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11 Best Dog Rescues In Orange County (2023 Guide)

Best Dog Rescues In Orange County

Have you heard the statement “Adopt a dog. Save a life.”?

It’s true.

However, adoption may take a lot of time…

So one of the smartest things you can do is look for a reputable rescue.

To help you with that, I’ve listed the best ones in the O.C.

So relax and read on to discover:

  • The 11 best dog rescues in Orange County.
  • Services and programs offered by each rescue to the community.
  • Information, contact numbers, and websites for people who want to know more.
  • And so much more…

All the data gathered to form this list has been done through research from Google Maps and various shelter websites. The purpose of this list is to put all the necessary information in one place so people can easily see them. 


11 best dog rescues in Orange County


#1: Girls of Dog Rescue

Girls of Dog Rescue is a non-profit, volunteer-driven rescue founded in 2019 by Jessica Zaldos. Their goal is to provide all dogs, regardless of breed and size, with a loving family. 

All dogs in their care are immediately placed in foster homes where they are rehabilitated and socialized. All potential adopters will meet the dog and their foster family before being approved. 

Veterinary services, dog training, pet insurance, and boarding are also offered by the rescue. They make sure that all the needs of the dog are well-taken care of before they are released to their forever families. 

If you are interested to know more about Girls of Dog Rescue, you can contact their social media accounts or call their phone number. You can also visit their website for more information. 

Dog Rescue Information

#2: Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue

The Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue aims to provide homes for all Golden-like breeds and Golden mixes that have no home to call their own. All their dogs are placed in loving foster homes where they are assessed and taken care of.

They also try and give all the veterinary care needed by these dogs before they are put up for adoption. All dogs are matched with a foster from the moment they pass the evaluation. Every dog has a place and a companion.

The rescue has partnerships with other Golden Retriever rescues nationwide, thus finding a lost pet, or finding the perfect Golden companion is very possible. They also offer training and low-cost veterinary care with the help of their clinic partners. 

To know more about how the shelter operates or if you are interested in any of their services, here is the necessary information below.

Dog Rescue Information

#3: OC Pomeranian Rescue

Founded in 2020, OC Pom Rescue’s first and main goal is to rescue and rehabilitate dogs. They have no physical shelter and they are run entirely by volunteers and fosters all over California. 

Contrary to the shelter name, OC Pom takes in dogs regardless of breed, size, or age. The availability of a dog is dependent on its health, attitude, and if the adopter is eligible. 

The rescue also strives to educate the community about the Pomeranian breed, together with their characteristics and traits. Heavy social media presence and networking help the shelter put out adoptable dogs to the public.

All available adoptees are found on their websites and social media accounts. Go visit their sites and maybe you can find your fur-ever companion in their list!

Dog Rescue Information

#4: Leashes of Love Rescue, Inc. 

The majority of the animals taken in by Leashes of Love Rescue come from high-kill shelters all around California. Their goal is to save every dog that is eliminated due to overcrowding and overpopulation in shelters. 

Leashes of Love is a foster home-based, all-volunteer shelter. They offer educational programs to the community about the importance of spaying and neutering, responsible pet ownership, dog behavior training, and good nutrition.

Through their website, you can see more of what the rescue offers the community and other interested patrons. The rescue encourages everyone who has questions to contact them directly. 

Dog Rescue Information

#5: Priceless Pet Rescue

Priceless Pet Rescue

Priceless Pet Rescue’s motto is “Saving one by one until there are none”.

They give dogs who have been taken rescued from high-kill shelters, surrendered, neglected, and other circumstances a new life. They operate out of multiple adoption centers and try to save as many dogs as they can.

They have a program called The Hound Program where they rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome different hound breeds throughout the United States. Currently, they have managed to put 2,000 hounds in new homes successfully!

You can ask the rescue for more information regarding their programs and services. Their email and phone are open to serve you.

Dog Rescue Information

#6: 4Life Animal Rescue

4life Animal Rescue is an animal networking service. Their shelter has been shut down by COVID but they are determined to continue saving lives.

All their services like rehoming, adoption, fostering, lost and found pets, and veterinary care are still very much available through the shelter. You can contact them and the staff will direct you to the right places and people.

Dog Rescue Information

#7: I.C.A.R.E. Dog Rescue

A non-profit rescue, ICARE offers dogs a safe haven where they can stay until they are rehomed. Their dogs are taken from high-kill shelters, euthanasia row, and other circumstances where a dog is forced onto the streets.

ICARE also educates the public on different dog breeds and their traits, the canine species, and rescue procedures. The staff also holds frequent adoption events where they showcase all their dogs to the public. 

For more information, the rescue advises everyone to send them an email or a private message through their social media networks. 

Dog Rescue Information

#8: Home Free Animal Rescue and Sanctuary

Home Free is a rescue that focuses on senior dogs and dogs that need medical care. They only take dogs that are from local shelters because they want the number of unwanted dogs in the community to go down first.

They also feature a dog every month on their website to encourage website visitors to adopt. All the information about the dogs and their services are also listed. 

Dog Rescue Information

#9: WAGS Pet Adoption

Aside from being an adoption center, WAGS also aims to investigate and combat animal cruelty happening in the community. The rescue treats injured pets, takes in neglected, abused, and homeless dogs. 

They also strive to give the best medical care to all the dogs on their property, as both their president and founder are veterinarians.

WAGS encourages everyone interested in knowing more about them to visit their shelter or to ask them questions through their various social media accounts. 

Dog Rescue Information

#10: The Pet Adoption Center of Orange County

PAC does not believe in shelter euthanasia. They pride themselves on being a non-kill, pro-life shelter. They give all their dogs vaccines, sterilizations, and an identification microchip.

The rescue ensures that every dog has food, water, shelter, medical attention, and socialization time with other dogs and with humans. This is part of their rehabilitation process to make them adoptable dogs.

Visit the rescue website for the list and pictures of their adoptable dogs.

Dog Rescue Information

#11: Promise for Paws

Promise for paws is a volunteer-run rescue that has partnered with other rescues and shelters all over the country for a wider area to help. 

All animals are placed in foster homes in order to rehabilitate and socialize before they are placed in their forever homes. The rescue also gives veterinary care to the dogs in need until they have recovered.

Dog Rescue Information