The Best San Diego, CA Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2026

Bunny's Buddies

Bunny's Buddies works tirelessly to save dogs from slaughterhouses, the streets and kill shelters in Asia and the USA.

The Animal Pad

The Animal Pad is a non-profit, all breed dog rescue that focuses on saving dogs from high kill shelters and the streets of Mexico. We get them vet care, place them in foster homes and then find them loving forever families. A few years ago, we turned our attention to the street dogs of Mexico as there is very little help for them. Since then, we have developed a large rescue network in Baja California and we have a sister shelter in Ensenada that we focus on taking dogs from whenever funds allow.

A Way Home For Dogs

We are a free Pet Recovery Service assisting owners on a global scale. We also secure evasive street strays primarily in the San Diego are (occasionally Riverside). If the strays are not claimed at the local shelter systems and are in danger of being euthanized, we become their safety net pending kennel space. We rescue, rehabilitate and rehome when the dogs are ready and safe to do so.

Amazing Strays Rescue

From day one, our goal has been to help all dogs who need it. Big, small, medical cases, senior or puppy; ASR stands by our commitment- Lisa, Our Founder

The Liberty Dog Network

The Liberty Dog Network was established in 2022 and is a small, Southern California based dog rescue. We rely on fosters/people to open their home to care for the dogs we rescue. We provide all medical care and supplies to our fosters, they provide the home and supply the love.

The Barking Lot

Located on 10 acres in San Diego County, we adopt to anywhere in the US and Canada. It's our goal to find an excellent match suited to both you and each of our Temporary Barkers. Having rescued over 9,000 dogs since our inception in 2006, we are primarily volunteer run with a soft spot for the underdogs. Our Temporary Barkers come from all over the world as we have partnerships with Soi Dog Foundation in Thailand, Four Paws in Cambodia/Vietnam and Ark119 in Korea from which we've taken in over 1000 dog meat trade survivors. We also rescue heavily from Mexico where the abandoned dog population is extensive, the neglect is vast and the stories are heart wrenching.

It's The Pits

It's The Pits is a 501c3 canine rescue that coordinates the fostering and adoption of dogs that haven't yet found their permanent home. We specialize in American Staffordshire Terriers (Am Staffs), Staffordshire Bull Terriers ("Staffy's"), and American Pit Bull Terriers, but will do our best to help all breeds, often by referral to other local rescues that specialize in that type of dog. You can find many of these on our links page. We are located in San Diego county, as are all of our foster homes. We work alongside our fosters to give the dogs a temporary and loving home before they are placed into permanent homes. We rescue dogs from various shelters, evaluate them, ensure they are healthy, and then match them with the appropriate family. We take pride in matching the best dog for the individual family that contacts us. We do this by matching the activity level of the dog to the family's needs, as well as making sure that the other pets in the home work well with the new addition to the pack.

Mad Mutts

Our goal is to assist in the rescue and rehabilitation of at-risk dogs from shelters that need a little more time, a more home-like environment, more individualized support, and/or have minor medical issues. So many AMAZING dogs just simply do not thrive or show well in a kennel environment. We aim to help rehabilitate and rehome these dogs with the goal of quality homes over quantity of placements. Our small rescue works with local shelters and rescues in Southern California to network, transport, foster, and adopt.

Tragic to Magic

We are in the Baja California region and see first hand the homeless, hungry, scared and sometimes sick dogs on the streets. We take the animals in and keep the animals in our homes until they are fully vetted and ready to find a new home. We are just 3 people doing the actual rescue so we attempt to operate on a one-in one-put bases. Therefore, we work very hard doing adoption events, networking with other rescues and using social media to find them homes. We have saved over 120 animals in 2017.

Frosted Faces Foundation

FROSTED FACES FOUNDATION IS A 501(C)(3) NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT DELIVERS THE PROMISE OF FAMILY AND QUALITY VETERINARY CARE FOR SENIOR ANIMALS WHOSE LOVE AND LIVES ARE IN JEOPARDY.

Heart of Gold's Shelter

Heart of Gold Legacy was established in December 2005 with the purpose of providing assistance to various organizations that promote the general welfare of animals. Gertrude Sissy, McGill, the benefactress of Heart of Gold Legacy, has given financial contributions to organizations that provide shelter and care to animals before the inception of the foundation. Sissy has been an active supporter of animal welfare all her life. With the help of Teresita Bacani, a long-time friend and business partner, Sissy's vision of helping the animals through the foundation came to fruition. A legacy has been finally fulfilled. To this date, many animal welfare organizations in the United States have benefited from the goodness of the heart of the foundation.

