The Animal Foundation

The Animal Foundation was founded in 1978 and has grown into Nevada's largest animal shelter — both by intake volume and by physical footprint. The current campus on Mojave Road in central Las Vegas is one of the largest single-site shelter operations in the United States, handling tens of thousands of animals annually under contracts with the City of Las Vegas, the City of North Las Vegas, and Clark County.

The Animal Foundation operates as both a nonprofit humane society and as the contracted animal services provider for the Las Vegas metro area — a dual-role arrangement similar to LifeLine Animal Project in Atlanta or the Humane Rescue Alliance in DC.

How they work

Animal Foundation adoptions begin online or in person at the Mojave Road campus. The application is short, the interview is conversational, and meet-and-greets happen for animals that look like a fit.

Adoption fees vary by animal and time of year. Fees include spay or neuter, age-appropriate vaccinations, microchipping, and a starter pack.

The shelter operates with consistently high live release rates, though the operational reality of being the contracted municipal services provider for a metro area of 2.3 million people means the organization sometimes faces capacity pressure that pure adoption nonprofits don't encounter at the same scale.

Beyond standard adoptions, the foundation runs:

• Municipal animal services — animal control, lost-and-found, bite case investigation, welfare check response across the Las Vegas metro.
• A spay and neuter clinic providing high-volume, low-cost services across Clark County.
• Pet retention programs including food assistance, behavior consultation, and surrender prevention support.
• Foster networks handling puppies, kittens, post-surgery recoveries, and seniors.
• Veterinary care for adopted animals and broader community access.
• Transport partnerships that move animals out of the Las Vegas system to no-kill adoption organizations across the western United States — a significant pipeline that helps maintain live release outcomes in a high-intake environment.

The Las Vegas context

The Las Vegas metro animal welfare landscape is shaped by intake volume that few American cities match. Climate factors (Mojave Desert heat), economic factors (the city's hospitality-driven economy creates housing instability that drives surrender), and population growth all push intake higher than most peer metros.

The Animal Foundation's dual role as nonprofit and municipal contractor means the organization handles most of this intake directly. The transport partnerships with no-kill organizations across the western United States are a meaningful structural piece of the organization's ability to maintain live release rates under that intake pressure.

The Mojave Road campus has been at its current location for several decades, with multiple expansions to accommodate the growing operational footprint. The volunteer dog-walker rotation passes through the surrounding Las Vegas neighborhoods daily.

You can support the Animal Foundation in the standard ways:

• Adopt from the Mojave Road campus.
• Foster — the foster network is one of the largest in Nevada and constantly recruiting, particularly during summer months and after major events.
• Volunteer — dog walking, cat socializing, medical clinic support, transport assistance.
• Donate — the foundation publishes detailed financials annually.

Field & Era at the Animal Foundation

The Mojave Road coordinates appear in Companion Edition orders shipped throughout the Las Vegas metro and across Nevada. If you adopted from the Animal Foundation and want the address set on archival paper, see the Companion Edition. 10% of every Companion order supports a rescue partner.

Last verified May 29, 2026. Facts about hours, intake policies, and adoption fees can change. Confirm with The Animal Foundation directly before visiting.