Walk/Run for the Animals

Register. Raise funds. Save animal lives.

Hopefully by now you've heard that Walk/Run registration is OPEN! Register today to take advantage of early bird pricing and get started on your fundraising journey! Every dollar raised helps save lives in our community.

May 3, 2025
Downtown Vancouver Waterfront | 695 Waterfront Way

Registration

Early Bird Registration - February 10 - March 15 | $35
Standard Registration - March 16 - May 3 | $50

Register Now

Walk/Run is more than a fun walk with your dog – it’s a critical fundraiser that saves animal lives in our community. And like most things, Walk/Run fundraising is more fun with your friends by your side! Take your experience to the next level by forming your very own team. When you combine your fundraising powers with your friends, family, and coworkers, you fuel our lifesaving work and make an even bigger impact for the animals.

Your only limitation as a fundraising team is your imagination! Some of the most successful teams embrace creative fundraising strategies that put the FUN in fundraising. Are you a baker or craftsperson? Can you flex some art muscle? Sell your products and donate the proceeds to your fundraiser.

By registering and fundraising, you provide shelter, veterinary care, and a fresh start for thousands of animals in need within Southwest Washington. Helping animals is the goal and earning fun stuff along the way is a sweet bonus. Fundraisers who reach milestones will earn prizes while they help animals. Think t-shirts, sweatshirts, and even tickets to our Annual Gala! 

Visit our Walk/Run for the Animals event page to check out how your fundraising makes an impact, view helpful tools for fundraising, and learn more about sponsorship opportunities and our vendor village

2024 Year in Review

Your impact by the numbers

The new year is here, but we're not ready to put 2024 behind us just yet - we have a lot to celebrate! It was a big year for HSSW and our work with pets and people in our community. And thanks to your generous support, we served more pets than ever.

Here's a look back at just a few of the incredible and lifesaving achievements you made possible last year.

In 2024...

• More than 10,000 animals received care - lost pets were reunited with their families; adoptable pets found a second chance for a happy home; pets in need received essential medical care; and animals escaping abuse and neglect received the care and support they deserve.
• Foster volunteers cared for 1,052 pets (including more than 700 kittens) offering a quiet space, specialty care, and so much more.
• 4,230 pets were adopted into loving homes in our community.
• Our HELP fund provided financial assistance to provide care to 90 pets in our community with treatable medical conditions.
• 759 lost pets were reunited with their owners.
• 40,000 pounds of free pet food was distributed to pets in need.
• Volunteers contributed more than 129,190 hours - that's more than $4.5 million in labor costs.
• ReTails Thrift Store sold 852,724 items for total sales exceeding $1,920,000 for the animals.

These are just a few examples of the incredible work we accomplished together last year. It is only with your generous support that we can continue to be here for the thousands of pets and people who rely on us. Thank you for your partnership as we work toward our vision of a community where everyone loves and cares for animals.

Valetines Day Snowstorm

Caring for shelter animals no matter the weather

When snow arrives in our region, it usually means a snow day as schools and businesses close. For most of us, it's an opportunity enjoy comfort food, sled down neighborhood hills, or binge our way through whatever we can find on Netflix. But at HSSW, snow days are a little different.

The work of animal welfare is often unpredictable. Pets in need don’t have a schedule – they don’t observe holidays or take a break when the weather turns bad. The animals rely on us, and our team is here for them every day.

Last Thursday, as snow and ice began to accumulate, a team of HSSW staff volunteered to stay overnight at the shelter, ensuring there would be no interruption to our lifesaving work for the animals. Several more staff and volunteers traveled to the shelter Thursday and Friday for dog walks and cat care, sharing the snow day with the nearly 200 animals in our care.

Thank you to our incredible, hardworking staff and volunteers for their dedication to the animals through all weather! We truly can't do it without you.