The Best Utah Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2025

Arctic Rescue

Arctic Breeds Rescue has been rescuing animals in Utah and the surrounding states for over 20 years. We specialize in rescuing Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. Many of the dogs we take into rescue are deemed "unadoptable" by shelters or local government and have no other options other than to come to a breed specific rescue who can find them a home where they can be set up to succeed. The purpose of the Organization shall be: To rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome arctic breed dogs in need, including but not limited to breeds such as Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds and mixed breeds of the aforementioned. To provide basic medical care, spaying/neutering, and vaccinations to rescued dogs. To educate the public about responsible dog ownership, including breed-specific needs, training, and the importance of spaying/neutering. To positively impact the community through community and/or youth outreach by sharing the inspiring stories of rescued canines.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Humane Society of Utah

Rescue Rovers

Rescue Rovers is an all-volunteer foster-based rescue. Our fosters volunteer their homes, their time and their hearts to care for dogs of all breeds and ages. We pull dogs from high kill shelters in Utah and surrounding states. Occasionally we take dogs from further away. We've been lucky enough to rescue dogs from as far away as Kansas!

Cache Humane Society

Cache Humane Society has been helping animals in Cache Valley for over 40 years! We were established in 1976 by local animal-lovers who fostered animals in their own homes. After much fundraising, hard work and community support, we opened a new shelter in 2008. Two years later we added a Community Spay/Neuter Clinic to provide affordable services for family pets. We have expanded into a 5,000 square foot facility, with dedicated space for clinic services, education programs, and an outdoor play park for our shelter animals. As we’ve grown, we’ve built a family of animal-lovers that includes over 30 staff and hundreds of volunteers. Our Vision Statement Cache Humane Society will provide: • A safe environment, healthy nutritious food, clean water, and love and attention for all animals housed in our facility • Professional and thoughtful service to individuals relinquishing animals for any reason • Fun and educational programs designed to promote responsible pet ownership and compassionate stewardship of companion animal welfare • A Community Spay/Neuter & Vaccination Clinic committed to reducing the number of homeless pets in Cache Valley and supporting healthy companion animals • Recognition of the valuable service of the many volunteers and diligent staff who ensure the shelter remains a place of respect, dignity, and caring Our Values We believe all companion animals deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion. We believe our facility provides a joyful, safe and welcoming place to find a new pet or to receive pet services. We believe our education programs help nurture the next generation of loving pet owners. We support an innovative, courageous, and thoughtful family of staff and volunteers and strive to share our ethic with the greater community.

Y-Not Save a Sam Rescue

Y-Not Save a Sam Rescue is an all-volunteer, 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2012 to rescue the Samoyed breed in need, whether they are in shelters, found on the streets or an owner surrender. We are open to saving dogs in all geographic areas (both in the United States and abroad), of all ages, and in all health conditions, as funding allows. Y-Not Save a Sam Rescue operates independently and must generate our own donations to fund operational costs including veterinary care, travel expenses, boarding, and training. We try to help dogs that no one else will, and that can be a heavy burden on our finances. Y-Not Save a Sam operates independently and must generate our own donations to fund operational costs including veterinary care, travel expenses, boarding, and training. We do what we can, and always wish we could do more. From time to time, the rescue groups that we work with will have other breeds in need of loving homes. Even though we are a breed-specific rescue, we try to help them out when we can. (It's just the right thing to do.) To stay true to our mission, those dogs will always have dedicated fund-raisers and are not directly funded by our Rescue.

