How FOHAS Is Giving Forgotten Animals a Voice Without Ever Taking the Spotlight
In the animal rescue world, most of the stories we hear are about heroes in the trenches — pulling dogs from dangerous situations, fostering newborn litters, nursing animals back to health. But what about the people quietly working in the background, making sure those heroes have the tools, supplies, and support they need to keep going? That’s where FOHAS, or Friends of Henderson Animal Support, comes in.
Based in Henderson, Nevada, FOHAS isn’t a shelter, and they’re not a rescue group. Instead, they fill the gap between both — amplifying impact by supporting the rescuers. In a sector that’s often overwhelmed, underfunded, and stretched to the breaking point, FOHAS is the calm in the chaos. A pass-thru foundation powered by volunteers who see what’s happening inside shelters every single day — and choose to do something about it.
Born Out of Frustration and Fueled by Compassion
The idea for FOHAS came from two volunteers who had seen enough. Overcrowded kennels, abandoned pets, neglected cases that broke hearts and stretched resources beyond their limits. They weren’t just saddened — they were frustrated. Why, in a city as large as Henderson, were rescue groups still fighting for every dollar, every blanket, every basic supply?
“I and another volunteer were frustrated, saddened, and overwhelmed by the saturation of abandoned, neglected, and lost animals pouring into our shelter, other local shelters, and rescues,” says the co-founder. “Not that this wasn’t enough, but to see firsthand the lack of essential care, financial needs, and resources available to these animals that did nothing wrong to end up where they did. Their only fault was trusting the very people that ‘loved’ them.”
That sense of injustice led to action. They didn’t want to just vent about the problems. They wanted to build a solution. So, with the belief that “many hands make a light load,” they created FOHAS — a nonprofit built to support the people saving animals, not compete with them.
A New Kind of Animal Foundation
FOHAS is different by design. They don’t take in animals, they don’t run a shelter, and they don’t duplicate efforts. Instead, they support shelters and rescues in the exact ways those groups say they need help — whether it’s funding, supplies, exposure, or facility improvements. That means one fundraiser hosted by FOHAS might result in a new air conditioning unit for a shelter wing, while the next may go toward emergency vet bills for a local rescue.
“We are trying to change the nonprofit mindset of ‘this is mine’ and instead share resources with one another.”
It’s a radical idea in a field where resources are often scarce and fiercely protected. But that’s what makes FOHAS so refreshing. They’re not competing for attention. They’re not asking for credit. They’re asking, “How can we help?”
That spirit of cooperation is baked into their structure. The FOHAS board isn’t made up of outside donors or people removed from shelter realities. Instead, it’s composed of shelter volunteers and one shelter employee — people who live this work day in and day out, and who bring their hands-on perspective to every project they take on.
“We all have full-time jobs; this is our passion. We walk the current situation daily with like-minded people all striving to make as big a change and impact in the world of abandoned, neglected, and lost animals.”
Helping the Helpers
FOHAS supports both their local Henderson shelter and a network of independent rescues across the Las Vegas Valley. They fundraise. They promote adoption events. They rally volunteers. And most importantly, they listen.
By serving as a pass-thru foundation, FOHAS reduces the administrative and fundraising burden on their rescue partners — letting the rescuers focus on saving animals instead of chasing dollars. And because they don’t tie their support to a single group, every donation to FOHAS helps multiple nonprofits across the region.
“By creating a pass-thru foundation helping our rescue partners, they can focus on saving animals and less on fighting for all resources. This thought process sets us apart from other organizations because the community can see the impact we are striving for — thus supporting various causes within our community.”
The impact of that collaborative model is clear. By pooling resources and redistributing them where they’re needed most, FOHAS is helping prevent burnout among overworked rescuers, creating more consistency for animals in crisis, and showing the community that change doesn’t have to come from just one source. It can come from many, working together.
Breaking Down Misconceptions, One Dog at a Time
While FOHAS supports animals of all kinds, their work with dogs — particularly misunderstood breeds — has become a central focus. And it’s not hard to see why. At their local shelter, volunteers see firsthand how large breeds like Pit Bulls and other blocky-headed pups are often overlooked, misjudged, or passed over because of stigma.
“Dogs have become central to our cause because we firsthand see, through volunteering at our local shelter, the difficulty in changing the minds of people about certain breeds. The misnomer of Pitbulls and large breeds in general is so far from the truth of what people read to what the animal is really like.”
To help bridge that perception gap, FOHAS regularly shares real-life videos, photos, and stories of these dogs interacting with people, playing, relaxing, and showing off their true personalities. They also host adoption events and public outings to let the community meet the dogs for themselves — so they can imagine what these animals would look like in their own homes and lives.
Built on Passion, Sustained by Community
FOHAS is a volunteer-led nonprofit, which means everything they do is driven by personal commitment and community support. Fundraisers, donation drives, and adoption events are all promoted through word of mouth and social media, and they work closely with their rescue partners to amplify reach and get more eyes on the animals who need homes.
They’re not flashy. They’re not trying to go viral. But they’re deeply embedded in the rescue world, and their impact is steadily growing.
“Our measure of compassion is how we care for the voiceless and vulnerable, for in their welfare we find our humanity.”
That mission rings true in every project they take on, every dog they help rehome, and every rescue they support behind the scenes.
If you’re looking for a nonprofit that isn’t just talking about helping animals — but actively working to make things better for the people saving them — FOHAS is it. They may not be the ones pulling dogs from the streets, but they’re right there behind the people who do, holding the line, filling the gaps, and reminding all of us that no act of support is ever too small.
