The Best Austin, TX Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2026

Austin Pets Alive!

Austin Pets Alive! is a unique 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal shelter pioneering comprehensive, innovative programs designed to save the animals most at risk for euthanasia. We provide public adoption services for companion animals which includes lifetime behavior support, as well as community support in re-homing or obtaining resources for companion animals through our Human and Animal Support Services program.

Austin Bulldog Rescue

ABR is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and re-homing of unwanted English Bulldogs, education of owners on responsible dog ownership, and education of the public on the English Bulldog breed. ABR takes in adoptable English Bulldogs from animal shelters, other rescue groups, and owners who can no longer properly care for their English Bulldogs. We provide for their medical and behavioral needs. Considering the Bulldog's background and your family's needs, we intend to make the best match. Every Rescue Bulldog is different: personality, temperament, energy, comfort with kids and other animals, medical needs, and more. We take all of these factors into consideration when making a furever-home match. We take our responsibility of finding forever homes for Rescue Bulldogs very seriously. All our rescued dogs live with families in foster homes in Austin, Texas. We often operate statewide and occasionally take in dogs from other areas of Texas, but we primarily service the Austin/NW San Antonio area. We do not run a shelter that you can visit.

Cuz i Matter Animal Rescue

Austin Animal Center

Austin Animal Center is the municipal shelter for the City of Austin and unincorporated Travis County, providing shelter to thousands of animals annually as well as providing animal protection and pet resource services. We accept stray and owned animals regardless of age, health, species or breed. Our goal is to place all adoptable animals in forever homes through adoption, foster care, or rescue partner groups. Animal Services has numerous programs and partnerships designed to help pets in the shelter, in the community, and in your home.

German Shepherd Dog Rescue and Holistic Care Education Center

German Shepherd Dog Rescue and Holistic Care Education Center (GSDRHCEC) is a breed specific rescue located in Austin, TX. GSDRHCEC is a non-profit 501c3 and a volunteer based organization. We are funded entirely by private donations and receive no government support. About 50% of the dogs we rescue come from streets of Houston, 40% comes from shelters about 10% as owner surrenders. We are focused on saving German Shepherd from bad situations, rehabilitating and finding loving homes for them while educating fosters and potential adopters on how to maintain pet's health through daily lifestyle choices and how natural alternatives can be beneficial to pets when issues arise. We work with holistic vets to ensure that pets are not over medicated and treated naturally when possible, including essential oils, chiropractic care and more.

South Texas Boston Terrier Rescue

STBTR was born in July of 2016 with a vision and as an additional resource for Boston Terriers, and other brachycephalic breeds, that need rehabilitation, rehoming, medical treatment, and any other TLC including hospice care, in the Houston and greater Gulf Coast areas of Texas. We have expanded outreach to dogs in Austin, San Antonio, Laredo, Del Rio and other areas with the help of a volunteer base that now stretches state wide and into south Louisiana. We are strictly a foster based rescue – we have no facility. All of our dogs are housed in foster homes for vet treatment and evaluation.

Hound Rescue

Hound Rescue is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the rescue and placement of abandoned dogs in loving homes across Texas. We provide canine health and rescue education to the community. Hound Rescue: • Rescues hounds in danger of euthanasia from shelters • Helps hounds that have been removed from neglectful or abusive situations • Shelters rescued hounds until a suitable placement can be found • Provides basic medical care and training to hounds to make them ready for adoption • Educates current and potential hound owners about these breeds • Finds kind, loving families for rescued, homeless, or abandoned hounds

Blue Dog Rescue

Blue Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, charitable organization that works to find permanent, loving homes for at-risk homeless dogs in the Central Texas area, all the while preparing them for the best possible relationship with you! Most of our dogs come from Central Texas shelters where they might not have a chance at adoption due to size, color, breed, or medical condition. Because we are a network of foster families, there is no shelter facility

Acres of Love Animal Rescue

Our rescue is located in Southeastern Blanco County, Texas, where unclaimed pets from Blanco County Lost and Found Pets' Facebook page are housed and cared for until a new, forever home and family can be located. This is only after all resources have been exhausted to locate the owner. Acres of Love Animal Rescue is a no-kill rescue, which means no pet is killed due to lack of space. Many of our pets come here without ever having exposure to human companionship and care. With time, love and positive guidance, our pets are able to develop trusting, bonding relationships with people and live happy lives in forever homes. Community programs, workshops, and clinics are a few of the resources available to have area pets spayed, neutered, microchipped, and vetted as necessary for the well-being of every pet and pet owner. Please check out available programs and see how we may help you and your pet(s) stay together. The adoptable pets you see are loving, fully vetted sweethearts that are currently seeking their forever homes. Please adopt from a shelter or rescue and you will be saving multiple lives by adopting just one pet!