The Golden Bark Foundation

In 2015 I saw a schnauzer named Sadie on Facebook, whose owners had passed, and she was found wandering the streets. She was a senior dog, 13 years old. My heart broke for her and her circumstances, and I opened my heart and home to her. She was wonderful! Sweet and well-tempered, housebroken, and happy to be a part of our family. Although I knew she didn’t have much time left, giving her the home she deserved for the latter portion of her life, felt so good. The inevitable happened in 2018 when she passed over the rainbow bridge, leaving a hole in my heart. As sad as I was to see her go, it still fulfilled me knowing what I gave her. Soon after her passing, I saw another dog online named Harvey. Harvey was a 10-year-old schnauzer that had been surrendered to the Humane Society. He reminded me of Sadie, and I visited him in the shelter. I instantly fell in love; Harvey was a joy, from his scraggly hair to his constant excited barking. I took him in, and he became a part of our family, living out his final years in comfort and knowing he was loved. Just last year, in 2022, Harvey passed away. He left a hole in my heart, just like Sadie. One thing became clear: these old dogs were my true passion in life. Who knows what would have happened to these old dogs if I hadn’t taken them in? Older dogs are the last to get adopted at shelters and the first to be euthanized when the shelters reach capacity. People want to adopt young dogs with their lives ahead of them, but seniors deserve a loving home too. They deserve a comfortable retirement home where they can be given the care and love they need to live out their golden years. In March of 2022, I decided to do something for those senior dogs, something I had thought of and talked about for a few years. I began the process of starting up a non-profit dog rescue for senior dogs, and in June of that same year, The Golden Bark Foundation became an official 501c3 organization! The GBF is small right now, but we’re growing every day. We’ve already helped eight old dogs in need get into foster homes and new forever retirement homes! It’s only the beginning, and I’m so excited to see this organization, which I began on pure passion and love for the old dogs of the world, grow and prosper!

Carbon County Utah Animal Shelter

We oversee adoptions, foster to adopt, animal care, investigate animal cruelty, neglect, dog bite cases and general animal control issues.

South Utah Valley Animal Shelter

South Utah Valley Animal Shelter serves the communities and animals of southern Utah County; Elk Ridge, Mapleton, Payson, Provo, Salem, Santaquin, Spanish Fork, Springville, and Woodland Hills. We try to reunite lost animals with their owners. For dogs, cats, and other animals that are not reclaimed, we work to find them homes through our adoption program and by partnering with local rescues. Services • Animal care and sheltering for lost and abandoned pets • Dog licensing • Online animal licensing • Pet adoptions and placement of animals with rescue groups • Volunteer and foster programs • Community education

Outreach Pawsabilities

Welcome to Outreach Pawsabilities, where compassion meets action in the quest to rescue, rehabilitate and find furever homes for dogs in need. Founded in 2018 by Kim Mikesell, our non-profit organization has been steadfast in rescuing dogs that come from dire situations. The impact is not only experienced locally, but Kim travels to other areas to rescue dogs who would otherwise be euthanized. Kim Mikesell: Journey of Transformation with Dogs At the helm is Kim Mikesell, our Executive Director, whose profound journey fuels the heart of our mission. Kim’s life reflects a tapestry of transformation, from her challenging past to her inspiring turnaround. Her commitment began with a personal pledge to alter her life’s course, an awakening that unfolded within the walls of a prison. There, Kim discovered her calling while training service and therapy dogs, a path that led her to obtain an AA in psychology and multiple certifications, including AKC evaluator, obedience trainer, and service and therapy dog trainer. A Vision Born from Personal Triumph Kim’s passion blossomed into a lifelong vocation, driven by the understanding that hundreds of thousands of dogs are euthanized each year and that number continues to grow. These dogs that are broken have experienced abuse or neglect by their previous owners. She has witnessed the miraculous change in these little breathing, living creatures after showing them love, kindness, compassion, and training. With over twenty years of experience, she has witnessed this incredible change within these dogs. It was her recognition of this that sparked the creation of Outreach Pawsabilities.

Bulldog Club of Utah/Rescue

The Bulldog Club of Utah Rescue Committee is composed of volunteers who are working toward these objectives: 1. To accept Bulldogs whose owners can no longer keep them and find responsible, stable, loving new homes for them. 2. To rehabilitate Bulldogs before placement by providing necessary medical treatment and training to increase the chances of successful placement. 3. To help reduce the population of unwanted pets by ensuring that all rescued Bulldogs are spayed/neutered before being placed. 4. To screen applicants thoroughly before making placement decisions. 5. To inform prospective adopters about the rescue program and the requirements for taking care of Bulldogs. The majority of the English Bulldogs rescued are surrendered by their owners who can no longer keep them. About one third of our rescue dogs come from local animal shelters and humane societies. The average age for the dogs that fall under our care is between 3-5 years, although 7+ has been the norm for some years. When adopting an older dog a period of adjustment is expected. The vast majority of our rescue dogs adapt very well regardless of their age. They seem to have an amazing ability to know when they found a good home. The Bulldog Club of Utah does not have a set fee for placement since the needs of dogs vary greatly. All Bulldogs must be spayed or neutered prior to placement. Some have medical problems that need treatment. The veterinary expenses incurred in rehabilitating the dog are passed along to the new adoptive owner.

