The Best Houston, TX Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2026

Friends For Life Animal Shelter

We're here for the undercat and underdog, regardless of their breed, age or condition. Houston-grown, we're here to help our neighbors care for the pets they love. We're not done until every animal has a safe home. Until then, we'll be innovating, improving and tracking results to find the most effective ways to save lives.

THREE LITTLE PITTIES RESCUE

Three Little Pitties Rescue is a non-profit, 501c3 all-breed dog and cat rescue dedicated to saving animals out of desperate situations, primarily in the Houston, Texas area. From 2018 to 2024 the rescue has saved 13,000+ animals and delivered them to better lives up north.

Donna's love pet rescue

Our charitable, tax-exempt mission is to save as many lives as possible by giving homeless and lost animals a warm and special touch to show them that they are loved so they can trust again and return that love. I served in the military (Navy) from 1989 till 1993. My passion in life has always been to work with and care for animals. I have 7 dogs of my own (Palen, Rocsco, BK, Chico, Beau, Star and Annie). All of my dogs, except Palen, were found and taken in by my facility, The Dog House Pet Salon. If I could take every rescue home with me, I would. We have taken in over 290 homeless and lost animals since we opened our doors for business at The Dog house Pet Salon in 2009. We have re-homed 289 of them. Dash has been with us for one year. Dash needs a little more training to become confident and trust humans again. If I cannot re-home one of my loved ones, they will stay with me and live a good life. We believe that every lost animal with a microchip, rabies id/vet tag number or a name tag should be able to be identified and the parents contacted in a matter of seconds. We created the innovative My Pet Credentials mobile app for that very reason ‚an easy to use digital platform to empower the parents of lost pets with a means to find their lost pet quickly and efficiently without the need of calling, faxing or emailing. Pet owners, pet salons, rescue shelters and veterinarians can download the MPC app or register at www.mypetcredentials.com. The cost to pet owners is $16.99 annually. The platform is free for pet salons, rescue shelters and veterinarians. I am most proud of the lost and found function that is part of the MPC pet service platform. Pet owners enter the microchip number or rabies id/vet tag number in their pet's profile. If someone finds the pet, they can use the MPC mobile app or go to www.mpclost.com to identify the lost pet by entering any one of three tracking numbers. The MPC platform will immediately display: A picture of the pet (front, left and right Image) The pet's name, age, gender, breed, color and markings The pet's most current vaccinations A button to contact the owner who will receive a text, email and mobile app notification with the good Samaritan‚ name, phone number, email and message When someone finds a pet, MPC‚ lost and found function assists in reuniting the lost pet with their family, quickly and efficiently, by giving the Samaritan the ability to enter the lost pet's name, age, gender, breed, color and any markings along with any microchip, rabies id or vet tag number (tracking numbers) and upload an image of the lost pet. Once the tracking information has been entered by the Samaritan the family of the lost pet will be able to go to our universal lost and found website, www.mpclost.com, to input their pet's tracking information and our platform will display to the family an image of their pet, the pet's name as reported by the good Samaritan, age, gender, breed, color and any markings and the name, address and phone number where the pet can be reunited with their family. This innovative process reunites lost pets found with a microchip or rabies id or vet tag number with their families quickly and efficiently by eliminating the need to post lost and found flyers or waste time calling animal shelters, city pounds or veterinarians to locate their lost pet. I could go on about all the features of the MPC platform such as transfer of ownership, vaccination records storage, vaccination reminders and scheduling appointments with your pet salon. We created Donna's Love Pet Rescue for people who want to help end homelessness for animals and provide an easy to use digital platform to help identify pets, contact owners of lost pets quickly and efficiently and allow owners of lost pets with a microchip or rabies id or vet tag number to be registered with MPC for a quick and joyous reunion! The donation we receive from you helps with. Vetting Food Training Fostering Transportation Spay and neuter Our goal is also to educate the community on the importance of spay and neutering, having dogs vetted and properly trained and provided with appropriate identification markers. Animals are family too. To make a tax-deductible donation by mail: Donna's Love Pet Rescue 5917 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77057

Texas Sled Dog Rescue

Texas Sled Dog Rescue is a small rescue focusing on finding fur-ever homes for sled dog types (Siberian huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, and mixes). While in rescue, we will place them in foster homes, provide basic training as needed, and vetting which includes vaccinations, spay or neuter, microchip and other medical services as needed. Our volunteers are involved in all facets of rescue including but not limited to fundraising, transporting, evaluating dogs, respresenting the rescue at local dog events, fostering, etc.

