The Best Houston, TX Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2026

Friends For Life Animal Shelter

We're here for the undercat and underdog, regardless of their breed, age or condition. Houston-grown, we're here to help our neighbors care for the pets they love. We're not done until every animal has a safe home. Until then, we'll be innovating, improving and tracking results to find the most effective ways to save lives.

THREE LITTLE PITTIES RESCUE

Three Little Pitties Rescue is a non-profit, 501c3 all-breed dog and cat rescue dedicated to saving animals out of desperate situations, primarily in the Houston, Texas area. From 2018 to 2024 the rescue has saved 13,000+ animals and delivered them to better lives up north.

Donna's love pet rescue

Our charitable, tax-exempt mission is to save as many lives as possible by giving homeless and lost animals a warm and special touch to show them that they are loved so they can trust again and return that love. I served in the military (Navy) from 1989 till 1993. My passion in life has always been to work with and care for animals. I have 7 dogs of my own (Palen, Rocsco, BK, Chico, Beau, Star and Annie). All of my dogs, except Palen, were found and taken in by my facility, The Dog House Pet Salon. If I could take every rescue home with me, I would. We have taken in over 290 homeless and lost animals since we opened our doors for business at The Dog house Pet Salon in 2009. We have re-homed 289 of them. Dash has been with us for one year. Dash needs a little more training to become confident and trust humans again. If I cannot re-home one of my loved ones, they will stay with me and live a good life. We believe that every lost animal with a microchip, rabies id/vet tag number or a name tag should be able to be identified and the parents contacted in a matter of seconds. We created the innovative My Pet Credentials mobile app for that very reason ‚an easy to use digital platform to empower the parents of lost pets with a means to find their lost pet quickly and efficiently without the need of calling, faxing or emailing. Pet owners, pet salons, rescue shelters and veterinarians can download the MPC app or register at www.mypetcredentials.com. The cost to pet owners is $16.99 annually. The platform is free for pet salons, rescue shelters and veterinarians. I am most proud of the lost and found function that is part of the MPC pet service platform. Pet owners enter the microchip number or rabies id/vet tag number in their pet's profile. If someone finds the pet, they can use the MPC mobile app or go to www.mpclost.com to identify the lost pet by entering any one of three tracking numbers. The MPC platform will immediately display: A picture of the pet (front, left and right Image) The pet's name, age, gender, breed, color and markings The pet's most current vaccinations A button to contact the owner who will receive a text, email and mobile app notification with the good Samaritan‚ name, phone number, email and message When someone finds a pet, MPC‚ lost and found function assists in reuniting the lost pet with their family, quickly and efficiently, by giving the Samaritan the ability to enter the lost pet's name, age, gender, breed, color and any markings along with any microchip, rabies id or vet tag number (tracking numbers) and upload an image of the lost pet. Once the tracking information has been entered by the Samaritan the family of the lost pet will be able to go to our universal lost and found website, www.mpclost.com, to input their pet's tracking information and our platform will display to the family an image of their pet, the pet's name as reported by the good Samaritan, age, gender, breed, color and any markings and the name, address and phone number where the pet can be reunited with their family. This innovative process reunites lost pets found with a microchip or rabies id or vet tag number with their families quickly and efficiently by eliminating the need to post lost and found flyers or waste time calling animal shelters, city pounds or veterinarians to locate their lost pet. I could go on about all the features of the MPC platform such as transfer of ownership, vaccination records storage, vaccination reminders and scheduling appointments with your pet salon. We created Donna's Love Pet Rescue for people who want to help end homelessness for animals and provide an easy to use digital platform to help identify pets, contact owners of lost pets quickly and efficiently and allow owners of lost pets with a microchip or rabies id or vet tag number to be registered with MPC for a quick and joyous reunion! The donation we receive from you helps with. Vetting Food Training Fostering Transportation Spay and neuter Our goal is also to educate the community on the importance of spay and neutering, having dogs vetted and properly trained and provided with appropriate identification markers. Animals are family too. To make a tax-deductible donation by mail: Donna's Love Pet Rescue 5917 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77057

Texas Sled Dog Rescue

Texas Sled Dog Rescue is a small rescue focusing on finding fur-ever homes for sled dog types (Siberian huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, and mixes). While in rescue, we will place them in foster homes, provide basic training as needed, and vetting which includes vaccinations, spay or neuter, microchip and other medical services as needed. Our volunteers are involved in all facets of rescue including but not limited to fundraising, transporting, evaluating dogs, respresenting the rescue at local dog events, fostering, etc.

