👋 Welcome to SAWS
Sigonella Animal Welfare Society Inc. (SAWS) is a 100% volunteer-run nonprofit dedicated to helping animals in need throughout the Sigonella community and across Sicily.
We rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome cats and dogs through a foster-based system. Every animal in our care lives in a private home, not a shelter - giving them individualized attention, proper medical care, and the stability they need to thrive. Our work is grounded in compassion, community support, and responsible rescue practices - one life at a time.
Whether you're here to adopt, foster, donate, volunteer, or simply learn more, we’re glad you stopped by.
🎯 Our Mission (Summary)
Our mission is to:
- educate the community on humane, responsible animal ownership and help prevent animal cruelty and abandonment,
- advocate for the wellbeing and humane treatment of stray animals,
- provide outreach and educational programs that promote compassion and responsibility.
👉 Want the full mission details? Visit our About page.
⚠️ Please Note
SAWS does not operate a shelter facility. We are a foster-based, volunteer-run organization with limited capacity.
While the need for help across Sicily is immense, we cannot take in or respond to every animal in need. Intake decisions depend on available foster homes, medical needs, and our ability to provide proper care. We understand how difficult it is to see animals suffering, and we truly wish we could help them all. When we cannot intervene directly, we do our best to offer guidance, resources, or information whenever possible.
👉 For common questions - including what to do if you find an animal - please visit our Resource Library.
💛 What You Can Do
There are many ways to support SAWS, and every bit makes a difference:
🐶 Adopt – Give a rescue animal a loving forever home
🐾 Foster – Provide a safe temporary home while we find a perfect match
💛 Donate – Help us cover vet care, supplies, and rescue costs
🤝 Volunteer – Support events, outreach, and community work
👉 Explore all ways to help on our Get Involved page.
🙏 Thank You
Whether this is your first time or you’ve been part of our community for years, thank you for caring about animals in need.
Your support - in any form - makes a real difference. SAWS is entirely volunteer-run and relies on the kindness of the community to carry out our mission.
📅 Join Us at Our Events
Stay connected with everything happening at SAWS! You can follow all upcoming activities, fundraisers, and community events on our SAWS Calendar 👈🏼
Some featured events will also appear right on our homepage👇🏼
