The Best San Diego, CA Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2026

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.

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.

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.

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.

Grandma Betty's Animal Rescue

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.

Small Breed Rescue of Southern California

Small Breed Rescue of Southern California is an all-volunteer, non-profit, foster-based organization funded by donations. We are dedicated to taking in and caring for small breed dogs, small reptiles, and select exotic pets primarily from public shelters and other rescues. We are education and science-focused to help ensure that the animals that go into their new homes and their new families are set up for success! Our rescue is uniquely structured to rehabilitate animals who are at high risk of euthanasia due to manageable behavioral challenges, such as small dogs who are declining in a shelter environment and reptiles/exotics that have not been properly handled over their lifetime. We develop organizational and individual relationships to accommodate these specific assistance needs, which is one thing that differentiates us from other rescue organizations. Another is focusing on the two groups of animals that most would not usually combine. Initially, we started working with behaviorally challenged dogs under 15lbs who were not sheltering well. Because of our team's different skill sets, we decided to also work with reptiles on the side. The pandemic and the current shifts in the economy have drastically changed our direction to where we now care for more reptiles and exotics than dogs! With these shifts, we have also had to drop our weight limit on dogs down to under 10 lbs due to a lack of foster homes. We are always looking for new foster guardians who want to help us in our mission to save more lives with stability, commitment, education, and support. We provide everything you need no matter the animal type. Inexperienced? No worries! We will match the right foster pet to your skill set and comfort level as well as provide you with the training and tools that you need. Consider joining our team to foster a dog that needs a little patience, guidance, and TLC to come out of their shell, or foster one of our reptiles like a bearded dragon, ball python, or leopard gecko! We have assembled a support team that consists of experienced individuals who bring particular skills from the animal welfare industry that enable us to grow, educate, and enrich our foster community in a manner that supports our specific needs and those of our animals. The same support is given to our adopters. We will help you get ready for your new companion before they go home. Our goal is to set you up on the path to success so there are no broken hearts if we can avoid them. SBRSC remains interested in and committed to the welfare of the animals beyond the adoption process by providing continued education, training tips, resource references, and an open-door policy to our supporters. ~

Lionel's Legacy

We had the pleasure of fostering our first senior dog, a 15-year-old pittie mix from a Los Angeles shelter. We had fostered many dogs before, but the one who stole our hearts was Lionel. He was in terrible shape when he joined us and wasn’t given much time to live, But his spirit and will amazed and inspired us all. Lionel, originally known as Sad Lionel Boy, came to It’s the Pits dog rescue from a shelter in Los Angeles at the age of 15. He was extremely thin, barely able to walk, infested with fleas and worms, and his ear canals sealed shut from chronic and untreated ear infections. Lionel truly was sad as he gazed into our eyes. We could hear Sad Lion Boy saying, “Why? Why didn’t they take care of me? What did I do wrong? Ok, so I barked a little.” We decided to take him into our home as a foster dog. He was afraid and untrusting at first but over time Lionel learned we were here to love and care for him. We realized Sir Lionel would stick around for a while when he began to eat, and eat, and eat … like a lion! In fact, when he smelled someone else eating, he started barking for their food too. When he gained enough strength he was finally able to walk down the street, pulling in search of smells and spots to mark his territory. Curious, our senior cat Hercules decided to join us on our daily walks. Lionel and Hercules hit it off and although they were quite the odd couple they became the best of friends walking up and down the street together. Every once in a while, our daughters would hop on their scooters and join us for our walks, Lionel would get so excited that he would take off in a sprint after them. Of course, he’d be done after 100 feet or so, but he showed that he still had the will to live and thrive. Lionel taught us many things For one, to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life! He also opened our eyes to the plight of homeless senior animals in our communities. Many senior pets end up abandoned at shelters because pet owners cannot pay for medical care, sometimes aging pet owners are impacted by their own physical limitations, and periodically families are unable to manage their pet’s age-related changes like incontinence or cognitive decline. Sometimes pet owners have to move and aren’t sure their senior pet can handle the change. Although Lionel’s Legacy rescues senior dogs, our ultimate goal is to help beloved pets stay with their families.