Caitie's Foster Fam Rescue

Founded in May 2021, we are a non-profit 501(c)3 rescue made up of animal-loving individuals. Our team consists of animal rescuers who have been making a difference in the lives of homeless pets for over a decade. We each started as volunteers and fosters, specializing in medical needs cases. Because of the high demand for more medical fosters and rescuers, we decided to join together and start our own non-profit rescue. We are an entirely foster-based organization, so we do not have a physical shelter. All animals are kept in loving foster homes. Our founder, Caitie, has been fostering medical cases in the Houston area for over ten years.

Wag Again Rescue

Wag Again is a section 501(c)(3) foster based dog rescue group with years of animal and rescue experience amongst our volunteers. Wag Again is committed to helping the neediest, as well as the readily adoptable, among our community's most vulnerable creatures. We are a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to restoring the dogs under our care to physical and emotional health as they await placement in loving, responsible homes. Virtually all donated funds will be spent directly on the care of the animals. Wag Again stands ready to help you, the prospective adopter or foster home, find a companion who will thrive in your home. We are here to assist you in every way possible throughout the adoption process and will continue to be a helpful resource after you have welcomed your new pets into your life.

Corridor Rescue

Corridor Rescue was born in 2009 when Deborah Hoffman, while driving through the area to work, realized there was a horrible problem with abandoned and stray animals. Her tenacity and love for the dogs would not allow her to stand by and watch...Corridor Rescue was conceived! Corridor Rescue is named after a 14 square mile area of Northeast Houston dubbed ‚'The Corridor of Cruelty'. The sheer number of dogs abandoned, dumped and allowed to roam the streets in this area is mind boggling. But sadly, the Corridor area is known for animal cruelty. The animals are unwanted, seen as a nuisance, and in some cases wrongly thought of as aggressive. People hit them, throw things at them, shoot them, fight them, and even deliberately run them over. Corridor Rescue has grown phenomenally over the last decade. What started as a one-woman show now has multiple volunteer teams and a kennel facility where we are able to take our rescued street dogs directly off the street for rehabilitation. The facility can house up to 30 dogs and is staffed with two Veterinary Technicians and three Kennel Technicians. The dogs receive medical care and enrichment to begin healing and to put them on the road to their forever home. Corridor Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is solely funded by the generosity of our wonderful donors and supporters. We are a volunteer-based organization, always looking for enthusiastic, outgoing, motivated, and animal loving volunteers to join our team. Corridor Rescue has a number of areas that you can help save lives.

Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue

Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue is a Houston area 501(c)(3) non profit organization dedicated to rescuing homeless and abandoned puppies and dogs from high-kill shelters and owners who can no longer care for them. By working with committed volunteers, foster homes, local veterinarians, trainers, and boarding facilities, we are able to rescue countless animals every year, provide them with loving foster care, and ultimately find them well-matched, carefully screened forever homes. We also plan to serve as a resource to our community and all pet owners by providing education and information on responsible pet ownership, including the importance of spay/neuter, positive behavior training, and good nutrition and care.

In the name of Zoey

Lola's Lucky Day

Lola's Lucky Day strives to make a positive impact by rescuing animals that otherwise would not have a chance in Texas. We rescue pups from the streets and shelters, get them healthy, fully vetted, spayed/neutered, and network with our partner rescues in Wisconsin to match them with loving families.

Forgotten coast animal rescue

Our co-founders Rachell Jones and Courtney Lomelo met in 2019 where all good rescue ladies hang out: Facebook groups dedicated to rescuing dogs. Although Rachell lives in Florida, and Courtney in Texas, together they networked and found a home for their first dog together! His name was Ryder. Courtney began rescuing street dogs in 2011 and Rachell entered the rescue world in 2018 inspired by countless dogs displaced by Hurricane Michael in Florida. The duo went on to network several more dogs on high-kill Houston shelters' euthanasia lists. They got to know each other over late night calls and Facebook messages. A true modern friendship! Finally, they decided to officially form a rescue together and Forgotten Coast Animal Rescue was born. Forgotten Coast Animal Rescue was named for Rachell's home coast in Florida. Presently, FCAR operates primarily in Houston, Texas. We hope to expand to North Florida, the forgotten coast, in the coming years to care for Rachell's home state.

