LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A future animal shelter planned for the Southwest Las Vegas Valley will serve the growing Valley’s population, relieve overcrowding at The Animal Foundation and help residents in that booming area, according to one county leader.
FOX5 sat down with Commissioner Michael Naft after the County Commission approved $39 million for the construction of another shelter. Months ago, the commission also approved $5 million as part of a design phase for the project.
“The first focus is how we can prevent animals from ever getting to the shelter, but I think we have to be realistic. We have a growing population, we have an overcrowded shelter that services one geographic area, and we’ve got to do something to diversify that,” Naft said.
According to Animal Protection Services, a significant number of animals that end up at the Animal Foundation come from the Southwest, Naft said; another shelter would shorten the commute for officers and families that hope to reunite with lost pets.
A site location has not been announced. The county will own the building; services could include medical care, spay and neuter services, microchipping, and even another site for Animal Protection Services officers.
Who will run it? Nothing has been decided.
“There will be a competitive process for that. The county will go out to bid. There’ll be either an RFQ or an RFP process where anyone in that space who’s qualified can compete for the contract at this new shelter. I think it’s really important to get some new and fresh ideas in the mix,” Naft said.
FOX5 has covered the capacity challenges facing the Animal Foundation, as it services all of Clark County, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas.
“We’re a public shelter so we can’t control our incoming population… we’ve been reaching that capacity and over most days for all of 2025… we will do everything that we can to avoid euthanizing for space,” Animal Foundation CEO Hilarie Grey told FOX5 in an interview.
Some Las Vegas and other county leaders have publicly voiced frustrations with the challenges surrounding a sole provider for the entire region.
FOX5 asked Naft his thoughts about a secondary provider.
“I’m going to let the public process work out because I think everyone should compete, but there’s no doubt that by diversifying, by having more options, that relieves that valve and creates a little bit more opportunity for everybody. That’s only fair,” Naft said.
The future shelter is years from becoming a reality.
To solve the Animal Foundation’s overcrowding crisis now, $3 million was approved for a temporary emergency shelter at Silver Bowl Park in the southeast off Russell Road. A maintenance building will be converted into shelter space, Naft tells FOX5.
FOX5 has covered various outbreaks of canine diseases at the Animal Foundation, which officials said are caused or exacerbated by overcrowding.
“There’s got to be a way to segregate and separate these animals when an emergency situation like that does happen. And when overcrowding happens, this will also serve as a release valve until the time when the new Southwest shelter can be fully opened and implemented,” Naft said.
That temporary emergency shelter can come online in about a year, Naft said.
The Animal Foundation released the following statement to FOX5:
“At the Animal Foundation, we’re grateful for every investment in animal welfare in our community. As the only open-admission shelter in the area, we’ve been overcrowded for a long time, taking in nearly 90 animals a day, far more than we have space for. That kind of overcrowding creates serious challenges for our staff and the animals in our care.”
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