Donate to Animal Services

Help the Animals Fund 

Animal Services has a trust fund for financial contributions and uses such gifts for purchasing supplies and services not provided by the City's operating budget. As a municipal agency, contributions to Animal Services may be tax-deductible because they are used for public purposes pursuant to Internal Revenue Service Code, Section 170. Donors should consult a tax adviser to determine if part or all of their contributions are tax deductible.

Supplies

Some examples of supplies funded by your donations include flea control medicine that is applied to every animal upon intake and an anesthesia machine and scavenger system and an autoclave for our clinic, which enable our veterinary unit to perform greater volumes of spay and neuter surgeries. We have also used donations to purchase "Adopt Me" vests for shelter dogs and table throws and tents for off site adoption events and festivals. Such items help highlight particular dogs or promote the adoption program in general. The offsite adoption events and festival appearances are important in stimulating adoptions, generating public awareness of our programs, and building community support for saving more lives.

Services

Contributions may also be used to help support additional veterinary services at the Animal Services Center. Rochester Animal Services work with partner organizations and contracts with local veterinarians and veterinary technicians to ensure that sheltered animals receive quality care whenever they need it. Such contract work also enables Animal Services to provide more spay and neuter surgeries for owned pets through the Spay Neuter Program.

You can donate to the Help The Animals Fund right now using your credit card.

Honoring & Memorial Gifts

Remembering or honoring an individual or pet with a gift to Rochester Animal Services is a meaningful way to acknowledge someone significant in your life. Special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries or holidays are other times when donations can be a meaningful gift. To make a gift in honor of someone online, click the donation button above and please send a message to AnimalServices@cityofrochester.gov explaining the purpose for your contribution and to whom acknowledgments should be directed. If you would prefer to mail a donation, please send a check made payable to Rochester Animal Services to: 

     Animal Services Center 
     184 Verona Street
     Rochester, NY 14608

Estate Planning

Your support for Rochester Animal Services reflects your commitment to helping people and animals in our community. Including a gift for Rochester Animal Services in your will or by beneficiary designation establishes a legacy of your love for animals, addresses pet homelessness and ensures that shelter animals receive enrichment and quality care for generations to come.

Options to consider:

• gift that cost nothing now (e.g., name Rochester Animal Services in your will or trust or by beneficiary designation)
• gifts that may reduce your taxes (e.g., retirement plan, insurance plan, real estate, stocks)
• gifts that may earn you income (e.g., Charitable Remainder Trusts)
• gifts that make an impact now (e.g., transfer of stocks, real estate, IRA Charitable Rollover, cash donations)

Please let us know if you’ve included a gift for Rochester Animal Services in your will or trust or by beneficiary designation. Providing us with documentation is the best way to ensure that you wishes are honored.

If you have questions or would like to discuss any of these options, please contact the Director of Animal Services at 585-428-7274 or AnimalServices@cityofrochester.gov.

Fun Racing & Fundraising 

Join Rochester Animal Services and the Verona Street Animal Society (VSAS) for The Fast & The Furriest® on the first Saturday in June. The event features 10K and 5K road races, a 1-mile dog walk, pet festival, and live music. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness and funds to support spay/neuter, adoption, foster care, pet owner support, and other programs provided by Animal Services. To learn more about the event and how you can get involved visit  www.VSAS.org or email info@vsas.org.

Wish List

RAS welcomes donations of a variety of items that help to maintain or improve the care and comfort for animals while at the shelter. Our wish list includes the following items for the various programs:  

Through the Pet Supplies Plus Shelter Feeding Program, Animal Services feeds a consistent, high-quality dry food to all of our animals in the shelter. Unopened pet foods are accepted as donations and may be provided to our pets in foster care or to our Community Outreach Program.

Give a pet a bed

Our dogs and cats love to sleep on Kuranda Pet Beds. Thanks to generous donations from our supporters, we have more than enough beds for all of the animals at the Animal Services Center. We will let you know if and when we need additional beds. .

Questions

For more information about how your donation can help, please call (585) 428-7274 or email the Animal Services Center.

Community Partnerships

Animal Services establishes partnerships with local businesses, foundations, and individual philanthropists to enhance care for shelter animals and bolster operations. Partnerships may involve in-kind contributions, program sponsorship, naming rights, event sponsorship or operational support. To learn more about opportunities, email the Director of Animal Services. The City of Rochester is grateful to Pet Supplies Plus for its donation of all of the cat litter and pet food used at the Animal Services Center. This support enables Animal Services to purchase veterinary supplies and shelter enrichment items that would not otherwise be possible.

 Donate via AmazonSmile

 Rochester Animal Services is an Amazon Smile program charity so you can designate donations to us from the AmazonSmile Foundation by visiting  smile.amazon.com/ch/16-6002551.