Operation Barking Squirrel

OPERATION BARKING SQUIRREL is a Texas registered nonprofit that is seeking to fill the gaps in dog and cat rescue. We believe that all pets in rescue deserve a home of their own and we want to make that happen. We all see the pets that have been surrendered or dumped in Texas due to age, breed and no microchip to get them back to their parent, and, sometimes, no transportation to get them home.

German Shepherd Rescue of Central Texas

We are a rescue organization that strives to save as many German Shepherds and German Shepherd mixes as possible from neglect, abuse, and premature death. We give dogs the chance to have the good life they deserve through rescue, adoption, referrals, and behavior counseling. We are a foster home concept rescue. We do not have a brick and mortar shelter to house dogs that we take in. All of our dogs live in an approved animal-loving private foster home. Our foster families welcome each new GSD or GSD mix into their home as a part of their family. The foster families show these incoming dogs the love, nurturing, training and nutrition that most of them have never known. We provide the needed medical care, food and ongoing preventative care. All of our dogs are spayed or neutered, microchipped and brought up to date on all of their vaccinations and immunizations before we place them up for adoption. Almost every dog we rescue will cost our rescue far more than the adoption fee we collect. As an approved 501(c)(3) non-profit, we make no money; the adoption fee is to help recoup some expenses so we can keep saving the lives of these precious, loyal, intelligent, loving dogs. We serve the Central Texas region, including Austin, San Antonio, Waco, Houston and Dallas. We cannot save all the dogs even in Central Texas; however, for each dog that is adopted, another can be saved, and if we can help someone resolve a problem and keep their dog we consider that a successful rescue. Our dogs come from all kinds of backgrounds. They end up in rescue for many reasons. Some dogs were loved by people who brought them into their lives and made them part of their family. Some come from people who have decided they no longer can care for the dog. They come from unwanted litters that happen because of lack of spaying and neutering. Some were lost or abandoned or neglected. The fortunate ones are rescued who otherwise would have been killed in shelters simply because of lack of space. Many that would have died from disease, hunger and exposure in the open have found sanctuary with people who are dedicated to leading them to a new, more promising life. Dogs are selected based on our best judgement of their temperament and adoptability. We temperament test and check all the history we can to learn as much as possible about the dogs we select for our program. If a dog is found we make an attempt to located their guardian, but most of the time no one comes forwarded. We provide the vet work needed, vaccinations, spay/neuter worming and treat what conditions we find. The dogs live in our homes and are treated like our own dogs (which they are) until they find a home that fits.

Charlyne's Pound Puppies

Charlyne's Pound Puppies is a non-profit rescue group run by volunteers. Our founder, Charlyne McDaniel, began her crusade to help abandoned dogs and cats in 1995. Charlyne's Pound Puppies does not accept owner surrenders. Our commitment is to the animals in the Thorndale, TX pound and those who may have been abandoned at vet clinics or the surrounding countryside. All our dogs and cats must be spayed or neutered. We provide these animals with love, medical care, and foster homes until we can find them adoptive families.

Small Chance Rescue

365 Pet Connection

365 Pet Connection - a unique concept in animal welfare. The rewards of animal rescue drive us to find new ways to save as many deserving lives as we possibly can 365 days a year. After years of active hands-on animal rescue, we have accumulated a vast network of animal resources which we have molded together to form 365 Pet Connection. 365 Pet Connection is a Tax Exempt All-Volunteer Non-Profit Group and our EIN# 46-4747911. As such, all monetary donations and adoption fees are tax-deductible.

Love-a-Bull

LOVE-A-BULL, Inc. is an outgrowth of the former Austin American Pit Bull Terrier Meetup Group, which was formed in 2003. This social meetup group for owners and dogs to connect and form a community evolved into a group of people who wanted to see change. Since that time, organizers recognized that the political climate warranted the need for change. As a result, LOVE-A-BULL org achieved 501(c)(3) status in 2008 so that the group could more fully attain its mission and goals. LOVE-A-BULL was organized to educate and advocate on behalf of the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier (all breeds commonly referred to as pit bulls) and pit bull mixes. The message we try to spread is that they are dogs, just like any other dog, they just happened to be called pit bulls. Our mission is to promote responsible guardianship and improve the image and lives of pit bull-type dogs through community support, education, advocacy, and rescue. In 2020, we saved a record 200 pit bull-type dog lives more than quadruple the amount as in the previous year. In our history as an organization, we have supported the community through spay/neuter and vaccination clinics, providing resources on Austin, TX pit bull-friendly housing, financial assistance, and low-cost training. We have also provided active advocacy against breed discriminatory legislation and started one of the country's first all pit bull-type dog therapy programs. We currently maintain a foster-based rescue program and work daily to promote a more positive and accurate public image of all pit bull-type dogs through various local outreach and social media efforts. LOVE-A-BULL regularly hosts fun activities, but its main goal is to promote advocacy and education. Our group is comprised of members who live in Austin and the surrounding areas, as well as national members who wish to support our mission. We welcome the support of proud pit bull parents and others interested in supporting the above ideals and those who will work to further our goals.

