The Best Arizona Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2026

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

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.

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.

Puppy Luv Animal Rescue

Foster based, all breed, all size dog rescue.

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

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.

Barb's Dog Rescue

Barb's Dog Rescue is saving the lives of Rocky Point's street dogs! Most dogs come to us in dire condition; they are often sick, starving, injured or abused. Many of our female dogs come to us pregnant, and we are so happy to provide these sweet moms with a safe space to have their babies. 2023 was a very busy year, with well over 2,000 dogs rescued and adopted to loving families! We lost our founder and hero Barbara Mumaugh last summer, and while her loss has left a hole in our hearts, we are more committed than ever to continue her mission and life's work.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

AZ Mastiff Rescue

We are a 5O1c3 non-profit Mastiff Rescue located in Phoenix, Arizona and Southern California. We Rescue, Rehabilitate and Rehome English Mastiffs, Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Cane Corso, Dogue de Bordeaux and other Giant Breeds throughout the Southwest and take pride in every Mastiff we help.

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.

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.

Maricopa animal care and control

At Maricopa County Animal Care & Control we know a thing or two about making connections and saving lives. Animal homelessness is a community problem that requires a community solution.

Lost Our Home Pet Rescue

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.

Yavapai Humane Society

We are committed to ensuring that every companion animal in our community has a great home and is well cared for all of its life. We utilize resources to support, serve, and educate the community by: Advocating for animals and individuals. Showing compassion through patience and open-mindedness. Maintaining a transparent culture to increase, develop, and sustain credibility.

AZ CARE

San Tan Animal Rescue

San Tan Animal Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit (EIN: 82-2359666 ), no-kill animal rescue organization who's mission is to rescue dogs that have been abandoned, neglected, or otherwise placed in harm's way; to provide temporary housing for adoptable dogs, and to promote and encourage the responsible care of pets, especially spaying or neutering, micro-chipping and vaccination of dogs and puppies. We have over 30 years of combined rescue experience and knowledge. All our dog's are spayed or neutered, microchipped and current on all their shots prior to being adopted. 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. In order to adopt the dogs that are in our group, we hold adoption events every Saturday at the Petsmart in Queen Creek. Many of San Tan Animal Rescue Puppies and adult dogs are rescued from city animal shelters right before they're scheduled to be euthanized. Other dogs come to us from people who have found them as a stray or abandoned, and often gravely ill. Unfortunately, there are far more homeless dogs than we can care for, but we do our best to place as many dogs as we can into a San Tan Animal Rescue foster homes. For the cases where we are unable to bring a dog into our group we offer families the option to courtesy post their dog on our website.

HALO Animal Rescue

HALO (Helping Animals Live On) is a private, 501(c)(3), non-profit organization founded in 1994 by two women, Michel Herstam and Heather Allen, out of their homes in Phoenix, AZ. HALO provides temporary shelter to abandoned cats and dogs until they can be adopted into a permanent home.

The Last Resort

Central Arizona Animal Rescue

Desert Paws Rescue

Since 2008, we have provided thousands of dogs and cats with a second chance at a happy ending. rescue Cats are often placed on a shelter’s Euthanasia list because of acute illness or behavior. We rescue these types of animals so that we can provide them with necessary medical attention and a second chance at long and healthy lives. Desert Paws also takes pride in pulling Ringworm+, FIV+, and FeLV+ cats that might otherwise be euthanized due to their condition. education Arizona has one of the highest homeless pet populations in the country! We strive to inform and educate our community about the importance of spay and neuter and the value of commitment to a healthy-pet-lifestyle. These values must be prioritized in order for our community to reduce our homeless pet population and reduce unnecessary euthanization of otherwise adoptable pets.

