The Best Arizona Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2025

One Love Arizona: Rescue, Advocacy + Sterilization

One Love utilizes innovative and forward-thinking programs to rescue and rehabilitate at-risk dogs, advocate for shelter animals, and provide free spay + neuter services.y

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Friends For Life Animal Rescue

Friends for Life Animal Rescue is dedicated to the homeless and stray animals in our community. These animals do not have an advocate and will likely suffer starvation, illness, or injury as they try to survive alone. Animals on the street are often unaltered, reproducing and creating even more unwanted animals. Friends for Life prefers to get to the source of the problem through spaying and neutering all animals we take in, and educating the public about the importance of altering their animals.

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Arizona Humane Society

In 2013, Maricopa County was one of the worst places to be a pet. Shelters were facing the second worst pet overpopulation crisis in the United States. The Arizona Humane Society was a large rescue shelter taking in thousands of homeless animals, but there were still many pets with treatable illnesses being euthanized throughout the state. We knew a radical shift in thinking was needed to save more animal lives. So, we began systematically launching multiple initiatives to care for the most vulnerable in our community. Today, we take in the pets that other shelters can't care for: the ones who are sick, who are injured, or who would normally be euthanized in other shelters because of their tough medical needs. We serve as a safety net for the Valley's most vulnerable pets, and our Ethical No-Kill Philosophy‚ ensures we never euthanize a pet for space or based on the length of time they've been with us. And every effort has been worth it. Since 2013, we've reduced euthanasia by 83%‚that's 150,000 additional lives saved. Here's how we're transforming animal welfare in Arizona.

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Rotten Rottie Rescue

Thank you for visiting rottenrottie.com, Arizona's only Rottweiler rescue located in Gilbert, right outside of Phoenix! Within this website you should hopefully find all the answers you are looking for when it comes to helping rescue this great breed! From the dogs we have rescued, who's in foster care, how to become a volunteer or a foster parent, forms for adopting, donating, dog training , up coming events and so much more! We work hard to save as many as these great boys and girls off the euthanasia list at our county's animal shelter as we can (we also take owner surrenders, depending on temperament). Moreover, we rescue dogs from the Pinal County Shelter as well, and on several occasions have rescued rotties from neighboring states who were scheduled to be euthanized. The more Rottweilers we can place into forever homes, the more we can save! This rescue is foster based, meaning we do not have a large kennel where we house the dogs in cages all day. Each rottweiler that we rescue goes to live with a family who has experience or has been trained on how to safely bring in a homeless rottweiler, whose temperament is pretty much unknown. There the dog is able to relax and shows us his true colors. We are able to help train and tweak bad habits and behavior and learn what may set the dog off, such as a cat, another dog, a crying baby etc. This knowledge gives us the ability to match our dogs with families who would be a good fit. This gives the adopter a much better advantage then going to the shelter and picking out a dog that no one knows anything about, taking it home to find out that the dog gets very aggressive when he sees a cat and you hoped he was going to be fluffy's new best friend.

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Arizona Animal Welfare League

The Arizona Animal Welfare League is the largest and oldest no-kill shelter in Arizona. A "no-kill" shelter is an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals even when the shelter is full, reserving euthanasia for terminally ill animals or those considered dangerous to public safety. AAWL is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization, tax ID 23-7149453. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. AAWL rescues, rehabilitates, and re-homes more than 4,000 dogs and cats that are abandoned or that have been surrendered by their owners. We do this primarily by rescuing them from other shelters in Maricopa County where they are likely to be euthanized due to the lack of time and resources to care for them. At any one time, our shelter will hold 140 cats and 190 dogs. We also have a foster parent network of approximately 90 families who provide care and shelter in their homes for puppies and kittens that are too young to be adopted, and those animals that are recovering from medical procedures or that need socialization before adoption. All pets offered for adoption have been spayed or neutered; micro-chipped and are current on all vaccinations. Any medical treatments needed, including surgeries, are provided by our medical team and all animals are evaluated by our behavior department. Learn more about our Phoenix veterinary services and animal clinic. AAWL not only adopts companion animals into loving homes, but we also hold a leadership position in the community in education and animal welfare issues. Check out our extensive dog and obedience training classes.