Legacy Doberman Rescue

Legacy Doberman Rescue is an all-volunteer non-profit organization for the rescue of purebred Dobermans in Texas. Who is Legacy Doberman Rescue? LDR is four women spread out across three states and a small but mighty band of foster homes. We are not powerball millionaires. In our first six months we took in 24 dogs, including two litters of abandoned puppies. We have rehabilitated and placed 20 Dobermans so far! (We also had a board member finish her Dobermans Championsip, another put 23 titles on her two Dobermans and we had two human grand babies). We all work full time. Our rescue work is unpaid and expenses consistently exceed our adoption fee. We rely on foster homes and your donations to make this rescue succeed and save homeless Dobermans. We are asked almost every day to take on a new Doberman. We encourage you to foster a dog, make a monthly donation to LDR and participate in our ebay auctions. Every little bit makes a huge difference to the Dobermans who get to live fulfilling and rewarding lives with their new families.

Throw a Dog a Bone Dog Rescue

Throw a Dog a Bone is an all-breed dog and cat rescue located in Austin, TX. We focus on saving dogs primarily in the rural shelters in South Texas. Many of these shelters have no exposure and very few resources. Our mission is to rescue as many of these dogs as possible and find them loving forever homes. What We Do We find dogs and cats in the rural kill shelters who are at risk for euthanasia and place them in foster homes. When they are ready to find a forever home, we place them up for adoption both locally and out of state. If we find an out of state adopter, we arrange transport. We follow our dogs throughout their transport and into their forever homes. How You Can Help We need volunteers to help us find all of the rural shelters in the state, donate supplies and volunteer in the rural shelters. We also need help transporting dogs, foster homes and veterinary technicians. Of course, we always need donations and help with fundraising as well. Please help us save more pups!

Final Frontier Rescue Project

We are a volunteer-run organization, and every donation goes to the care of the dogs. Our main expenses are veterinary care, boarding, and training. Your donation allows us to provide care and treatment to meet each individual dog's needs. Established in 2018 Shelters have killed dogs we loved. The need is huge, and we had to act. We are long-time advocates for No Kill animal sheltering, and we’ve been rescuing dogs and cats, fostering, and volunteering for many years. We started the nonprofit Indie Institute (EIN 83-1845872) and its rescue effort, Final Frontier Rescue Project, because we saw the need for a rescue that would act on the values that every life matters and every dog deserves a chance. Animal sheltering is still caught in the old animal control mindset, and that means many, many dogs are killed every day, and many rescues triage by only saving the easiest, most immediately adoptable dogs. We believe that their worth and their desire to live is not somehow less because they are scared, or old, or traumatized, or sick or injured, and so, we often save dogs when other rescues have said no. We do our best to give each and every dog the help they need to find a safe, loving, happy home. We do not use or allow handling or training tools/methods that cause fear or pain. We have seen that when given the time, space, care, and kindness they need, dogs can astonish us with their capacity to heal.

San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter

The Adoption Center is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from noon to 7 p.m, and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. It is closed Wednesday and Sunday for deep cleaning and animal enrichment. The Intake/Reclaim office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m to 6 p.m. Those dropping off stray animals, owner surrenders, and owner reclaims are encouraged to call or email to make an appointment. If you found a stray dog or cat, please call 512-805-2655 for resources to help get the pet back home, or check our Lost/Found list.

Heart of Texas Lab Rescue

The Heart of Texas Lab Rescue is a non-profit 501(c)(3), all-volunteer organization based in Austin, Texas. Our mission is to rescue Labrador Retrievers from shelters, pounds, abandonment , and other situations, and place them in loving, caring homes. The HOT Lab Rescue serves Austin, San Antonio, and surrounding areas. It is HOTLR's policy to accept and place dogs ONLY in the state of Texas. All of our dogs are microchipped, current on shots and heartworm prevention, spayed or neutered at 6 months of age or older, and being treated for heartworms if they are positive. We are always in need of volunteers to foster dogs, and help us with various other activities to help us achieve our goal of finding homes for our dogs.

