The Best Kansas Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2025

Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary

Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary (a.k.a. Always & Furever or A&F) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue network operating out of Spring Hill, Kansas. In our early days, Always & Furever was nothing more than a converted barn for senior dogs to live out the rest of their days surrounded by love, a true senior sanctuary. Over the past 4 years, we have transformed into a massive operation of amazing people and more than 5,000 lives saved.

Clay County Animal Rescue & Education Center (CCARE)

Clay County Animal Rescue & Education Center (CCARE) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), volunteer-driven organization dedicated to rescuing, caring for and adopting out homeless dogs into loving and responsible forever homes. We educate the public on respect for all animal life, including the importance of feral animals being spayed or neutered in order to reduce their numbers in our communities. Our organization goes beyond the confines of shelter walls to build an extensive network of knowledgeable, experienced, talented and caring individuals who share these common goals.

Finney County Humane Society

Golden Belt Humane Society

Humane Society of the High Plains

In the spring of 1975, there was a group of individuals who came together with a common interest. Advocacy towards the welfare of animals within the Hays community. These people gave their time to organize a public fundraiser in order to start the construction of an animal shelter in March of 1977. Construction began in August of 1977 and the shelter had its “Grand Opening” on May 12th, 1978. Over the next few years there was a spike in incoming animals at the shelter. It became apparent that the current shelter was just too small. So, a second fundraiser was organized in December of 1981 for a new addition. Construction on the new addition finished in May of 1983. By the end of the 1980s the Hays Humane Society was providing services throughout northwest Kansas so it was at this time that they changed the shelter’s name to Humane Society of the High Plains. In 1993, Paul Miller wished to have a new animal shelter built in memory of his beloved wife Virginia. The new facility was built just 2 miles east of the original shelter’s location. And so the Virginia Miller Animal Shelter now houses the Humane Society of the High Plains.

Heart of Jackson Humane Society

Animals With Our Love Humane Society

Junction City Animal Shelter

Kansas Animal Services

Animal Services is a no-kill shelter serving the community of Kansas City, KS. Our services include: • Pick up of stray, deceased, sick and injured animals • Animal bite investigations • Investigation of animal cruelty and neglect cases Each year Animal Services responds to approximately 5,000 calls for service with an intake of 2,000 animals. In addition to dealing with domestic animals, Animal Services officers are also called upon to round up stray horses, herd goats, evaluate injured wildlife, and any number of other calls dealing with the multitude of animals found in our community. In order to more effectively manage high intake numbers, Animal Services has developed strong working relationships with a number of established pet fosters, trappers, rescues and adoption programs in the region. A complete list and links are provided in the resource section below.

The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City

The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City is a 501(c)3 is a nonprofit organization located in Kansas City, Kansas. Established in 1912, The HSGKC has practiced over 100 years of faithful service to the lost, abandoned, and neglected pets in the greater Kansas City area. We are also a full-service veterinary care clinic, focusing on providing affordable veterinary care to our community. We have provided life-saving care to over 100,000 animals since the opening of our clinic. The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City is the only organization of its kind; providing adoption services, lost/found pet services, education, and an affordable public-facing veterinary clinic. In 1944 we became the first no-kill animal shelter in the KC area, taking in many pets who are sick or injured and in need of medical care and providing adoption services to our community. We are the ONLY no-kill animal shelter and affordable care clinic in Kansas City. While located on 10 acres, our plan is to expand our building footprint in order to provide the community with more services. We intend to be able to double our capacity for care in both our shelter and our veterinary clinic; a service that is needed very much in our community.

Leavenworth County Humane Society, Inc.