All Paws Count

All Paws Count is a passion project by owner Heathre Hone and her family. It is our mission to give hope to abandoned animals and a second chance for a loving furever home.

Ruff Patch Rescue

We are a non-profit organization focused on finding forever homes for pets in need. All of our rescues come from animal shelters or are directly surrender by their owners. We place each pet in a foster home where they will receive the attention and special care they deserve. We’re working hard to give every abandoned, homeless, abused, and neglected dogs and cats (and sometimes bunnies, goats, or lambs!) a second chance with a loving family. If you’re looking for a companion who will return your devotion and compassion tenfold, you’ve come to the right place!

Roosevelt Animal Shelter

Fullmer Menagerie Animal Rescue

Wags to Riches Doggie Daycare & Boarding is our new, purpose-built facility to provide our customers with an affordable, clean, safe and fun environment that their companions can call their home - away from home. Along with boarding and daycare, we offer a variety of services to keep your companion feeling clean and healthy. From our outdoor play area complete with a pool and our daily adventure walks, to our line of complete grooming services, your companion will leave our facility with their tail wagging. A portion of every sale through Wags to Riches goes back into our rescue program to further assist us in achieving our goal of creating second chances for all kinds of animals.

Utah Animal Adoption Center

Utah Animal Adoption Center (UAAC), a Utah 501(c), is a non-euthanizing animal shelter that rescues and finds homes for an average of 1,000 dogs and cats each year. Since 1983, we have dedicated ourselves to reducing the tragedies of pet overpopulation and the euthanasia of healthy adoptable pets. Our dogs and cats come from local and regional shelters. We partner with these shelters, rescuing pets from their euthanasia lists. Individual donors, corporate supporters, and private foundation grants fund our mission to save lives by supporting animal rescue and providing medical attention.

Animal Care of Davis County

Animal Care of Davis County is committed to promoting responsible pet ownership and compassionate animal care by fulfilling three goals: To serve and educate our community, to find homes for our homeless pets, and to support public safety Vision Find homes for homeless animals and educate the community about responsible pet ownership Values Davis County residents and their pets are our highest priority. We are proud to be a Socially Conscious Animal Welfare Organization™

Second Chance for Homeless Pets

At Second Chance our priority is finding the best match for each animal. Like people, animals are individuals and have different needs for a successful adoption, according to their personalities. Acting in partnership with many animal controls across the state; Second Chance acts as an extension of local shelters, providing the extra time and resources needed in re-homing animals, therefore reducing the need for euthanasia. Second Chance rarely takes owner releases. Instead we prefer to use our resources for the animals in danger of being "put down"at open admission shelters/Animal Controls. Second Chance for Homeless Pets was created in 2000 when its founder, Rhonda Greenhalgh (DeMars-Hughes), who at 19 years old, drove all night to save a deaf Boxer from being euthanized at a High-Kill Los Angeles shelter. At the time no one was interested in adopting a deaf dog. The Boxer, who was named Storm, was adopted and resided in the home that Rhonda found for her until she past due to old age. Since 2000 Second Chance for Homeless Pets has gone on to rescue over 6,000 animals (and counting) from high euthanasia shelters in Utah and adopted them out to loving families in the Salt Lake and surrounding areas. That was the labor of love Rhonda began at the age of 19 and continues to be the mission of Second Chance and its dedicated volunteers. Second Chance for Homeless Pets is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and relies on private donations to operate its shelter with all proceeds going to rescue and care for unwanted animals. It does not receive money from any government entity or local and national animal rescue organizations. The animals are cared for by volunteers until they are adopted into a good home, regardless of the time involved. Second Chance has a small foster network who provide bottle feeding and foster care for infant animals. With the rest of the animals for adoption being housed at the Second Chance for Homeless Pets Adoption Center in Salt Lake City. All animals are examined by a local veterinarian, who donates her services. Second Chance also pays for vaccinations, spay/neuter and microchips prior to adoption, along with any other medical care the animal may need. These services are included in the adoption fees. Food and other supplies for the shelter are either donated by individuals or purchased with donated funds. The shelter’s funding is acquired through individual donations as well as participation in various local fundraising events. See our “Events Page” for more information and dates. We encourage you to donate what you can on our “Make a Donation” page. Second Chance also offers low cost vaccination days and education programs to help the public.

