The Best Denver, CO Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2026

Summit Dog Rescue / Pod To The Rescue

We are a small volume rescue with a huge focus on humane education. We rescue dogs and cats and work with our adopters/fosters and the general public to educate about how to best support our companion animals so that their placements can be successful. Unwanted pets is at epidemic levels, and without education we won't make progress. Our rescue is unique in that we are run by multiple certified dog trainers and behavior professionals. We have a podcast called Pod To The Rescue, which is produced with the goal of providing evidence based behavioral support to adopters and fosters.

Jailbreak husky rescue

Jailbreak Husky Rescue is a 501(C)(3) and PACFA licensed organization based out of Colorado that aims to rescue, rehabilitate, transport, rehome and advocate for Siberian Huskies and other northern breeds that are at risk of being euthanized, abandoned, or in neglectful or abusive situations. Our mission has a specialized focus on pregnant or nursing northern breeds, including pre-natal and postpartum care, whelping, bottle, syringe and tube feeding, and breed-focused litter care and development.

Ho-Bo Care Boxer Rescue

Ho-Bo Care Boxer Rescue is a non-profit, all volunteer group in Colorado. We have been active and engaged in our community since 1972.

My Fairy Dawg Mother Rescue LLC

The Fairy Dawg Mother works with trusted partners in Colorado and nearby states to bring dawgs to the Denver Metro area, where they will have a better chance at adoption. We do our best to select dogs that will be highly successful candidates for placement with a new furever family, but change can be stressful for even the most easy-going dawg. Because of this, we work with foster families to start getting them stabilized, learn about each dawg's individual temperament, and provide training and guidance to the dawg.

PawsCo

PawsCo is a 501(c)3 animal welfare organization based in Denver, Colorado. PawsCo is dedicated to reducing pet homelessness by partnering with animal shelters and other rescues in order to help the most in-need animals ‚ those animals not thriving in a shelter setting.

Soul Dog Rescue

Soul Dog is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue organization founded with the mission to spay/neuter and protect animals. Soul Dog is proactive in animal welfare, advancing the need for spaying and neutering our pets to reduce overpopulation. We travel to rural communities on Native American reservations, where spaying and neutering will only happen if it is nearly free or very convenient. Soul Dog works with volunteer veterinarians to provide the spaying and neutering service at no cost to the public. Donations are used to defray the costs associated with medications, supplies, and the operating cost for clinics.

Colorado Saint Bernard Rescue

Colorado Saint Bernard Rescue is a 501(c)3 non-profit that was founded in 1997, all volunteer organization dedicated to the rehoming of unwanted, abandoned, and abused Saint Bernards and Saint Bernard mixes.

Foothills Animal Shelter

Foothills Animal Shelter is an open admission facility serving Jefferson County in the state of Colorado and is a member of the Metro Denver Animal Welfare Alliance. We are driven to make lives better for animals and people in our community. We are a Socially Conscious Animal Welfare Organization, creating the best outcomes for all animals that enter our care. We place every healthy and safe animal for adoption. We assess the medical and behavioral needs of homeless animals and ensure these needs are thoughtfully addressed. And, we alleviate suffering through thoughtful euthanasia.

Mamco rescue dogs

Our mission is to ensure that all rescued animals are treated as valuable members of society through quality veterinary care, regular grooming, and excellent nutrition. We are a foster based, 501c3 non-profit rescue, dedicated to the health and wellbeing of mother dogs and cats and their litters. We see our rescue dogs and cats through pregnancy, birth (whelping), nursing, weaning, and adoption. In addition to providing necessary care, we also work to socialize, train, and evaluate each animal to ensure that they find permanent forever homes. This involves establishing close and trusting relationships with our volunteers, adopters, and the community.

RezDawg Rescue

RezDawg Rescue collaborates with several rescues in NM, AZ and CO to ensure the safe and comfortable transport of unwanted animals to rescues, shelters and fosters where they will have a chance at a forever home. We relocate dogs and cats from high-intake shelters, animal control facilities, and reservations in the Four Corners area to animal rescue partners and forever homes in Colorado. We provide transportation to foster homes and other partner organizations, offer medical care and low/no cost spay and neuter services, manage a network of foster homes for temporary shelter, and run adoption events so that these animals can find forever homes.

Taysia Blue Rescue | Siberian Huskies & Alaskan Malamutes

Taysia Blue Rescue is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. We are a family of volunteers and advocates dedicated to helping local Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, and their guardians. We are funded solely and supported by, the generosity of individuals and corporations in our communities. All our dogs are located in approved foster homes in the metro areas of Omaha, Lincoln, Kansas City, Des Moines and Denver. Taysia Blue does not have a physical building and does not have set hours of operation.