Mutt Scouts

Mutt Scouts is not a breed specific rescue. We're dedicated to saving every dog we can, regardless of age, breed, medical or behavioral needs. We are transparent about our Mutt's needs with fosters and potential adopters to ensure that once a dog becomes a part of our organization, they will know nothing but love and safety for the rest of their lives.

Second Chance Dog Rescue

Second Chance Dog Rescue (SCDR INC, dba Second Chance Dog Rescue) is a non-profit 501c3 (#26-3642128) organizations dedicated to saving homeless dogs. We rescue, rehabilitate and re-home dogs, primarily from local shelters, as well as dogs surrendered by their owners for various reasons, and dogs from Baja California, Mexico. Once we receive a dog, we provide medical care, including spay and neuter, and any necessary rehabilitation.

San Diego Humane Society

San Diego Humane Society, an open-admission shelter, is creating a more humane world by inspiring compassion and advancing the welfare of animals and people. Our lifesaving safety net has helped San Diego become the largest city in the U.S. to keep healthy and treatable shelter animals from being euthanized. We are a private, independent, nonprofit organization that is not affiliated with any other humane society or society for the prevention of cruelty to animals. With campuses in El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside, Ramona and San Diego, we provide animal services for 13 cities within San Diego County. We not only care for more than 40,000 animals in our communities annually, but also share the expertise we have gained through our innovative programs with shelters nationwide so they can save more lives in their communities. While our influence is expanding nationally, our top priority is meeting the needs of San Diego. We provide exceptional care for all animals through world-class veterinary medicine, shelter and most of all: love.

Mission Bay Puppy Rescue

Rescue orphaned puppies, pregnant and their litters. We partner with amazing rescue teams in Bakersfield CA, the San Diego Humane Society and Country Animal Shelters across California as well as others to save as many pups and mamas as possible.

Open Arms Rescue

Open Arms Rescue focuses on smaller breed dogs. We are a Non-Profit 501c3 Registered Charity and ALL volunteer based organization. We are based in Imperial Beach, CA but we have volunteers who foster dogs for us all across San Diego County, Riverside and Orange County. We are always looking for more volunteers to help foster a small breed dog. We rescue dogs from shelters across Southern California and all the way into the Mexico -Tijuana Perrera (Dog Pound) and from the streets of Mexico down to Ensenada. We have volunteers that go down to Baja on a regular basis to help out with feeding, cleaning and finding dogs to bring into our rescue program. Dogs in the Perrera only have 3 days before they are euthanized. We rescue a lot of dogs from this shelter because they have no chance of being adopted before they are either euthanized or become sick from being exposed to disease (as they are not vaccinated there when they first come into the Perrera). We select dogs that are adoptable, we quarantine them at our vet in Baja, monitor them, vaccinate them and then transport them to the US straight into volunteers homes for fostering until they can be adopted out. We also take in injured dogs that require surgeries to become healthy and adoptable. Typically when a California shelter receives an injured or special needs dog that is in need of surgery that the shelter is unable to perform due to their limited funds/resources they will either put the dog to sleep or only exit it to an approved rescue partner who can get the necessary medical care performed. We take a lot of these cases in from these California shelters and our adoption fees help support the medical bills. All of our dogs for adoption are spayed or neutered, microchipped,fully vaccinated, flea/tick treated and de-wormed. We are always in need of volunteers to foster a small breed dog.

The Barking Lot Rescue

We're passionate. We're non-profit. And we're volunteer-run. Since 2010, we've rescued over 5,000 dogs, finding happy homes for abandoned dogs scheduled for euthanasia at other shelters. In November 2016, we started our partnership with Soi Dog Foundation based in Thailand. We've rescued and flown in one group of dogs per month since, all survivors of the illegal dog meat trade.

Glad To Be Saved Rescue

We are a no kill foster home base rescue with an amazing team of volunteers that are committed to helping animals. Seeing a nonprofit to support our community's animals, we formed our organization to provide sensible solutions. We've grown considerably since then, all thanks to the helping hands and foster homes of this amazing community!

