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!
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
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
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
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%
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."
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
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
Donations go to our general fund unless you direct it to a specific dog, event, clinic or fundraiser