Nuzzles & Co.

We’re Nuzzles & Co., a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) no-kill organization located in Summit County, Utah. In 1990, a group of volunteers founded our organization, originally known as Friends of Animals Utah, so we could come together to find homes for animals in need. Since then, we have found homes for over 25,000 pets. In 1990, when a group of animal lovers in Park City, Utah, discovered that the county’s only resource for unwanted pets was a shed holding eleven dogs (with no room for cats), they decided to lobby for a new shelter and form a rescue group that would foster and find homes for abandoned dogs and cats. Starting with only twelve people, the group quickly grew by raising money with bake sales, selling t-shirts, putting donation jars in stores on Main Street, and the start of what was to become their signature fundraiser, The Barking Ball. With media support from The Park Record and radio station KPCW, which showcased dogs and cats in the shelter and foster care, adoptions increased and membership in this new organization expanded. Deer Valley Ski Resort employees hailed Summit County Friends of Animals (FOA), now Nuzzles & Co., as it’s favorite charity and many local businesses contributed to its burgeoning success. FOA successfully lobbied Summit County to build an animal control shelter and in 1995, Summit County opened the county-run shelter in Wanship, Utah. FOA supported the shelter, finding loving forever homes for the cats and dogs housed at the county shelter. In 1998, FOA was named the first, local non-profit Citizen of the Year by Park City Rotary. A year later, FOA joined the newly formed No More Homeless Pets in Utah Coalition. The Humane Society of Utah and Best Friends Animal Society also provided invaluable support and practical information on starting and operating a rescue organization. In 2003 Summit County Friends of Animals was presented with the opportunity to open “Furburbia,” a retail pet center, in the outlet mall at Kimball Junction. Furburbia forever changed the nature of FOA by giving the organization a permanent face and place in the local community. It propelled the group into a full-time rescue organization with paid employees. Having a permanent facility also gave FOA a place to showcase its cats and dogs. Cats were able to be housed at Furburbia at night, but FOA still had to move dogs back and forth to kennels at night because dogs were not allowed to stay overnight due to zoning requirements. By 2005 FOA moved the community closer to its goal – which was to make strides in preventing healthy, adoptable pets from being euthanized at both the Summit County and Heber shelters. By 2007, over 800 dogs and cats were adopted from Furburbia in that year alone. We were saving animals from Summit County and all over Utah. So, we changed our name from Summit County Friends of Animals to Friends of Animals Utah (FOAU). Additional programs were added for the first time, including dog obedience classes, youth camps, and a feral cat trap, neuter, and release program. While all these changes were positive, it became evident that the facilitating foster homes and kennels for dogs each night were becoming a challenge; it was clear that a full-time facility was needed. And then came the rescue ranch In 2006 and 2007, FOAU acquired 100 acres of land in Brown’s Canyon. By 2010, FOAU completed a 16,000 square foot multi-use building and named it the Rescue and Rehab Ranch. The Ranch had space to build out a state-of the-art medical suite and was built to house up to 85 dogs and 60 cats. The building also incorporated an education and outreach center, as well as a large relief area that could serve as ‘ground zero’ in the event FOAU was asked to care for a large number of animals in a disaster situation. This new facility allowed a 28% increase in adoptions to nearly 1,000 animals a year. It also provided a place for our dogs that were not in foster homes to stay at night. The educational area also allowed for new therapy programs, as well as the popular Critter Care youth summer day camps. More than 600 cats each year enjoyed a sunny, healing environment with cat condos and pampered care from “Kitty Socializers” who prepared them for their forever homes. One of the most important additions was next installing a state-of-the-art surgical suite and quarantine area where spay-and-neuter procedures, vaccinations, micro-chipping, and even dental treatments are performed.

