The Philippine Animal Welfare Society was founded in 1954 by Muriel Jay, a British educator who was then residing in the Philippines. Nita Hontiveros, one of the first volunteers, recalls that the group would make stuffed toys and other items to sell in order to raise funds. They had a clinic to treat injured animals and two bicycle patrols that picked up strays from the street.

When Muriel Jay went back to England, PAWS became less active and eventually slipped into dormancy. In 1986, Nita Hontiveros-Lichauco, the current PAWS President, reorganized PAWS with a handful of volunteers that later became the original board of Directors.

The present batch of members started joining in 1996, full of idealism and more aggressive ideas. A cattery for rescued cats was put up at the back of the Lichauco’s residence in New Manila. Rescued dogs were sent to the Shangri-La Luna, a Lichauco farm in Pangasinan province, some 4 hours drive from Manila.

Construction of the Paws Animal Rehabilitation Center (PARC) started in September 2000, with funding from International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the kind assistance of Don Manolo Lopez of MERALCO. Informal operations started on July 2002. At present, PARC serves as a temporary refuge to dogs and cats rescued from cruelty and neglect.