Helen Woodward Animal Center

Helen Woodward Animal Center, established in 1972, is an organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” This unique nonprofit organization benefits the community by providing educational and therapeutic programs for people, as well as humane care and adoption for homeless animals. Helen Woodward Animal Center is a unique, private non-profit organization in San Diego County that has been committed to the philosophy of people helping animals and animals helping people for over 50 years. Located on 12 acres in Rancho Santa Fe, California, our nationally recognized Center provides a variety of services that benefit the community through educational and therapeutic programs for people, and humane care and adoption for animals. We are a no-kill facility that receives no government funding and relies heavily on tax-deductible contributions from private donors to continue our life-saving mission. Helen Woodward Animal Center is an organization in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2022.

The DeTommaso Dogs

I began rescuing animals back in 2018 when I started frequenting Baja California more often, and to my shock I saw a ton of stray animals. There were way too many dogs and cats on the streets of Baja without food, shelter, or care. My first rescue was that of three kittens I found in a parking lot. They had no food, no water, and they were covered in fleas. I could not leave them in those terrible conditions. So I rescued them. I took them in, took care of their medical needs, and found them amazing, wonderful forever homes with their FURever family. The more times I visited Baja, the more animals in need I found. It ignited something in me to just start just saving any animal I could. After several years of nonstop work, our rescue finally became a nonprofit 501©(3) organization. In addition to rescuing animals, providing medical care, finding foster and forever homes, we were so fortunate to have donations from such giving community members that we began spay and neuter campaigns in Baja communities at no cost to the people. To help prevent more homeless animals from ending up on the streets, we have performed approximately 3,000 spay and neuter surgeries in Baja California so far. We have rescued hundreds and hundreds of dogs. I am just one person, yet I will help as many animals as I can. With the collective efforts of our amazing community members in southern California, dedicated volunteers, and incredible foster pawrents, The DeTommaso Dogs rescue is able to reach even more animals in need. Our goal is to provide love, care, and a safe home for each and every one of them..

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.

Rancho Coastal Humane Society

Rancho Coastal Humane Society is dedicated to saving lives of abandoned companion animals, promoting adoption into loving homes and offering education programs and support services that inspire and strengthen the human-animal bond.

Crossing Guardians

Crossing Guardians is an all-volunteer organization. We wear many hats in the world of animal rescue and have found that the initial and primary obstacle in saving the lives of Border Strays is to provide them with vet care (often emergency vet care), medicine, food, supplies, and boarding. As such, this organization was formed primarily to bridge the gap between getting Border Strays off the streets, taking care of emergency and/or initial vet care, and getting them into a safe environment until a rescue or a permanent home can be found. Once a family or rescue agrees to take the animal, then logistics are formed and transportation arrangements are made. Crossing Guardians also provides food and supplies to independent rescuers south of the border, or will wire funds so they can procure those items themselves. Crossing Guardians helps with boarding costs, including rental payment of homes used as a temporary haven for homeless animals until placed with a rescue or permanent home. Mexico is Southern California’s neighboring country, but animal rescue is made more difficult because it is still another country. So, with each animal rescue venture, a cooperative alliance is formed with other individuals, both north and south of the border. It is always a team effort with many players involved. Through our collective endeavor to make a positive contribution for the stray animal population along the California-Mexico border, we hope to make a fundamental change in the current assumption that animals don’t matter.

K9 Connection Pet Adoption

We are a 24/7— 365 rescue even after the adoption. We care for all our babies and want them with the best families and in wonderful and loving homes. We work very hard to get them back on track for our adopters. We deliver solid, healthy dogs. We provide training support to keep your dogs on the straight path. We want success for everyone. We serve San Diego County and other surrounding counties based on an approved adoption contract. All dogs are fully vetted, microchipped and spayed/neutered. Our dogs come with a full adoption kit of supplies. We do a full application and home check at the time of adoption.