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Be Like Josh Foundation

The Be Like Josh foundation is a non profit organization dedicated to the study and advocacy of dogs with neurological disabilities. We are proud to celebrate all abilities on the canine neurological spectrum. It is an honor to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home these exceptional animals, to tell their stories, from rescue to adoption, and every adventure along the way. They serve as ambassadors of our mission, which pushes back against ableism in the veterinary community and promotes true inclusion, for animals and humans alike. Through our work, we share the message that all animals and people, wherever they are on the spectrum of abilities, are worthy of being seen, loved and appreciated.

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Love Connection Dog Rescue

Love Connection Dog Rescue is a 501(c)3 foster-based rescue whose founders have been saving dogs and making loving matches for over ten years. We take in all sizes, ages, and breeds of dogs and puppies and work to make lasting connections to families of all shapes and sizes too. We like to pull dogs in need from the county shelters across Arizona, from the Indian reservations, and dogs that require board and training.

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Paws 4 Life AZ

Paws 4 Life AZ Rescue is a non-profit, no-kill, volunteer dog rescue organization serving the STV, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa, Apache Junction, Tempe and Phoenix area. We are dedicated to rescuing dogs left homeless for whatever reason – dogs in public shelters where they are at high risk of euthanasia due to pet overpopulation, dogs given up by their owners because of difficult circumstances, and those in danger of abuse or neglect. We place dogs in loving, responsible, committed permanent homes, following a comprehensive adoption process which includes taking considerable care in finding good matches and educating prospective adopters about the responsibilities and costs of bringing a dog into their homes and lives. Animals in our care are spayed or neutered, microchipped and receive all appropriate veterinary care and treatment, and placed in nurturing foster homes while they await placement in their permanent homes. We assist dogs in distress without regard to age, breed or ease of placement. To the extent our finances allow, dogs in the greatest need take priority. We are determined to keep administrative expenses extremely low so that virtually every dollar taken in goes directly to the care of the animals. Our group remains interested in and committed to the welfare of the dog beyond the adoption process. Finally, we strive to work with area shelters and other rescue and humane organizations to develop a network of supporters and volunteers in order to create a better world for homeless pets. We do not have a kennel / shelter type of facility. We believe the most effective and successful way to match families and pets is to foster them in our own homes. Fostering dogs allows us to train the dogs to have good doggie manners and allows us to learn about the dog's personality and character. Ultimately fostering our rescue animals allows us to give potential adopters complete information on the pet's behavior and how well he / she will fit with a family and lifestyle. If you would like to be a foster please let us know.

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Apache Junction Animal Control

Apache Junction Animal Control provides services to the residents of Apache Junction such as adoptions, licensing, public outreach and education and many other services. They also provide shelter to cats and dogs that are owner surrendered as well as strays. Animals are available for adoption unless otherwise stated. The Apache Junction Animal Control also protects the public from animal-inflicted injuries by: o Controlling the stray animal population o Providing dog licensing programs o Educating the public about animal behavior, care, and control

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Boxer Luv Rescue

Founded in 1998 by Trish Spencer, Boxer Luv Rescue (BLR) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to Boxers and Boxer mixes in need throughout Arizona. We have saved the lives of more than 10,000 rescue dogs since 1998. Boxer Luv's goal is to find more ways to build our resources, so all the precious lives of this wonderful breed can be rescued in our area, and live on to enhance the lives of loving families. Boxer Luv is an all-volunteer organization that operates solely on private donations and grants from individuals and corporations. The vast majority of dogs in BLR are rehabilitated in foster homes, where they are medically treated, and given time to heal from their physical and emotional wounds before being ready for adoption to qualified families and individuals. All dogs go through a comprehensive medical workup. This includes complete blood work with testing for Valley Fever, Heartworm, Tick Fever, other desert diseases, and more. The rescues are also spayed or neutered and receive all vaccinations before being adopted to a carefully screened, loving "forever" home. Boxer Luv is proud to be a partner of PAC911 of Phoenix.