Foundation for the Care of Indigent Animals

The Foundation for Care of Indigent Animals (FCIA) is a small 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is staffed 100% by dedicated volunteers. FCIA was founded in 1982 by Penny Adams, who, for the following 25-plus years, tirelessly committed herself to the rescue and care of companion animals in need. FCIA takes in small adoptable dogs in need of care that would have otherwise been euthanized. Animals come to us from many sources. Some have been rescued from San Diego County shelters. Others have been abandoned or relinquished to us as the result of a family facing the loss of their home, or due to the illness or death of the primary caregiver. We provide these dogs with medical care when needed, compassionate foster homes, and plenty of love and attention. We work very hard to find devoted forever homes for our animals. The FCIA also assists low income individuals with emergency veterinarian services. The majority of our annual spending is for this part of our mission. We also pay for veterinarian care required for animals at County shelters, over and above that which shelters are able to provide so that these animals can be placed into adoption at the shelter or go to a rescue group. We work with almost every animal rescue group in San Diego County and some beyond the borders.

Animal Rescuers Without Borders, Inc.

The A.R.W.O.B. group is based in San Diego, CA and operates primarily in Mexico but also Southern California. We will come to the aid of any animal in need that crosses our path. Our belief is to do what we can in order to “Make a difference in their lives.” There is ongoing and tremendous need in Baja, however, we extend our outreach north of the border by accepting relinquished family pets, providing foster care for both dogs and cats from the full shelters in San Diego and of course by working in conjunction with other animal rescue groups in the community. The A.R.W.O.B. family believes in opening our hearts and homes to the abandoned and unwanted dogs and cats of both Mexico and Southern California, irrespective of age, sex, breed or size. Our rescued and fostered animals go through a period of quarantine which will last 3 weeks before they are placed onto the adoption list. Insuring our foster pets' health is priority #1. Our rescues also receive veterinary care both south and north of the border, socialization and training in the hopes that they will be placed in a “forever” home. We are also focused on educating foster parents, adopters, school children and others especially in Baja, Mexico on the care, feeding and prevention of unwanted litters of both dogs and cats (both pure or mix breeds)

The Rescued Dog

Hope2K9 Foundation

Kane's K9s & Animal Rescue

Meet Kane! The face behind the name of this rescue! Kane has always loved animals! He's always had an interest in dogs, and for his 2nd birthday he asked for a cat! Every day for 30 days I asked him what he was going to name the cat and everyday he responded "apple kitty" eventually I gave in and we went to a rescue to look at some of the cats. Kane walked right in, picked up this white cat and said "come on apple kitty, let's go home" and that was it! He then not only loved dogs, but he loved cats too! After being attacked by a dog we were so afraid he would be scared of them, but he proved us wrong, he became more obsessed with animals. We've rescued hundreds of animals, some nicer than others but with every single one he has showed patience and kindness. He has sat on the floor with mama dogs and read them books while they hid behind things because they were so scared given their horrific pasts and waited for them to eventually come sit with him. He's been jumped on by 80 lbs dogs and scratched up by feral mama kitties, but with each and every animal he continues to show them love and compassion. Kane has a love for animals that I could have never dreamed of. I am so grateful we are able to continue to grow this rescue and save animals so other families are able to get to know these animals outside of a shelter environment. Which gives them a much greater chance of showing their true personalities and finding their forever homes.

Lionel's Legacy

We had the pleasure of fostering our first senior dog, a 15-year-old pittie mix from a Los Angeles shelter. We had fostered many dogs before, but the one who stole our hearts was Lionel. He was in terrible shape when he joined us and wasn’t given much time to live, But his spirit and will amazed and inspired us all. Lionel, originally known as Sad Lionel Boy, came to It’s the Pits dog rescue from a shelter in Los Angeles at the age of 15. He was extremely thin, barely able to walk, infested with fleas and worms, and his ear canals sealed shut from chronic and untreated ear infections. Lionel truly was sad as he gazed into our eyes. We could hear Sad Lion Boy saying, “Why? Why didn’t they take care of me? What did I do wrong? Ok, so I barked a little.” We decided to take him into our home as a foster dog. He was afraid and untrusting at first but over time Lionel learned we were here to love and care for him. We realized Sir Lionel would stick around for a while when he began to eat, and eat, and eat … like a lion! In fact, when he smelled someone else eating, he started barking for their food too. When he gained enough strength he was finally able to walk down the street, pulling in search of smells and spots to mark his territory. Curious, our senior cat Hercules decided to join us on our daily walks. Lionel and Hercules hit it off and although they were quite the odd couple they became the best of friends walking up and down the street together. Every once in a while, our daughters would hop on their scooters and join us for our walks, Lionel would get so excited that he would take off in a sprint after them. Of course, he’d be done after 100 feet or so, but he showed that he still had the will to live and thrive. Lionel taught us many things For one, to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life! He also opened our eyes to the plight of homeless senior animals in our communities. Many senior pets end up abandoned at shelters because pet owners cannot pay for medical care, sometimes aging pet owners are impacted by their own physical limitations, and periodically families are unable to manage their pet’s age-related changes like incontinence or cognitive decline. Sometimes pet owners have to move and aren’t sure their senior pet can handle the change. Although Lionel’s Legacy rescues senior dogs, our ultimate goal is to help beloved pets stay with their families.

