10/22/2026
NOT ALL “RESCUES” ARE GOOD
Every day we see posts of people looking for a rescue to take their pet. Or we see posts of people rehoming a pet and someone jumping in the comments claiming to be a rescue and offering to take it.
This happens all over but I can tell you with 100 percent confidence that it is happening in Clark County. There are many individuals that are claiming to “rescue” either on their own or part of a group. If you are not aware of the conditions where your pet is going you should not be releasing an animal to them. Hoarders and animal exploiters are pros at talking a big game to get your pet or your money. True hoarders often struggle to even see the wrong they are doing while exploiters just want the animal to add to their numbers and collect money from people that think they are supporting a helpless pet but the animals see little to no benefit from the donations. Reputable rescues will have knowledge of the laws regarding animals and their care and will follow those to the letter without question.
Organizations that have a physical location are easier to inspect because they typically are open, at least to some degree for people to come in and meet animals. When animals are housed in private homes it’s a little tougher to know the conditions BUT if properly maintained it is a much better scenario for the pet because they get to be part of the family until they find their permanent placement.
If you are rehoming a pet, check with your local animal control to see if they are familiar with that person or group- you will be shocked at how often they have past or current complaints against them. If they are a good place, animal control will be happy to tell you that too! Check with their veterinarian- anyone that is housing pets should have an established veterinarian and a good relationship with them. Just because a group has a 501c3 status does not mean they are reputable- this requires no inspection, just filing paperwork.
And most importantly, unless there are extreme circumstances, please keep the pet that you committed to. Good rescues are tired and overwhelmed. Our community is fortunate to have free and low cost assistance with basic veterinary care, affordable trainers locally and a ton of other basic resources. If you need assistance reach out before it gets to the point of needing to rehome.
We are very appreciative for the reputable rescues and their volunteers that go above and beyond to help animals every day.