Caitie's Foster Fam Rescue

Founded in May 2021, we are a non-profit 501(c)3 rescue made up of animal-loving individuals. Our team consists of animal rescuers who have been making a difference in the lives of homeless pets for over a decade. We each started as volunteers and fosters, specializing in medical needs cases. Because of the high demand for more medical fosters and rescuers, we decided to join together and start our own non-profit rescue. We are an entirely foster-based organization, so we do not have a physical shelter. All animals are kept in loving foster homes. Our founder, Caitie, has been fostering medical cases in the Houston area for over ten years.

Corridor Rescue

Corridor Rescue was born in 2009 when Deborah Hoffman, while driving through the area to work, realized there was a horrible problem with abandoned and stray animals. Her tenacity and love for the dogs would not allow her to stand by and watch...Corridor Rescue was conceived! Corridor Rescue is named after a 14 square mile area of Northeast Houston dubbed ‚'The Corridor of Cruelty'. The sheer number of dogs abandoned, dumped and allowed to roam the streets in this area is mind boggling. But sadly, the Corridor area is known for animal cruelty. The animals are unwanted, seen as a nuisance, and in some cases wrongly thought of as aggressive. People hit them, throw things at them, shoot them, fight them, and even deliberately run them over. Corridor Rescue has grown phenomenally over the last decade. What started as a one-woman show now has multiple volunteer teams and a kennel facility where we are able to take our rescued street dogs directly off the street for rehabilitation. The facility can house up to 30 dogs and is staffed with two Veterinary Technicians and three Kennel Technicians. The dogs receive medical care and enrichment to begin healing and to put them on the road to their forever home. Corridor Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is solely funded by the generosity of our wonderful donors and supporters. We are a volunteer-based organization, always looking for enthusiastic, outgoing, motivated, and animal loving volunteers to join our team. Corridor Rescue has a number of areas that you can help save lives.

Wag Again Rescue

Wag Again is a section 501(c)(3) foster based dog rescue group with years of animal and rescue experience amongst our volunteers. Wag Again is committed to helping the neediest, as well as the readily adoptable, among our community's most vulnerable creatures. We are a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to restoring the dogs under our care to physical and emotional health as they await placement in loving, responsible homes. Virtually all donated funds will be spent directly on the care of the animals. Wag Again stands ready to help you, the prospective adopter or foster home, find a companion who will thrive in your home. We are here to assist you in every way possible throughout the adoption process and will continue to be a helpful resource after you have welcomed your new pets into your life.

Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue

Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue is a Houston area 501(c)(3) non profit organization dedicated to rescuing homeless and abandoned puppies and dogs from high-kill shelters and owners who can no longer care for them. By working with committed volunteers, foster homes, local veterinarians, trainers, and boarding facilities, we are able to rescue countless animals every year, provide them with loving foster care, and ultimately find them well-matched, carefully screened forever homes. We also plan to serve as a resource to our community and all pet owners by providing education and information on responsible pet ownership, including the importance of spay/neuter, positive behavior training, and good nutrition and care.

Lola's Lucky Day

Lola's Lucky Day strives to make a positive impact by rescuing animals that otherwise would not have a chance in Texas. We rescue pups from the streets and shelters, get them healthy, fully vetted, spayed/neutered, and network with our partner rescues in Wisconsin to match them with loving families.

Greater Houston German Shepherd Dog Rescue

is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization founded in 2008. We are a breed-specific organization dedicated to rescuing and rehoming German Shepherds in Houston, Texas and surrounding areas. GHGSDR is guided by three core values: dedication, integrity, and compassion. We are devoted to finding homes for our GSDs with people who want to continue our mission of giving these dogs a better life and a second chance. Our GSDs are obtained from public shelters after they have completed a stray-hold period or they are surrendered to us directly by their owners. We strive to ensure that each dog in our care is given the love, attention, and medical care they need to thrive. We believe that every dog deserves a second chance at a happy life. All of our rescued German Shepherds are placed in a foster home while we work tirelessly to find loving, forever homes; carefully matching each dog with an adoptive family who will provide them with the love and care they deserve. We attribute our success in rehoming German Shepherds to our wonderful volunteers. We have many volunteers who have been with us since inception, which gives us stability and a sense of history. We also have newer volunteers who bring enthusiasm and new ideas to our group, which is essential for us to continue our mission. As an all-volunteer run organization, we all hold different jobs in our actual lives. We are not professionals in animal behavior, training, or health, but we work closely with local veterinarians, trainers, and other animal welfare organizations to ensure that our dogs receive the best possible care and support.

