"Paw" was originally released in Denmark in December 1959. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival. In the United States, the film was released in April 1970 by G. G. Communications under the title "Boy from Two Worlds"; twelve minutes were cut from the original 100-minute running time. In his "Family Guide to Movies on Video", Henry Herx deemed it "a very engaging children's movie ... that will also interest adults".