Colorado Corgis and Friends

Colorado Corgis and Friends is a 501c3 Dog Rescue specializing in Corgis and other lowrider breeds. Established in late 2019 by a group of Corgi-loving people who love and understand the Corgi breed and love all other dogs as well. The founding members have over 100+ years of experience owning Corgis and 50+ years in Rescue. It is our pleasure and passion to help homeless dogs in need, help struggling owners rehome their pets, and offer advice on training issues typical of this herding breed.

NOCO Humane

Welcome to NOCO Humane, your community partner for comprehensive animal welfare services in Larimer and Weld counties. We have expanded our reach and our impact, taking on the sheltering and care of animals in Weld County in light of the dissolution of the Humane Society of Weld County. Join us as we heal, nature, and protect more than 10,000 animals in the year to come!

Evergreen Animal Protective League (EAPL)

The Evergreen Animal Protective League (EAPL) was organized in April, 1981 to aid lost, abandoned, and suffering animals through rescue, shelter, and education. Since that time, the League has provided a better life for thousands of cats, dogs, and other pets.

Harley's Dream

Harley's Dream was established in 2016 in honor of Harley, a senior one-eyed puppy mill survivor who became the face and voice of the puppy mill dogs, earning the distinction of being the 2015 American Hero Dog for his work. Our mission is to create awareness and educate the public about the cruel commercial dog breeding industry (also known as puppy mills) and to rescue and rehome senior dogs in need.

A Friend of Jack Rescue

A Friend of Jack Rescue is a Colorado, foster-based 501(c)3 non-profit rescue dedicated to finding loving, lasting homes for unwanted dogs and puppies.

Dumb Friends League

One of the ways the Dumb Friends League can fulfill its mission to end pet homelessness and animal suffering is to influence the laws and policies that protect animals and enhance their welfare. Our Advocacy team works with policymakers, animal welfare agencies, law enforcement and the community to drive the policies that make Colorado a leader in protecting our furry family members. We hope to help you stay informed on issues in Colorado and across the country that impact animal sheltering and welfare and continue to make systemic changes that benefit animals and the humans that love them, now and in the future

Colorado puppy rescue

A licensed, no-kill, non-profit puppy rescue specializing in very young puppies and their mothers.

Colorado Animal Welfare League

Colorado Animal Welfare League (CAWL) is a 501(c)(3) animal rescue organization founded with the mission to protect homeless animals in Colorado and the surrounding states of Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, and New Mexico. We are currently made up of a small group of committed volunteers trying to save one animal at a time. As an all volunteer administration, any donations made to CAWL go directly to servicing the needs of the animals we save. The focus of CAWL is to expedite the adoption of difficult to place animals such as those with black fur, advanced age, or special needs. We rescue a lot of animals that would otherwise be euthanized for medical conditions, fearful behaviors, or just simply just for being a black dog in a shelter full of black dogs. Our rescue animals stay with foster families until their adoption while we work toward growing into a shelter. Thus, most of our expenses come from foster support and veterinary bills to treat our sick and injured animals. Our goal is to also be very proactive in animal welfare and to advance the awareness of the need for spaying and neutering our pets to reduce overpopulation. Our mobile spay/neuter clinic, the SNOW Mobile, is taken to rural areas with limited veterinary resources, inner-city areas, and Indian reservations where spaying and neutering will only happen if it is nearly free and comes to them. Our intention is to work with local vets to provide the spaying and neutering service at no cost to the public. Donations will then also be used to defray the costs associated with paying the veterinarians for their time, medications and supplies, and the operating costs for the mobile clinic itself.

Do Over Dogs - A Second Chance At Life

Do Over Dogs is a foster-based, 501(c)(3) organization that gives at-risk dogs from the shelter environment a second chance at life. We focus our rescue efforts on dogs and puppies that are at high risk of euthanasia.

Mother Gaia Animal Rescue

The Good Dog Rescue

Rocky Mountain Cocker Rescue

We are the only PACFA-licensed Cocker Spaniel rescue in Colorado! The Pet Animal Care Facilities Act (PACFA) program is dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of animals in pet care. We carefully screen all potential adopters to ensure our rescued dogs go to a safe home. The adoption process starts with submitting an adoption application, followed by a phone interview, checking personal references and a home safety check. After an applicant is approved, we work with the applicant to suggest a dog that meets their preferences, based on personalities and lifestyle for a made-to-last relationship. RMCR is a 501(c)(3) charitable, non-profit organization. All of our rescued cockers and cocker-mixes live in foster homes; we do not place our dogs available for adoption into a kennel or shelter environment. We have foster homes all along I-25 from Albuquerque, NM north to Cheyenne, WY, in addition to Grand Junction, CO and a few more in Kansas and Missouri. We current accept dogs that look like a cocker spaniel or cockapoo from any neighboring state which shares a border with Colorado along with our rescue partners in Kansas and Missouri.

