Adopting a dog is one of the best things you could do in life and if you’re based in Portland Oregon there are plenty of dog rescues and shelters to choose from.
Want to find your next new best friend? Here are the best places to adopt a dog in or near Portland, Oregon (in no particular order)…
1. Family Dogs New Life Shelter – a no-kill dog shelter devoted to rescuing dogs of all breeds, ages and backgrounds
A wonderful no-kill sanctuary, Family Dogs New Life Shelter offers new life to dogs needing rehoming through their sensitive and well-thought-out adoption program.
Located in Stanley Ave, Portland, the dog shelter operates on a non-profit basis, rescuing dogs that need a new start in life. Their mission is to take in needy dogs facing euthanasia at other facilities and find new homes for them.
If you plan to adopt a dog, applicants are interviewed and their lifestyle is assessed to find their best doggy match. It’s like a match-making service, but for dogs and their adopters!
- Address: 9101 SE Stanley Ave, Portland, OR 97206, United States
- Family Dogs New Life Shelter
2. Fido’s Tap House – a unique bar where you drink beer and adopt dogs!
With a motto like Eat. Drink. Adopt! Fido’s Dog Tap House has to be a unique, trend-setting hybrid establishment. What guests will encounter is a craft tap beer room with a scrumptious bar menu, and a dog welfare shelter out the back.
It has to be the first beer tap house that offers rescue dogs for adoption.
Relax in a spacious outdoor setting with big-screen television sets in a great museum-style theme celebrating beers and dogs. Patrons can also meet the homeless dogs that are looking for adoption into their forever homes.
The Tap House responsibly follows the adoption procedures laid out by the Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals and supports dog rescue charities.
- Address: 7700 SW Dartmouth St #110, Tigard, OR 97223, United States
- Fido’s Tap House
3. Wildhearts Rescue – they help rescue dogs with a focus on the cruel dog meat market in Asia and they also offer professional animal photography
Wildhearts Rescue is a USA non-profit organization that focuses on rescuing dogs bound for the Asian dog meat market. They help fund their mission with a professional animal photography business in Portland.
They rescue, rehabilitate, and find loving new homes for the dogs. They work with partners in South Korea to save abandoned dogs or dogs on meat farms and bring them into the United States.
Volunteers in Portland foster the dogs to socialize them and rehabilitate them, ready for adoption into their new, forever families.
Each dog’s personality and needs are assessed and suitable adopting applicants are matched to the best dog for them. These are certainly ‘second chance’ dogs and each one will make a devoted pet for some lucky, deserving new owner.
4. Oregon Dog Rescue – a no kill dog rescue committed to helping homeless pets find their forever homes
Two big-hearted dog-lovers established the Oregon Dog Rescue no-kill shelter at Tualatin, south of Portland. This compassionate rescue organization receives no government funding and must rely on donations and adoption fees to operate.
The shelter is devoted to finding the best new homes for the dogs in need with an emphasis on matching the right dog to the right owner’s lifestyle and preferences.
And when prospective new owners apply to adopt a dog, the shelter will discuss the dog’s unique needs to discover whether the applicant is the right match, to ensure the long-term success of each adoption.
Dogs ready for adoption can be viewed on the PetFinder list, which is regularly kept updated.
- Address: 6700 SW Nyberg St, Tualatin, OR 97062, United States
- Oregon Dog Rescue
5. The Pixie Project – loving pets and people through personalized pet adoption and low cost veterinary assistance
The Pixie Project is a Portland animal rescue service offering cats and dogs a second chance. It is a non-profit center with dedicated staff focusing on finding forever homes for needy pets, by adoption.
The center takes in animals from overcrowded county shelters and rescue circumstances and provides medical care to needy animals.
However, the difference is that this center’s mission is to try to keep pets with their families to avoid the prospect of having to find them new homes.
The on-site veterinary clinic provides vital medical assistance to low-income and homeless pet owners so they can afford to keep them, and offers low-cost de-sexing procedures to help keep down the numbers of unwanted or abandoned pets.
- Address: 510 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97232, United States
- The Pixie Project
5. FurFriends Animal Rescue – non profit organization dedicated to improving and saving lives of animals
The devoted staff at Fur Friends Animal Rescue work tirelessly to save animals and improve their lives.
