Pictures from Paws Chicago’s 2026 Animal Magnetism Occasion – Chicago Journal

Spring Celebration Brings in $315,000 for City’s Largest No Kill Animal Shelter

April 16, 2026 (CHICAGO) Hundreds of pet lovers, many accompanied by their canine companions, loved a memorable night in town on the 19^th Annual PAWS Chicago Animal Magnetism occasion, held Friday, April 10, on the industrial-chic Morgan Manufacturing within the West Loop. 

More than 650 visitors mingled, generously bid on unimaginable reside and silent public sale gadgets, and dined on delectable tasting stations from Chicago’s high eating places together with Gene & Georgetti, Black Dog Gelato, Bombay Eats, Formento’s, Hubbard Inn, and PB&J. Canine attendees joined within the festivities, posing for customized portraits, receiving personalised engraved pet tags, unwinding on the doggy daycare, and feasting on the canine deal with buffet sponsored by Kismet.

Presented by RWE Design Build and hosted by PAWS Chicago’s Professional Board, the occasion provided a spectacular evening out to help very important lifesaving applications for Chicago’s homeless animals. The night was emceed by Jake Hamilton & Anita Blanton of FOX 32 Chicago. This 12 months’s occasion was led by co-chairs Danielle Kroloff and Ritu Shah. 

Several adoptable pets made their debut on the occasion, together with Eleanor, a 2-year-old nursing mother who continued caring for her puppies whereas battling heartworm, and Walter, a 3-month-old Terrier combine who arrived with 5 littermates, capturing hearts as he dozed off through the festivities.

 PAWS Chicago introduced Animal Welfare Leadership Awards to 4 extraordinary volunteers whose contributions have made a long-lasting impression on the group’s mission, together with Manu Puri, a steadfast presence for greater than 20 years; Joel Cohen, who has superior the group’s IT capabilities; Dr. Paula West, a veterinary orthopedic surgeon offering specialised care to animals with advanced bone and joint accidents; and Erik Harssema of DLA Piper, PAWS’ professional bono authorized associate, who has strengthened the group’s authorized and safety basis.

The occasion netted a record-breaking $315,000 to assist homeless and at-risk pets. PAWS depends completely on the generosity of the neighborhood and the success of occasions like these to advance its lifesaving work.

About PAWS Chicago: PAWS Chicago is without doubt one of the largest complete No Kill animal welfare organizations within the nation, constructing applications to finish the killing of homeless pets. More than 27,000 homeless and at-risk cats and canines cross by PAWS Chicago’s Medical Center annually. PAWS is thought for therapeutic and rehabilitating 5,000 sick, injured, and homeless cats and canines yearly, and discovering them loving households by its adoption program. PAWS Chicago additionally operates the town’s solely high-volume spay/neuter clinic, offering greater than 21,000 low-or no-cost spay/neuter surgical procedures final 12 months, lowering pet overpopulation at its supply. Since its founding in 1997, when greater than 42,000 pets had been killed in Chicago, PAWS Chicago has led the discount in homeless pet euthanasia in Chicago by 88.8%. PAWS Chicago has earned the best 4-star rating by Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest impartial evaluator, since 2003. For extra data, go to www.pawschicago.org and observe PAWS Chicago on Facebook, X, and Instagram.