PAWS at the Mall Is Having to Close Its Doors — What This Means for the Animals, Our Programs, and the Community
After more than 5 1/2 years, PAWS at the Mall is having to close its current Annapolis Mall location at the end of May.
This is not a decision the SPCA of Anne Arundel County wanted to make.
We know this news is heartbreaking for many members of our community because PAWS became so much more than a retail and adoption center. It became a place where families made memories, children learned compassion, volunteers connected with the community, and thousands of animals found homes.
As questions continue to come in, we wanted to provide answers, share the history of PAWS, and explain what this transition means for the future.
The Story of PAWS at the Mall
PAWS at the Mall first opened during COVID in 2020 as a creative partnership between the SPCA of Anne Arundel County and Annapolis Mall.
What started as a small adoption and retail concept quickly became something truly special for our community.
You can read more about the original opening here:
• Visit Annapolis Feature:
https://www.visitannapolis.org/blog/stories/post/spca-opens-retail-adoption-center-paws-at-the-mall/
• WBAL-TV Coverage:
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/spca-westfield-annapolis-mall/34439996
• Annapolis Discovered Video:
https://www.facebook.com/AnnapolisDiscovered/videos/362453318364931/
Over the years, PAWS became known for its adoptable cats and small animals, educational outreach, youth opportunities, retail fundraising, and unique hands-on experiences that allowed the public to interact with animals in ways traditional shelters often cannot offer.
The Impact PAWS Has Had
Over the past 5 1/2 years, more than 2,500 animals have been adopted through PAWS at the Mall, including:
• 820 cats
• 714 guinea pigs
• 394 rats
• 207 rabbits
• 161 hamsters
• 86 birds
• 36 ferrets
• 32 gerbils
• 21 chinchillas
• 17 hedgehogs
• 13 sugar gliders
• 5 African soft furred rats
• plus fish, hermit crabs, degus, and more.
But PAWS was never just about adoptions.
PAWS also became an important source of ongoing support for the SPCA through retail sales, donations, sponsorship opportunities, and increased public awareness. More than just a retail space, PAWS served as an extension of the main shelter — providing a dedicated, welcoming environment for cats and small animals to be comfortably viewed during open hours while helping more animals connect with potential adopters and the community.
The visibility PAWS provided helped introduce countless new visitors to the SPCA’s mission — many of whom may never have otherwise visited the main shelter.
PAWS created meaningful community outreach opportunities including:
• Bedtime Book Buddies
• Youth education programs
• Small animal learning experiences
• Volunteer opportunities
• Girl Scout and community programs
• Public interaction and enrichment opportunities
• Adoption visibility for small animals often overlooked in traditional shelter settings
One of the most beloved programs was:
Bedtime Book Buddies @ PAWS at the Mall
Children ages 5–10 could spend a cozy evening reading bedtime stories to adoptable cats and small animals including guinea pigs, rats, mice, birds, and hamsters.
Programs like this helped children build confidence, compassion, reading skills, and empathy while helping animals socialize and receive enrichment.
PAWS also built wonderful community relationships within the mall itself, including neighboring businesses and Discovery Library across the way.
Why Is PAWS Closing?
The SPCA is not choosing to leave PAWS at the Mall.
The organization was recently informed that it must vacate the current location within approximately 30 days. While another smaller temporary space within the mall was discussed, it would have been roughly one-third the current size and only available for about 60 days, making it unrealistic and unsustainable for the animals, programs, and operations currently housed at PAWS.
At this time, remaining within the mall is not a feasible option.
Have You Looked for Another Location?
Yes — we have begun exploring future possibilities for PAWS.
However, finding, preparing, funding, and moving into a new suitable space cannot realistically happen within the immediate timeline we were given to vacate the current location.
While we truly hope this is not the end of PAWS forever, our immediate focus is:
• safely relocating the animals
• closing the current location
• minimizing disruption to animal care
• and making up for the significant loss of:
• retail revenue
• donations
• public visibility
• educational outreach
• youth programming
• volunteer engagement
• and daily community support that PAWS helped generate for the shelter and animals in our care.
