OVERVIEW

Paws Along the River, the Humane Society of Warren County, is committed to protecting the privacy of our donors, volunteers, employees, and visitors. As such, we do not sell, trade or share a donor’s personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations.

PAWS is sharing this Privacy Policy to explain why we collect particular information and how our organization will protect your personal privacy. The following discloses our information-gathering and dissemination practices, both offline and online. In order to fully understand your rights, we encourage you to read this policy. Paws Along the River reserves the right at any time and without notice to change this Privacy Policy by posting such changes on our site. Any such change will be effective immediately upon posting.

Questions regarding this statement should be directed to Paws Along the River by sending an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please reference this Privacy Policy in your subject line.

What Information We Collect and How We Use That Information:

ONLINE

Internet Protocol Address

When you browse through our website, read pages, or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit. This information does not identify you personally. We collect and store only the following information about your visit:

• The Internet domain (for example, “xcompany.com” if you use a private Internet access account, or “yourschool.edu” if you connect from a university’s domain) and IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are surfing the Web) from which you access our website
• The type of browser and operating system used to access our site
• The date and time you access our site
• The pages you visit
• If you linked to the Paws Along the River website from another website, the address of that website

We use this information to help us make our site more useful to visitors—to learn about the number of visitors to our site and the types of technology our visitors use. We do not track or record information about individuals and their visits.

If you fill out a form and include your email address, you may receive periodic email communications from us. If you no longer wish to receive our communications, you may opt-out of receiving them by following the instructions included in each email you receive or by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also opt-out via standard mail at:

Paws Along the River
212 Elm Street
Warren, PA 16365

Why is an email address required to make an online donation?

An email address is required to make an online donation so that a receipt with tax information can be sent to the donor.

Use of “Cookies”

Our site may use cookies to enhance your online experience. Cookies are pieces of information that some websites transfer to the computer that is browsing that website and are used for record-keeping purposes. Use of cookies makes web-surfing easier by performing certain functions such as saving your passwords, your personal preferences regarding your use of the particular web site, and making sure you don’t see the same ad repeatedly. Many consider the use of cookies to be an industry standard.

Your browser is most likely set to accept cookies. However, if you would prefer not to receive cookies, you can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of our site will not function properly when you view them.

Third-party vendors, including Google, show Paws Along the River ads on sites on the internet. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to www.paswalongtheriver.org.

Users may opt-out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting the Google advertising opt-out page. (Alternatively you can opt-out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.)

Security

All information provided to Paws Along the River is transmitted using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. SSL is a proven coding system that lets your browser automatically encrypt, or scramble, data before you send it to us. We also protect account information by placing it on a secure portion of our website that is only accessible by certain qualified employees of Paws Along the River. Unfortunately, however, no data transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of such information.

Links to Other Websites

Our website contains links to other websites. Please note that when you click on one of these links, you are visiting another website for which Paws Along the River has no responsibility. We encourage you to read the privacy statements on all such sites as their policies may be different than ours.

OFFLINE

Your Personal Information

If you choose to provide us with personal information—whether in person, through email, postal mail, or via telephone—we use that information only for your own benefit, for example, to record a donation or membership, or register you for an event.

We treat emails the same way we treat letters sent to Paws Along the River. We are required to maintain many documents for accounting purposes (if a payment for an event or donation was submitted), but we do not collect personal information for any purpose other than to respond to you.

Most importantly, we adhere to the Donor Bill of Rights which was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute. It has been endorsed by numerous organizations—including Paws Along the River—and is detailed below.

THE DONOR BILL OF RIGHTS

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

• To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
• To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
• To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
• To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
• To receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition.
• To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
• To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
• To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization, or hired solicitors.
• To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
• To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful, and forthright answers.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this Site, or your dealings with this Site, you can contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also contact us by postal mail at:

Paws Along the River
212 Elm Street
Warren, PA 16365

• COMPLETE PRE-ADOPTION QUESTIONAIRE
• MEET THE FAMILY AND VISIT WITH OUR PETS
• PHOTOS
• PETS AND PEOPLE
• PROCESSING YOUR PRE-ADOPTION QUESTIONAIRE
• WAITING PERIOD
• "PET VISIT" SCHEDULED 
• ADOPTION DAY 

ALL MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY OR PEOPLE LIVING IN THE HOME WILL NEED TO VISIT AND BE INTRODUCED TO THE NEW PET
Prior to an At-Home visit - We will accommodate your time schedule as much as possible. Families with children will be matched carefully and adoptions based on each individual situation. Co-Adopters may be required for alternative family situations.