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Sky Sanctuary Rescue

Sky Sanctuary specialize in the humane capture and rescue of stray, fearful and injured animals from the streets of Phoenix, Arizona, the surrounding desert areas and local shelters. We often rescue the abandoned, lost and forgotten animals. Fiercely advocating for the animals in our care. Often our animals have extensive and complex medical needs that require a profound level of specialty medical care. Not only do we invest in our animal's physical health, we utilize a trusted group of trainers to build confidence, empower and improve our animal's mental well-being in order to live peaceful, happy lives in family homes. We are very different from other animal rescue organizations. We are "boots on the ground" in our community while passionately fight for the dogs and animals no one else has the courage to take on. We have a knack for finding ourselves in pretty breathtaking scenarios- some call it divine intervention, others call it luck. We live by the mantra "if not me then who?". We are funded solely by public donations through social media. We are grateful for the opportunity to help these animals. We would go to any length to #SAVETHESTREETDOGS

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Almost There: A Mom + Pups Rescue

My name is Geri Hormel and I am the founder of Almost There Rescue. What do we do at ATR? We save bitches. No, we don't go around seeking out malicious, unpleasant women and try to convince them to change their ways (although someone should!). We save dogs. Specifically, homeless, pregnant, large-breed dogs. We scoop those gals up from less than ideal situations and give them a place to birth and raise their pups. We work our tails off to give our pups the medical help, enrichment, socialization, and love that they need on their journeys to finding forever homes.

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Puppy Luv Animal Rescue

Foster based, all breed, all size dog rescue.

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Arizona Poodle Rescue

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HannahPearl Rescue

We are a non profit animal rescue located in Scottsdale. We rescue dogs that have been abandoned, abused, are at risk of euthanasia or have medical issues from the shelters here in Arizona. We also rescue many dogs in need from a small rescue in Mexico with our team of dedicated animal advocates that help us with the transportation and initial medical intervention. We are a foster based rescue so all the animals we take in go to loving temporary homes so that we can continue to provide their medical treatments. Fosters are critical in our mission and they provide a safe place for our rescues to heal physically, emotionally and mentally. Most of our Mexico rescues were initially street dogs that have been subjected to the most inhumane treatment by humans and have never been in a home environment. A lot of the animals in our care are in need of extensive medical intervention due to sickness, old age, disease or being abused. We pride ourselves on being a small rescue that go above and beyond and believe in quality over quantity to provide each individual rescue we take in all of the necessary vetting and rehabilitation they need to become adoptable so that they can be placed into loving forever homes. Once our rescues are medically cleared they are adopted out through HannahPearl or our trusted rescue partners. Once they are adopted we also provide additional guidance and anything else that is needed to help them adjust in their new homes. We always stay connected with our adopters and continue to get updates on their progress. We are lucky enough to have even made lifelong friends with some and we still get to see our rescue babies which is everything to us.

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Handover Rover

At Handover Rover, we specialize in rescuing and training 'tough' dogs‚ those with challenging behavior and medical cases. Our mission is to provide expert care, rehabilitation, and find loving homes for the dogs that cross our path.

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Foothills Animal Rescue

Foothills Animal Rescue began in 1995 and we have grown to be a community staple for dog and cat adoptions. We specialize in medical and behavioral animals that larger shelters may not have the resources to help.