Leavenworth County Humane Society, Inc. (LCHS, Inc.) is the ONLY organization working to build and operate a 21st century no-kill pet animal shelter to serve all Leavenworth County residents. Leavenworth Humane Society was first documented in the Leavenworth Times in 1885. By-laws were registered in 1888. The word “County” was added to our name in 1950. The original mission was to “prevent and punish cruelty to children and animals, and improve enforcement of the laws relating thereto.” Those objectives remain today. The group had some stops and restarts over the years. With new founders, renewed vision and vitality, LCHS, Inc. was launched once again in June 2009. Leavenworth County Humane Society, Inc.is committed to the future of Leavenworth County, working with city and county governments, participating in the Chambers of Commerce in Basehor, Leavenworth-Lansing Area, and Tonganoxie Business Association, and with the Leavenworth County Development Corporation. LCHS, Inc. works with human services agencies in Leavenworth County, because where animals suffer, people are at risk, and where people suffer, animals are at risk.

Pawnee County Humane Society

In 2005, a group of concerned citizens recognized that Larned, like many communities across the country, had a problem with pet homelessness. Stays brought to the Larned City Pound were euthanized after three days if not claimed by their owners, or had no owner to claim them. In many cases, these were healthy, adoptable animals that only needed a safe, caring place to stay until they could be placed in new homes. After several meetings to discuss the problem and explore options, the Pawnee County Humane Society (PCHS) was established as a steering committee under the City of Larned. The first priority in those early days was to decrease the euthanization of these unclaimed pets. Not an easy task without a facility from which to operate! We were able to successfully help hundreds of animals over the years by establishing a network of volunteer foster homes. Caring individuals opened their homes, and their hearts, to these animals, which gave us time to find them homes. As awareness of our efforts grew, PCHS also began helping with animals from Pawnee County. In 2008 we were incorporated as a non-profit 501 (c) 3 charity and in August of 2011 we opened our Animal Shelter at the corner of 8th Street and Hwy 264. Our success is due to the countless hours put in by our many volunteers who truly want to make life little better for the homeless pets in Pawnee County. Also, thanks to the support of our local Veterinary Clinics the homeless pets are spayed, neutered, and living healthier lives.

Hope Pet Rescue

HOPE Pet Rescue is a shelter/adoption agency that houses homeless pets that have been abandoned or lost. We also rescue animals that are in shelters that could potentially euthanize them. We are a no-kill shelter. No pet will EVER be euthanized except in very extreme cases of health issues or danger to others. We do not accept owner surrenders. Our goal is to save the abandoned or homeless and find them safe, loving, permanent homes.

Leavenworth Animal Control Shelter

Animal Control is responsible for enforcing city ordinances regarding animals including the leash law, vaccination and licensing requirements, and checking on neglected or abused animals. Animal Control Officers can issue citations for violations in these cases. They also pick up loose animals and injured animals with no identifiable owner. Leavenworth Animal Control also facilitates the adoption of unclaimed animals from the Animal Control Shelter. Leavenworth Animal Control strongly urges pet owners to spay or neuter their pets. Animal Control also promotes responsible pet ownership through education efforts and advocacy.

City of Liberal Animal Shelter

Olathe Animal Care & Control

Prairie Paws Animal Shelter Inc.

Founded by Beatrice Martin Peck in 1946 to serve Franklin County's homeless animals, Prairie Paws' first name was the Franklin County Humane society. Through her own expense and effort, Beatrice established and named the first building The Bea Martin Peck Animal Shelter on March 25th 1947, which was completed and welcomed it's first residents in 1948. Beatrice and her volunteers also investigated reports of animal cruelty, and their efforts led to the enactment of many ordinances and regulations regarding animal care that remain today. Beatrice never stopped advocating for helpless animals until her death in 1967. The animal shelter she founded would continue to save lives for more than 60 years after her passing. In 2010 a similar group of hard-working animal advocates designed, funded and built a state-of-the-art facility under the current name "Prairie Paws Animal Shelter". Prairie Paws Animal Shelter has grown tremendously but is still a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) animal shelter operating under the same philosophies with which it was established over 70 years ago. The Manhattan location, also known as the T Russell Reitz Animal Shelter, was added in 2023 in partnership with the City of Manhattan KS and other area municipalities. Roughly 5,000 animals a year are served through our various programs at our two facilities.

