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Search dogs, cats, and other pets by location, breed, age, size, and shelter or rescue.
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Pet Adoption & RescueFind a pet.
Find a pet.
Prepare for the life together.
Search trusted shelter and rescue networks for adoptable dogs and cats, then use practical guidance to evaluate the fit and help your new pet settle in.
Search Trusted Adoption Networks
SmartPaws does not own or manage these listings. Each button opens the original provider so you can search current animals, confirm availability, and contact the shelter or rescue directly. Listings can change quickly.
Location-based search
Adopt a Pet
Search listings from shelters, rescues, and individuals across the United States and Canada.
Search Adopt a PetPowered by RescueGroups.org
ASPCA Local Shelter Search
Find adoptable dogs listed by local shelters through the ASPCA's nationwide search.
Search through ASPCAShelter & rescue network
Petco Love Adopt
Explore adoptable pets and participating animal-welfare organizations near you.
Search Petco LoveBreed-specific dogs
AKC Rescue Network
Locate breed-specific dog rescue groups when you have a particular recognized breed in mind.
Browse breed rescuesDo not overlook
Your local shelter
Search your city or county website for its animal-services or municipal-shelter page. Some locally available pets may not appear in every national directory.
Try: “animal shelter near me” or “[your county] animal services”
Before you apply: verify the organization's identity and policies, avoid sending money before confirming the animal and organization, and be cautious of anyone who will not speak with you or provide clear adoption records.
A Current Look at U.S. Sheltering
National estimates help show the scale, but conditions differ by region and organization. These 2025 figures cover dogs and cats entering U.S. shelters and rescues.
5.8M
Entered organizations
Dogs and cats
4.2M
Were adopted
Dogs and cats
638K
Returned to owners
Dogs and cats
597K
Were euthanized
Dogs and cats
Source: Shelter Animals Count, 2025 Annual Data Report. Estimates and definitions may be revised as reporting improves.
Adopt with a Clear Plan
A good adoption starts with a realistic match, specific questions, and a calm first few weeks—not with finding the most photogenic animal and hoping everything works out.
01
Start with your household and the breed
Be honest about your schedule, activity level, housing, budget, children, and other pets. For the most in-depth look at daily life with a breed, read the SmartPaws Breed Book. If the dog is a known mix, read the books for each likely breed instead of assuming the mix will fall neatly between them.
Browse SmartPaws Breed Books02
Search reputable sources
Use the verified directories above, local municipal shelters, humane societies, foster-based rescues, and breed-specific rescue groups. Confirm every listing with the organization caring for the pet.
Open adoption directories03
Ask specific questions
Ask what is known about health, behavior, training, energy, handling, children, other animals, and time spent alone. Also ask what is unknown and what post-adoption support is available.
04
Meet for compatibility
Spend unhurried time with the animal. Include household members as the organization permits, and ask how introductions to resident pets should be handled.
05
Prepare a quiet landing place
Set up a safe area with appropriate food, water, bedding, identification, and barriers before the pet arrives. Secure doors, gates, windows, fencing, cords, plants, medications, and choking hazards.
See the new-dog starter list06
Build trust at the animal's pace
Keep the first days simple, establish a predictable routine, and get professional help early when health or behavior concerns appear. Adjustment is individual, not a three-month test.
Explore everyday dog careUse the 3-3-3 Rule as a Rough Guide
You may hear that adopted pets need three days to decompress, three weeks to learn a routine, and three months to feel at home. It can be a helpful reminder to slow down, but it is not a behavioral guarantee or deadline. Age, health, history, species, temperament, and the new environment all affect adjustment.
