From August 12–14, 2026, thousands of pet industry professionals will land in our hometown for SuperZoo at Mandalay Bay. Brands, buyers, distributors, retailers — some of the biggest names in pet care, all in one building on the Las Vegas Strip.

We think that's worth celebrating. We also think it's worth pointing out something easy to miss when you're heads-down on the trade show floor: fifteen minutes from that convention center, Las Vegas animal shelters are running at capacity.

Dog & Whistle was founded here in 2019. This city isn't a trade show stop for us — it's home. So before you fly out with a suitcase full of samples and swag, here's a guide to the shelters and rescues doing the hard work in the Las Vegas Valley, what each one actually needs, and how to help in an afternoon.

Why Las Vegas Shelters Need Help Right Now

Las Vegas has one of the highest-volume shelter systems in the country. The Animal Foundation alone is the highest-volume single-site animal shelter in America, saving nearly 21,000 lost, homeless, and often mistreated animals in a single year. Nevada SPCA takes in roughly 2,500 animals annually, and more than sixty-five percent of those come from owners who need to surrender them for reasons including financial insecurity and family changes.

That last number matters. Most of these pets aren't strays — they're family pets whose families ran out of options. Which means the need isn't only for adopters. It's for:

• Food — pet food pantries keep animals with families who are struggling, preventing surrenders before they happen
• Beds, blankets, sheets, and towels — consumed and replaced constantly in kennel environments
• Fosters — temporary homes that free up kennel space and give medical or behavioral cases a real shot
• Volunteers — dog walkers, cat socializers, laundry, adoption events
• Money — the least glamorous ask, and often the most useful one

Nearly every shelter below maintains a public wish list. If you're in town for a few days and can't take an animal home, a wish list order delivered to the shelter is the single easiest way to help.

Las Vegas Animal Shelters & Rescues: The List

The Animal Foundation

Address: 655 N. Mojave Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Website: animalfoundation.com

Clark County contracts its sheltering services with The Animal Foundation, and all animals picked up by Animal Protection Services are taken to this facility. That makes it the largest open-admission shelter in Nevada and the front door for most of the valley's homeless animals. Because they take everyone, they feel volume pressure first and hardest. They offer adoptions, lost-and-found pet resources, low-cost veterinary care, and spay/neuter programs.

Best for: Adopters open to any breed or age, high-impact donations, volunteer hours.

Nevada SPCA

Address: 5375 S. Procyon St, Suite 108, Las Vegas, NV 89118
Phone: (702) 873-7722
Hours: Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 10am–6pm, closed Sunday
Website: nevadaspca.org · Instagram: @nevada.spca

Operating since 1982, Nevada SPCA is Southern Nevada's original life-saving animal shelter and the second largest shelter in Las Vegas. It's a no-kill, walk-in shelter — no appointment required. Beyond adoption, they run community support programs including a Pet Pantry food assistance program and low-or-no-cost veterinary care designed to keep pets with the families that already love them.

Nevada SPCA is also Dog & Whistle's longtime partner — 5% of every sale we make goes to support their work.

Best for: Walk-in adoptions (no appointment), food pantry donations, foster sign-ups.

Hearts Alive Village

Cat Café & Adoption Center: 1750 S. Rainbow Blvd, Suite 4, Las Vegas, NV 89146
Joseph Mayo Rehabilitation ReTreat (Dogs): 3250 N. Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89130
PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center: 286 W. Lake Mead Pkwy, Henderson, NV 89015 — open daily 10am–6pm
Phone: (702) 870-0065 · Website: heartsalivevillage.org

Founded in 2013 to address an urgent need in an overcrowded shelter system, Hearts Alive Village works to give pets a second chance by addressing medical and behavioral issues before placing them in homes. They run a low-cost veterinary clinic focused on preventative care, a pet food pantry for guardians who need assistance, and a Cat Café where the public can meet adoptable cats in a low-stress environment — and they accept both monetary and in-kind donations through a published wish list. They also partner with Pets for Patriots to help Las Vegas-area veterans adopt companion dogs and cats.

Best for: Cat lovers, in-kind wish list donations, a genuinely fun 45-minute detour.

Heaven Can Wait Animal Society

Spay/Neuter Clinic: 5425 S. Eastern Ave, Suite 112, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Wellness Clinic: 546 N. Eastern Ave, Suite 175, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Phone: (702) 655-4800 · Website: hcws.org

Heaven Can Wait Animal Society focuses on reducing pet overpopulation through high-volume, low-cost spay/neuter services, along with adoptions through a foster network and community education. They frequently partner with other local rescues.