Greater Houston German Shepherd Dog Rescue

is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization founded in 2008. We are a breed-specific organization dedicated to rescuing and rehoming German Shepherds in Houston, Texas and surrounding areas. GHGSDR is guided by three core values: dedication, integrity, and compassion. We are devoted to finding homes for our GSDs with people who want to continue our mission of giving these dogs a better life and a second chance. Our GSDs are obtained from public shelters after they have completed a stray-hold period or they are surrendered to us directly by their owners. We strive to ensure that each dog in our care is given the love, attention, and medical care they need to thrive. We believe that every dog deserves a second chance at a happy life. All of our rescued German Shepherds are placed in a foster home while we work tirelessly to find loving, forever homes; carefully matching each dog with an adoptive family who will provide them with the love and care they deserve. We attribute our success in rehoming German Shepherds to our wonderful volunteers. We have many volunteers who have been with us since inception, which gives us stability and a sense of history. We also have newer volunteers who bring enthusiasm and new ideas to our group, which is essential for us to continue our mission. As an all-volunteer run organization, we all hold different jobs in our actual lives. We are not professionals in animal behavior, training, or health, but we work closely with local veterinarians, trainers, and other animal welfare organizations to ensure that our dogs receive the best possible care and support.

Sunnyside Street Dogs

At Sunnyside Street Dogs, we believe every dog deserves a loving home and a happy life. We rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome street dogs, ensuring they receive the care and love they need. Our mission is to create a world where every dog is valued, protected, and cherished.

Pippy's Pals Rescue

We are a 501c3 non-profit animal rescue that focuses our efforts on dogs in the greatest need who have found themselves at risk of euthanasia through no fault of their own.

Citizens for Animal Protection

FosterDocHouston Dog Rescue

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit saving dogs in Houston, Tx. In July of 2022 we took in 6 puppies and their mama off the streets. Zuleikha had been finding dogs a home since her residency but had always dreamed of creating a true shelter. After caring for these 7 dogs and finding them all wonderful homes, we decided it was time to make that dream a reality. In June of 2023 we moved out to the country to allow us to expand the rescue. We now have a larger shelter on site as well as amazing fosters who help us save as many dogs as possible. We believe every dog deserves a happy, safe, healthy life in a great family. Join us while we save lives and make our dreams come true!

Pura Sanguine

We’re a group of dedicated animal advocates and experienced veterinary industry professionals who are determined to save as many lives as possible. Our animal care technicians, veterinary technicians, attending veterinarians, and company leaders believe that heroes are not just found on the pages of comic books.

Heart of the Underdog

OUR STORY Heart of the Underdog is a 501c3 nonprofit animal rescue founded in 2020 for the sole purpose of rescuing and re homing animals in need. Our mission is to advocate for pets in need through fostering, adoption, education, spay/neuter, and community outreach to help strengthen the human-animal bond. Texas has an overwhelming amount of unwanted dogs leading to overcrowded shelters and ultimately ending in euthanasia for so many of these dogs. When fosters are available we will also help with owner surrenders and stray animals off of the streets. All animals will be fully vetted, micro-chipped, spayed/neutered, and placed into foster homes until they are able to be adopted. Many of our pets transport to the Pacific Northwest to be adopted and placed in their fur-ever homes!