First few days
Decompressing
- Your new pet may hide, sleep more, eat less, or seem unusually quiet
- Keep the environment calm and make food, water, rest, and bathroom access easy
- Offer interaction without forcing it
- Ask a veterinarian promptly about not eating, vomiting, diarrhea, pain, or other health concerns
First few weeks
Learning the routine
- Predictable meals, walks, litter care, rest, and bedtime help build security
- More of the animal's personality and needs may become visible
- Use short, reward-based training sessions and realistic expectations
- Contact the shelter or rescue early if the match is becoming difficult
Following months
Settling in
- Trust and familiar routines often continue to grow over time
- Some pets adjust quickly; others need considerably longer
- Training, medical care, and behavior support may still be needed
- Measure progress against the individual pet, not a calendar
Ask for help early
If you are worried about health, safety, fear, aggression, or the household fit, contact the shelter or rescue and an appropriate veterinarian or qualified behavior professional. Waiting for a date on the calendar is not a substitute for support.
Common Adoption Myths—Reframed
Myth
A rescue pet is automatically a problem pet.
Reality
Animals enter shelters and rescues for many reasons, including housing changes, financial hardship, owner health, stray intake, and mismatch with a prior household. Evaluate the individual animal and the information available.
Myth
The shelter can predict exactly how a pet will behave at home.
Reality
Shelter and foster observations are useful, but behavior can change with setting, stress, health, and time. Ask for what has been observed, what has not been tested, and how the organization supports adopters.
Myth
Adoption means choosing only an adult mixed-breed pet.
Reality
Shelters and rescues may have puppies, kittens, adults, seniors, mixed breeds, and recognizable breeds. Availability varies by place and season.
Myth
A shy pet only needs more affection.
Reality
Gentle support matters, but pressure can make fear worse. Give the pet choice, space, predictable routines, and qualified veterinary or behavior help when needed.
Pets Who May Need a More Specific Match
A longer wait does not make an animal less deserving. It may mean the adopter needs more time, resources, experience, or professional support.
Senior pets
Ask about mobility, current medications, dental needs, sensory changes, and the likely cost of ongoing care. Senior pets may suit quieter homes, but age alone does not define energy or personality.
High-energy dogs
Ask what daily activity, training, enrichment, and management the individual dog has needed. A yard alone rarely replaces structured activity and interaction.
Medical needs
Request available records, an estimate of ongoing care, and clarity about what the organization will cover. Have your own veterinarian review questions you do not understand.
Bonded pairs
Ask why the organization considers the animals bonded and what caring for both requires. Two pets can mean twice the routine care, insurance decisions, and veterinary expense.
Breed-specific placements
Breed rescues may understand recurring needs and can help evaluate fit. The individual dog's observed behavior and health still matter more than a breed label alone.
Fear or behavior support
Ask what triggers and handling needs have been observed, whether there is a written plan, and which qualified professionals are already involved. Do not rely on love alone to resolve a safety concern.
Get Useful Adoption Resources
Subscribe for SmartPaws adoption guidance, new-pet checklists, and updates as we improve our shelter and rescue search resources. This is a general resource newsletter—not an alert for a specific animal.
For shelters and rescue organizations
Help adopters start with realistic expectations
SmartPaws welcomes corrections, resource suggestions, and collaboration requests from animal-welfare organizations. Our adoption preparation guidance and free checklists may be shared with prospective adopters by linking to the original SmartPaws page.
Continue with SmartPaws
Understand the breed first. Plan the food next.
A shelter or foster home knows the individual animal best. SmartPaws helps you add the broader breed context and make practical choices for the life you are preparing to share.
1
Most in-depth breed resource
Read the SmartPaws Breed Book
Each book brings together breed history, the SmartPaws Trait Scores, household fit, training, daily care, health considerations, feeding, and life-stage guidance in one complete resource.
For a known mixed-breed dog: read the books for the likely contributing breeds. A mix can inherit different traits from either side, so use those books as possibilities—not a prediction—and give the individual dog's observed behavior the final word.
Explore SmartPaws Breed Books2
Next practical decision
Research the Right Pet Food
Start with the food the shelter or rescue is currently feeding, then discuss any change with your veterinarian. SmartPaws explains how to compare foods by species, life stage, size, and individual needs.
Avoid changing food abruptly during an already stressful transition unless a veterinarian recommends it.
Explore Pet Food Research