Melissa’s Second Chances

Kansas K-9 ResQ

Kansas K-9 ResQ was founded in 2001 by Shadow's foster mom and the couple that adopted him. Inspired by Shadow, this group formed their desire to help other unwanted dogs. The founders vowed that a dog in their rescue would never go without proper and timely veterinary care, as Shadow had. With a handful of members and a very tight budget, only four dogs were adopted into forever homes that first year. Since that time, our group and our budget have grown substantially. In addition to the generosity of donations, our group members work tirelessly to raise funds to help dogs in need. We hold raffles, microchip clinics and a vast variety of other fund raisers. Over the years we have saved the lives of many hundreds of dogs. The dogs in our program are typically unclaimed strays from the Wichita Animal Shelter. A vet promptly sees all dogs that are taken into our program and their medical needs are attended to immediately. The dogs in our care live in foster homes where they are crate and house trained and assessed as to what kind of permanent home would best suit them. They live with their foster families until their forever home is found. We are proud of scripting happy endings for many once-discarded animals. The original founders continue their work with the rescue, and over the years they have inspired many other people to join them in their efforts. We now have a nine-member Board of Directors and dozens of foster parents and volunteers. Our group includes members who come from all walks of life, and are united with a common love for dogs and the desire to help animals in need. Kansas K-9 ResQ volunteers are extremely dedicated and through their hard work funds have been raised to help many animals in need. No longer having to scrape by, we regularly help dogs with special needs, such as those who have been confiscated in hoarding cases, cruelty cases, and in puppy mill raids; dogs that have been hit by cars; dogs with severe skin issues; dogs with heartworms; and dogs that have had major leg and joint injuries. We take in dogs of all ages and all breeds. Kansas K-9 ResQ volunteers work hard to continue Shadow’s legacy. His memory inspires the members of this group to continue our mission of “Making the world a better place…one dog at a time.”

Wichita Animal Action League

Wichita Animal Action League, or WAAL, is a state-licensed rescue and 501c3 nonprofit organization. We are a foster-home-based rescue and do not operate a full time facility. Our goal is to fill the gap created from the financial and personnel constraints of local governments resources. We fulfill our mission with three main branches of service: 1. Adoption 1. Saving animals at risk of euthanasia at local shelters 2. Providing rehoming services to owners to prevent pets from entering the shelter system 2. Spay/Neuter Services 1. Spay It Forward, a voucher program designed to stop unnecessary pet euthanasia by combating its source: overpopulation 2. TNR services 3. Community Outreach 1. Providing welfare checks for neglect/cruelty concerns 2. Emergency rescue responding when others say, “We don’t do that,” including saving cats in trees, ducklings in storm drains, and starving horses 3. Assisting the city shelter with vet care costs for medical-emergency cases 4. Donating supplies to owners in need 5. Assisting owners with vet bills 6. Empowering the community with vaccination and supply clinics 7. Providing food for community per food banks 8. Providing low cost microchips for the community 9. Offering dog training grants for low-income owners We are 100% reliant on donations to provide these life-saving services. We need your help to carry out our mission! Whether you are called to volunteer, foster, adopt, or donate, we need you, and so do the animals!

McPherson Animal Shelter

The McPherson Animal Shelter was built in 2006 and opened its doors to the public on January 1, 2007. The building is able to house 16 dogs at one time. We are funded by the City of McPherson. We only take in dogs that are found running at large in the city limits; we also take surrender dogs that live in the city limits of McPherson. We keep them for 6 days to give the owner a chance to claim his/her pet. If they are not claimed after 6 days, we put them up for adoption.

Kingman County Humane Society

The Kingman County Humane Society in Kingman, KS was established in 2001. It is operated by volunteers dedicated to finding permanent, loving homes for the animals under their care. Until permanent homes can be found, our animals are cared for in our shelter or in foster homes where they can be assessed for temperament, and given lots of attention. Our mission is to create and support meaningful connections by enhancing the lives of dogs, cats and the people in our communities who love them. We strive to reduce animal population through mandatory spay/neuter of all adoptable pets. We do not euthanize healthy or treatable animals, reserving euthanasia for terminally ill, severly injured or animals that are a danger to the public. Our ability to maintain a "humane shelter policy" requires the support and committment of adopters, volunteers, and the communities we serve. Your donations, along with adoption fees, are our primary means of financial support. We do not receive government support. We thank our amazing volunteers and donors for sharing their generosity and talent year around.

