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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, operates the nation's largest sanctuary for homeless animals and provides adoption, spay/neuter, and educational programs.

Humane Society of Northern Utah

The Humane Society of Northern Utah was started in 2008 as the Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary. Over the years our focus expanded and we became the Humane Society of Northern Utah. We are a 501(c)3 non profit organization.

Great Pyrenees Rescue Resources Utah Montana

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.

West Valley City Animal Shelter

Canines With a Cause

We are a registered 501c3 nonprofit that pairs rescued dogs with military veterans living with PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Military Sexual Trauma (MST) to become psychiatric service or assistance dogs. Thanks to our generous donors, CWAC is able to provide training classes to veterans completely free of charge. Our classes are designed to give veterans the confidence to not only train their dogs but become experienced handlers. Canines With a Cause (CWAC) is proud to be an accredited member of the Association of Service Dog Providers (ASDP). Classes are currently being offered in Salt Lake City area, Northern Nevada, and Northern Idaho.

Cavalier Crazy Rescue

Cavalier Crazy Rescue was founded in 2010. It started with one Cavalier that needed a home, and has just grown from there! As of 2015 we are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Talk to your accountant about your donations. We are dedicated to helping Cavaliers in need in Utah. All of our dogs live in foster homes, we do not have a shelter. We have our dogs health checked for heart and knee problems, they are spayed or neutered and are up to date on shots, have microchips and dentals are given when needed before they go to their new homes. We will adopt to out of state adopters, but only if you are willing to come to Utah. You must come to Utah to meet the dog you are interested in. We do not ship or transport. If you are in state we require a home visit, if you are out of state we require photos and/or videos of your yard, and may require a home visit if we have a volunteer in the area. We do not adopt to homes without a fenced yard! Adoptions to adopters in apartments and condos are on a case by case basis depending on the dogs needs. Adoptions to families in apartments depend on the dogs needs. We believe that adoptions are on a case by case basis and will work to find the right home for the dog. We require that our dogs come back to us no questions asked if things do not work out or your circumstances change. It is important for us that our adopters stay in touch and feel free to contact us with questions or concerns!

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.

Salt Lake County Animal Services

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

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.

Utah Friends of Basset Hounds

Utah Friends of Basset Hounds started in the fall of 2002 by a group of five, Peggy Chudd, Jennifer Heighton, Toni Moore, Shawn Blaser, and John Nish. In the first two years, we had 15 adoptions. In the last two years, UFBH has had 175 Basset Hound adoptions and we continue to grow. We currently have over 75 dogs in our care, many of those permanent Forever Fosters who will remain with us until the end of their lives. Purpose Statement Serving our local and statewide communities, Utah Friends of Basset Hounds, Inc. provides: • Education to the public and prospective homes about the Basset Hound breed. • Shelter and care for homeless Basset Hounds. • Assistance, when needed, to anyone owning a Basset Hound so as to keep the dog in a good environment. • Placement in suitable foster and permanent homes for all dogs taken into our care. • Financial and emotional support, when needed, to our foster and adoptive homes using the dogs’ best interest as a guide. • Fundraising events in order to care for all dogs taken in by our rescue. • Education about spaying and neutering in order to decrease pet overpopulation and random breeding. • Placement assistance to state and local animal shelters for Basset Hounds and mixed breeds.

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.

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.

Wasatch Canine Camp

When Bethany was younger, she knew she needed to do something with animals. When she was 14 she got her first dog Jake, a German Shepherd. She had so much fun training him and working with him. He helped her to realize that working with dogs was what she was wanting to do with her life. After working every job she could in high school to save up and learn how to become a trainer, she finally was able to become certified. Shortly after she graduated high school, she was certified by Heather Beck. Bethany immediately opened Wasatch Canine Camp in the fall of 2007. She never imagined that her small dream of becoming a trainer would grow into such a full time business with a training center and staff. She is beyond grateful for every opportunity she has had to learn and grow, to help gain any knowledge possible in regards to dogs and dog training, as well as sharing that knowledge with her staff and her clients. Bethany’s goal when working with dogs is to communicate with them in the most clear and gentle way possible so that she can help them become the best dog they can be! Bethany met her husband Alan in high school, and they were married in 2009. In 2013, Alan joined Bethany full time at Wasatch Canine Camp.

Paws for Life Utah

Paws For Life Utah is a publicly recognized non-profit organization pursuant of IRS Section 501(c)3. Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. We respect and are committed to protecting your privacy. Personal information will not be shared with any individuals or organizations. We will not sell your personal identifiable information to anyone.