Back The Blue Pet Rescue

BTBPR is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing abused, neglected and abandoned animals. BTBPR strives to find these animals forever homes and reduce euthanasia. BTBPR also assists Arizona’s retired public safety K9’s with medical needs. BTBPR is comprised of board members either working in or having had prior experience working in Law Enforcement. It is this experience that brought BTBPR to life. Years ago, a call to home regarding a neglected Pitbull mix changed one board members way of thinking about animals. This beautiful Pit had just given birth and was found to be extremely dehydrated, emaciated, and severally abused. The hot summer in Arizona left this momma to dig holes in the ground to help keep her babies cool enough to survive the excruciating heat. The hardest part was how scared this momma was, and trust was something that did not come easy for her. Today, Lexi is doing great, and so are her puppies. That was over six years ago. The countless stories do not end with Lexi; rather she was just the beginning. BTBPR does not discriminate regarding animal breeds or even types of animals. BTBPR has also helped owners needing long-term medical care find temporary homes for their beloved animals so they could heal, knowing their fur babies were taken care of. In fact, BTBPR is in the beginning stages with area hospitals regarding assistance with hospice patients and critical long-term care patients who refuse to seek treatment because they have concerns for their animals. Also, area real estate agents seek BTBPR out when their clients reluctantly make the move to assisted living homes and need to find homes for their pets. BTBPR is also dedicated to lowering the feral feline population (homeless and unsocialized cats) by conducting regular Trap Neuter Return (TNR) events. During these events, feral cats are humanely trapped, neutered/spayed and then returned to the area they were trapped. TNR helps reduce the population of feral cats and still allows them to live a healthy life in the area they were located. Often, during these events, a cat first believed to be feral is not, and BTBPR will find them homes. BTBPR also socializes kittens born to feral mothers and finds them forever homes. To date, BTBPR has neutered/spayed hundreds of feral cats throughout Arizona. BTBPR is dedicated to giving back to area police agency K9 handlers by assisting with their medical needs. When a K9 can no longer work, due to age, health or injury, the K9 handler is responsible for its care when the dog is retired. These costs are often astronomical and strain the personal finances of these handlers. Most of the K9’s that are retired still have a life to live, but without medical assistance will be euthanized. BTBPR feels these dogs deserve better from us as they have served their communities with dedication and honor. Recently Chandler Police K9 Bronco was diagnosed with a brain tumor and was immediately retired. The tumor was operable, but at a high financial cost to his handler. BTBPR assisted with fundraisers, and Bronco received the treatment he deserved and will live several more years to enjoy his retirement. In addition, education is critical in saving animals, and BTBPR consistently provides training to not only the communities of Arizona but to police departments as well. Too often a call regarding a vicious animal is not as it seems, and the animals are either removed to be euthanized or shot on sight due to their behavior. Let us not forget that animals, even when abused, will protect their homes. By educating officers, providing less lethal means of capture, animals lives are saved. BTBPR assists other rescues as well by providing food, medicine, bedding, and shelter. BTBPR also contributes food, bedding, medicine, and shelter to the less fortunate who love their animals but sometimes fall into financial hardship. Without our help, owners in these situations surrender their animals which places them at risk for euthanasia. To date, BTBPR and their board members have saved hundreds of animals by providing medical care, shelter, and forever homes. BTBPR dedicates all they do to Lexi, her story is not unlike many others, but she was our beginning.

Carrie On Rescue

Helping our loyal canine and feline friends carry on to their forever homes. Carrie On Rescue was founded in 2013. We are a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit no-kill pet rescue organization based in Gilbert, AZ. We are all volunteers with no paid employees who dedicate our free time to help save as many animals from death row at the local shelters in the Phoenix area as we can. Carrie on Rescue holds adoption events regularly on Saturdays at Bark Avenue, located on 835 W. Warner Road in Gilbert, AZ. You may also meet our dogs by contacting us directly, and arranging for a personal meet-and-greet appointment during the week. We do not have a shelter facility of our own. All of our animals are placed in loving foster homes until they are adopted. The directors of Carrie on Rescue have been involved in animal rescue for more than a decade. Our main purpose is to save dogs from the euthanasia list at the Maricopa County shelter and other shelters in the area, but we also take in strays from time to time. We are very passionate about what we do as we truly love animals and we hope to see the day where all animals will have a loving home and we will no longer be needed. We envision the day when all animal shelters are empty because every dog and cat has found a loving family who will cherish them for their entire life.

Wildhorse Ranch Rescue

Wildhorse Ranch Rescue aka Wildhorse, was started in 1995 by Kim Meagher (pronounced Maher), an employee of Intel Corporation. She and her two young children, Nick and McKay, accidentally found out about the plight of homeless horses in the United States. Once they knew that over 60,000 horses in this country are sent to horrible deaths each year, they knew they had to do something to help. They rescued horses privately from 1995 until 2000. But even with their efforts, they could not save very many horses. Kim applied for, and received non-profit status for Wildhorse and with the help of many people, Wildhorse has been able to save hundreds of horses from death, abuse and neglect. Note: Our use of the term "horses" refers to all types of equine. Wildhorse also takes in retired United States Government horses and mules from the US Forest Service, and the United States Cavalry. Wildhorse provides an opportunity for these hardworking animals to live in peace and comfort in their golden years. No, the US Government does not pay for their retirement. Wildhorse is a registered 501(c)3 organization with the Federal Government and in the State of Arizona. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by the IRS.