Q: What Happens to the Animals Currently at PAWS?
All animals currently housed at PAWS will continue to be cared for by the SPCA of Anne Arundel County and will be relocated into the SPCA’s main shelter system and other approved accommodations as needed.
This transition is especially difficult because the shelter is already over capacity during kitten and puppy season, and PAWS provided critical additional adoption and holding space — particularly for cats and small animals. The loss of that space creates significant challenges for both animals and staff.
Staff and volunteers are now working tirelessly to:
- create temporary housing solutions
- reorganize shelter spaces
- transport animals safely
- and prepare for the sudden loss of the additional adoption and holding space PAWS provided.
As we do with all animals in our care, any decisions regarding housing, foster placement, transfers, or accommodations will be made carefully and thoughtfully in the best interest of the animals. While we are still actively finalizing plans and solutions, our commitment to maintaining humane, safe, and healthy standards of care has not changed.
We are also hopeful that increased adoptions and community support during this final month may help reduce the number of animals needing to be moved back to the main shelter. Every adoption, foster home, donation, and share can make a meaningful difference during this transition.
We truly appreciate the community’s compassion, patience, and support as we work through this difficult change together.
Will the Public Still Be Able to Visit the Animals?
This is one of the hardest parts of this transition.
PAWS allowed the public to casually visit and interact with cats and small animals in a highly visible, accessible environment.
Once animals return to the main shelter:
• they will no longer have the same public-facing visibility
• small animals may not always be viewable in the same way
• interactions may become more limited depending on space and staffing needs
This final month at PAWS may truly be one of the last opportunities for many families to casually visit, meet, and spend time with the adoptable cats and small animals in this kind of open community environment.
What Happens to Programs Like Bedtime Book Buddies?
Many outreach and educational programs connected to PAWS will unfortunately need to pause for the foreseeable future.
Without the dedicated public space PAWS provided, programs involving:
• reading events
• small animal education
• community outreach
• youth programming
• public enrichment experiences
• and casual animal interaction
become significantly more difficult to host.
This loss extends far beyond retail or adoptions. It represents the loss of a unique community-centered animal education space.
Will PAWS Ever Reopen?
We truly hope this is not the end of PAWS forever.
At this time, however, our immediate focus must remain on safely relocating the animals, closing the current location, and supporting the shelter during one of the busiest and most overwhelming times of year.
We are open to exploring future opportunities and locations, but there are currently no confirmed plans or timelines.
How Can the Community Help Right Now?
Right now, the community can make an enormous difference by helping us close this chapter as strongly as possible.
Visit PAWS Before May 31
📍 Annapolis Mall near the Macy’s/Maggiano’s entrance
🕒 Tuesday–Saturday: 11 AM – 5 PM
🕒 Sunday: 12 PM – 4 PM
❌ Closed Mondays
PAWS at the Mall Closing Blowout Sale
Throughout May, PAWS will be offering merchandise discounts and specials to help reduce the amount needing to be moved while continuing to support the animals.
Every purchase, donation, and adoption during this final month directly helps offset the loss of critical funding and support that PAWS helped provide to the SPCA and the animals we care for every day.
You can also help by:
• Adopting
• Donating
• Shopping the sale
• Attending final events
• Sharing memories and photos
• Supporting the SPCA during this transition
Upcoming Final Events
We hope to host several final community-centered weekends throughout May to celebrate the impact PAWS has had over the years while continuing to support the animals currently in care.
Potential events may include:
• guinea pig and rabbit interaction events
• educational outreach tables
• small animal enrichment opportunities
• family-friendly activities
• adoption-focused weekends
• and special farewell events for the community
More details will be announced soon on our social media pages and website.
Final Thoughts
PAWS at the Mall changed thousands of lives — both human and animal.
For over five years, it gave overlooked animals visibility, gave children meaningful experiences, gave families joyful memories, and created a space centered around compassion and connection.
While we do not yet know what the future of PAWS may look like, we do know this community helped make it something extraordinary.
And for that, we are endlessly grateful.
