
A message from our Executive Director
We are thrilled to present our 2024 Community Impact Summary, celebrating remarkable achievements that made a difference for pets and people in our community.
Despite external challenges, SPCA of Northern Nevada accomplished so much in 2024! We launched $300,000 worth of affordable spay/neuter vouchers to expand community access beyond our clinic walls. I am grateful for all our trusted veterinary partners helping us reduce unwanted litters and promoting healthier pets.
We also improved community access to pet care support and vaccine records through our new website chatbot, Jenna the Husky, which is based on an SPCA-NN alum dog. Innovative technology tools also increased pet parents’ access to humane education and pet care resources, which enable more people to keep their beloved pets!
We brought pet dental services in-house to provide more homeless pets with the critical pain relief they deserve without burdening their adopters with the expense. We are also grateful to VCA Lakeside for providing dental appointments when we require more than we can provide internally.
We experienced impressive growth with our foster and volunteer programs, a beautiful testament to our volunteers’ lifesaving dedication. We also helped 231 people keep their beloved pets healthy and home with veterinary financial assistance through Todd’s Medical Fund.
Generous donors also enabled us to waive adoption fees for more people than ever before! Our continued low adoption fees ensure pet companionship is accessible to everyone while also placing pets in loving homes faster—directly fulfilling our mission to save and improve the lives of pets and people. As part of our mission, we also hold a lifetime commitment to every pet we care for—welcoming them back into our care at any point for any reason.
We also hosted our first-ever Free Community Vaccine Clinic in collaboration with our incredible partners to give 706 pets core vaccines with hundreds also receiving microchips and WCRAS dog licenses. These accomplishments are a testament to the generosity of our amazing donors and community—THANK YOU for making it all possible!
Of course, 2024 was not without challenges. We faced increased pet surrenders, slower large dog adoptions, significantly rising costs, and shortages in veterinary care. Despite these hurdles, we remain committed to innovative, data-based solutions to help at-risk pets and their people. This includes repairing and expanding our Adoption Center in 2025 to better meet the needs of pets and our customers. Please follow our social media and emails as we share more details. Thank you for supporting SPCA-NN as we continue to put pets first!
-Jill Vacchina Dobbs, J.D.