OUR GOAL IS TO ADOPT ONLY PETS ABLE TO LIVE WITH PEOPLE AND PETS
Adoptions will be done only after any health concerns are addressed and personality tests are complete.

AT TIMES MORE THAN ONE PERSON IS INTERESTED IN ONE PARTICULAR PET
We DO NOT use the first-come serve method of who will adopt. However, the first person completing an information form indicating a particular pet will be given first consideration. OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TO CHOOSE THE BEST SITUATION OFFERED FOR EACH PET WHENEVER POSSIBLE. We can help you find another match.

WE DO CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN FOR THE CURRENT STATUS OF PAST AND PRESENT PETS. WE ALSO CALL YOUR LANDLORD
You must sign an authorization for us to obtain your records. We will be unable to process your form unless this is complete. This gives information on any pets in the home for health concerns. It also gives us history concerning the care you have provided your pets. RABIES SHOTS AND DOG LICENSE MUST BE CURRENT. We are looking for permanent, established homes for our pets. If you are moving, or have recently moved, please return when you and your home are more settled.

Because of limited staffing and busy phone lines, we remind you to call us and leave a message if you haven't heard from us.

Adoption Include:

• Temperament testing/reports provided
• Veterinary exam/spay or neuter
• All health issues addressed and treated
• Deworming
• All vaccines updated
• Lyme and Heartworm testing
• Bath/ grooming, nail trim, and brushing
• Free “Pet Visit” in your home for 12-15 days
• All health records provided at the time of adoption
• Flea treatment
• Feline Leukemia (FeLV) testing
• Current Warren County Dog License (Warren County residents)

* Paws Along the River Board of Directors reserves the right to decide where our pets will live and who will adopt them.

Transportation or unknown fees related to adoption are the responsibility of the new owner.

Additional Veterinary Services Available
Feline Leukemia and Lyme Vaccines, Microchip, Dewclaw Removal, De-Claw, and any X-rays requested (Will be billed the amount the Veterinarian charges)

Declawing
The cat must be under the age of two and declawing on front paws only will be done, as recommended by our veterinarians. This procedure can be done at the time of spaying and neutering to avoid further surgery and stress on your cat.

ONLINE PARTIAL PRE-ADOPTION FORM
Our normal form is filled out by you either online or at the shelter. This form contains many of the questions we need to determine whether the placement of this pet will work.  We may need to follow up with you for further information regarding some of the answers you enter into this form. This gives an adoption counselor a chance to review things with you, which means there will probably be many in-depth phone calls to help us verify this to be a good adoption. To the best of our ability, we will contact anyone necessary to make sure this adoption will not fail, including present/past veterinarians. Please be sure to give your veterinarian permission to release your records ahead of time, as this will speed up the process tremendously. If for any reason we believe this adoption will fail, the adoption will be denied. Long-distance adoptions that fail are very difficult for everyone involved, including the pet. Our pets are like our children, we will do our best to make sure they get a good home.

Click here for Adoption Form

We require a waiting period to be determined before adoptions are finalized.
The required Pre-Adoption Information is reviewed and the prospective owners are given time to rethink their commitment, a commitment that may last 10 to 15 years.

Pennsylvania Law now requires all animals adopted from a Humane Society to be spayed or neutered before adoptions are complete. 
Each year over 12 million animals are euthanized in the United States, and another 10 million abandoned animals died from starvation, disease, and accidents. 

We require a verbal agreement from the landlord if the pet owner is a renter. 
One of our goals is to work closely with the community and ensure the pet is welcomed in the rental property. We are looking for permanent, established homes for our animals.

We require the pet to be an integral part of the family with the opportunity to live inside the home. 
We do not adopt our pets to outside only situations, isolated from family. This policy is designed so the pets adopted from the Society are welcomed and cared for additions to the home. Outside pets often become forgotten and neglected. Our staff spends many hours educating pet owners and offering training to make the transition from shelter pet to house pet.

You are adopting a life, not a gift. 
The potential owners must select their own pet; the pet that appeals to one might not appeal to another. It is a matter of chemistry like love at first sight.

We require potential owners to be physically and financially able to care for a pet. 
Pennsylvania law gives all animals the right to food, water, clean and sanitary living conditions, veterinary care, and adequate shelter. It is our responsibility to ensure that our pets are provided with these basic rights. Pets currently in the home must be spayed/neutered as not to add to pet overpopulation in our community or others.

We reserve the right to decide who adopts from the Paws Along the River Humane Society. 
The stray and unwanted pets we take in are the responsibility and property of Paws Along the River Humane Society. We take our job seriously. We choose homes based on the needs of each animal.

*Paws Along the River reserves the right to make home visitations by staff before an adoption.