They believe that, with temporary assistance, pets can remain in their current homes rather than be surrendered to the uncertain future of animal shelters.
Owners going through difficulties can seek support from Fur Friends during trying times and keep their beloved pets rather than give them up.
Fur Friends also do important work in providing desexing programs to help reduce the numbers of domestic animals ending up in overcrowded shelters with a sad fate ahead of them.
The organization relies on the public fostering rescue animals, to give the pet a safe, loving environment while they await adoption into their new forever home.
6. Animal Rescue and Care Fund – a small rescue organization who help rescue homeless animals
Since 1974, the Animal Rescue & Care Fund has been dedicated to rescuing and sheltering homeless animals until they find a new, permanent home.
The public can support this wonderful, humane work with donations and bequests, and by offering suitable fostering homes for animals waiting for adoption.
With the public’s involvement, the ARCF has been able to continue its invaluable contribution to animal rescue and pet adoption.
Also, in affiliation with the Pet Samaritan Clinic, the fund supports free veterinary clinics for homeless pet-owners.
An important function of the ARCF is the promotion of desexing of all pets to reduce the number of strays and unwanted animals. You can find your ideal new pet dog through their adoption process.
- Saint Helens, Oregon
- Animal Rescue and Care Fund
7. Animal Aid – a nonprofit, no-kill animal rescue and welfare organization
Portland’s Animal Aid is dedicated to the promotion of companion animal welfare. The mission is to provide nurturing care through pet rescue and adoption.
This non-profit animal rescue and welfare organization operates a fostering program for cats and dogs in need of a new forever home.
The wonderful people at Animal Aid work tirelessly to combat animal suffering by assisting homeless, abused or injured, or sick animals.
They rehabilitate the rescued pets and care for them until they find suitable, loving forever homes. The Animal Aid Cares Fund partners with vets across Portland to help cover high medical costs or provide assistance grants to pet owners who are struggling.
- Address: 5335 SW 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97221, United States
- Animal Aid Portland
8. Multnomah County Animal Services – the primary agency sheltering stray animals in Multnomah County
The mission of the Multnomah County Animal Services is to protect and promote the safety, welfare, and health of the county’s pets and residents.
It is an animal control agency and public animal shelter caring for stray, lost, injured, neglected, and abandoned animals. The agency provides safe shelter and veterinary care to animals, and an emergency response to public safety situations involving animals.
The dedicated people at the agency are working to reduce the euthanasia of healthy cats and dogs in local shelters by collaborating on desexing programs, and increasing the animal save rate has been a top priority.
This rate has been steadily increasing year on year for both cats and dogs and its further improvement is an evolving target. By choosing one of their rescue dogs, you will be giving another rehabilitated pet a second chance.
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Address: 1700 W Historic Columbia River Hwy, Troutdale, OR 97060, United States
- Multnomah County Animal Services
9. Oregon Humane Society – a private, nonprofit animal shelter serving the needs of over 11000 pets each year
The Oregon Humane Society is a large animal welfare shelter with a phenomenal success rate in animal adoptions. The OHS finds loving new homes for over 11,000 pets, every year.
There is no limit on how long a pet can stay until it finds its new forever home and there is an OHS veterinary hospital to provide routine health care and cater for the sick or injured.
They also provide free or low-cost desexing services for the pets of low-income families. Their Second Chance program collects animals from other regional shelters that may face overcrowding.
OHS Humane Special Agents enforce animal cruelty and neglect laws and the society pushes for improved laws to protect animals and deal with offenders.
- Address: 1067 NE Columbia Blvd, Portland, OR 97211, United States
- Oregon Humane Society
10. Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals – a foster-based animal rescue who rescues from overcrowded shelters
With an amazing record for rehoming rescued domestic animals, the Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals has a simple mission; to give animals the care they need while they await adoption by their new forever owner.
The rescue has saved more than 20,000 animals since 2002, with an outstanding 99% placement rate into new homes.
Based in Hillsboro, Oregon, this wonderful animal rescue service saves ‘last chance’ adoptable animals from overcrowded shelters, nurses them back to health, and finds them loving new homes.
