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

Furry Friends Rescue

Dedicated to the Rescue, Sanctuary (Volunteer Foster Homes) & Adoption of Companion Animals in Northern CA. We rescue dogs and cats of all ages and breed types. We have no office or shelter building. All dedicated volunteer foster homes that feed quality foods, home training and TLC. https://www.furryfriendsrescue.org/

West Coast Cane Corso Rescue

We are responsible rescue dedicated to saving the Cane Corso and similar mastiff type breeds

South County Tail Waggers

San Jose Animal Care Center

We are a full-service animal care division of the Public Works Department comprised of four units: Field Operations (Animal Control), Medical Services, dog, cat, and small animals Shelter Operations, and Administration. Each unit works in collaboration with each other for the care of the animals in the community that we serve.

Adopt My Block

Adopt My Block is a non-breed specific dog rescue based out of North San Jose with a focus on outreach for struggling pet parents, and members of the houseless community.

Thulani Senior German Shepherd Rescue

Thulani Senior German Shepherd Rescue (TSGSR) is a rescue that focuses on helping German Shepherds with limited life expectancy, typically measured in months or possibly as much as a year, due to terminal illnesses or simply old age. Medical condition is not a restriction as long as the dog has some quality life left to it, no matter how short that time may be. Thulani has evolved since 2009 (Our History) from helping a few dogs each year during the first few year, to one in which we help about 70 new dogs each year. We started by servicing animal shelters primarily in the greater San Francisco Bay region, but our responsibilities have expanded to include all of California and Nevada (Our Area). This expansion has been driven primarily by the widespread need for the types of services that Thulani provides, and by the general lack of other organizations able to provide these services. Our goal is to save 100 dogs annually, a number we estimate will be necessary to prevent any Thulani-qualified GSD from dying prematurely in a shelter.

Wiley's Wish Animal Rescue

Wiley's Wish Animal Rescue is a Northern California-based, female operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit saving dogs facing euthanasia at high-kill shelters due to the overcrowding crisis in California. Since 2021, we have rescued, rehabilitated and placed over 1,500 dogs into loving, forever homes. Since 2022, we have successfully trained and AKC (American Kennel Club)/CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certified over 400 dogs via our proprietary prison resident and rescue dog training initiative, PAWS of HOPE. We are one of the very few state-accredited prison resident/rescue dog training initiatives to meet requirements set forth by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) AND are the only rescue to implement such a program within the nation's first Veterans hub, exclusive to military veterans. We are proud to be an all-breed, all size, all color, all age, all energy level rescue. From Chihuahuas to Great Danes, we rescue the abandoned, discarded, abused and forgotten and gift them second chances at life and love.

Angel’s Furry Friends Rescue

It all began in 2017 when our Founder volunteered to save 5 newborn puppies abandoned near a rural highway. Through that volunteering experience, she fell in love and decided to keep one of the puppies. She called him Angel – now a treasured member of the family and the inspiration for Angel’s Furry Friends Rescue.<br><br> In 2018 we gathered a team of passionate animal lovers and officially registered Angel’s Furry Friends as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit. It has been such a rewarding experience for us since Day 1 and our mission is not only to find loving homes for dogs and cats, but also to connect families with their future furry soulmates. We are committed to helping animals in need in California and around the world.<br><br> We actively work to raise awareness against animal cruelty and support campaigns for stricter legislation regarding animal abuse in the United States and internationally. We work with local shelters as well as partner shelters in Russia and Ukraine to save stray dogs from inhumane treatment and extermination. We have already brought more than 250 animals from Russia and Ukraine to California, and found them forever homes with loving parents!<br><br> Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized. We rescue dogs and cats from local shelters that were placed on the euthanasia list to give them a second chance at life. We provide each animal with medical treatment, training, place them with skilled foster families and eventually find them a loving home!<br><br> To us, the story of Angel, the abandoned puppy, represents the story of too many neglected and mistreated animals in the world. With your support, we are striving to help as many animals as we can!

Silicon Valley Pet Project

Silicon Valley Pet Project was founded in November of 2014 and is a San Jose-based organization. Inspired by the innovative spirit of Silicon Valley, our goal was to create a professional, sustainable animal welfare organization that celebrates rescue pets. Our organization is structured into dedicated teams focused on rescue operations, foster parent support, marketing, and communications, volunteer management, development, administration, and more. We embrace teamwork, professionalism, and flexibility in our organization, all with the goal of helping more animals in our community. We are proud to be the first San Jose based network partner of Best Friends Animal Society. SVPP strives to make the experience of volunteering, fostering, adopting, and/or donating to our organization rewarding, educational, supportive, and community-focused. We are an animal welfare organization that is first and foremost a people organization. We could not do what we do without every person who volunteers, fosters, adopts, or donates to SVPP. Check out our Newsletters for more information about SVPP's work over the years.

Jakes Wish Dog Rescue

South Bay Purebred Rescue

South Bay Purebred Rescue is a non-profit, all volunteer organization dedicated to the rescue, care, and placement of dogs of all breeds. Dogs accepted into our program for adoption are kept in our foster homes, receive necessary veterinary care, proper nutrition, training, grooming, and love until we find appropriate homes for them. We sincerely hope we can assist you in finding your special friend and companion.

