The Best San Diego, CA Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2025

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.

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!

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.

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.

Saving Pets One at a Time

SPOT, Saving Pets One at a Time, is a leading San Diego County all-volunteer rescue organization whose main focus is to save dogs and cats in shelters who are at risk of euthanization and to help other dogs and cats in need as well. Our goal is to save treatable, trainable, manageable and misdiagnosed dog and cats. We rescue them and provide foster homes in order to give them the care, medical, behavior and training, they need until we find them their forever loving homes. Our ultimate wish is for all shelters to be empty ‚ meaning that no animal is abandoned, and no shelter kills one animal to make room for another. We promote and advocate for spay and neuter programs in addition to Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR) programs for feral cats.

Greenhill Humane Society SPCA

Greenhill Humane Society has been caring for animals in Lane County since 1944. We operate the only animal shelter within the Eugene/Springfield area. Our programs include animal adoptions; reuniting lost animals with their families; disaster response; crisis care boarding in situations of domestic violence, medical emergencies, and other crisis situations; spay/neuter for free roaming, un-owned community cats; a pet pantry; on-site volunteer opportunities; foster care and humane education. Last year, we had 5356 total shelter and clinic intakes. We made 2581 adoptions into loving homes and had 966 pet reunions for animals. In addition, we provided 1187 cat spay/neuter surgeries to assist cat caregivers in reducing feral cat over-population. Greenhill is a private non-profit and relies on donations for a majority of its budget. The generosity of our local community enables us to provide a high level of care to lost, abandoned, and neglected animals while at the same time helping pet owners in need. Greenhill Humane Society envisions a world in which all animals are treated with compassion and respect.

San Diego Animal Support Foundation

The San Diego Animal Support Foundation is a private, volunteer dependent, nonprofit (501c3) organization dedicated to improving the welfare of animals in overburdened, underfunded local shelters and rescues.

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.

Project Street Vet

Project Street Vet was formed in 2020 to provide free veterinary care for pets of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness mainly through ‚Street Vet Work, free pet clinics, and financial assistance. Learn more about our work here. 2022 was a phenomenal year for Project Street Vet thanks to our supporters, volunteers, partners, and team members. We are grateful for the increased impact on pets and their people that our teams were able to make last year compared to 2021 and are excited for the continued opportunity to grow our work for those we serve.

Save the Dalmatians & Others Canine Rescue

Save the Dalmatians and Other Canine Rescue, Inc. was founded in the late 1990s, and became an official 501(c)(3) charity in 2001. We are dedicated to taking in dogs from shelters, owner relinquish, and through coordination with local authorities. As is indicated in our name, our primary focus is Dalmatians, but we also take in other breeds when possible. We also try to provide a better education about the Dalmatian breed, as not all dogs are right for all people/families.

PAWS4thought Animal Rescue

PAWS4Thought Animal Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all-breed animal rescue organization. Most of what we do is rescue dogs from shelters when they at risk of being euthanized, as well as abandoned, abused, and stray dogs in both the U.S. and Tijuana/Rosarito areas. PAWS4Thought is committed to reducing the number of dogs who are at risk of being euthanized or are left hurt and/or abandoned each and every day. Our primary goal is to rescue and rehabilitate these dogs in loving foster homes until they are adopted into their permanent “fur-ever” homes. We also focus on educating the public by providing information on rescue procedures, and we conduct low cost and free spay/neuter events to those who need these services. PAWS4Thought is a 100% non-profit volunteer organization that could not survive without the loving dedication and support of volunteers, foster families and sponsors who dedicate their time, homes and contributions to help save and support those without a voice.

A New Life Rescue

A New Life Charitable Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation operated exclusively by volunteers. We have significant experience in animal rescue and have an established network of highly qualified individuals. Our team includes lifelong, committed volunteers with a broad range of expertise from veterinarians to professional animal welfare advocates, some having over 30 years of experience and each one committed to protecting and saving helpless dogs. We focus on doing the best for the animals that we rescue by properly assessing each dog and providing necessary veterinary care, while also implementing training and socialization programs. Our dogs are initially cared for at boarding facilities and foster homes, and when they are ready, we aim to match each dog with their ideal forever home. Our regular adoption events and social media outreach allow us to find the best homes.

