies, mental health treatment, substance recovery, domestic violence, aging-related transitions, temporary incarceration, deployment, or natural disasters. But our vision reaches beyond individual placements.

We are building the National Animal Foster Network, a coordinated, data-driven system that connects foster families, shelters, and crisis services nationwide. With the support of University of Colorado Boulder Capstone students, we are developing a national database and mobile app to match animals and fosters in real time. Our goal is simple but transformative: no family should have to surrender a beloved pet to seek safety or healing.

This work is deeply personal. I am currently fostering for someone in long-term recovery who is approaching two years sober. They often share that knowing their pet was safe and loved gave them the peace of mind needed to focus on healing. That is the power of compassionate foster care. It supports not only animals, but also human dignity and recovery.

What began as my story of survival has grown into a movement rooted in compassion, technology, and community. I invite you to stand with us as a supporter, foster, volunteer, or advocate as we build a safer, more humane future for families in crisis.

With gratitude and purpose,

JoAnn Lagace
Founder, Paws N Claws for the Cause
Lead Developer, National Animal Foster Network

Invest in Compassion

Mission

To keep families and their pets together during life’s most challenging moments by providing safe, compassionate foster care and building a connected network of support for animals and the people who love them.

Paws N Claws for the Cause exists to ensure that when individuals or families face unexpected hardship, they have a trusted, humane option for their pets. Through local sanctuary efforts and the development of the National Animal Foster Network, we work to create reliable pathways to temporary foster care that protect both animal welfare and human dignity.

Vision

We envision a future where no one has to choose between seeking help and protecting their beloved pet.

Our vision is a coordinated, nationwide foster network that connects communities, shelters, volunteers, and partners through thoughtful collaboration and innovative technology. By strengthening local resources and expanding national infrastructure, we aim to reduce animal displacement, support families through transition, and build a more compassionate system of care.