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is a non-profit Joint Powers Authority (EIN 90-0039494) serving the County of Santa Cruz, City of Santa Cruz, City of Scotts Valley, City of Watsonville, and City of Capitola. We are governed by a Board of Directors that has representatives from each of the participating jurisdictions. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter provides 24-hour animal rescue and is Santa Cruz County’s only full service, open-admission animal shelter. SCCAS has two locations where people can find and recover lost pets and adopt new animal companions. These shelters are tangible evidence of Santa Cruz County’s commitment to animal welfare. We are supported by numerous volunteers and foster care families who provide thousands of hours of assistance to SCCAS staff. We rescue and assure temporary shelter, veterinary and humane care for over 6,000 stray, unwanted, abandoned, mistreated, neglected and injured animals every year. Our History The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter began serving the community in July of 2002 with offices in Watsonville and Scotts Valley. In 2008, we moved into a newly-constructed county-owned building in Santa Cruz, on a site that once housed an SPCA facility. In 2022, we completed an exciting addition/renovation to our main shelter building and are beginning to plan for additional facility improvements to better serve Santa Cruz County’s pets and people.

Karmic Rescue Without Borders

Friends Of San Martin Animal Society - FOSMAS

Our primary goal is to lower the euthanasia rate in the South County. We can accomplish this goal by increasing adoptions, expanding our volunteer program, providing information and financial support for local spay and neuter programs.

Companion Animal Rescue Effort (C.A.R.E.)

Founded in 1987, the Companion Animal Rescue Effort (C.A.R.E.) is a nonprofit, all volunteer, animal rescue organization based in Santa Clara County. We accept owner-relinquished dogs as well as abandoned, abused, or otherwise-neglected puppies and dogs that would otherwise face uncertain futures working with Bay Area shelters. These once homeless animals are taken into our volunteer foster homes where they receive quality nutrition, medical attention, and lots of love and warmth until placed into quality, pre-screened, permanent homes. Because C.A.R.E. is a “no-kill” animal rescue organization, our animals (except in extreme cases) remain in foster care until adopted into quality, loving homes, regardless how long this may take. This long-term care can lead to further expenses over and above the animal’s initial medical expenses. All of our dogs and puppies are spayed or neutered and microchipped prior to adoption. Since C.A.R.E. is a non-profit organization that does not receive local or federal funding, we depend on fundraisers along with support from our community and adoption fees to keep us operational. C.A.R.E. is committed not only to saving the lives of homeless animals but to public education. It is our belief that with knowledge about responsible pet guardianship (in all its forms), we can curb and eventually end, the suffering of neglected animals and the tragedy of pet overpopulation which last year alone resulted in over 13 million pets euthanized in our nation’s animal shelters.

Woof Den Rescue

Woof Den Rescue is a non-profit organization that specializes in rescuing husky and herding breeds, including Huskies, Husky Mixes, Cattle Dogs, Queensland Heelers, and Australian Kelpies. We are an all-volunteer foster-based group committed to providing second chances to these wonderful dog breeds. We were founded in 2019. All dogs in our care are spayed and or neutered before adoption, are up to date on vaccinations, are microchipped for identification, and live in foster homes, allowing us to have a good understanding of their behaviors. We evaluate them for temperament and trainability, conduct heartworm tests, provide NexGard flea & tick treatment, deworm the dogs, and feed them a grain-friendly diet and some basic training. Adoption fees and additional funds we receive from donors go towards covering extra medical expenses, food, supplies, and other needs for the dogs that come into rescue. Our staff has evaluated all dogs, and we describe their temperament and behaviors to the best of our knowledge to ensure they fit well with us at Woof Den Rescue plus with you and your family. We provide information from our perspective. We also integrate our dogs with foster dogs, taking them to the beach, on hikes, walks, biking, engaging in recreational dog carting, and snow dog sledding. Once you adopt one of our beautiful and smart dogs, you will be thankful you did. Our rescue is called Woof Den Rescue, in a heartfelt tribute to all the amazing dogs who have been a part of our lives and rescue, both past and present. that loves and did love all the activities we loved together. We will surely miss the dogs we have lost.

Japanese Chin Care and Rescue Effort (JCCARE)