Alex's House

We are a non-profit dog rescue in the Rosalia, KS area. We began as a small senior center / hospice but have grown and now rescue dogs that are scheduled to be euthanized. We believe all good dogs deserve a second chance. Please read our story and check out our adoptable pets and our adoption stories. If you think you might be interested in adopting one of our pets or if you would like to help us in our endeavor to save unwanted pets, please contact us. The House That Alex Built In the summer of 1991, a colleague at Southwestern College convinced me to be a foster parent for a dog at the Winfield Animal Shelter. I went to the shelter and there were so many that I just pointed at the first one I saw: a cocker spaniel jumping up on the cage door. This dog had already been spoken for by a member of the local law enforcement, so I decided I really should take a longer look and there I saw her-a small brown puppy, sitting in the middle of the kennel. She was the only dog not jumping up and down and barking. She just sat there looking lost and confused. I thought, "We have a lot in common" and home she went. A week later I returned to the shelter and adopted little Alex. Miraculously she survived her first year of life living with a senior in college who had some not so bright friends that would try to feed her everything from all the pepperoni off a large pizza to chocolate brownies. And I must admit, I left a glass of peppermint schnapps down one night. She moved about 10 times during her life and although always afraid of being left the first few days in a new place always adjusted. In 1994, Alex and I added a new member to the family, when I married John -- that June we sent out invitations for a wedding reception/graduation party/belated birthday party for Alex. We were married in the backyard of our rental in Manhattan. Alex sat on my sister's lap. Some children I had babysat for when I was younger and who had adopted my parents as grandparents, brought balloons, a tablecloth and presents for Alex. So there at the wedding reception was Alex's little birthday table. In 2002, Alex was diagnosed with cancer. She put up a valiant fight but died two months later. During those two months, she went to work with me everyday and when I was in class, colleagues kept an eye on her. At the time I was also a member of the team negotiating the new contracts for the teachers at Butler Community College. This team included five other faculty, one dean, four VPs and the president of the college. Alex went to all the meetings during those two months, becoming an unofficial mascot. Right after finals week, we went to my parents' house, so that they could see Alex. My sister and her boyfriend drove down from Manhattan to see her too. Whenever we were at my parents' house, my dad would always share part of his hashbrowns with the doggies. Unfortunately when Alex was younger, she was diagnosed with bladder stones and had to go on a special diet, so dad could then only sneak her the tiniest of a piece. That last Saturday morning, he asked me if Alex could have hashbrowns and I told him she could eat whatever she wanted. I think he may have bought a separate order just for her. Dad was so happy the breakfast tradition could be reinstated. That night we went to sleep and Alex woke me at about 2 AM to go outside. We came back in and went to sleep. At about 3:30, John and I heard her cry out. We got to her and she tried to roll over from her side to lie on her stomach, but she couldn't. I reached for her head. She wagged her tail and then her little head rested in my hand. As always Alex took care of me. She waited until my semester was over, until I was surrounded by family and then she made the decision, so I wouldn't have to. We decided then that we would move to the country to help other dogs. It has taken six years, but we finally made it. Alex's House was initially envisioned as a place for old and sick dogs who had been abandoned by their owners at area shelters to go to ensure that their remaining time was a happy and comfortable one, but we quickly realized that dogs of all ages in this area are in need of rescue and so we opened our home to as many as we could.

Hutchinson Animal Shelter

The Animal Control Department enforces City of Hutchinson ordinances that govern the housing and care of animals. Those enforcement activities include returning stray dogs to their owners, investigating animal cruelty or neglect and violations of dangerous animal laws. An Animal Control Officer is on regular duty Tuesday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Animal control is on an emergency basis on Sunday and Monday and after hours.