Active Paws Rescue

One Year Ago, Active Paws went live!! In the last year, 106 dogs/pups have found their new homes. Dozens of community dogs/pups have been vaccinated and given various supplies. We have helped independent rescuers and other small rescues when we can. At this time, 54 dogs/pups are in our program. Most of our intakes have been stray, abandoned and unwanted dogs/pups. We have also taken in 5 large medical cases from MCAS; shelter pups that otherwise had no hope. When we have no fosters, we vaccinate community pups to protect them against disease. We've been very busy in our community, but we do have a couple of highlights to mention. • In October 2023 we traveled to PA with a van of lucky pups to our friends at The Sanctuary at Haafsville, we are working on another trip soon! • In June and in collaboration with other rescue groups, we helped finance the record-breaking Empty Shelter Project-Texas spay/neuter event in Splendora where 583 dogs/cats were spay/neutered and vaccinated! Of course, none of this could be achieved without our fosters, volunteers, adopters, donors and supporters; and we are very grateful to have you all. Our fosters work hard and our core team never take a break. We have the best behind the scenes volunteers! We have many private donors, too many to mention but we thank you, you are our backbone who consistently step up when we are in need. Juliane’s Compassion for Critters have been our biggest donor; we are grateful and thankful for all their help. They have allowed us to help so many and support us with a cushion to say yes when we are asked to help “another one”. They are an amazing hard-working group! We have also worked closely with Lone Star Animal Welfare League and work in collaboration to help neglected and abandoned dogs/pups in need. Their support to our new group has been amazing and we are so thankful. They are also a wonderful hard-working group! Our volunteer photographer Tracy Steven is simply the best! Tracy is always there for rescue pups and is devoted to the cause. Thank you, Tracy, without you, we'd have fewer adoptions and terrible pictures to post. Our vetting partners are amazing and help us heal our fosters. • Bear Branch Animal Hospital • VCA Four Seasons Animal Hospital • Angel's Pet Hospital • Texas Litter Control • Stoneridge Medical Center in Willis, our newest vet partner • When in need Thomas Animal Clinic never lets us down and have seen some of our worst cases in emergencies. • NVC Nederland for our Orthopedic surgeries. We thank you all and are thankful for partnerships with rescue friendly vet offices. Between all the daily “rescue business” we try to keep up with updates and transparency and are proud of our achievements, we hope you all are too. In the year 2024/2025 we will continue with our original mission and predominantly shelter foster dogs/pups and help them find loving homes. We do have plans to budget for more spay/neuter events and when finances and supplies allow, we will be helping the community. We are an open and friendly group and if you have been following us, we would love your help in any way you can. That does not have to include fostering, there are many ways you can help is in our mission to #makeadifference. Come along to one of our offsite adoption events and meet our team or send in an email and let’s discuss how you can help the neglected and abandoned dogs/pups in our communities. We often get asked our greatest need and at this time it is for supplies, supplies to assist community dogs/pups. Costco is our go to for puppy food and puppy pads, but we also have wish lists on our donation page. If you can spare anything we would be so grateful. Our supplies for community assistance are at zero right now. Vaccines, wormer, flea/hw prevention and food supplies deplete so fast.

City of Webster Animal Shelter

The primary function and intent of the City of Webster Animal Control is to provide protection for health, safety, and welfare of the public within the city limits, by controlling the animal population and by establishing uniform rules for the control and eradication of rabies.

Honoring Hope and Faith Rescue, Inc.

Freedom Street Rescue

Freedom Street Rescue is 501c3 animal rescue organization based in Texas. We are an entirely volunteer-based group of dog lovers that save dogs from the high-kill shelters in and around Houston, TX. We are able to have 99% of our dogs adopted out-of-state, and transport them to their new homes anywhere in the US and Canada. We are NOT a shelter that houses homeless dogs. We are 100% foster-home based. We can only take dogs into our program when they have a committed foster to care for them until adoption. We expend whatever funds necessary to provide veterinary care to bring the dogs back to great health, and our adoption donations only cover a portion of the costs each dog has during their journey from shelter to their forever homes.

Lifeline of Galveston County

Lifeline of Galveston County is a 501(c)3 non-profit located in Southeast Texas. We envision a future where our municipal animal shelters do not have to euthanize pets due to a lack of kennel space & our community members have access to the resources they need to keep their pets healthy, happy and home.

Paw Patrol

Paw Patrol is a Houston-based 501(c)(3) dog rescue that rescues dogs in need. We rescue dogs off the streets that have been abandoned, abused, or neglected. We have and continue to rescue countless dogs from the Cleveland, Texas Shelter and off the streets of Cleveland, Tx. There is such a demand for physical help and supplies for these sweet dogs and we try to deliver those services whenever possible. We are a foster-based dog rescue, so all of our dogs are vetted before they leave for their forever homes. At Paw Patrol, we pride ourselves on getting stray dogs off the streets and providing safe places for dogs in danger. They deserve all the love and happiness their little heart’s desire. Founded by Becky Wright in 2022, Becky has been involved in the Houston Rescue Community for a decade, and has no plans of stopping Becky works with several outstanding volunteers and rescue groups to minimize the suffering of so many animals living on the streets of Cleveland, Texas. She has been almost exclusively working in the city of Cleveland, and it is her passion to remove dogs from the dangers they face in this community & get them to safety. Becky and her incredible, selfless Volunteer's work closely with the Cleveland Pound to ensure each dogs needs are met.