South Jordan Animal Services

The Utah Animal Advocacy Foundation

Since its founding in 2002, the Utah Animal Advocacy Foundation has helped over 2,000 animals find loving forever homes! UAAF believes that every animal deserves a home, regardless of age or disability. We often take on challenging animals including orphaned newborns, senior animals, injured animals, and animals with ongoing health problems. Since our founding in September 2002, we have successfully placed hundreds of these deserving animals into loving homes. The Utah Animal Advocacy Foundation (UAAF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization specializing in the rescue, rehabilitation, and placement of homeless animals. UAAF is an active participant in the No Kill Utah (NKUT) coalition and is working closely with other coalition members to help end the euthanasia of homeless pets. We are an all-volunteer organization and rely entirely on public support for our continued success.

Hearts 4 Paws

Established in February 2012, Hearts 4 Paws is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization committed to rescuing, providing sanctuary, and facilitating the adoption of abandoned, stray, and neglected animals. Our unwavering dedication transcends health, age, and breed biases. By engaging and educating communities, we raise awareness about homeless animals’ challenges and advocate the rewards of adopting animals in need. Our diligent care includes thorough examinations, vaccinations, spaying or neutering, and comprehensive medical attention before placing animals in meticulously screened homes. Hearts 4 Paws operates as a 501(c) non-profit organization. Hearts 4 Paws operates with a profound belief in lifelong adoption commitment. For us, this principle encompasses two essential aspects. Firstly, to ensure our animals find environments where they can thrive throughout their lives, we rigorously assess potential adoptive owners and reserve the right to halt the adoption process if needed. Just as we commit to our animals indefinitely, we ask the same of our adopters. Secondly, our adoption process is designed to ensure seamless placements that suit both the animal’s temperament and the new home’s environment. We consider factors like age, condition, and even family members’ ages and long-term expectations. With the animals’ and new owners’ best interests in mind, we strive to prevent misplacements that could lead to disappointment. We appreciate your understanding should we determine that a specific animal isn’t the right match for you. All our adoption applicants must agree to return the animal to Hearts 4 Paws Rescue should they be unable to care for it in the future.

Salt Lake County Animal Services

Salt Lake County Animal Services is dedicated to providing consistent, reliable, and professional solutions for animal related issues.

Community Animal Welfare Society (CAWS)

CAWS is a no-kill, volunteer, and foster-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to work with the community to help animals. As Utah’s oldest animal rescue group, our ongoing rescue, foster, education, and adoption programs help animals whose time is up at shelters, those who are abandoned, and as our resources allow, those whom their owners can no longer keep. We are committed to saving the animals that are often overlooked and under-appreciated at local shelters; this includes, the sick, injured, senior, and neonatal kittens, and their mothers. CAWS is dedicated to helping those special needs animals to find their forever homes. Our rescue and adoption process is sustainable, innovative, and effective. We have rescued and adopted over one thousand dogs and cats from shelters throughout the state of Utah every year since 2015.

Great Pyrenees Rescue Resources Utah Montana

Herding Haven

Herding Haven provides refuge and rehabilitation for herding dogs with special needs so that they may become more adoptable. Vision To rescue and rehabilitate herding dogs with physical, emotional and behavioral limitations and help them find forever homes. Guiding Principles •Kindness •Compassion •Leading by example •Understanding •Transparency