Companion Animal Rehabilitation Emergency Medical Fund

C.A.R.E. initially started as a funding source for a small, local shelter that did not have in-house medical care. The medical pets in this shelter had the unfortunate luck of landing in a shelter that had no budget for outside medical treatment. We saw an opportunity to work with city officials to create a better world for these pets and saved over 400 lives through our intervention. We have since become a medical-only rescue implementing life-saving programs that save the lives of at-risk shelter pets. C.A.R.E. currently has two special-need programs in addition to our General Emergency Fund. • Senior Animal Wellness Program - The Senior Animal Wellness Program is intended for senior dogs and cats over the age of seven. These pets are at most risk for euthanasia due to age, age-related illnesses and/or lack of owner information. The program provides a complete senior wellness exam including bloodwork, x-rays, urinalysis, and fecal testing. Senior pets that participate in the program become more adoptable as it gives valuable insight into the health of a senior pet, especially those with unknown medical histories. • Parvo Fund - C.A.R.E.’s Parvo Fund assists with dogs and puppies that are diagnosed with Parvovirus. The fund covers the cost for hospitalization, (which can sometimes last 7 days or more), fluids, antibiotics and immune boosters. These animals are almost always euthanized at the shelter and therefore their best chance of survival is to be transferred to a vet hospital. These puppies are then moved to foster homes to recover until their quarantine period expires. • General Emergency Fund – covers all emergency medical funding costs including diagnostics, treatment, emergency vet fees, regular vet fees, specialists, surgery costs, hospitalization and medications. (It is also worth mentioning that although C.A.R.E. does not have a formal program for helping low-income individuals or veterans seeking financial assistance for their own pets, we do try our best to aid those individuals when funds are available.) "We are one of the very few organizations in Arizona that pull ONLY medical pets from shelters." C.A.R.E. Medical Fund is a foster-based, medical-only rescue. Our adoption program helps medically challenged animals to become adoptable by providing immediate medical care and rehabilitation. While other rescues take in medical dogs some of the time, we only intake pets that have serious injury or illness. These pets are at high risk for euthanasia at the shelter. Unfortunately, the high cost of care is why medical dogs are not pulled by local rescues. Once these pets are restored to health, they are put up for adoption. "Our expenses are always higher, our commitment is longer and unfortunately, not all our pets make it." Each one of our rescues require medical care that exceed the standard norms for rescue pets. Often, we are trying to diagnose a condition that is not immediately evident. Every case we encounter is unique and therefore has its unique challenges. This requires time, patience and above all, funds to be able to diagnose and treat the condition. For those pets that we feel are best left in our care for their lifetime, we created a hospice program. For those pets that need end-of-life care, we are always there to help transition them to the Rainbow Bridge. We will NEVER allow a pet to needlessly suffer. "Our fosters are the lifeblood of our organization. They are the superheroes." Pets pulled from the shelter live with fosters in their homes until ready for adoption. Most of our team fosters have experience handling animals that have medical challenges and are prepared to be their caretaker for the long haul. The time, love and commitment that all our volunteers put into each pet makes them all superheroes and when they see a pet that was once considered “unadoptable” find their forever home, the feeling is incredible. "Our supporters, donors and friends keep us strong and give us hope for the future." C.A.R.E. Medical Fund runs entirely on the generosity of our supporters. We receive no outside funding from government or state agencies and public and private grants for our small organization is limited. We need your help so that we can continue to help homeless animals that need emergency medical funding. We would greatly appreciate your help in order to help more animals that need vet care.

Arizona Schnauzer Rescue

Arizona Schnauzer Rescue, Inc. is an all-volunteer non-profit, tax-deductible charity dedicated to finding new, loving homes for miniature schnauzers. We do not require a donation or fee to take a dog into rescue. Donations are tax-deductible, but not required. All of our dogs must be spayed/neutered, current on vaccinations, groomed, housebroken and their teeth cleaned (if needed) before we adopt them into a new home. If a dog has any behavioral issues, we work on that before adoption. We have a waiting list of homes desiring to adopt a schnauzer from us. We carefully screen the new homes and when we adopt a dog it is always on a two-week trial basis - to make sure the dog is happy and the people are happy before an adoption is finalized.