JCCARE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dog rescue organization comprised of all volunteers dedicated to the health and welfare of Japanese Chin dogs. Our sole purpose is to help, rehabilitate and find homes for abused, abandoned, or relinquished Japanese Chin across the United States of America and parts of Canada. While we enthusiastically support mixed breed rescue, and many of our members are active in organizations that accept mixed breeds, we have chosen to dedicate our limited funds and resources to purebred Japanese Chin. Chin come into our program from owners relinquishing their pets and from animal shelters. We do not buy Chin from pet stores, puppy mills or individuals and we do not accept relinquishments from active breeders. While we are not affiliated with the national breed club, we do respectfully support responsible Japanese Chin breeders. For this reason, we do make every effort to contact breeders and facilitate a Chin’s return to his breeder’s care whenever possible. Our Chin are not here because they are bad. Some were very much loved and pampered family pets and are here because of unfortunate situations, such as a move or divorce, death of their owner, or because of financial hardship. Others are here because the owners did not research the breed before buying on impulse and decided much too late that they shed too much, need too much time or attention, they don’t match the furniture anymore, or any number of reasons that should have been thought of before bringing a new Chin home. Some of the Chin do have health problems. Some of these problems have been brought about by irresponsible breeding practices. Still others are the result of neglect or abuse. All of our Chin need and deserve love and a second chance to be part of a warm, loving family. This is a chance some of them never had before coming into rescue. Occasionally we are presented with a Chin in need who has serious behavioral issues that presents a danger to foster home members and to prospective adopters. We regretfully cannot accept a Chin with a previous history of aggression toward humans. When a Chin is turned over to JCCARE, he is taken to the vet for a complete check-up including heart worm, shots, worming, and spay/neuter. Any apparent health problems are treated before being placed into a new adoptive home. We receive a variety of ages into our program, however, most are adults. We occasionally get puppies, but not very often. Males outnumber females and all Chin are spayed or neutered before placement. Sometimes people contact us who have strong preferences about age, sex and color of the Chin. The more open you are about these things, the more likely we are to find a suitable companion for you. If you do have very strong preferences, a rescue may not be the right pet for you. JCCARE does not sell our Chin. We do, however, ask for an adoption fee which helps to fund our program and pays for vet expenses and allows us to continue our work in saving other Japanese Chin. Adoption fees vary based on the age and health of the rescued Chin, but generally range from $200.00 to $600.00 but are occasionally higher for puppies and Chin who have incurred exceptionally high medical expenses. The adoption fees cover only about one-half of the cost of our vet care so additional and ongoing donations are always needed and most welcome. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, donations in excess of the adoption fee are tax deductible according to applicable tax law and help defray costs so that we can save more Japanese Chin that need us. We appreciate your generosity.

Santa Cruz SPCA

Founded in 1938 by Dr. Charles Edward Graves, the Santa Cruz SPCA started after he generously donated a piece of land to create a shelter. Incorporated in 1955, we provided animal control and adoption services until 2002, when the County established its own agency (the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter). Since then, we have continued our mission as a fully independent community animal welfare organization, offering rescue and adoption, as well as other programs and services that support efforts to save and care for companion animals. In 2020, we celebrated the completion of a state-of-the-art shelter facility. With its adaptable design, modern animal habitats, versatile play areas, space for public engagement through programs and events, and facilities conducive to staff and volunteer efforts, Santa Cruz now boasts a community animal shelter ready to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Four Paws to Love

Four Paws to Love was established in January of 2014 by close friends who had been part of several different animal welfare organizations over the years. These friends felt that there was a need for another rescue group that not only focuses on the importance of helping save animals' lives, but also focuses on how the love of a pet in our everyday lives affects each one of us. Since our establishment in 2014 we have been an adoption partner with PetSmart Charities and had held our adoption events at the local PetSmart store here in Santa Cruz. While we are still an approved rescue with PetSmart Charities, in 2017 we decided to part ways with our local PetSmart store and instead partner with General Feed & Seed to hold our weekly adoption events. General Feed & Seed is a locally owned family business that has been a staple in Santa Cruz for almost 50 years! We are proud to have been accepted into their family and we will call it home as long as they will have us.

Redwood Coast German Shepherd Rescue, Inc.

Every Pet's Dream

Every Pet's Dream is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit foster-based rescue dedicated to saving animals that otherwise would have been euthanized. We provide them a fresh start and an opportunity to find their forever home.

Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority

The Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority (SVACA) was formed as a Joint Powers Agency and provides ‘around the clock’ animal care and control services for the residents of Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Mountain View and Santa Clara. SVACA’s Joint Powers Agreement describes SVACA’s purpose and structure. SVACA’s services and programs include the care of sick, injured, lost and abandoned companion animals, animal cruelty investigations, enforcement of animal laws, education and outreach programs, volunteer and foster programs, and much more. We place all of our healthy and treatable animals as well as many of our unhealthy and untreatable animals from our cageless Animal Care Center located in Santa Clara which resulted in an overall live release rate of 99% in 2023. Field operations began on July 1, 2001 and our state-of-the-art and cageless animal care center opened on November 14, 2006. The facility is also open to residents from throughout Santa Clara Valley and beyond who want to adopt animals, look for lost animals, or want to participate in educational programs. Our 17,000-square-foot facility can accommodate more than 150 cats, 50 dogs and assorted ‘other’ animals at any one time and features several unique animal areas. • Kitty Kondos that allow cats to climb and get accustomed to roaming loose in rooms as they would in a house. • Doggie Dens provide a homelike setting rather than confining the canines to cages or kennels. • Indoor and outdoor dog play areas for exercise, behavior assessments, and getting acquainted with other dogs and potential owners. • Low cost spay and neuter clinic to provide an affordable surgical option for the community. SVACA’s Board of Directors and Staff strive to ensure the well-being of both animals and people through advocacy, education, and cost-effective yet efficient services by providing a superior level of care, compassion, and respect for all living things.