All their rescues are fostered by caring members of the public while they are prepared for adoption. Choosing your new pet from OFSA will give one of these deserving dogs a new lease on life.
- Address: 1853 NE Cornell Rd Unit C, Hillsboro, OR 97124, United States
- Oregon Friends of Shelter Animals
12. Humane Society for Southwest Washington – dedicated to completing families through animal adoptions, matchmaking, and lost and found services
For someone looking for their new furry best friend, the Humane Society for South West Washington has a lot to offer. They are committed to saving animal lives by increasing pet adoptions into loving new homes.
This dedicated rescue service partners with other community agencies to provide support for families and pets in need.
They work with inmates of Larch Correctional Center to prepare dogs and cats for new adoptive homes and they partner with YWCA Clark County to protect pets at risk in domestic violence circumstances.
Their work includes pet food support programs and providing a veterinary health service designed to help struggling pet owners keep their pets.
The HSSW has a well-structured pet adoption process that allows potential owners, meeting sensible basic criteria, to find their perfect pet match.
- Address: 1100 NE 192nd Ave, Vancouver, WA 98684, United States
- Humane Society for South West Washington
13. Oregon Dachshund Rescue – a no kill shelter specializing in rescuing Dachshunds
If it is an adorable little Dachshund you are looking for, there is a perfect shelter for you. The Oregon Dachshund Rescue shelter is a no-kill, non-profit organization manned entirely by volunteers.
They help little dogs that are abused, sick, neglected, injured or surrendered for euthanasia. The shelter also rescues Dachshunds from puppy mills and abandoned or disabled dogs.
Their mission is to see that every one of these wonderful little dogs receives proper care and a loving forever home. The rescues are given health checks and veterinary care and put into nurturing foster homes until they meet their new family.
You could give one of these special little dogs a chance at a second life.
- Address: Portland, OR 97282.
- Oregon Dachshund Rescue
14. Sadie’s Safe House Chihuahua Rescue – aims to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home as many homeless Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes as possible
Have you considered adopting a dear little Chihuahua? Sadie’s Safe House has a mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and find new homes for abandoned, abused or homeless Chihuahuas.
Initially thought of as cute when they are puppies, many Chihuahuas are later dumped if they develop unwanted traits due to lack of training or show anxieties due to unsuitable homes.
Sadly, they make up a disproportionate number of dogs in animal shelters. At Sadie’s Safe House, the little rescues are provided with full health care to prepare them for adoption by suitable new owners.
Your adoption fees help offset many of the costs but they still gratefully accept donations as well.
- ALOHA, OR 97007
- Sadie’s Safe House Chihuahua Rescue
15. Clackamas County Dog Services – provides temporary housing and care for homeless dogs and cats in Clackamas County
You could find your perfect match at the Clackamas County Dog Services, which is a county-run shelter for dogs. They provide lost and found services, dog shelters, and adoption services, and enforce dog control and dog licensing.
Their adoption program asks applicants to carefully check out the available dog profiles and request to meet the dog that appeals.
Your application is assessed to see if your circumstances meet the shelter’s suitability requirements for that particular dog’s needs and if approved, a meeting is arranged.
It is preferred that all the household members and any existing household dogs attend the meeting with the shelter dog. With a careful consultation process and a successful meet and greet, you may be on your way home with your new family member!
- Address: 13141 OR-212, Clackamas, OR 97015, United States
- Sadie’s Safe House Chihuahua Rescue
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My first true adventure began as a six month voyage around South East Asia as a fresh faced backpacker and ever since I’ve lived a semi nomadic existence, clocking up visits to over 40 countries. I’m a lover of US Road Trips, deserted beaches bathed in warm glow of a sunset, Cuban mojitos, travel destinations far away from the tourist crowds and all things Scandinavian – from cloudberry liquors to Nordic noirs. When not wandering the world and running Global Grasshopper, you’ll find me walking my rescued Greek street dog in leafy South West London, strolling around the Brighton Lanes on random day trips, hunting for photogenic landscapes or daydreaming about my favourite places; Havana, Copenhagen, Italy, Laos, California and the surreally beautiful landscapes of a wintry Iceland.