In the name of Zoey

Sunnyside Street Dogs

At Sunnyside Street Dogs, we believe every dog deserves a loving home and a happy life. We rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome street dogs, ensuring they receive the care and love they need. Our mission is to create a world where every dog is valued, protected, and cherished.

Rocio’s Rescues

Our Rescue is very small and operated by only volunteers that have also full time jobs and families and dedicate their free time and personal resources to rescue animals in need. We are located in Houston, TX, normally our dogs travel to foster homes in the MA and CT area before going to their forever homes, but because of the demand in the adoptions this year our dogs are traveling in foster to adopt now, this means our dogs travel directly to adopters who pick them up from transport in East Hartford CT when they leave their Texas fosters. Our dogs travel in Professional pet transport to the arms of their loving prospective adopters. After the dog arrives we usually wait 2 to 3 weeks before we finalize the adoption. We want to make sure the dog is happy and the new family is too! Rocio’s Rescues works very hard to make perfect matches between families and rescue dogs and cats. Filling an application is the first step in that process followed by a phone call and a Facetime call with the dog or cat and the adopters. Five out of seven pets are re-homed in their lifetime. Rocio’s Rescues wants to change this model for the lucky few we save, finding LOVING, COMMITTED FOREVER HOMES.

Forgotten coast animal rescue

Our co-founders Rachell Jones and Courtney Lomelo met in 2019 where all good rescue ladies hang out: Facebook groups dedicated to rescuing dogs. Although Rachell lives in Florida, and Courtney in Texas, together they networked and found a home for their first dog together! His name was Ryder. Courtney began rescuing street dogs in 2011 and Rachell entered the rescue world in 2018 inspired by countless dogs displaced by Hurricane Michael in Florida. The duo went on to network several more dogs on high-kill Houston shelters' euthanasia lists. They got to know each other over late night calls and Facebook messages. A true modern friendship! Finally, they decided to officially form a rescue together and Forgotten Coast Animal Rescue was born. Forgotten Coast Animal Rescue was named for Rachell's home coast in Florida. Presently, FCAR operates primarily in Houston, Texas. We hope to expand to North Florida, the forgotten coast, in the coming years to care for Rachell's home state.

Adopt A Rescued Friend

We rescue animals from the street, pull animals from local shelters and accept owner surrenders. AARF Houston not only rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes these animals; we also provide support to our Veterans and low income community to vaccinate, spay and neuter their family pets. Contact us for more information.We specialize in animals that have been hurt, or are ill. Our army of veterinarians are some of the best and step up to help when we find an animal in need. AARF Houston has worked with some of the best Veterinarians in Texas. Some of our rescued dogs participated in a blood donor program to provide life sustaining blood and plasma. Our Orthopedic surgeons have repaired broken legs, hips and faces. We have several dogs with successful hip replacements. We have an unbeatable success rate for Parvo and Distemper. Of course, our vets provide every day care for our rescued animals as well. It takes a team! Texas has an animal homeless problem. In 2023, it was estimated that there were over 1 million homeless animals in Texas with 3.1 million nationwide. Non Profit Rescue Groups are an integral part of the solution. We rescue animals from the street, pull from local shelters and accept owner surrenders. AARF Houston not only rescues and rehomes these animals, we also provide community support to spay and neuter families that are in need of help. We specialize in animals that have been hurt, or are ill. Our army of veterinarians are some of the best and step up to help when we find an animal in need. AARF Houston has worked with some of the best orthopedic surgeons to provide hip replacements, cure Parvo and distemper, and provide basic health care. Some of our rescued dogs participated in a blood donor program to provide life sustaining blood and plasma.In order for AARF Houston to help these abandoned animals, we need donations, sponsors and dedicated volunteers.

Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston

Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston, Inc., is an all-volunteer, donation-sponsored, non-profit organization dedicated to the overwhelming task of saving the lives of abused, abandoned and unwanted Miniature Schnauzers, who have lost their homes, for one reason or another. Many of these dogs come to us healthy, many sick or injured. They come from shelters, off the streets, from owners who for whatever reason, could no longer care for their little ones, and puppymills, where they have never known love or felt the security of a home. Our adoption fees generally run between $250 to $550. This fee goes toward the vet bill for the animal to be completely vetted, which includes spay/neuter, yearly shots, heartworm test, and if heartworm positive, be treated to kill the worms. If their teeth need cleaning, we have that done also. We get them healthy and ready for their new forever home. We have no shelter. Our rescued dogs live in foster homes around the Houston-metro area until they are placed in permanent homes. An adoption application is required of all persons interested in adopting a dog from MSRH. Also, if you are interested in a particular dog listed on our site, please include that information in your application. Our goal is that any Miniature Schnauzer coming through our organization will never again have to face being on the streets, in a shelter, or any other dangerous situation, but will live a safe, loving and secure life in their new “forever” home.

HTX Dog Rescue

Animal Justice League

Animal Justice League (AJL) is a 501(c)3 tax exempt dog and cat rescue organization with a focus on the Oak Forest and surrounding neighborhoods of Houston, TX. Our Purpose • Rescue and care for stray and homeless dogs and cats. • Raise funds to assist with medical expenses. • Foster and place animals in loving and suitable adoptive homes. • Educate the public about proper care of animals, and the importance of spay and neuter.

Active Paws Rescue

One Year Ago, Active Paws went live!! In the last year, 106 dogs/pups have found their new homes. Dozens of community dogs/pups have been vaccinated and given various supplies. We have helped independent rescuers and other small rescues when we can. At this time, 54 dogs/pups are in our program. Most of our intakes have been stray, abandoned and unwanted dogs/pups. We have also taken in 5 large medical cases from MCAS; shelter pups that otherwise had no hope. When we have no fosters, we vaccinate community pups to protect them against disease. We've been very busy in our community, but we do have a couple of highlights to mention. • In October 2023 we traveled to PA with a van of lucky pups to our friends at The Sanctuary at Haafsville, we are working on another trip soon! • In June and in collaboration with other rescue groups, we helped finance the record-breaking Empty Shelter Project-Texas spay/neuter event in Splendora where 583 dogs/cats were spay/neutered and vaccinated! Of course, none of this could be achieved without our fosters, volunteers, adopters, donors and supporters; and we are very grateful to have you all. Our fosters work hard and our core team never take a break. We have the best behind the scenes volunteers! We have many private donors, too many to mention but we thank you, you are our backbone who consistently step up when we are in need. Juliane’s Compassion for Critters have been our biggest donor; we are grateful and thankful for all their help. They have allowed us to help so many and support us with a cushion to say yes when we are asked to help “another one”. They are an amazing hard-working group! We have also worked closely with Lone Star Animal Welfare League and work in collaboration to help neglected and abandoned dogs/pups in need. Their support to our new group has been amazing and we are so thankful. They are also a wonderful hard-working group! Our volunteer photographer Tracy Steven is simply the best! Tracy is always there for rescue pups and is devoted to the cause. Thank you, Tracy, without you, we'd have fewer adoptions and terrible pictures to post. Our vetting partners are amazing and help us heal our fosters. • Bear Branch Animal Hospital • VCA Four Seasons Animal Hospital • Angel's Pet Hospital • Texas Litter Control • Stoneridge Medical Center in Willis, our newest vet partner • When in need Thomas Animal Clinic never lets us down and have seen some of our worst cases in emergencies. • NVC Nederland for our Orthopedic surgeries. We thank you all and are thankful for partnerships with rescue friendly vet offices. Between all the daily “rescue business” we try to keep up with updates and transparency and are proud of our achievements, we hope you all are too. In the year 2024/2025 we will continue with our original mission and predominantly shelter foster dogs/pups and help them find loving homes. We do have plans to budget for more spay/neuter events and when finances and supplies allow, we will be helping the community. We are an open and friendly group and if you have been following us, we would love your help in any way you can. That does not have to include fostering, there are many ways you can help is in our mission to #makeadifference. Come along to one of our offsite adoption events and meet our team or send in an email and let’s discuss how you can help the neglected and abandoned dogs/pups in our communities. We often get asked our greatest need and at this time it is for supplies, supplies to assist community dogs/pups. Costco is our go to for puppy food and puppy pads, but we also have wish lists on our donation page. If you can spare anything we would be so grateful. Our supplies for community assistance are at zero right now. Vaccines, wormer, flea/hw prevention and food supplies deplete so fast.