Best for: Donors who want to attack the problem upstream — every spay/neuter surgery prevents future litters from entering the system.

Homeward Bound Cat Adoptions

Address: 2675 E. Flamingo Rd, Suite 3, Las Vegas, NV 89121

A no-kill rescue dedicated exclusively to felines, Homeward Bound provides shelter and finds homes for cats and kittens throughout the Las Vegas Valley, with adoption, foster, and volunteer opportunities available.

Best for: Cat-specific adoptions and fostering.

Smaller and Specialty Rescues

Las Vegas also has a deep bench of smaller, volunteer-run and breed-specific rescues that operate almost entirely on foster homes:

• Animal Help Alliance — Since 2011, focused on Bully Breed type dogs in the Las Vegas Valley, particularly those in danger of euthanasia or unwanted due to medical or behavioral issues.
• Crazy4Pawz Animal Rescue (Henderson) — Pulls abandoned, medically vulnerable, or owner-surrendered dogs and cats out of high-volume local shelters, providing veterinary checks and foster conditioning before adoption.
• Amor Peludo — Provides animal welfare resources in underserved and lower-income areas of Las Vegas, including TNR, spay & neuter programs, and pet food for families in need.
• Retired to Rescue — Focused on English and French Bulldogs retiring from breeding programs.
• Shari's Shepherd Sanctuary — German Shepherds of all types, with an emphasis on safe, nurturing placement.

Because these groups are foster-based, they often have the greatest need for supplies and temporary homes rather than facility support.

How to Help While You're in Town for SuperZoo

If you have an hour: Visit a shelter. Walk a dog. Sit in the Cat Café. Ask the front desk what they're short on this week — the answer changes constantly, and it's usually something mundane like towels or canned food.

If you have an afternoon: Most shelters accept walk-in volunteers for basic tasks, though some require orientation first. Call ahead.

If you have a suitcase with room in it: Bring back an animal. Adoption fees at Nevada SPCA include spay/neuter, rabies, and necessary vaccines. Check airline pet policies before you commit, and confirm your rental or building allows pets.

If you have none of the above: Order from a wish list. Every organization on this list publishes one. A $30 box of blankets delivered to a shelter's door on a Tuesday is worth more than a good intention on a Thursday.

If you're an exhibitor: Your leftover samples don't have to fly home. Many Las Vegas shelters and pet food pantries accept unopened product donations. Call before you show up — some have restrictions — but a booth's worth of surplus can feed animals for weeks.

Adoption Tips for Out-of-Town Visitors

• Bring documentation. If you rent, shelters will typically want proof your lease allows pets.
• Bring the whole family. Most Las Vegas shelters ask that everyone in the household — including existing dogs — meet the animal before adoption is finalized.
• Check flight requirements early. Airlines have breed, size, temperature, and carrier restrictions that vary by season. August in Las Vegas can trigger heat embargoes on cargo pet travel.
• Adoption isn't the only option. If you can't take an animal home, ask about transport volunteering — some rescues need help moving animals to partner organizations in other states.

Coming Home

Dog & Whistle started in a Las Vegas kitchen. Before this was a pet food company, it was years spent in fine dining rooms at Wynn Las Vegas and The Cosmopolitan — learning that what goes into a dish matters, and that the people who make a city run are usually the ones you never see on the marquee.

Shelter staff and rescue volunteers are that, for animals. They're the reason this city's pets have a shot.

So come to SuperZoo. Walk the floor. Do the business. And then take a detour on the way to the airport.

You might leave with more than swag.

Dog & Whistle donates 5% of every sale to Nevada SPCA. Learn more at dogandwhistle.com.

FAQ

What is the largest animal shelter in Las Vegas? The Animal Foundation at 655 N. Mojave Rd is the largest open-admission shelter in Nevada and one of the highest-volume single-site shelters in the United States.

Is there a no-kill animal shelter in Las Vegas? Yes. Nevada SPCA (5375 S. Procyon St) is Southern Nevada's original nonprofit no-kill shelter, operating since 1982. Hearts Alive Village and Homeward Bound Cat Adoptions also operate as no-kill rescues.

Can I adopt a pet in Las Vegas if I live out of state? Adoption policies vary by organization. Most Las Vegas shelters will adopt to out-of-state residents, but confirm requirements directly with the shelter and check airline pet travel policies before your visit.

What do Las Vegas animal shelters need most? Beyond adopters and monetary donations, shelters consistently need pet food, blankets, sheets, towels, cleaning supplies, and foster homes. Most publish current wish lists on their websites.

When is SuperZoo 2026? SuperZoo 2026 runs August 12–14, 2026, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, with education sessions August 11–12.