Race For The Rescues,

About the event

Event Description

The 21st Annual Race For The Rescues is one of Los Angeles' largest pet-friendly fundraisers and adoption events, bringing together hundreds of animal lovers, families, rescue organizations, community partners, and four-legged friends for an unforgettable day at the iconic Rose Bowl.

Hosted by The Rescue Train, Race For The Rescues is a fundraiser for local animal welfare organizations and an adoption day for shelter animals seeking loving homes. For one inspiring day, animal lovers of all ages come together to run, walk, shop, adopt, and celebrate the incredible bond between people and pets while raising critical funds to save animal lives.

Participants can run our timed 5K, join the crowd-favorite 1K Dog Walk, meet adoptable pets from local shelters and rescue groups, shop a vibrant vendor expo, enjoy food trucks, live entertainment, celebrity hosts, and cheer on rescue animals during our signature Rockin' Adoption Show.

For 21 years, Race For The Rescues has united animal welfare organizations and compassionate supporters around a common goal: reducing pet homelessness and creating brighter futures for animals in need. To date, the event has raised more than $7 million to support life-saving programs including rescue and adoption efforts, veterinary care, transportation, fostering, shelter intervention, and affordable spay/neuter services throughout Los Angeles.

Unlike many animal events, Race For The Rescues supports a diverse network of organizations helping not only dogs and cats, but also horses and farm animals, creating a unique opportunity to make an impact across the entire animal welfare community.

The atmosphere is celebratory, joyful, and deeply inspiring. Throughout the day, attendees experience heartwarming adoption stories, meet dedicated rescue heroes, and have the opportunity to adopt animals looking for a second chance. Whether participants come to run, walk, shop, adopt, or simply spend the day with fellow animal lovers, every activity helps create positive change for vulnerable animals.

Funds raised through Race For The Rescues directly support programs that save lives, including rescue and adoption services, free and low-cost veterinary care for pets of low-income families, local pet pantries, shelter intervention programs that keep pets with the people who love them, and mobile spay/neuter clinics that help prevent future homelessness.

Race For The Rescues is where compassion meets community and collaboration—a day filled with hope for animals throughout Los Angeles.

Why should you sponsor?

For 21 years, Race For The Rescues, hosted by The Rescue Train, has brought together animal lovers and community partners to save the lives of homeless animals. To date, the event has raised more than $7 million to support rescue organizations providing medical care, spay/neuter services, transportation, fostering, and adoption programs.

We are proud to share that Race For The Rescues was a finalist for Fundraising Event of the Year at the 2025 Los Angeles Business Journal Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards, and co-founder Lisa Young was recognized as Executive Director of the Year for a small nonprofit.

We invite you to join us as a sponsor of our 21st Annual Race For The Rescues and help create more second chances for animals in need.

By sponsoring Race For The Rescues, your organization will help support critical programs that:

• Increase access to spay/neuter and veterinary care
• Support shelter intervention efforts and our Pet Pantry, which assists seniors, veterans, low-income families, and people experiencing homelessness
• Fund rescue, transport, and adoption programs for animals in need
• Raise awareness for farm animal and equine welfare
• Inspire thousands of people to become advocates for animals

Sponsorship opportunities: https://tinyurl.com/RFTRSponsor2026

Thank you for your consideration. Together, we can save lives—one rescue, one adoption, and one second chance at a time.

Race For The Rescues

Race For The Rescues is a unique, 501(c)3 non-profit, no-kill organization dedicated to eliminating animal suffering and euthanasia. Our mission is to unite animal welfare organizations to fight pet overpopulation and save as many animal lives as possible. By creating this fundraising platform we help animal non-profits raise much needed funds to continue their life-saving efforts.  We develop and share leadership skills and tools with innovative ideas to help homeless animals and to make our world a kinder place.

Our largest annual fund-raising event, Race for The Rescues began twenty years ago and has raised over 7 million dollars to help animals in need. These critical funds enable hard working local, non-profit animal welfare organizations to continue their life-saving work.  The event traditionally includes a 5K, 1K Dog Walk & Virtual Race and promotes the adoption of homeless animals.

Our goal will be to save as many animals' lives as possible with the funds raised on Race Day. All benefitting race partners depend on tax-deductible donations to continue their important work. 

We are so grateful everyone out there who cares about animals and hope to see you at the race!

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