Rescue Rovers Dog Adoptions

Since our inception in February 2013, Rescue Rovers has saved over 10,000 dogs Rescue Rovers is an all-volunteer foster-based rescue. Our fosters volunteer their homes, their time and their hearts to care for dogs of all breeds and ages. We pull dogs from high kill shelters in Utah and surrounding states. Occasionally we take dogs from further away. We’ve been lucky enough to rescue dogs from as far away as Kansas! How do we get our dogs? When a shelter is full or when dogs are approaching their “due out” date a shelter contacts a rescue for help. Rescue Rovers has a strong working relationship with many shelters and we often pull up to 100 dogs in a month. The dogs are placed in crates and driven (sometimes flown) to safety. Those trips range from one hour to 15 hours or more, and sometimes the dogs arrive a mess. They are often stressed, exhausted, carsick and disoriented…but they are also aware that they are now SAFE. The dogs lean into their rescuers, gaze at them with those classic puppy-dog eyes, and trust them almost immediately. Love and Rehabilitation Each foster picks up the dog(s) that they have committed to and takes them home to bathe them, feed them, comfort them and begin rehabilitating them. We clean and sooth small sores, remove ticks, scratch behind ears. The first night in a foster home is the first sleep many of these dogs have had on a soft bed in a quiet home in weeks or months…or ever. Most of the dogs we pull were strays, picked up by animal control. Many of them were someone’s pet at some point, abandoned or run away. Some come from hoarding situations or were bait dogs. All of them need someone to love them, care for them, and work on behaviors that will make them a suitable family pet. Over the next few days we take care of them medically. Vaccinate, microchip, spay or neuter. We pull dogs that have mange and need medication, dogs that need eye surgery, amputations, tumors removed and biopsied. Some of our dogs require more medical work. Whatever their issues are, we make sure they are in good health before they are available for adoption. In the weeks following we work on behavior. Since our dogs live in foster homes we are able to potty train and crate train most dogs almost immediately. Then we begin working on behaviors such as jumping up or resource guarding. Dogs that have more difficult issues are placed with our more experienced fosters and work with trainers. Eventually they are ready for adoption. Some will always have quirks, but there’s a family out there for all of them. We advertise them online and take multiple applications for each dog, then we choose the family that’s the best fit. What’s really amazing is to pull a dog that was literally hours from death in a shelter and have 2 or 3 families vying to be the one that gets to take him home.

Heber Valley Animal Services

The Heber Animal Shelter is a municipal shelter serving the residents of Wasatch County. Contact the main office at 435-654-5727 for more information about animals. HVAS only accepts animals into our shelter, that are from within the Wasatch County Boundaries. We are not accepting owner surrenders at this time. All others will be turned away. Heber Valley Animal Services will not accept any animal that has been adopted from a rescue. If you need to surrender an animal that was adopted from an established rescue group, please contact them to return the animal back to their organization. Most rescues have a clause in their adoption contract requiring the animal to be returned to them if the adopter is no longer able to care for it.

Rocky Mountain Dachshund Rescue

OUR HISTORY — Rocky Mountain Dachshund Rescue (RMDR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, with a mission to assist dachshunds in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the surrounding Rocky Mountains region, in finding loving homes. Originating in Utah, RMDR is dedicated to being a no-kill rescue, ensuring that every dachshund they rescue has a chance at a bright future. We operate with the support of devoted volunteers and fosters who provide compassionate care to the dogs in need. These fosters become the temporary families of the dachshunds, showering them with love and attention, taking them to veterinary appointments, enjoying walks and outings, and providing comforting cuddles. Their unwavering dedication plays a crucial role in helping these furry companions adapt to their new circumstances and embrace the positive changes in their lives. Our focus centers on dachshunds as a unique dog breed, and we are dedicated to providing the best possible support for them. RMDR works with most doxie mixes (small sizes), standard and miniature dachshunds, encompassing smooth, wire-haired and long-haired dachshunds. We actively share our knowledge with fosters and adopters who collaborate with our dachshund rescue. In our commitment to each doxie (or bonded pair), we work to find the best foster family, take care of their medical needs, and, when the time is right, help them find forever families! How Can You Help Our Dachshunds? By Adopting, Fostering, Volunteering or making a Donation. Today, Dachshunds Are Family — Once a hunting dog, the dachshund dog breed has shifted seamlessly into the role of family pet. With their charming personalities, expressive eyes, unwavering loyalty, and protective nature, these dachshunds also carry the endearing traits that once made them skilled hunter dogs. These traits include an amazing sense of smell, sweet & squishy paws that are great for digging, and a big bark. With these lovable features, dachshunds are here to stay! Together, we can help them stay on their paws.

West Valley City Animal Shelter