Kansas Humane Society of Wichita

Helping Animals & Saving Lives Since 1888 For over 133 years, the Kansas Humane Society has been committed to helping the abandoned and homeless animals in our community. Our animal shelter has helped hundreds of thousands of Wichita’s pets by providing them care, comfort, hope, and most importantly, a second chance at a new life. The Kansas Humane Society is a community resource for pets and people. We offer an array of services that promote the human/animal bond, including pet adoption, behavior consultation, pet supplies, social media outreach, spay/neuter, end of life services, classroom field trips, youth education and community outreach. The Kansas Humane Society is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and receives no federal, state or local tax dollars, support from the Humane Society of the United States, is not a United Way agency, and depends entirely on private donations and fees for service.

Cowley County Humane Society

Cowley County Humane Society is committed to providing compassionate care, nutritious food, medical care, and comfortable housing to animals. Since the early 2000's, we have been dedicated to caring for and promoting the rights of animals through numerous initiatives. Our main goal is to educate and improve the treatment of animals around the world.

Beauties and Beasts, Inc.

Since our inception in 2014, Beauties and Beasts has been working tirelessly to break the cycle of abuse and neglect of cats and dogs through awareness and education campaigns, advocating for and saving animals at risk of euthanasia at our local shelters, and through community outreach. Beauties and Beasts is 501(c)3, nonprofit organization that is volunteer led and is 100% dependent on generous donations from individuals, corporations and foundations. We currently maintain a private boarding facility for approximately 50 adoptable dogs, while the remainder of animals in our care are in foster homes. 300-350 animals are routinely in our care and our capacity is only limited to the number of active fosters. We do not discriminate against breed, age, medical needs, or behavior. We love ALL animals and breeds the same, and believe they all deserve a chance to become happy, healthy adoptable companion pets.

Valley Center Animal League

The Valley Center Animal League, Inc., was founded in 2009 when the local animal shelter was shut down. Our original goal was to prevent impounded animals from being transported to the Wichita Animal Shelter after 3 days. From there we evolved into a licensed “Group Home Shelter” in order to establish a network of individual foster homes.

Heart of America Humane Society

Founded in 1992, the Heart of America Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. It is entirely volunteer-run. Heart of America Humane Society doesn’t run a shelter; instead, the dedicated volunteers partner with two Kansas City area shelters to help their dogs and cats find their forever homes. Consider donating or volunteering. Please help us continue our important, life-saving mission.

Rescue K-911

Who We Are: Our primary focus is ensuring that these animals have a safe place to land; a place where they receive all necessary medical care, reassurance and socialization from foster families, and the promise of a loving forever home. Rescue K-911 is saving lives one paw at a time. What We Do: Each animal that enters Rescue - K911 is unique and may have its own distinct needs (medical, behavioral, or psychological). As a group, we strive to recognize and address these needs for each animal. All of our animal will be spayed or neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, receive heartworm and flea/tick preventions while in our care. In the event other medical assistance is required, we also care and cover those costs as well. We do not have a boarding facility so our animals are placed in foster homes until they are adopted. While in foster care, our animal learns how to live with a family; how to gain trust, what it's like to be loved, how to play, and what behaviors are acceptable. We also gain insight on their true personality once they become comfortable, which helps us match a forever home best suited for them. During the adoption process, we pride ourselves on finding the right fit with the right family. We require completion of a detailed application, we perform vet and reference checks, and may visit the applicant's home. We encourage trial periods for our older animals, as they may take longer to adjust. We assist with introductions and continue to provide any needed support after an adoption is finalized. Happiness for the animal and the family is our overall goal! What We Believe: Rescue K-911 believes that no matter what their size, shape, or story, all animals deserve the chance to live long, happy, and healthy lives. That’s why we work hard every day to be a lifeline to a better future for these animals. We know that with a little support, people and animals can build a bond unlike any other, creating happier lives for everyone involved.