Noah’s Animal House retail collaboration to benefit pets of domestic violence victims

14-year-old Cooper Sandoval walked into boutique pet store Bone-ito looking for a job but instead got an offer from the store owner to design a retail line to benefit her pet charity.  Noah’s Animal House, a local non-profit with pet facilities in both Las Vegas and Reno, partnered with Billinghurst Middle School eighth grader Cooper Sandoval to launch a custom pet retail line to benefit pets of domestic violence victims staying at Noah’s Animal House.

At just 14 years old, Cooper is an accomplished student, wrestler, self-taught artist and philanthropist. While Cooper didn’t meet the age requirements for hiring, store owner Staci Alonso was so impressed by Cooper that she immediately found another way to harness his passion for pets and philanthropy.

Alonso recruited the 2019 Youth Philanthropist of the Year, a recognition by the local Association of Fundraising Professionals, to use his artistic talents to help create a private-label retail line for both pets and their humans with all net proceeds benefiting Noah’s Animal House. 

“After brainstorming with Cooper at last years Moonridge Philanthropy Leadership Summit, we are thrilled to bring this new collaboration to life,” said Staci Alonso, founder of Noah’s Animal House and owner of Bone-ito. “Cooper’s creative design captures the joy pets bring to us everyday and especially to Noah’s clients who have experienced domestic violence.”

The retail line includes custom dog collars, leashes, and bowls produced by Cycle Dog, an Earth Friendly Pet Company.  Other items in the line include snuffle mats, pet vests, shoes, sandals, socks, bags, and pajamas for people.  The full retail line is available exclusively atBone-ito, located at The Village at Rancharrah in Reno, and online at both Bone-ito and Noah’s Animal House.

Any shopper that leaves with a Bone-ito bag in hand, will have just helped a pet staying at Noah’s Animal House Reno in partnership with Domestic Violence Resource Center, STEP2, Eddy House and Awaken.

“I love giving back,” said Cooper.  “It’s fun for me and I get a lot of positive feedback from friends and family.  I also love my dog and want to give back and see funds get donated to Noah’s.”

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Noah is the son of the founder, Staci Alonso who heard a heartbreaking story of a woman refusing to abandon her abusive life because she had to leave her kitten behind with her abuser if she wanted to escape. Knowing first-hand the power pets have during the healing process, Alonso created Noah’s Animal House. Since 2007, it has provided 165,000 boarding nights. In 2019, Staci Alonso was a 2019 CNN Hero and was honored for doing extraordinary things to change the world. Noah’s Animal House also partners with the Domestic Violence Resource Center; along with offering pet care services to STEP2, Awaken, Nevada Urban Indians, and Eddy House. To learn more about Noah’s Animal House, please visit noahsanimalhouse.org.

ABOUT COOPER SANDOVAL
In 2021, Cooper became an ambassador for Imagine Dragons’ Tyler Robinson Foundation by asking his family and friends to donate $1 for every wrestling pin he earned that season. 70 wrestling pins later resulted in raising $2,000 and earned him an invitation to sing with lead singer Dan Reynolds on stage at the annual Foundation concert. Sandoval also helped raise over $50,000 through in-kind donations of his artwork to benefit the Children’s Cabinet, Washoe County Foster Care, and Art for Recovery.