To help combat these ridiculous numbers, the USA is home to a variety of dog rescue agencies.
These are agencies that take in abandoned dogs, care for them, and attempt to find good permanent homes for these poor pups. Let’s take a look at some of the best dog rescue agencies in the USA.
1. The ASPCA
The ASPCA or The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, has been around since 1866, therefore making it by far the oldest dog rescue agency in the country.
It was founded by Henry Bergh and is not only one of the first nonprofits dedicated to rescuing abandoned and abused dogs, but also one of the largest, resulting in the rescue of countless millions of dogs over these years.
As indicated by the name, this organization is dedicated to helping both dogs and cats in need, as well as other pets in some cases. This charitable organization uses the funds it receives to fund rescue hotlines, animal shelters, pet hospitals, behavioral rehab centers, and more.
In 2020, the animal relocation program managed to find good homes for as many as 27,000 animals, with nearly 400,000 animals being saved in their poison control centers in that same year. If you want to help animals in need through the ASPCA, they’re always accepting donations, volunteers, and more.
2. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue
The Brother Wolf Animal Rescue was founded just in 2007 by Denise Blits in North Carolina, but in that short time has managed to make a massive impact in the surrounding area. This is a non-profit organization that is funded by the same communities that it is based in. The main goal of the Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is to positively impact and save as many animals as possible.
This charity has been awarded a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for its outstanding efforts. As noted by the Brother Wolf Animal Rescue website, the main motto is “To better the lives of companion animals and the people who love them.”
What really stands out about the Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is that it is a no-kill rescue, which means that the animals are in no way euthanized if a home cannot be found for them.
This organization also runs a foster care program for dogs, cats, and other small animals, along with mobile medical clinics, adoption centers, and more. According totheir own reports, since the start, Brother Wolf has positively impacted over 9,000 animals, with nearly 2,000 animals going to permanent homes.
3. Best Friends Animal Society
The Best Friends Animal Society was started in 1985 in Utah by a group of altruistic friends, and it started out as a small sanctuary built for abandoned animals. One of the main goals of this animal rescue service is to ensure that all shelters are no-kill shelters by the year 2025.
As noted by the main website, the goal is “to end killing in America’s animal shelters and create a time when there are No More Homeless Pets.” The Best Friends Animal Society is the pioneer behind the Save Them All movement, which appears to be seeing great success.
Since 2016, over 1,000 shelters became no-kill shelters, with 44% of shelters in the USA now being no-kill. Although these numbers might not seem all that impressive, they are much better than they were once upon a time.
The Best Friends Animal Society not only advocates for shelters to become no-kill, but also plays a huge role in the actual pet adoption process. Best Friends saved over 63,000 dogs and cats in 2019, with tens of thousands more having been saved since then.
4. Mountain Humane
Mountain Humane has been around since 1972, and got its start in Idaho, where it was actually the first no-kill shelter in the whole state. Ever since then, for the past 50+ years, it has been making a positive impact in the lives of animals in Idaho. Their motto is “To change lives by connecting pets and people.”
Mountain Humane provides a plethora of pet foster and adoption services, educational programs, and affordable clinic services for pet owners in need. Of course, Mountain Humane is a part of the no-kill movement, they have pet food banks under their belts (Paws for Hunger), and also offer free spaying and neutering services.
They managed to serve nearly 2,000 animals in their center in 2020 alone, with over 500 animals being given second chances in loving homes. If you would like to support Mountain Humane, you can become a volunteer for them, join the foster team, and of course, provide direct monetary donations as well.