Treat Them R+ght Rescue

Treat Them R+ght Rescue is a family operated animal rescue and sanctuary that is dedicated to the betterment of animal welfare. Although a small operation with limited resources, the founders of TTR+ acknowledge that there will never not be animals in need, and have set out to help as many as they can in whatever way they can. Established in 2021, Treat Them R+ght has only newly begun development to be able to better accommodate abandoned, mistreated, or otherwise homeless animals. With the help of donors, volunteers, local business partnerships, and friends’ and familys’ time and efforts, we hope to make our little farm an option for any animal in need. This will take time and money, but in the meantime, we already have an array of adorable mouths to feed, and we wish to help in the aid of fostering, training, and placement of animals in need. If we are unable to physically accommodate an animal that is in need of a home, we will help facilitate adoption through public outreach and social media networking. Treat Them R+ght not only believes that all animals deserve a loving home, but that they are also to be treated with kindness, treated to proper medical care, and to have their natural physical and emotional needs be met. Animals have feelings to, you know. At TTR+, we utilize fear-free, force-free, reward based training and handling methods to ensure that each animal that comes to us has the absolute best experience with humans it possibly can. We use Positive Reinforcement to teach essential skills to help animals navigate the human world, as well as work to modify unwanted behavioral problems such as excessive fear or aggression in animals that have been faced with trauma in their pasts. It’s a hard-knock life out there, but here at TTR+, there are no tricks, only treats.

Surfers for Strays Inc

Surfers for Strays was started in January of 2017 by Isabel Velasco and Natalie Ritenour when they rescued 7 puppies and their mother, who had been abandoned at a local hot springs in Lagunillas, Guerrero, Mexico. The puppies were being eaten alive by parasites and their mother was severely malnourished. Working together the women devised a plan to house and care for the animals and raise funds and more importantly, raise awareness to sterilize pets. They gained enough support in the local community to start helping “callajeros”, street animals in the villages of Troncones, Los Llanos, La Saladita and surrounding regions. With the help of local veterinarians and citizens, they started organizing spay and neuter clinics and a children’s education program on how to treat and care for animals. Visiting surfers and travelers began volunteering and growing the network to foster and adopt animals in the US and Canada. With that momentum and the love and support of key volunteers, Surfers for Strays Inc. was founded in August of 2019 to cover more ground and help more animals escape the cycle of neglect, abuse and abandonment. In 2021, Surfers for Strays adopted out 118 dogs to homes in North America and paid for 1,930 dogs and cats to be spayed and neutered in local communities in Mexico through partnerships with other nonprofits and local as well as international vets. Location Surfers for Strays is based out of San Diego, California, United States of America. However, most of our ground work is based in the Mexican states of Guerrero and Michoacán. Our local Headquarters is located in Nuevo Troncones and we have a Rescue Center in Zihuatanejo through our partnership with Jennifer Reyes. Our foster and volunteer network spans Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue Group

Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue Group is a 501(c)3 animal rescue group whose mission is to help save the lives of homeless Labradors, Labrador-mixes, and Labrador "friends" from kill-shelters in California and across the southwest. Founded in 2007, our all-volunteer group of dedicated men and women have placed over 5,500 dogs in loving homes in Southern California and the surrounding areas. Over the past few years, Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue Group has noticed a dramatic increase in the number of senior dogs and dogs requiring medical care who are in need of rescue from high-kill shelters. In response to this need, Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue Group created two special funds to help these deserving dogs. The "Agnes Fund" was created to help cover the costs of caring for senior dogs and the "Paw Up" fund was created to cover the cost of both major and minor medical needs. Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue Group is dedicated to changing the fate of Labrador Retrievers, Labrador-mixes, and Labrador “friends” by placing them in loving forever homes. Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue group plays an important role in the local community by uniting people with their 4-legged companions and helping to complete families. Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue takes in approximately 350 dogs (adults and puppies) annually.

