More dogs, cats dumped across southern Nevada as advocates push for change

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — As local animal rescue teams report a sharp increase in dogs and cats abandoned on the side of the road, in parking lots, and even in the middle of the desert, 8 News Now looked into why this problem appears to be growing.

Bobby Friedman and her dog 'Suzy' are inseparable.

"She was fine with me from the beginning," Friedman said.

The two connected when Friedman saved Suzie from the side of the road near the desert in Las Vegas.

"She looked pretty gruesome so I gave her a bath," Friedman recalled. "Then I gave her a name."

Suzie did not have a microchip and no one came forward to claim her, so Friedman told 8 News Now she believed she was dumped.

Gail Beckman and her dog 'Cinnabon' similarly found each other.

"He would show up to look for food," Beckman recalled.

She said he was dropped off in the middle of the desert in Sandy Valley and had to stay alive for days before she adopted him.

"He was running around for a week and a half, two weeks," Beckman said. "Looking for food and water."

These two cases are examples of what many across southern Nevada call a much larger problem.

"We have more dogs dumped out in the desert, more dogs dumped in different parking lots," Susan McMullen of Southern Nevada Trapping Team and Rescue said.

McMullen told 8 News Now the number of animals, specifically dogs she has seen abandoned has skyrocketed this past year.

Desert areas on the outskirts of the valley are common spots where her team is called out to capture these pets left scared and starving.

"Most of the dogs, if they have been out for 48 hours, they go into flight mode," she explained. "So they are just scared of everybody."

Stephanie Salinas-Byrd of A Path 4 Paws Rescue said dozens of animals are also being driven more than an hour away from Las Vegas and dropped in the desert near Sandy Valley, forcing the small community to pick up the pieces.

"It's hard," Salinas-Byrd said of what she's seen. "I hate it, people just come out here and they open their doors and let their dog go."

McMullen called it a combination of financial struggles and desperation, with many shelters, including The Animal Foundation often at capacity.

"People just don't have the resources we used to pre-Covid," Chelsea Ward, Founder and President of Southern Nevada Animal Rescue League, said.

Ward emphasized the importance of education when anyone adds an animal to their family.

First, Ward said it's crucial to understand no domesticated animal should be deserted.

"I think what they are not realizing is that animal is not going to survive out there," she said of any person who dumps an animal.

"You've got coyotes, you've got other predators that go after the smaller animals," Ward continued.

However, before anyone looks to adopt or purchase a pet, Ward said they need to learn the true responsibilities that come with that decision.

"If you are a licensed breeder or an animal welfare group or an animal shelter," she said. "You need to be properly educating anyone you are handing a pet over to."

Salinas-Byrd added that there are always other steps to take instead of desertion, even if it feels like there are no other options available.

"Anyone who needs help they can reach out to us," Salinas-Byrd said. "Find another way."

Friedman told 8 News Now she doesn't want to think of what could have happened if she didn't find Suzie when she did.

"It was horribly cold, damp weather," Friedman recalled. "And she wouldn't have lasted the night."

Beckman told 8 News Now Cinnabon wouldn't have stood a chance with the cards he was dealt.

Each said they hope their story serves as a reminder that every animal deserves a second chance.

"You have resources," Beckman concluded. "You don't have to do this."

As of August, all dogs and cats over the age of four months old are legally required to have a microchip in the City of Las Vegas.

Anyone needing to surrender a pet can reach out to various animal rescues across southern Nevada, including the following:

A Home for Spot , Nevada Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) , Vegas Pet Rescue Project , Southern Nevada Animal Rescue League (SNARL) , Hearts Alive Village , Retriever Rescue of Las Vegas , A Path 4 Paws , PAWsitive Difference

Families can also reach out to any local veterinarian for suggestions or rescue contacts.