Wags, Hope and Healing

Cocker Spaniel Rescue of Austin/San Antonio

Cocker Spaniel Rescue of Austin / San Antonio is a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer nonprofit organization working to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home Cocker Spaniels in Central Texas (and sometimes beyond). By adopting, making a donation or opening your home to a foster, you can help us save lives!

Haven Animal Rescue of Texas

Haven Animal Rescue of Texas is a non-profit organization formed to prevent cruelty to animals by rescuing abandoned or homeless animals and subsidizing spaying and neutering as well as further vetting. We strive to help people obtain further education to provide the proper care for their pets and offer assistance to those needing a helping hand. Our goal is to help people find ways to properly care for and keep their pets even if they’ve fallen on hard times. Helping families find their perfect furry family member and dogs find their forever homes is our main goal for the abandoned, homeless, and neglected animals we save.

Wimberley Adoption Group & Rescue

We are located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, an hour southwest of Austin. WAG Rescue is a volunteer-supported, non-profit 501 (c) (3) public charity for dog rescue and adoption with a Refuge and Adoption Center in Driftwood and a network of foster families. We have rescued and adopted out over 2,000 dogs and puppies since our inception in June 2009 and returned countless animals to their owners. Currently, we have a single-family structure on our 6-acre refuge property with covered, outdoor kennels to house our dogs that are not in foster care. Additionally, we have two separate small structures consisting of a Nursery and Healing House. WAG Rescue sincerely thanks all of our donors, volunteers, and adopters for their continued support and tireless efforts as our community grows

GALT-Central Texas - Greyhound Adoption League of Texas Inc.

GALT-Central Texas is a chapter of Greyhound Adoption League of Texas Inc., a national 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We are passionate about Greyhounds and our mission is to find the perfect home for these beautiful, sweet, gentle dogs! We place all dogs in foster homes upon coming into our group. This helps us get to know the dog and their personality before they go to their home. We pride ourselves in helping you pick the perfect dog. While the dogs are at their foster home, they are taken to the veterinarian to get spayed or neutered, all their shots, have their teeth cleaned, and heartworm tested. During this time, they are also evaluated for injuries or health problems. We host Meet & Greets at different pet stores and other locations to show off our greyhounds and to let people know what good pets they make. If you are looking for a good, healthy, wonderful dog as a pet, please consider adopting a greyhound.

Pflugerville Pets Alive!

Pflugerville Pets Alive! (PPA!) is a 501(c) 3 (nonprofit) organization run exclusively by volunteers. We are currently focused on helping the homeless pets of Pflugerville to be healthy and find safe and happy homes, establishing programs that benefit the pets in the Pflugerville Animal Shelter, and informing the community of Pflugerville that they can find their next pet with Pflugerville Pets Alive! While our primary goal is Pflugerville, we are able help within 50 miles of the city; anything outside that area will require special permission.

Caldwell County Animal Coalition

Caldwell County Animal Coalition, CCAC, is a 501C3. Our purpose is to advocate and educate for animal welfare in Caldwell County. CCAC’s goals include hosting and promoting educational workshops and low-cost/no-cost clinics to help citizens be better stewards towards their animals.

Love And Puppy Paws Dog Rescue

LAPP Dog Rescue's Goals Rescue abandoned, abused, unwanted, stray, and neglected dogs from the streets and homes in South and Central Texas. Provide educational outreach to South and Central Texas communities regarding spay and neuter, heartworm prevention, and microchipping. Decrease the number of dogs picked up off the streets and surrendered to overpopulated animal control facilities to reduce euthanasia due to space restraints, behavioral issues, and/or medical issues.

Lockhart Animal Shelter

Lockhart Animal Shelter staffers and volunteers will still be on-site even though the facility is closed to the public. These days will be used for deep cleaning and facility maintenance, along with the day-to-day care for shelter pets; including, but not limited to, feeding, watering, and exercising for dogs. The following services will also remain available even while the shelter is closed to the public: • Pet transports • Pet reclaims by appointment • Working with animal rescue groups for new homes The Lockhart Animal Shelter is located at 547 Old McMahan Road. Turn on Hwy 20 East off Hwy 183 (towards Bastrop), go exactly one mile and turn right on Old McMahan Road. The shelter is 1/2 of a mile on the right. Contact the Shelter at 512-398-4401; ext. 2 or email: [email protected]

Rockdale Animal Shelter

The Animal Control Officer responds to calls involving animals at large, barking dogs, and removal of dead animals from public property and streets. The animal shelter is located at 290 Beverly Drive. To have a pet released or to adopt a pet, please call 512-446-3436.