Animal Advocates of the United States ("AAOFUS")

Animal Advocates of the United States ("AAOFUS") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to help homeless dogs and cats in the poorest communities of the United States with food, shelter, medical care, adoption and humane treatment. AAOFUS also financially sponsors other organizations providing animal welfare services for homeless dogs and cats in Mexico. Founded in 2006 by Marlene Revelen and Donna Liebrich after the two visited a Mexican dog pound ("perrera") where hundreds of animals were waiting to be euthanized by electrocution. Unable to erase the images of the suffering animals from their minds, Marlene and Donna have dedicated their lives to working with the Mexican government, community partners and volunteers to improve the plight of homeless dogs and cats in the poorest communities of the U.S. and Mexico and in the Mexican perreras. As a result of their tireless efforts, thousands of homeless dogs and cats have been rescued, sheltered, rehabilitated and adopted in less than 10 years. AAOFUS financially sponsors other organizations providing free spay-neuter clinics, animal rescue, rehabilitation, medical care and humane treatement and care to homeless dogs and cats in Mexico. Our Vision To inspire, engage and work with the communities we serve to end the suffering of homeless dogs and cats and to develop humane care programs.

The Pacific Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Coronado

The Pacific Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) was founded in 2003 by Dorothy “Louise” Shirey. Louise (pictured) was dedicated to providing care for and rehoming the abandoned and displaced animals of Coronado from the time she joined our community in 1986 until her death in 2014. Through determination, community organization, and persistent lobbying as an animal advocate, Louise achieved her dream of creating a Coronado animal rescue (PAWS), and establishing a partnership between PAWS and the City of Coronado to provide comprehensive animal services in the Crown City. Following in Louise’s footsteps, PAWS grew under the care of dedicated animal advocates Sharon Sherman and Karen Dwinell into a trusted community organization capable of helping hundreds of animals each year. Today we continue to honor Louise’s legacy by providing high-quality medical care, treating the animals in our care with love and compassion, and seeking to find each animal a perfect forever home through our adoption services. Our Vision: The vision of PAWS of Coronado is for every animal to have a safe and loving forever home. Our Commitment: The Pacific Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Coronado is committed to the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of all treatable and manageable animals at our facility and those receiving care through our foster care network. PAWS works hard to find permanent homes through our adoption services and animal rescue partnerships. Since its founding, PAWS has not euthanized any healthy animals with treatable conditions. PAWS is a member of the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition (SDAWC) and has adopted the Asilomar Accords to clarify the standard of care and what constitutes ‘healthy, treatable/manageable and ‘unhealthy/untreatable’ conditions in shelter animals. The SDAWC reached ‘zero euthanasia of treatable animals’ in July of 2015. “Getting to Zero” is the San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition’s commitment to reaching zero euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter animals in our community. Each member of the SDAWC provides data to the Shelter Animals Count: The National Database to ensure transparency around our work. Unlike other animal welfare organizations, PAWS has a jurisdictional responsibility to provide animal sheltering and pet licensing for all domestic animals in Coronado. PAWS receives all animals that are legal to own within the Coronado city limits including dogs, cats, pet exotic mammals, birds, and reptiles. Sadly, many of the animals arriving to PAWS have significant medical and/or behavioral conditions that render them ‘unhealthy/untreatable’ as defined in the Asilomar Accords. PAWS only places treatable, manageable animals up for adoption. PAWS endeavors to rescue all ‘unhealthy/untreatable’ animals through providing a range of services including standard of care diagnostics, soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, behavior modification and specialty interventions. Through these efforts, PAWS has saved many unhealthy/untreatable animals and we take great pride in the support we are able to provide for all animals in Coronado. PAWS appreciates your donations that support our mission and all our volunteers who help make this life-saving work possible.

Wee Companions

Wee Companions is San Diego's only small animal rescue, in business for over 25 years. We take care of guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats, mice, rabbits and hamsters. Our mission is to rescue and find permanent homes for small animals in need. We are dedicated to educating the public about proper care of small animals and supporting their journey from adoption to life long care