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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Baja Dog Rescue

Since the founding of Baja Dog Rescue, in 2010, we have rescued almost 12,000 dogs from some horrific conditions, in Mexico and California. We are a non-profit, 100% no-kill shelter. We operate on donations from the public and the time and money of our volunteers. We have raised funds to put rescued dogs through chemotherapy and to repair broken bones from car accidents or abuse. We aggressively treat puppies for Parvo, to our knowledge we have the highest survival rate of any rescue group in operation (85%). Many of our dogs are found starving or injured on the side of the road, often near death from being beaten and discarded by their owners. These dogs are typically days, if not hours, from death. We are the last resort for many of these dogs, other rescues will not take them due to the severity of their condition. The shelter is also used as a home for many dogs that are considered unadoptable. They continue to get the food, love, and medical attention needed to enjoy their lives. Baja Dog Rescue partners with where we are found every Saturday holding an adoption event. We are a rescue partner with the County of San Diego and are authorized to pull dogs from shelters. We rescue dogs that have been scheduled to be euthanized. We have a wide network that we use to rescue, treat, and rehome our dogs. We have a 50,000 sq ft shelter with almost 150 dogs inhabiting it at any given moment. We promote our available dogs, adoption events, and rescue operations through our Facebook site and our website. We go through almost 700lbs of dog food a week in addition to medical and cleaning supplies. All of our adoption fees and donations go right back into buying the food and medicine for the dogs at our shelter. We rely solely on the generosity of the public, our volunteers, and our own funds to keep the shelter repaired and to take care of the dogs. Our Challenges As a 501c non-profit, all volunteer organization we face many, many challenges, including feeding our dogs. We go through almost 600lbs. of dog food per week, and since our shelter is based in Baja California we receive no assistance from the Rescue Food Bank here in the U.S. All of our adoption fees and donations go right back into buying the food and medicine for the dogs at our shelter. No one in our organization takes a paycheck, and we rely solely on the generosity of the public and our own funds to pay for repairs to our shelter and major surgeries. We always welcome visitors and volunteers to our shelter. Volunteers can help walk the dogs, clean up pens, and help socialize or pups.

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.

Small Breed Rescue of Southern California

Small Breed Rescue of Southern California is an all-volunteer, non-profit, foster-based organization funded by donations. We are dedicated to taking in and caring for small breed dogs, small reptiles, and select exotic pets primarily from public shelters and other rescues. We are education and science-focused to help ensure that the animals that go into their new homes and their new families are set up for success! Our rescue is uniquely structured to rehabilitate animals who are at high risk of euthanasia due to manageable behavioral challenges, such as small dogs who are declining in a shelter environment and reptiles/exotics that have not been properly handled over their lifetime. We develop organizational and individual relationships to accommodate these specific assistance needs, which is one thing that differentiates us from other rescue organizations. Another is focusing on the two groups of animals that most would not usually combine. Initially, we started working with behaviorally challenged dogs under 15lbs who were not sheltering well. Because of our team's different skill sets, we decided to also work with reptiles on the side. The pandemic and the current shifts in the economy have drastically changed our direction to where we now care for more reptiles and exotics than dogs! With these shifts, we have also had to drop our weight limit on dogs down to under 10 lbs due to a lack of foster homes. We are always looking for new foster guardians who want to help us in our mission to save more lives with stability, commitment, education, and support. We provide everything you need no matter the animal type. Inexperienced? No worries! We will match the right foster pet to your skill set and comfort level as well as provide you with the training and tools that you need. Consider joining our team to foster a dog that needs a little patience, guidance, and TLC to come out of their shell, or foster one of our reptiles like a bearded dragon, ball python, or leopard gecko! We have assembled a support team that consists of experienced individuals who bring particular skills from the animal welfare industry that enable us to grow, educate, and enrich our foster community in a manner that supports our specific needs and those of our animals. The same support is given to our adopters. We will help you get ready for your new companion before they go home. Our goal is to set you up on the path to success so there are no broken hearts if we can avoid them. SBRSC remains interested in and committed to the welfare of the animals beyond the adoption process by providing continued education, training tips, resource references, and an open-door policy to our supporters. ~

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.

Amazing Dogs Rescue

Bichon FurKids Rescue

Bichon FurKids is a charitable not-for-profit organization whose members believe that our animal companions deserve to be cherished, cared for and protected. We value the loving contribution they make to our lives and are dedicated to assisting these loyal companions in finding forever homes — and a second chance at life. Our goal is to rescue bichons, bichon mixes and other small dogs who can no longer live with their original owners. Our Board and key volunteers are all dedicated, passionate and compassionate people who strive to make a difference in a dog’s life, assisting these FurKids to be adopted by loving owners who will care for and protect them as long as they live.

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.

Forgotten Paws Animal Rescue

Forgotten Paws Animal Rescue is a California 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. Pets by the thousands are being left homeless for a wide variety of reasons. We do not judge how these adorable and deserving souls get into our arms, just that we welcome them. Our Commitment is to find them loving and lasting forever homes using the most responsible and safe rescue means possible. Our Passion is to rescue red-listed animals from high-kill shelters. These animals enter the shelters as strays or are surrendered by their families after tragic family events. All of these animals are very scared. We also have owners relinquish their pets into our care. Our Goal is to rescue these animals and prepare them for their new lives in their loving forever homes. We have Fosters and Adopters from all walks of life. Our network of volunteers assist us by fostering animals, helping at our adoption events, photographing our dogs and getting the word out on social media. We have no paid employees and do not receive funding from any government agency. All funds obtained by the rescue come from tax deductible adoption fees, tax deductible donations and fundraisers.

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.

RESCUE FENIX

Rescue Fenix, is a not-for-profit 501(c)3. We are an all-volunteer all-breed rescue mobilized by the feeling of compassion for animal welfare: those animals who are in danger, sick, abused, and neglected. We ensure that each animal rescued receives medical care and rehabilitation prior to rehoming them into a suitable forever home. We do not receive government funding and rely solely on the generosity of our donors.

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.

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!

San Diego Animal Sanctuary

Based in San Diego, our aim is to create a loving sanctuary for animals we come across. San Diego Animal Sanctuary shines brightly for its remarkable focus on high-kill animals, tirelessly rescuing dogs at risk of euthanasia. Their dedication transforms despair into hope, showcasing that every life, regardless of circumstances, deserves a chance at love and a forever home.

Road To Freedom Rescue

Road To Freedom Rescue is a volunteer group of dedicated women who strive to bring brighter futures to rescue dogs.We help dogs who are homeless, neglected or abused. Our love for dogs has no geographical boundaries. Although we do focus on the homeless dogs of Mexico because, there is barely any help for these dogs, we also rescue many dogs in the USA from neglectful situations and those in shelters.