Pet dog silhouette in sunset

Support 4 Paws

Rescuing Before

Rescue is Needed

EIN 92-1841003

Who We Are

Support 4 Paws is a 501c3 nonprofit ​organization supporting animals and their ​guardians through community outreach, ​medical assistance and educational ​programs. Our mission is to keep animals in ​their homes, out of shelters and off the ​streets by providing much needed services ​to their owners. Thereby, we are “rescuing ​before rescue is needed.”


If we can keep animals at home with their ​owners then they don’t end up in ​overcrowded shelters at risk of euthanasia

What We Do

Adoptions

Microchip clinics

Vaccine clinics

Spay

and

Neuter

Fix-it Fund

Customized tags

Education programs

Microchips and vaccines provided at no ​cost to underserved areas. Sponsor a ​clinic now.

Our Adoptable Dogs

Adopt or Foster today! We need to make room for other needy dogs.

Click here to ​find us on

Upcoming Events

We are doing our part to support our community pets by offering free services ​to help owners keep their animals at home where they belong. We want to keep ​animals off the streets and out of the overcrowded shelters.

As expected we’ve hit our capacity very quickly. ​We can’t accommodate everyone, but we will ​be doing more free clinics once we raise the ​funds for the next one.

HELP US HELP MORE ANIMALS. DONATE TO ​BE PART OF THE SOLUTION!

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How to Help

Rescue doesn't end when the animal is out of the ​shelter or off the street. Rescues rely on community ​support to function.


What can you do?

(1) Donate money

(2) Volunteer

(3) Become a foster

(4) Adopt

(5) Become an advocate and demand your local ​representatives fight for meaningful change ​including low-cost spay/neuter. Contact your local ​council members today.


Fostering Saves Lives

There are 85 million US household with pets.


2%

If just


of those households


ONE

Fostered just


dog per year


We could eliminate preventable euthanasia tomorrow*.


*Source: Petco Love Foundation

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Rescue's rule of 3

All dogs are different but rescue dogs will benefit from being allowed to decompress when you bring your new friend home. The rule of 3 is a good guide to prepare you and help you understand your new family member.

3

Days

Feeling overwhelmed


May be scared and unsure


Not comfortable or confident enough to act like normal


May not want to eat, drink or even go potty


Shut down and wants to hide


Tests boundaries

3

Weeks

Starting to settle in, feels more comfortable


Realizing this could be his forever home


Starts getting into a routine


Lets his guard down, true personality begins showing


As he gets more comfortable, behavior issues could come up

Dog Standing

3

Months

Fully comfortable in his new home


Has built a trust and true bond with his new humans


Has gained a complete sense of security with himself and his new family


Has settled into the household routine



The Shelter Crisis

dog in shelter

Riverside County shelters are overflowing with adoptable dogs ​because, simply, the number of dogs coming in far exceeds the ​numbers being adopted. That means healthy, adoptable dogs are ​being needlessly killed to make room for new ones.


The most vulnerable are owner turn-ins. If you surrender your dog ​to the shelter it is most surely a death sentence. Owner ​relinquished dogs are at a higher risk because there is no hold ​period required - so they can be killed quickly after turn-in. ​Owners are dumping their dogs in alarming numbers. There are a ​few reasons for this (1) economy, (2) inequitable access to vet care ​and services, (3) allowing animals to reproduce - either due to cost ​or cultural reasons. Some cultures don’t believe in the importance ​of spay and neuter and we need to do the work to educate.


Senior dogs are also relinquished or abandoned simply because ​as they age they need more medical attention - therefore, they ​cost more money.

By the Numbers

We’re going in the wrong direction! The euthanasia rate continues to climb across the nation at a ​steep rate. In Riverside County alone, in 2022 it more than doubled to 15%, from 6% in 2021, and now ​more than 1 in 5 dogs and 2 in 5 cats were euthanized in 2023.


38%

24%

5%

22%

43%

21%

14%

5%

15%

13%

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Walking Cat Silhouette

Data is from Riverside County Department of Animal Services. Riverside County has 4 County shelters: ​Coachella Valley Animal Center (CVAC), Riverside (Western), San Jacinto & Blythe. Returned means ​either to owner or, in the case of cats, back to the streets after being spayed or neutered (TNR).


Veterinarian Shortage

There is a crippling vet shortage nationwide and it's having a huge impact on the Coachella Valley. Low-cost options in our area are increasingly difficult to come by because they don't have the staff for more clinics and appointments at a vet clinic are weeks out and more expensive than many can afford. A quick google search yields frightening headlines like:

"New Studies Find Veterinarian Shortage Could Leave 75 million Pets Without Medical Care by 2030."

Cat.

Scary, right? Even with an average of 2,500-2,600 veterinarian ​graduates a year, there is still an estimated 15,000 vet shortage for ​U.S. animals in less than 7 years.


The Coachella Valley is feeling the impact and has lost its only 24 hour ​emergency vet. Now, pet parents are going to have to drive over an ​hour to the nearest emergency vet. Imagine doing that while your pet ​is in crisis. Existing clinics may struggle to keep staff, making it even ​more difficult to get an appointment. It’s important to establish care ​with a vet. NOW. Before an emergency.

Sponsor & Donate

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Sponsor a microchip & vaccine clinic and your sponsorship will be advertised in marketing and at the event

760-574-1496

To send a check please email Debbie@support4paws.org

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Donations go to our ​general fund unless you ​direct it to a specific ​dog, event, clinic or ​fundraiser

Serving the Coachella Valley and surrounding areas

Debbie McCurry

Co-Founder & President

Kim Raney

Co-Founder & Vice-President

Contact: Debbie@support4paws.org

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EIN 92-1841003