Charlie's Place

Charlie's Place is a modern, county owned and managed animal shelter serving the residents of Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties in Colorado. The shelter provides nourishment and a safe environment for abandoned, homeless, stray, and impounded dogs and cats. We offer dog and cat adoptions, microchipping, spay/neuter vouchers, humane trap loans, and monthly low-cost vaccination clinics.

Yoga Animals Rescue Foundation

Yoga Animal Rescue Foundation is a Colorado Foster-Based Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation organization, dedicated to taking all possible action to save animals in need. Our efforts, as well as the efforts of our fosters, go into using proven naturopathic remedies and love and affection to heal animals in homes. We socialize our animals with events such as Yoga and Movie Nights to help them learn they deserve to give and receive love and affection! Our animals can’t wait to be in your loving home!

Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue

Since 2010 RMPR has successfully rescued, vetted and re-homed over 11,000 animals and we are still going strong! Rocky Mountain Puppy Rescue is a licensed non-profit animal welfare organization whose mission is to save unwanted puppies, adult dogs, and cats from being euthanized in overcrowded kill shelters. We transfer, spay, neuter, and place these animals in our Colorado foster network until they are ready for adoption to their forever homes. The benefits of a foster home are tremendous, we provide the socialization that these animals cannot experience in a traditional shelter setting, enabling them to grow into balanced animals that will thrive in their forever homes. ​We promote our animal welfare organization through our public adoption events, and benefit New Mexico communities with our SPAY IT FORWARD program that provides life saving vaccines and spay and neuter services. Since 2012 we have spayed/neutered over 4,000 dogs and cats in our public Spay Program. In addition to these programs, we provide donated food to areas in need through our food network connections and educate the public about the need for spaying and neutering of their pets, proper exercise, feeding, grooming, and training.

Colorado Senior Dog Rescue and Hospice

Colorado Senior Dog Rescue and Hospice is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) volunteer-based animal welfare organization dedicated to rescuing senior dogs. Senior animals are often overlooked at shelters and are the first to be euthanized. At CSDRH, we provide senior dogs with the veterinarian care and love they need and deserve. For adoptable senior dogs, we work to find them the best home, and for those with high needs or special needs, those dogs remain with the rescue in our hospice program, where they can live out their golden years. CSDRH also acts as a resource for local animal welfare services and a source of knowledge for senior pet care, veterinarian services, and pet ownership.

Nikenos Second Chances

NSC is an all volunteer foster based 501 (c)(3) non profit organization founded in 2006. While many people are willing to adopt rescue animals, many times the combination of untrained dogs and untrained owners leads to returned or unwanted pets. By giving the dogs structured training before, during, and after home placement, their chance of success more than quadruples. Our founder, Gina Krehbiel, has over thirty years in the animal behavioral business. She owns and operates Clearwater Dog Training — a facility that promotes educated owners and educated pets. With this background, NSC was destiny in the making. After the passing of her beloved German Shepherd Dog Keno she felt it was time to act.

San Nicola Dog Rescue & Sanctuary

San Nicola Dog Rescue is a volunteer-based PACFA licensed 501(c)-3 non-profit foundation. We rescue dogs from Colorado and surrounding states and provide food, shelter and care until we find permanent homes. We place rescue dogs in Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Vail, Greeley and other Colorado towns. We have a brick-and-mortar dog shelter with the location east of Denver, Colorado and in Westminster, Colorado. Because of the distance we can bring the dog that you are adopting to your place.

Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue

Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue was started in 2007 when our founder saw a lab mix on Petfinder that was located in Oklahoma. After a long drive, she found the dog to be covered in fleas and ticks, skinny, and with fresh scars on his ears. She brought the dog back to Colorado and with proper food and medical care and some training, he turned out to be one of the sweetest, happiest, goofiest dogs ever. Today, RMLR consists of a small group of dedicated volunteers that find and re-home local and out of state Labrador Retrievers and Lab Mixes. We all have full time jobs, families and other activities in our lives, but are passionate about trying to save as many dogs as we can. We spend our own time working on the organization, planning to get these dogs out of shelters before they are euthanized, scheduling vet appointments, transporting dogs cross country and processing adoption applications. We find our Labs mostly through shelter volunteers out of state who will alert us to great dogs that don't have a future where they are at. Many of these labs are in High Kill Shelters, that are almost always full because they are in rural areas where the dogs run stray, and have lots of puppies because they have not been altered. We operate based on donations. The adoption fee typically does not cover the cost of getting the dog ready for their new home. If you can donate money, please click on the Donate button above. If you can not donate in the form of money we can always benefit from materials such as collars, leashes, crates/kennels, toys, treats (unopened), and high quality food (unopened). We will gladly take used items that are still in good condition.