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Saving Paws Rescue Arizona

Saving Paws Rescue Arizona is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) charitable organization in Phoenix, Arizona. We are dedicated to providing veterinary care, evaluation and adoptive homes for German Shepherd and Belgian Malinois dogs who are left in pounds to await uncertain fate, are owner surrenders (such as divorce, death, etc.) or are no longer wanted or cared for. We help provide a safe harbor for these dogs that might otherwise be destroyed. SPR doesn't believe that being sick, injured, old or pregnant is a reason to die. Saving the lives of the most vulnerable has long been a mission for SPR. The sick and injured are often abandoned by owners who cannot or will not provide care. The most vulnerable are the first to run ‚out of time, at the county shelters. The abandoned and dumped are often sick and injured as a result of living life on the streets and desert. Over 2,500 lives have been saved by SPR and our new facility will enable us to save more.

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Love Them All

We are a group of animal advocates dedicated to making a dent in the number of euthanized pets in Maricopa County. We recognize that lack of space and resources is one of the top reasons that dogs and cats are euthanized every day in our county. Because our animal-loving hearts can't bear to live with that status quo, we want to be a solution to the problem.

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Southwest Oasis Labrador Rescue

SOLR is a rescue organization dedicated to helping Labrador Retrievers and Lab mixes who have been displaced from their home environment find new loving homes for the remainder of their lives. SOLR is non-profit and depends entirely on our volunteers and donations.

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Friends of PACC

Friends of PACC was founded in 2016 by a group of dedicated PACC staff, volunteers, and community members who knew that the newly renovated shelter would need tremendous philanthropic support to thrive.

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Arizona Rescue Life

Nonprofit 501c3 dog rescue in Tucson, AZ. We have a loving group of fosters that open their homes to fosters until they can find their furever homes. We work with several shelters in Arizona along with Texas and New Mexico. We also take in strays and owner surrenders. Our History A group of friends that love animals came together to create our organization to help support our community's animals. We are hoping to grow and expand, all thanks to the helping hands of this amazing community!

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Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption

Southern Arizona Greyhound Adoption is a dedicated group of veteran greyhound adopters and volunteers, who are committed to seeking the very best forever homes for greyhounds in our care. Located in the Tucson area, we primarily serve Southern Arizona. We are non-profit and totally volunteer run, so every dollar goes to the care and promotion of the dogs. We are a registered 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 45-4526305). We strive to provide the very best adoption experience and follow-up. Successful integration into forever homes is our primary goal. Our organization is focused solely on a hound’s journey after leaving the racing Industry. Our mission is to prepare them, medically and socially, to be pets and to place them in loving forever homes. SA Greys does not take a position on greyhound racing. Our volunteers seek to educate the public about the wonderful greyhound breed and what great companions they make after their racing careers are done.

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Southern Arizona Beagle Rescue

We're an all-volunteer, 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and rehoming Beagles, Hounds and Hound mixes. We have no paid staff and our dogs are cared for by our loving foster families. One hundred percent of your donation goes toward the medical and rescue costs of the dogs in our care. We also provide rescue, education and referral services for beagles from area shelters and beagles from homes that can no longer keep their dog. We serve Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz and Pinal Counties. SoAZBR is a charitable, non-profit, all-volunteer organization. We have no shelter facility or overhead costs - just a dedicated group of volunteers that care for homeless dogs in their homes until a forever family can be found. what we do We rescue Beagle and beagle-mix dogs; We provide education on hounds and the Beagle breed; We offer training referrals; We assist families that need to re-home their dogs. Serving all of Southern Arizona, including Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz & Pinal counties. OUR GOALS: (1) To rescue and re-home adoptable shelter beagles that would otherwise be euthanized. (2) To offer beagle owners an educational resource on the care and love of their beagle. (3) To assist dog owners that can no longer keep their beagle. (4) To provide beagles and the people who love them a fun, local community. (5) To educate the public on the responsibilities of pet ownership and the importance of spaying and neutering one’s pets. (6) To support and promote other animal rescue organizations.

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