Poverty's Pets

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Poverty's Pets

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Poverty's Pets supports under-served communities with a focus on spay/neuter & community education.

Poverty’s Pets was incorporated in 2005 under the direction of the Founder and Animal Advocate, Kate Sivolella and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. With a mission of aiding abandoned, neglected, and abused companion animals in low-income and underserved communities, Poverty’s Pets also provides education programs and veterinary care services (including spay/neuter) to families in the low-income areas of Phoenix, AZ. In addition to these initiatives, Poverty’s Pets partners with local schools to educate students on the respect and welfare for all beings, and to promote positive interactions between the dogs and students. Since 2008, Poverty’s Pets has facilitated the adoption of over 1000 animals, provides medical services (including spay and neuter) to over 800 each year. With a compassionate volunteer network, it is Poverty’s Pets goal to end animal cruelty, suffering, overpopulation and homelessness.

10/30/2026

Rolling into the weekend with some cuteness and a happy ending! One more family off the streets. Nothing better than rescue groups sharing resources and saving lives.

10/23/2026

We received an email from a woman who came home to find two puppies in a box, curbside. The email had two lists: one listed all the places she had reached out to looking for assistance, and the second listed all the items she needed to help her care for this puppy.

The list was long…kennel, bed, puppy food, puppy pads, toys, collar, leash, etc. AND she noted that one organization had offered her a voucher to spay the pup. It was obvious that she was doing all she could to provide for the pup.

And as for those items she needed, we had them! So we headed out to her home with the items in tow, plus some dewormer and a vaccine for good measure.

“How did you find us?” we asked.

“The fella from the food bank said you would help.”

Of course, we asked about the second puppy. The neighbor in the front apartment had taken that one in. Before leaving, we told the woman to share our information with her neighbor should they need help, too. We wanted both puppies—and the people who stepped up for them—to have support.

10/21/2026

Last week we received a call from our pals at HARTT. Make no mistake, 99% of the time Poverty’s Pets is calling HARTT.

HARTT was going to investigate a stray, only to learn there was a mama and six puppies. As with most rescues, finding a soft place to land—and quickly—is always so stressful. And quite frankly, it is comforting knowing you have rescue partners you can call who might offer a piece of the puzzle you are missing.

In this case, Poverty’s Pets was prepared to house the puppies at the Columbus House and reach out to our pals at Almost There Rescue | PHX AZ Dog Rescue.

The six puppies are now safe with Almost There Rescue | PHX AZ Dog Rescue, and mama is safe with HARTT. And Poverty’s Pets? We picked up the phone, connected a few dots, and became dog brokers for the day. Sometimes our piece of the puzzle is simply helping find the missing pieces. We are grateful for rescue partners who show up for one another—and for the dogs who need us.

10/15/2026

Last week, our good pals at Almost There Rescue | PHX AZ Dog Rescue reached out to us. We had to chuckle, as it is ALWAYS Poverty’s Pets reaching out to them. But this time, the call came to us.

There was quite a bit of gray area in a developing situation that Almost There Rescue had been made aware of. It’s challenging to put all the back and forth into one post, but the puppies are now safe with ATR.

Tomorrow, a good Samaritan volunteer whom ATR connected us with will transport mama and papa to our other pals, HARTT. This volunteer (who may have just become a Poverty’s Pets volunteer without realizing it 😊) has been working with an elderly woman who feeds both the stray dogs and a colony of feral cats.

Would we have preferred to bring mama and papa to safety right away? Absolutely. But where could they go? Finding a soft place to land on the spot is often difficult.

Mama and papa have been staying at a metal shop for a few months, with daily visits from the elderly woman. With their move to HARTT planned for tomorrow, we’re confident they will soon be safe.

This time, Poverty’s Pets played matchmaker, relying on—and always grateful for—our rescue partners. Stay tuned.

10/13/2026

A few months ago, a gentleman knocked on the door where we host our community spay and neuter clinics. He owns an asphalt company down the street and explained that the feral cats on his property keep having kittens.

The cats are welcome to stay, and he feeds them. But their numbers keep growing, and he was reaching out for help with spay and neuter.

With a list a mile long of people needing help, we kept his card and added him to it. Last week, we finally started chipping away at the need on his property.

His story is one we hear over and over. People are willing to care for these cats, but finding accessible spay and neuter services is another story. While they wait, more kittens are born, and the need grows, and the suffering continues.

Poverty’s Pets spent more than a decade advocating for change to Phoenix’s anti-tethering ordinance. We kept showing up because of the suffering we witnessed in our community. This year, that persistence helped bring change.

Perhaps it’s time to bring that same persistence to the feral cat issue and the lack of services available to address it.

Feral cats are a rampant community issue, putting a strain on underserved neighborhoods and the people doing their best to care for them. We believe the City of Phoenix needs to fund accessible feral cat spay and neuter services. Community members and small organizations cannot keep carrying this burden on their own.

