The Best Springfield, MO Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2025

Sheltie Shack Rescue

Pets4Vets of the Ozark’s

Paws and Hands United

Paws and Hands United is a 501(c)3 non-profit, foster based, all volunteer ran animal rescue in Southwest Missouri. We are also fully licensed through the Missouri Department of Agriculture. We place our focus on animals in crisis situations and those that are risk of euthanasia. Many of the animals we bring into our rescue suffer neglect, abuse or lack socialization. Many of these animals are also in dire need of medical attention. Dogs such as pit bulls, rottweilers, black dogs and seniors are often left in situations without many options due to overpopulation and people wanting purebreds or puppies. Many dogs have a bad reputation at no fault of their own and we look beyond that. Pit bulls, bully breeds, and other dominant breeds can be terrific dogs with proper training and socialization. We are foster-based meaning we can only take on what we have foster homes for so without fosters we are not able to save animals. Fosters play a huge role in our rescue program!

Home For Life Cat Sanctuary (HFLCS)

4 The Love of K9s

Branson Humane Society

With an adoption center and two thrift stores, Branson Humane Society serves the needs of homeless dogs and cats in the Branson, Missouri area. Donations and volunteers are critical to our success. There’s no way around it, when you have as many animals as we do, it takes many hands to get the job done well! The Adoption Center team works 7 days a week to care for the animals and ensure the center operates at the highest levels mandated by the US Department of Agriculture. We work with Taney County Animal Control and The City of Branson Animal Control.

Stone County Animal Advocates and Rescue

C.A.R.E. Animal Rescue

Castaway Animals Rescue Effort, otherwise known as C.A.R.E., is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, dedicated to the prevention of cruelty to animals. Established in 1992, C.A.R.E. has saved over 25,000 lives and we are still counting. From our humble grassroots beginnings, we have grown into southwest Missouri's largest no-kill shelter. Operations are still overseen by founder and director, Melissa Sartin. Her compassion for all living creatures drives the organization forward. Everyday we strive to ease the pain that victims of neglect and abuse endure, offering safety and hope, and finding them the homes they so richly deserve. We are proud to work alongside government agencies and other nonprofits making a difference in the lives of the animals we care so deeply about. Together we serve as a voice for those who cannot speak. C.A.R.E. Animal Rescue houses hundreds of homeless animals. The Adoption Center in Springfield is open to the public Thursday-Saturday while scheduling adoptions by appointment Sunday-Wednesday. The Adoption Center gives guests the opportunity to meet some of our animals offering a one-on-one experience prior to adoption. Our sanctuary near Aurora is reserved for animals who may need some extra time to fully recover and become ready for adoption. We also house our rescued farm animals at this location. Our unadoptable animals reside at our sanctuary as well, each spending their days with cageless freedom, their nights in warm beds, and receiving lots of love and individual attention. ​C.A.R.E. relies solely on the kindness and donations of the public to care for our animals. We are neither city- nor state-funded and all donations are tax deductible. We rescue approximately 1,000 animals a year, including dogs, cats, small mammals, horses, pigs and more. Your donations change the lives of so many animals who would otherwise not have a chance.

Polk County Humane Society

Polk County Humane Society is a no-kill shelter. We serve Polk County, Missouri and aid surrounding counties that have little to no resources for assisting animals in need. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely solely on the generous support of our community through monetary and material donations. It is through this support and the diligent work of our board members, staff and volunteers that Polk County Humane Society is able to help more than 500 animals per year. Our dream is to grow our organization so that we can help many more animals in need.

Valley Hills Animal Rescue

Valley Hills Animal Rescue was founded by a registered nurse who had a problem of her own to solve. ​"It wasn't long after I moved here in 1999 that dumped dogs would show up on my property. I would try to find owners and when no one claimed them I took to the local animal control at the time. Well, they soon started charging me $20 for every dog I brought them. I was bringing them 1 or 2 dogs a week!! I could not afford to feed more dogs because I had my own dogs. Then, one day, I called to see about bringing a heeler to the pound. I told them I just cannot afford to keep paying 20 bucks. I did not dump the dog, but some of the area farmers were going to shoot him because he was running his cattle. It was a great dog just needed some training. The voice on the other end said, " Well, it is not against the law to take a dog behind the barn and shoot it. " I hung up, looked at the dog and said, "Well fella, I guess we're on our own." I never took another dog to the pound. Instead, I started finding homes for them. The word got out and it just grew and grew." - Mary, Founder of Valley Hills

Humane Society of Southwest Missouri

The Humane Society of Southwest Missouri is an independent, 501(c)3 non-profit organization licensed by the Missouri Department of Agriculture. ​Funding for the organization comes from private donations. We do not receive any funding from the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society of Missouri, SPCA, or any government agencies. HISTORY The Humane Society of Southwest Missouri was incorporated on October 19, 1956, as a non-profit organization dedicated to homeless animals. It was originally called the Greene County Humane Society, Inc., and then changed to the Southwest Missouri Humane Society on December 30, 1978. The shelter building sits on ten acres of land donated by Ruby S. Vella. The original building was built in 1960, and small additions were made to the existing building over time, along with satellite buildings for storage, etc. In 2005, a capital campaign committee was formed to raise the money necessary to build a state-of-the-art facility to replace the aging, crowded buildings. Operations were moved to the new facility in September of 2009, and the organization’s name was changed to the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri.