PugHearts the Houston Pug Rescue

PugHearts of Houston is a non-profit rescue dedicated to giving unwanted and neglected Pugs a second chance. It is staffed by a network of volunteers in and around the greater Houston, TX area. Some of these volunteers donate their time; they pick up dogs, drive them to vet appointments, process adoption applications and help us out at events we attend throughout the year. Some volunteers open their hearts and homes to our Rescues and provide safe, loving foster homes for these dogs. None of our dogs stay in a shelter or kennel. All of our dogs are in private foster homes throughout the area. They learn to live (some of them for the first time) in a home with foster siblings and parents who teach them how to be part of a loving family. These fosters will try to get them ready for the next phase of their lives – when they get to join their new forever home!

Casper and Furry Friends

Casper and Furry Friends is a beacon of hope for needy animals across Houston. With unwavering dedication and boundless compassion, we tirelessly work to rescue cats and dogs from all corners of the city. Our volunteers and staff traverse Houston’s neighborhoods daily, responding to distress calls and seeking out animals needing our help. Through collaborative efforts with Houston Animal Rescue and other local organizations, we provide a lifeline to these furry companions, offering them a chance at a better life. From abandoned alleyways to overcrowded shelters, no place is too challenging to reach, as we believe every animal deserves love, care, and a forever home. Together, with the support of our community, we continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of these precious creatures, one rescue at a time.

Starlight Outreach and Rescue

Starlight Outreach and Rescue (S.O.A.R.) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, foster-based animal rescue serving Brazoria, Galveston, and Harris counties in Texas. Starlight was established in 2017 to support the efforts of local area shelters to provide a better quality of life for stray and abandoned animals, medical attention beyond the scope/capabilities of the facilities, and fostering and rescue services for animals with special needs. As we’ve grown, our mission has too! Since we began, we’ve expanded our efforts beyond helping shelters to include: • Directly rescuing animals from the streets of the community and providing medical care and housing until they find forever homes • Trap/Neuter/Return services for community cats to keep cat colony populations from growing and animals healthier • Community outreach to loving community members whose pets need medical care beyond their financial needs to avoid having these families make the agonizing decision to either euthanize their treatable pet or give it up to a shelter to receive care • Education of the community on rescue-related issues such as the importance of spay/neuter and microchipping and what to do when you find abandoned pets The organization is named in honor of Emma Starlight Hyde who was just 14 years old when she passed away unexpectedly in October 2017. Emma and her mom Shelley, with the support of their family, volunteered at shelter events, such as the annual Shelter Dog Birthday Party, and fostered baby kittens to ensure they received proper socialization and feeding during the weaning period. Emma put in a lot of time and effort to get her kittens used to interaction with and handling by people, which helped ensured all her fosters were highly adoptable by the time they returned to the shelter and were put up for adoption. Emma’s bright and caring spirit continues on in this organization, lighting the way for stray and abandoned pets to find their way to their forever homes. In 2021 Starlight Outreach and Rescue absorbed Zoo's Rezcue and began a full partnership with Family Animal Hospital of Friendswood. With the help of FAH, Starlight will continue Zoo's Rezcue's Dogtoberfest event every October in Stevenson Park.

City of Friendswood Animal Control

Saving Our Companion Animals - Fort Bend County

Angleton Animal Services Adoption Center

The Angleton Animal Services Adoption Center is located at 535 South Anderson. It is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. Please contact Animal Services at 979-848-5696 for staff availability. Pet Adoption Program Angleton Animal Services Adoption Center has a pet adoption program, offering a nice selection of small, medium and large dogs, plus a variety of cats and kittens for adoption into good homes. To make the adoption process more efficient, download the relevant application form. Please click here for the dog form or here for the cat form. In accordance with Texas State law, all animals adopted from Animal Control must be spayed or neutered and given all required shots and vaccinations.