Camp Pendleton Animal Shelter

The Heroic Tail

Katie – Founder & Trainer Our founder, Katie, has been rescuing and training dogs her entire adult life. She has always loved working with dogs and takes special interest in dogs who’ve been written off by others due to their behaviors. Several years ago, she began rescuing dogs through her training company, funded solely by her, so that she could use her expertise and her success to rescue dogs in need, who don’t have anyone else to help them. Rescuing dogs has been a passion of hers her whole life, even from childhood, and she wants to ensure that no dog is left behind due to circumstances placed on them by people. Most dogs who struggle with behavioral issues, struggle because of abandonment, lack of structure, and lack of commitment by the people who said they would love them, and then let them down. In her years in this industry, she noticed a flaw in the rescue system as a whole. There is a lack of balanced training for rescue dogs with behavior issues. Offering structure, patience, love, and understanding, even the most severe dogs are almost always able to recover fully and live happy, balanced lives. This is how the idea for The Heroic Tail was born. With her partners, Mirna, a seasoned dog rescue expert, as well as an active-duty US Navy service member, Noah, both who have shown their dedication and love of animals in their own lives, she dreamed of a rescue that could truly help those dogs who have been given up on, and begin to change the rescue world to make sure that no dog is left behind Speaking up and Standing Up for Dogs A Voice for the Voiceless. Mirna – Operations Manager Mirna has been a volunteer coordinator for several nonprofit dog welfare organizations throughout the years. Helping animals has always been a large part of who she is. Animals don’t have voices, so they need our help to speak up and stand up for them. Mirna chose to co-found The Heroic Tail because she saw an opportunity to help the dogs who are listed first on the euthanasia list at high-kill shelters due to behavioral issues. Where many rescues shy away from those types of dogs, Mirna wanted to be the voice for the voiceless, with the understanding that the vast majority of these dogs are absolutely capable of recovery and rehabilitation through training, structure, patience, and love. Mirna is what we call a warrior for animals, so beginning a partnership with a trainer who loves animals above all, and is able to help, is why The Heroic Tail has become a dream come true for all of us.

Passion for Pitties

It all began in 2011 with a beautiful American Pit Bull Terrier named Sage. She was a gorgeous white and fawn girl with the most majestic green eyes and the cutest pink spotted nose. Our founder, Elise, volunteered at the shelter five days a week for 5 hours a day to help the dogs see another day. Sage was a stray who had been living at the Chula Vista Animal Care Facility for over four months. In that time, no one came to adopt her - no one came to rescue her. Elise built a wonderful relationship with Sage and loved her immensely. One day, Elise went in to exercise Sage, but she was missing. Elise frantically searched every kennel, but couldn’t find her anywhere. Could she have finally been adopted? An employee finally told Elise the truth - that Sage’s time was up. The staff had evaluated her behavior and the poor sweetheart had lost some of the softness that she once had with other dogs. Life in a kennel had broken her spirit. Elise’s heart was shattered. The end of Sage’s story was the beginning of ours. Elise swore that her life would not be in vain. American Pit Bull Terriers are our passion and our cause. We advocate tirelessly for bully breeds through education, events, and fundraisers. Now, our main focus is pulling more dogs like Sage from the shelter before their spirits are broken. We believe that any dog can be rehabilitated with positive training, reinforcement, and gentle human touch and guidance. All dogs ask for in return is love and kindness. Pitties are loving, soft, gentle, smart, playful, loyal dogs who long for human companionship and deserve a family to love and be loved by. In honor of Sage, we vow to pull as many dogs into our rescue as possible and: Stop Animals Getting Euthanized Passion for Pitties is a 501(c)(3)non-profit organization. Please consider tax deductible donations to aide us in saving and advocating for bully breed dogs in Southern California and beyond.

Friends of Humane Services in Tijuana

The greater Tijuana area of 3 million people and thousands of abandoned street animals needs more individuals doing rescues and organizing neighborhood spay clinics. It is more efficient than running a shelter which could only keep a few animals at a time. FHSTJ’s priority is to keep these grassroots groups viable and give them direct support. By supporting rescuers as well as neighborhood groups, many animals are cared for and more mass spay and neuter clinics take place in areas most in need. This is accomplished by giving financial support to rescuers and groups which could not function without the generosity of FHSTJ donors. In summary, FHSTJ supports street rescues, mass spay and neuter clinics, pet owners with extremely limited resources needing veterinary care for their animals as well as public education programs, adoption programs for rescuers, and a pet food distribution program for animals in need. For more information about FHSTJ’s work and to see the animals that we are helping, CLICK HERE. You can also obtain information about planned events by CLICKING HERE. If you would like to save an animal from starvation, disease, pain and fear, click on the Donation page to select the way in which you would like to help. Thank you for taking the time to read about our work.