People will understandably ask, “What can we do?” The truth is, this issue has Poverty’s Pets stumped as well. We have resources, but they are so limited, and we are overwhelmed by the need. We don’t have all the answers, but we know our community needs a funded service it can turn to. Perhaps our next advocacy focus needs to be making that happen.

10/09/2026

We are pretty proud of this little man. Gordy came to us in January. He was forever on guard, quick to growl, and would occasionally nip at ankles. Often, he would tremble in fear, just as he did when we humanely trapped him.

As the months passed, Gordy began to trust those around him. In fact, it was safe to say he loved the volunteers and became a total lap dog.

For the last few months, Gordy has been in Tucson under the care of The Dog Tribe Co.. His days are a lot different than when he was with us. Now, Gordy is being challenged, working for treats, gaining confidence, and trusting humans while embracing new surroundings. He is transitioning from survival mode to living mode. As his trainer says, “He is starting to lean in.”

But Gordy is also plateauing at board and train, and his next step is a forever home or foster. Rachel, his trainer, tells us she is very optimistic about someone coming in to meet him now:

“Gordy is loose and wiggly, excited for treats. Will work and engage for anyone who is confident. Touch is the issue. He takes his time there. But he is cooperative and confident otherwise.”

While in our care, Gordy was extremely affectionate and the ultimate lap dog. But we knew his confidence had been stolen from him at some point, and now he has it in his grasp. He needs his person more than ever.

Please consider Gordy. He can be a pal to a dog-social dog, and his fear of men is nearly in the rearview mirror. Gordy is not a cat guy, but that is okay. He has so much love to give.

10/07/2026

Placing four kittens in a dumpster is an act of animal cruelty coupled with a lack of education...and compassion. The feral cat issue in Phoenix’s underserved communities is rampant. Poverty’s Pets gets slammed with requests for TNR, unwanted kittnes or injured cats. The list is long and never ending. And quite frankly, access to services seems to depend on “who you know” rather than being at your fingertips.

Kittens are placed in dumpsters more often than one can bear to comprehend. These babies are safe now, thanks to our volunteers and networking with Heidi's Village, who supplied us with options that led us to Two Hearts Kitten Rescue.

It has been a busy week for these kittens, and it has ended much better than it started. Thank you, Two Hearts for helping these babies when they needed it most.

10/05/2026

For over a decade, we have placed numerous calls to the Arizona Humane Society about this house of horrors. Our most recent call, which we posted about, was back in January. At that time, AHS confirmed a long history of calls about the property, not just Poverty's Pets.

The truth is, the property torments the surrounding homes with the never-ending cries of puppies. Over the years, we have scooped up many dogs in the alley who have escaped. Despite knowing where they came from, they don’t go back.

This house of horrors just breeds, breeds, breeds, and the dogs are left outside 24/7, matted and tick-infested. Unfortunately, there is not much else we can do, as they are no longer penned up and continued welfare checks fall by the wayside. But the suffering continues in what we feel are deplorable conditions.

This little man, who was simply lying in the alley, was well underweight and had hundreds of ticks. No doubt the dozen or so pups on the property and the adults are in the same condition.

Endless suffering permeates this house, year after year. Our attempts to help with spaying and neutering are obviously seen as the enemy.

But this little man—he escaped, and he is not going back.

10/02/2026

Education! Yes, the weather is finally breaking in Phoenix. Eighty-eight degrees is not 110, but it’s still hot in direct sun, especially on concrete and without water.
When we first saw the puppies, we assumed their situation was temporary. A few hours later, we swung by again. Since we were able to knock on the door—which isn’t always possible, as many yards are locked—we did just that. We kept our message short and sweet, and the owner was appreciative. She explained that she sometimes needs to contain the puppies because they’re so wild.
Our concern was the kennel’s placement and the lack of water. And yes, even at 88 degrees, the Phoenix sun can still be dangerous.

09/29/2026

A few weeks ago, we learned about a dog who had been roaming a trailer park. We went out to deliver a pool and dog food to the woman who had been caring for her off and on. We hadn’t planned to leave with her, but it quickly became clear that removing her from the situation was the better option. We scrambled and set her up on a volunteer’s front porch. She’s still there today.

Yes, she is safe, has a pool, gets walks, and even has a swamp cooler. But a volunteer’s porch can only be a temporary stop. Pinto needs a rescue with foster and adoption resources to help her find a home of her own.

Her microchip gave us a name and address, but the phone number was no longer in service. For good measure, we made two trips to the address to make sure the note letting the owner know we had their dog was received. The owner never contacted us, so it was clear they didn’t want her back.

Dogs can go missing for months or even years, and finding an unspayed dog doesn’t tell us the whole story. We hoped her owner had been searching for her—and that the multiple litters happened while she was missing, not while she was in their care. But the owner never contacted us, so it was clear they didn’t want her back.

Pinto needs a rescue partner for her next chapter. Rescue partners—and your friends—please contact us if you can help her find a home. Thank you.

Address

PO Box 40112
Phoenix, AZ
85067

Website

http://www.povertyspets.org/

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