Hand2Paw

Hand2Paw www.hand2paw.org

Hand2Paw empowers at-risk youth who’ve faced housing insecurity, foster care, and justice involvement through hands-on animal care—helping them build confidence, skills, and stability while giving homeless pets safety, socialization, and love. Hand2Paw’s mission is to provide a safe and supportive work environment, for youth ages 16-24, who are experiencing housing insecurity or foster-care involvement, as a means of enhancing resilience, compassion, and connection with people, animals and the community of Philadelphia.

🐾 Lace up for youth, animals, and community!We’re excited to partner with PawPath Consulting for the Paws to the Rescue ...
09/25/2026

🐾 Lace up for youth, animals, and community!

We’re excited to partner with PawPath Consulting for the Paws to the Rescue 5K on Saturday, November 14, 2026! 🏃🏾‍♀️🐶

100% of race proceeds benefit Hand2Paw, helping us provide young people impacted by trauma and inequity with paid experiences, skills, and pathways to meaningful careers in animal care.

Whether you run, walk, participate virtually, or start a fundraiser, there’s a way to get involved and make an impact.

📍 Plymouth Whitemarsh High School
📅 November 14, 2026
🌎 In-person + Virtual options
🎟️ Register by October 31

And YES! There will be some adorable adoptable pets from Waiting on a Friend Animal Rescue there to meet! 🐾

Bring your coworkers, friends, family, and fellow animal lovers and join the pack!

👉🏾 Register: https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/LafayetteHill/PawsToTheRescue5K

🐾 Welcome to Hand2Paw, Helena!💙We’re excited to welcome Helena, our new Advanced Year MSW student intern from the Univer...
09/08/2026

🐾 Welcome to Hand2Paw, Helena!💙

We’re excited to welcome Helena, our new Advanced Year MSW student intern from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice, to the Hand2Paw team!

With a background in counseling, research, case management, and community-based work, Helena brings a passion for social justice, community care, and creating spaces where both people and animals feel supported and connected.

As a lifelong animal lover and proud cat mom to two cats 🐱🐱, she’s especially excited to learn more about the human-animal bond and contribute to the work we do.

We’re so excited to have Helena with us this year as she supports our programs, connects with our youth, and helps us continue creating meaningful opportunities through the human-animal bond.

🚨 FALL PAWSPURR RECRUITMENT IS NOW OPEN! Ready to turn your love for animals into real-world skills and career opportuni...
08/31/2026

🚨 FALL PAWSPURR RECRUITMENT IS NOW OPEN!

Ready to turn your love for animals into real-world skills and career opportunities? 🐾

Fall Pawspurr is a 6-week journey into humane education, career development, and compassionate animal care for youth ages 15–24!

Throughout the program, participants will:
🐶 Learn safe and compassionate animal handling
🐱 Explore careers in animal welfare and animal care
🤝 Connect with professionals making a difference in animal advocacy
📄 Build career readiness and job-search skills
💡 Gain hands-on experience and knowledge to help prepare for future opportunities

📅 Program Dates: October 5 – November 11, 2026
🗓️ Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays
⏰ 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

📢 Recruitment is OPEN NOW through September 9, 2026!

⚠️ Mandatory info sessions begin September 9th!

If you’re 15–24 and passionate about animals, advocacy, and building your future—we want to hear from you! 🐾❤️

✨ Don’t miss your chance to join Fall Pawspurr!

Sign Up Here: https://hand2paw.org/apply/

🐶🐱🐰🌎 Hey folks! For the next few weeks, we’ll be running our humane education workshops here at the Hand2Paw house!Each ...
08/19/2026

🐶🐱🐰🌎 Hey folks! For the next few weeks, we’ll be running our humane education workshops here at the Hand2Paw house!

Each workshop is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, share perspectives, and connect with others who care about creating a more compassionate world.

Ready to join us? Sign up through our Eventbrite page (which i will be posting on our story because clearly idk how to use the internet) and reserve your spot!

Happy National Nonprofit Day! Today, we’re celebrating the power of nonprofits to create change, build community, and op...
08/17/2026

Happy National Nonprofit Day!

Today, we’re celebrating the power of nonprofits to create change, build community, and open doors to opportunity.

At Hand2Paw, we believe that when we invest in young people, animals, and the communities they call home, everyone has the opportunity to thrive. From youth gaining hands-on career experience to shelter pets finding loving homes and families accessing the resources they need—we’re proud to be part of a movement that makes a difference every day.

But we couldn’t do this work alone. To our interns, staff, volunteers, partners, donors, supporters, and community members: thank you for believing in the mission and helping us turn compassion into action. 🐶🐱❤️

Here’s to the nonprofits doing the work, the people making it possible, and the communities we serve.

Happy National Nonprofit Day!

✨ Welcome to the Hand2Paw family, Kathy Koar! 🐾We’re thrilled to welcome Kathy Koar, EdD (candidate), CVT, as the newest...
08/17/2026

✨ Welcome to the Hand2Paw family, Kathy Koar! 🐾

We’re thrilled to welcome Kathy Koar, EdD (candidate), CVT, as the newest member of Hand2Paw’s Board of Directors!

