Plenty of animal lovers in Las Vegas would bring home new pets every week if their lives allowed it. Maybe your lease doesn’t allow pets, your work schedule keeps you on the road, or you already have as many pets as you can handle. Whatever the reason, not being able to adopt or foster doesn’t mean you have to sit on the sidelines. The work of almost all local animal rescues depends on a wide circle of supporters, and many of them have never taken an animal home. Here are some of the most meaningful ways you can help the pets in our care if you want to get involved.
Volunteer With Animals at the Shelter
If you’d like to spend time with animals without a long-term commitment, becoming a pet shelter volunteer is a great fit. At Nevada SPCA, our volunteers help the animal care team with grooming, kennel cleaning, and litter box changes, and they provide enrichment through puzzle toys, play yard time, and even reading to the animals. Volunteers who are 21 and older can also complete additional training to walk our dogs.
Getting started is as easy as signing up for one of our monthly Volunteer Orientations, although spots tend to fill quickly, so we recommend registering as soon as sign-ups open. Volunteers can start as young as eight years old, and anyone under 18 needs to be accompanied by an adult, which makes this a wonderful activity for families.
Not every role involves hands-on animal care, either. You can help bag dog and cat food for our Pet Pantry, which provides food assistance to local families working to keep their pets fed, or represent Nevada SPCA at outreach events for adoptions and fundraising. Companies and groups can also volunteer together by emailing info@nevadaspca.org.
Host an Animal Rescue Fundraiser
Some of the most heartwarming support we receive comes from people who decided to rally their own community. An animal rescue fundraiser doesn’t need to be big to make a difference. Kids can organize a bake sale with their classroom or sports team, run a lemonade stand, or hold a garage sale with the proceeds going to shelter pets, while adults can turn a birthday, office party, or neighborhood get-together into a giving opportunity that benefits animals in need.
Organize a Donation Drive
Shelters go through supplies quickly, and every bag of food, box of litter, and toy on our shelves came from someone who cared. Through our Loads of Love program, you can organize a donation drive with friends, family, or co-workers to collect food and other animal supplies. You can also drop off items directly at the shelter or visit our In Kind Donations page to see what we need most right now.
Give in Ways That Fit Your Budget
Financial gifts help cover the veterinary care, food, and daily needs of every animal who comes through our doors. Our Critical Need Fund supports pets who arrive needing urgent medical treatment, and if you’re honoring a pet you’ve lost, a Rainbow Bridge Memorial donation is a lovely way to keep their memory alive.
You’ll find plenty of other options as well, including shopping our online store, donating a vehicle, or planning a legacy gift. We also host events like our Recycle & Rescue days, where donated metal recyclables such as old electronics, appliances, and tools turn into support for shelter pets, along with our Neon Dog Walk, one of our biggest fundraisers of the year.
Share Our Adoptable Pets
One of the easiest ways to help costs nothing at all. When you share our adoptable animals on social media or with friends and family, you put them in front of people who may be ready to adopt a cat, welcome a dog, or give a bonded pair of bunnies a loving home. Someone in your circle might be searching for kittens for adoption or considering rabbit adoption for the first time, and your post could be what connects them with their new best friend. Senior pets and animals who’ve been waiting longer than most benefit the most from that extra visibility.
Every Contribution Counts
Supporting an animal rescue looks different for everyone. Whether you give an hour of your time, a bag of kibble, or a quick share on Instagram, you’re helping Nevada SPCA care for homeless pets while they wait for their families to find them. If you want to do your part for local shelter animals outside of adoption and fostering, we encourage you to find the best way to get involved, and start making a difference for Southern Nevada’s shelter pets today.
