About Heaven Can Wait Animal Society
Our Story
Heaven Can Wait Animal Society is a nonprofit dedicated to preventing unnecessary euthanasia and improving quality of life for cats and dogs through spay/neuter services, quality veterinary care, community outreach, and advocacy. The organization is committed to providing accessible services throughout Southern Nevada.
Here are the key areas of our focus:
- We focus on spay and neuter efforts that target neighborhoods from which a large number of dogs and cats enter the shelter system.
- We help form local coalitions with other animal welfare groups.
- We offer free vaccination clinics in neighborhoods with a high percentage of pets entering into the shelter system.
- We support trap-neuter-return efforts by providing low-cost spay & neuter services, vaccines, and medical treatment for illness and injury for our population of community cats at our Community Cat Clinic.
Explore our timeline below to see how your support has shaped a more humane community one surgery, one partnership, and one life at a time.
Our Founder, Harold Vosko1953 – 2019
A Journey of Compassion:
25 Years of Saving Lives
Since 2000, Heaven Can Wait Animal Society has been at the heart of a movement to end unnecessary euthanasia and improve the lives of animals across Southern Nevada. From humble beginnings to transformative policy change, every milestone has brought us closer to a future where every pet is wanted, cared for, and safe.
2000
Our Beginning
In response to an urgent need for foundational animal care services in the Las Vegas area, a dedicated group of advocates officially forms Heaven Can Wait Animal Sanctuary with a mission to prevent animal suffering and save homeless animals.
2003
First Community Cat Clinic
Heaven Can Wait hosts its first Community Cat Clinic, providing lifesaving spay, neuter, and vaccination services to free-roaming cats—laying the foundation for one of Nevada’s most impactful community cat programs.
2009
Policy Change: Spay & Neuter Ordinance
The City of Las Vegas passes its first ordinance requiring foundational care—spay and neuter—for all pet cats and dogs, taking a major step toward reducing overpopulation, shelter intake, and preventable euthanasia.
2009
System Overload: 29,000 Animals Euthanized
The region’s largest shelter admits more than 50,000 animals and euthanizes a staggering 29,000. This stark data underscores the need for systemic change and prevention-first solutions.
2010
Opening of the Spay & Neuter Clinic
Heaven Can Wait opens its high-quality, low-cost Spay & Neuter Clinic on Eastern Avenue, offering accessible care to pet families and community cats across the valley.
2014
100,000 Patients Served
Heaven Can Wait reaches 100,000 patients served—preventing an estimated 1 million animals from being born into uncertain circumstances, about 300,000 from entering the animal welfare system, and reducing unnecessary euthanasia.
2015
Clark County Legalizes TNR
Clark County adopts ordinances permitting and encouraging Trap-Neuter-Return programming—an evidence-based approach to humanely managing and supporting community cat populations without resorting to euthanasia.
2020
Shift to No Euthanasia of Healthy Pets
The region’s largest shelter adopts a policy of no euthanasia for healthy and treatable cats and dogs—a powerful signal of progress driven by collaborative, preventative care and an incredible improvement over the high euthanasia rate seen in 2009.
2021
96% Decrease in Euthanasia Rates
Our area's largest animal shelter reports 1,183 euthanasias, a dramatic 96% decrease from the 30,000 euthanized in 2009, reflecting the effectiveness of community-wide spay/neuter access and coordinated animal welfare efforts.
2021
Community Cat Action Fund Established
Heaven Can Wait launches the Community Cat Action Fund to remove financial barriers for trappers and caretakers needing to provide critical spay, neuter, vaccination, and medical care to free-roaming cats in crisis.
2023
The Romeo Fund Launches
To support pet families on SNAP/Medicaid, Heaven Can Wait creates The Romeo Fund, making essential services like spay/neuter, microchipping, and vaccinations more accessible for families facing economic hardship.
2024
Microchipping Ordinance
The City of Las Vegas and Clark County pass ordinances requiring pets be microchipped. Heaven Can Wait successfully partners with both jurisdictions to expand access to microchipping services, helping more lost pets reunite with their families.
2024
TNR Approved in Henderson, NV
For the first time, Henderson allows a pilot Trap-Neuter-Return program. Heaven Can Wait joins with nonprofit partners and community trappers to help reduce street cat populations and shelter intake.
2025
25 Years of Spay & Neuter
Heaven Can Wait celebrates 25 years of service and the spay/neuter of its 200,000th patient—preventing an estimated 2 million animals from being born into uncertain circumstances, and sparing about 600,000 from entering overcrowded shelters where they could face euthanasia.