Chihuahua rescue of San Diego county

Chihuahua Rescue of San Diego County is a non-profit 501(c)(3) animal welfare group that was formed as a network of foster homes in response to the overwhelming number of unwanted and abandoned Chihuahuas in the San Diego area. Today, we help to place all types of Chihuahuas into caring homes.

Wagging Dog Rescue

Wagging Dog Rescue is a grassroots nonprofit that champions the rights of animals worldwide and works to create a better future for all lives. We rescue orphaned dogs and other critters from shelters and streets in Southern California and ’round the globe who have no other options and are at risk of euthanasia or worse, who may need medical care or rehabilitation, and who will one day be restored to their rightful place as a cherished family member. We advocate responsible pet parenting, stand against discrimination – in all forms – and dedicate ourselves to educating our communities in order to achieve our goal of a more compassionate future. WDR came about in November 2011 after our Founder, Cassandra, spent some time volunteering at her local municipal animal shelter. Finding the volunteer program to be inefficient and seeing too many good family pets put down simply because of a lack of options when the shelter ran out of kennel space, she resolved to focus her energy on saving lives, one life at a time. Euthanasia is not an acceptable form of population control. Cassandra began to recruit like-minded people to her cause, and Wagging Dog Rescue was born. Our rescue is an all volunteer 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that relies on charitable contributions and fundraising to supplement our adoption fees and provide for the care of our orphans. We are a registered charity with the CA Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts. We are all foster based and firmly believe in the value of a responsible, loving foster home to an orphaned dog. Our foster homes nurture these abandoned babes back to complete health while giving them the skills to be successful in a forever home and providing details that enable us to make successful matches between dog and forever family. The Wagging Dog Team is comprised of passionate animal lovers, owners, advocates and rescuers who give freely of our time, oft times money, and all the time – heart, in order to work together to improve our future. We support responsible pet ownership, a leadership lifestyle, spay and neuter .. and most of all, ADOPTION. Learn more about our annual rescue stats.

Baja Animal Sanctuary

he Baja Animal Sanctuary is located in Rosarito, Mexico, just 22 miles south of the San Ysidro border. The sanctuary was founded by Sunny Benedict, a native New Yorker who was working in Real Estate in Rosarito. From her office window, Sunny would see the local animals, mangy and starving, roaming the streets in search of anyone who might toss them a morsel of food, or give them a kind pat on the head. She knew she had to do something. With a mere $180.00 she gathered from friends, she turned her dream into reality and started the Baja Animal Sanctuary. Baja Animal Sanctuary, the only no-kill shelter in northern Mexico, provides a safe haven for dogs and cats. Rescued from the streets of Mexico, they now receive food, medical care, and love for the rest of their lives. Once the puppies are old enough, or the sick ones are well enough, they are spayed & neutered. Our ultimate goal is to find each and every one of them a forever home. When this can't be accomplished, since we are a no-kill shelter, the animals that are "un-adoptable" will make BAS their permanent home. In some extreme cases, untreatable dogs and cats are euthanized to put an end to their pain and suffering. The dog enclosures, which are called "corrals", just like the cattery enclosures, are all numbered. This makes tracking the location of the residents much easier. The large canine corrals house adult males and females that have been spayed & neutered. The residents are placed in corrals based on age, temperament, and health problems. Each of the large corrals is home to 10 to 15 dogs. Smaller corrals that house 3 to 4 dogs each are generally used to house residents that need to be spayed or neutered, or new moms nursing pups. The smaller corrals are also used to house any animals in need of immediate medical attention or any new BAS arrivals that need to be evaluated by our vet. A Daily Log is kept on all animals receiving medical care or on medication. This information is then transferred to the individual animal's health record. Our overall resident count fluctuates daily, but we always average over 400 residents (dogs and cats combined).