Boxer-Schnauzer Rescue of the Ozarks

Boxer-Schnauzer Rescue of the Ozarks (BSRO) is an all-volunteer, multi-breed rescue group located in SW MO that serves those areas in MO and other parts of the Midwest where our volunteers exist, thus making placements and home evaluations possible. We are licensed by the State of Missouri, hold Missouri state non-profit status and are a 501c3 non profit agency. We are members of Midwest Boxer Rescues (MWBR), an umbrella, regional Boxer rescue group for the Midwest region. MWBR also includes a few other rescue “chapters”. All of the Boxer rescue groups that make up MWBR follow common procedures regarding adoption and intakes. Our Schnauzer rescue efforts encompass all three sizes of this breed – the Miniature Schnauzer, the Standard Schnauzer and the Giant Schnauzer. We have basic placement guidelines for any dog in our program, whether it’s a Boxer or a Schnauzer. We require a home visit and reference/vet check on each applicant, and while there are some (few) exceptions, we generally require our applicants to have a fenced yard. All of our breeds are intended to be inside dogs, but they need securely fenced areas where they may safely exercise or take care of elimination needs.

Hotel McColm

Tri-Lakes Humane Society

OUR BEGINNING: In 1978 a group of neighbors got together to provide foster homes and find families for the ever-increasing number of stray animals roaming their area. As the program grew, it became apparent that a shelter facility was necessary. After ten years of fund raising, the Tri-Lakes Animal Shelter opened in June, 1988. In 1995, we changed our name to Humane Society of the Branson Tri-Lakes Area. However, in 2013 another humane society opened in the Branson area, so as not to cause confusion, we changed our name back to the Tri-Lakes Humane Society. Today, our animal shelter is an valuable temporary home for almost 1,000 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens every year. Since we have an adoption rate of more than three times the national average, the vast majority of our "adorable adoptables" are placed in loving homes. As time and funding allow, we are always trying to improve our facility. In 2009/2010 we updated our intake and isolation area as well as our puppy room. We were also able to enclose our area for medium size dogs and add a clinic area to the back of our building. In 2011 we added metal, carport type covers over our exercise areas to give the dogs shade during their "playdays". In 2012 we were able to asphalt our parking lot and install fencing over almost all of our property so the dogs can now have exercise/play areas in the grass. In 2019, we added a walking path for our volunteers to have a nice place to walk the dogs. ​ OUR GOALS: Our primary goal is a 100% adoption rate for all adoptable animals who find their way to our shelter. In order to achieve this goal, we will strive to attract adequate funding to assure our shelter's ongoing operation. We will also make every effort to educate the public about the necessity of spaying and neutering their pets to reduce the number of unwanted animals in our area and surrounding communities. Now, working with the SAAFhouse Spay/Neuter Clinic in Springfield, all animals adopted from our facility are altered. We feel this is a huge asset to our community and to the adopters that choose our shelter to find their new best friend. WHY WE SUCCEED: One reason our adoption rate is three times the national average is that we do not wait for the public to come to us. We take our homeless animals to the public. Our volunteers transport shelter animals to area businesses who offer space for us to showcase our furry orphans. Because we receive no federal, state or county funding, we rely solely on donations, fundraisers and revenues from our Thrift Shop, to keep our doors open. We are grateful for the continued respect, appreciation and support of our local veterinarians and media, including the Branson Tri-Lakes News, Branson Register, KSPR/Channel 33, and KOMC/KRZK Hometown Radio, who help us showcase our shelter animals and find them homes. Our dedicated staff and volunteers are the backbone of our shelter. They provide the loving care to keep the animals safe until a permanent home can be found.

Greyhound Pet Adoption Springfield, Missouri

Greyhound Pet Adoption Springfield MO is an all volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides information, education, promotion of adoption and adoption of retired racing Greyhounds. We also promote cooperation with other adoption programs nationwide to further the placement of Greyhounds as pets into responsible loving homes. Alane Shultz is the founder of GPAMO and has had retired racing greyhounds as pets since 1983. She has facilitated greyhound adoptions since 1992. Greyhounds are clean, quiet and have no hereditary health problems. Their exercise requirements are surprisingly low - they prefer to curl up and have you pet them! Loving and loyal, your greyhound is your fast friend for life!