Kathy brings more than 25 years of experience in veterinary education, along with a deep commitment to animal welfare, education, and creating opportunities for the next generation of veterinary professionals. As Program Director of the Harcum College Veterinary Nursing Program, a Certified Veterinary Technician, and a longtime educator, Kathy has dedicated her career to empowering students and strengthening the veterinary profession.

Her impressive career includes 12 years with Penn Vet’s Emergency Service, 15 years teaching in the Upper Darby School District, and more than two decades at Harcum College. She has been recognized as the PVMA Veterinary Technician of the Year, a Harcum Outstanding Alumnus, and a Lindback Award recipient for Excellence in Teaching.

Together, we look forward to creating even more meaningful and lasting experiences for the youth and animals we serve, while building pathways for young people to explore careers in animal welfare and veterinary medicine. 🐶🐱💙

Welcome to the board, Kathy! We’re so excited to have you with us! 🎉

Our partnership with Covenant House PA is one that is very special to us and we are happy to give back in any way we can...
08/03/2026

Our partnership with Covenant House PA is one that is very special to us and we are happy to give back in any way we can. What a beautiful full circle moment 🧡🐾

📣 Mark your calendars! Our next Hand2Paw Pet Pantry is happening on Tuesday, August 11! 🐾Whether you need pet food, supp...
07/31/2026

📣 Mark your calendars! Our next Hand2Paw Pet Pantry is happening on Tuesday, August 11! 🐾

Whether you need pet food, supplies, or are looking to connect with local resources, we’d love to see you there. We’re also thrilled to have several fantastic community organizations joining us to share valuable information, resources, and support for both people and their pets.

🗓 Tuesday, August 11
🕚 11:00 AM–2:00 PM (while supplies last)
📍 Backside of Lowell Elementary School parking lot
🚗 Please line up starting at Lawrence Ave & Grange Ave

We look forward to seeing familiar faces and welcoming new ones! If you have any questions before the event, feel free to send us a message.

Together, we’re helping keep pets healthy, cared for, and with the families who love them. 💙🐶🐱

07/24/2026

Cheers to Change 2026 was a beautiful reminder of what is possible when a community comes together with a shared purpose. 💙

The evening was filled with celebration, connection, and hope as we reflected on the lives being impacted through Hand2Paw Foundation and looked ahead to all that’s still to come. Every conversation, every donation, every partnership, and every guest in the room played a part in making the night a success.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who attended, gave generously, volunteered, and cheered on our mission. Your support helps us continue creating opportunities for young adults while strengthening the bond between people and pets in our community.

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible sponsors for making this evening possible:
🐾 MWI Animal Health
🐾 C.A.R.E.
🐾 Penny Ellison
🐾 VRS
🐾 IDEXX USA 🇺🇸
🐾 Bond Vet
🐾 Sheila & Chuck Sacco

A special thank you to Undercurrent Sound Healing for generously donating an amazing raffle prize and helping make the evening even more memorable for our guests.

📸 Photos by: Aqsa R Photos

🎶 Thank you DJ madison

To everyone who made this event possible — our sponsors, partners, volunteers, donors, vendors, and guests—thank you for believing in our mission and investing in the future of our young adults. We couldn’t do this without you!

Here’s to creating more opportunities, strengthening our community, and changing lives together. 💙🐾

Meet Razzmatazz!💕At just 2 years old, Razzmatazz, the Bengal mix, has already had quite the journey. Once a Philly neigh...
07/21/2026

Meet Razzmatazz!💕
At just 2 years old, Razzmatazz, the Bengal mix, has already had quite the journey. Once a Philly neighborhood street cat, he wandered inside the Hand2Paw office and decided the indoor life was much more his style, and he hasn’t looked back since! Razz is still figuring out what it means to be a house cat and has some very clear opinions about personal space😳. He’s happiest with people who respect his boundaries, pay attention to his body language, and let him choose when and how he wants affection. When he’s in the mood, though, he’s incredibly sweet🥰. He loves curling up in laps, enjoying a tasty serving of wet food, and spending hours lounging in the window, watching the world go by. Like many cats who spent time outdoors, Razz communicates honestly. If he’s uncomfortable or overstimulated, he isn’t shy about using his teeth or claws to let you know. Because of this, he’d do best in a home with children 12 and older, or with experienced, cat-savvy kids who understand how to respect feline boundaries. Razz hasn’t been around other animals while in our care. If he’s joining a home with other pets, he’ll need plenty of decompression time and slow, thoughtful introductions to help him settle in. If you’re looking for a cat with a big personality, charm, attitude, and you’re willing to earn his trust on his terms, Razzmatazz just might be your perfect match.♥️

If you are interested in adopting Razzmatazz please fill out an application at:
https://waitingonafriendanimalrescue.org/apply-to-adopt/

Address

5757 North 5th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19120

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