Apollo's Pals Sanctuary Rehabilitation and Adoption INC

Apollo’s Pals Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the fostering, rehabilitation, and adoption of animals. All donations and proceeds to Apollo’s Pals are tax deductible. Owned and operated by Dorothy & Ray Trivitt, we are able to continue to grow with the help of local shelters and volunteers.

Homeless Pet Placement League

HPPL was founded in 1989 by a group of individuals who were concerned about the plight of homeless dogs and cats in the Houston area; specifically, animals that would not usually be put up for adoption by the local animal shelters. These included animals with skin problems such as mange, heartworm positive dogs, and injured or seriously malnourished strays. HPPL is a registered 501 (c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization. HPPL has a volunteer Board of Directors, and is staffed entirely by volunteers who receive no monetary compensation.

Houston Pets Alive!

Houston Pets Alive! acts as a safety net for municipal shelters/impound facilities and serves at-risk animals by working alongside animal welfare partners to holistically reduce euthanasia, pet homelessness, and animal suffering in the Houston area. We empower our community through education, outreach, and accessible care to share in our vision of a world where every cat and dog has a safe and loving home.

Santo's Sanctuary and Rescue, Inc.

Santo's Sanctuary & Rescue was formed to promote the safe caring of dogs until their perfect home is found, while at the same time using education as a tool to help solve Houston's pet problem.

Sugar Land Animal Services

Creating brighter futures for animals, one adoption at a time At Sugar Land Animal Services, we believe in the life changing impact of adoption. When you adopt a shelter pet, you're not only giving them a new beginning, but you're also opening the door to incredible joy and fulfillment into your own life. Whether you're interested in adoption, fostering, or volunteering, you can help us continue to create brighter futures!

Mr. K's Pet Shelter

Brave Bully Rescue

Brave Bully Rescue is a 501(3) non-profit , foster-based Pit Bull Rescue in Houston, Texas. We are a rescue group comprised of members who love bully breeds and have made the choice to educate and advocate for this misunderstood breed. We will fight for their lives and show the world this magnificent breed that has been tarnished by dog fighters, criminals and negative media. Brave Bully Rescue began when the founders discovered three Pit bull puppies that were dumped in their neighborhood. They reached out to a few Houston shelters and learned that they would be euthanized. So they decided to network on Facebook, asking for help from local rescues. They realized how bad the overpopulation of Pit Bulls and strays consumed in Houston, Texas. Rescues were full and the amount of bully breed rescues in Houston was limited. So they took to the internet in order to network and share Pit Bulls who were on death row in high-kill shelters. Eric and Monica Febles started organizing the rescue and finding others that shared their passion for the breed. Brave Bully Rescue began on March 14, 2014 and has saved over 800 lives to date. Their goal is to instill a positive presence of advocacy for responsible bully breed ownership and to find their adoptable bullies a loving forever home. BBR strives to educate the public and their adopted families by helping their bullies become ambassadors for the breed by recommending and providing local obedience training .

Harris County Pets

Save Rescue Coalition

S.A.V.E Rescue Coalition was formed for the purpose of reducing the homeless pet problem through Spay/Neuter, Adoption, Volunteering and Education.

Make A Stand Bully Rescue

Make A Stand Bully Rescue (MASBR), we are working towards a society where bully breeds are accepted and responsible dog ownership is the expectation. Through our foster and adoption programming, we provide safe havens and second chances to the country’s most misrepresented, underserved, and euthanized breed of dog. Our History MAS Bully Rescue was founded in 2011 and formerly known as Long Way Home “LWH” Pit Bull Rescue. In 2022, we reincorporated under our new name as it is today. We have welcomed more than 600 rescued pit bulls and bully breed mixes into our program since our founding date. And we continue to rescue an average of 120 pit bulls annually. We firmly believe in the one community mentality: every foster family, adoptee, shelter worker, rescuer, and rescue supporter are one family working towards the same goal. Where there’s love and patience, there’s a way to save lives. We fully support the notion that a perfect match exists when it comes to finding a loving home for a social pit bull or bully breed in need. MASBR is an LGBTQ+ friendly organization that proudly works with all individuals and families. We do not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race or ethnicity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, medical or mental health condition, or disability. We strive to accommodate applicants living within extenuating circumstances or situations that might seem difficult. MASBR has and will continue to work with all families who are passionate and willing to open their hearts and homes to pit bulls and bully breed dogs in need. Our bottom line is to ensure a quality life and ideal-match is made for each of our rescue pit bulls and the families to whom we adopt.

Rescue Texas