The Best Maryland Dog Rescues & Shelters in 2026

Canine Humane Network

Established in 2016, Canine Humane Network is a non-profit dog rescue, shelter, adoption and training organization here in Highland, Howard County, Maryland. We are substantially operated by volunteer staff and many big-hearted volunteer foster families. Here at Canine Humane Network, we are dedicated to saving the lives of homeless dogs and providing a safe haven, humane care, and adoption programs for rescued dogs. We are deeply invested in the lifelong happiness of the dogs and owners we serve. We strive to build a humane environment for animals and people by providing excellent resources and training including humane education and therapy dog programs.

Reed's Rescue

Reeds Rescue is a non-profit volunteer dog rescue organization serving Baltimore County and surrounding areas. We are dedicated to rescuing dogs of senior age or deemed to be terminally ill from area shelters, dogs given up by their owners because of difficult circumstances, and those in danger of decompensating in the shelter environment. Reeds Rescue will provide nurturing foster homes while they await placement in their permanent homes. Reeds Rescue, the board, and the volunteers will strive to work with area shelters, the community, and other rescues to develop a network of supporters to create a better world for the elderly and terminal pets in need.

Key to lions heart rescue

Key to Lion’s Heart Rescue was founded in January 2018 in honor of Lion, a dog who made a tremendous impact on so many lives. Lion was dumped at a very high kill shelter where his time was up. Without knowing his past, he was pulled by a rescue and placed into a home. Lion was then moved nine times over the course of one year in an effort to find the right home. Unfortunately, the second to last move was that one that forever changed his soul. Just like people, dogs have a breaking point, and Lion had reached his. He had been through more in one year than any dog should ever have to go through in a lifetime. His last move was to a home where he was loved and cared for by a handful of people, his advocates for many months. Unfortunately, it was too late. The pain and suffering he had endured in some of his previous places was more than Lion could overcome. The light in his eyes was gone and he was suffering. In the arms of the people who loved him dearly, we whispered our goodbyes and told him how much we loved him. Humans had failed him. As we kissed him goodbye, we promised Lion that we would do our best to ensure no dog would ever have to endure what he had in his last year. At that moment, we dedicated ourselves to unlocking hope for all dogs by giving a little piece of our hearts to every single one that we can save.

Miri’s Haven Senior Dog Rescue

A senior dog rescue working to raise awareness of the dangers of puppy mills and backyard breeding

Senior Dog Sanctuary of Maryland, Inc.

SDS provides a safe haven for senior dogs who cannot be cared for by their owners, are abandoned or abused, or face euthanasia. Our sanctuary has provided a safe, loving home for over 900 dogs since 2016. Our staff and volunteers supply residents with expert-level care and rehabilitation until they are adopted. We also provide long-term homes to seniors who aren’t currently adoptable.

SPCA of Anne Arundel County

The SPCA of Anne Arundel County is the oldest and largest animal welfare organization in the county.

Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS)

BARCS is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization operating Maryland’s largest animal shelter and pet adoption center. We are an open admission shelter, granting refuge to every abandoned, neglected, abused, lost or surrendered animal that comes through our door. A staggering 30 or more animals are surrendered to BARCS every day. No matter what the circumstance, we do not turn away any animal in need of shelter, food, medical care and a loving touch. Yearly, this equates to 11,000-12,000 dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, and even wildlife and exotic animals that need care and placement. Each year, BARCS is growing, evolving and working to implement new innovative programs that benefit animals in need and the neighborhoods that support them.

Keller’s Cause

We are a small, foster based rescue operating in Maryland and Michigan. We specialize in deaf and blind dogs, specifically double merles.

Knine Rescue Inc.

Knine Rescue is a small non-profit 501(c)3 organization, dedicated to animal care and protection. Founded in 2005, we assist shelters and other rescues (both in our local community and beyond) by finding loving forever homes for neglected, abandoned and homeless animals. Our goal is to promote responsible animal ownership by educating the wider public on the importance of spay/neuter, positive training and pet health care. Last year, we helped save more than 600 dogs from euthanasia.

MID-ATLANTIC GERMAN SHEPHERD RESCUE

We are a non-profit rescue dedicated to German Shepherds and German Shepherd mixes. If you are looking to add a new family member to your loving home in the Mid-Atlantic area

Petey and Furends

PetConnect Rescue

LAB. RESCUE. OF LRCP

We are a non-profit volunteer organization that rescues, fosters, and finds forever homes for abused, neglected, and abandoned Labrador Retrievers in the states of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. We provide our Labs with veterinary care, spay or neuter services, and placement with foster families where they are loved while they await adoption.

Forever Changed Animal Rescue

FCAR is a small, locally-run 501(c)(3) non-profit charity dedicated to saving dogs from high-kill shelters and other dangerous or unhealthy situations. We operate through a network of volunteers and foster homes in the DC Metro area. Our efforts are funded by tax-deductible contributions from compassionate people and organizations who want to make a difference in our community. We can’t save every dog, but every dog we save is forever changed.

Saving Grace Animal Rescue of Maryland

All Shepherd Rescue of the United States , Inc

All Shepherd Rescue is a group of German Shepherd lovers who work to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome abused, abandoned, surrendered or other wise homeless German Shepherds and find them forever homes. We are 100% volunteer and rely on fundraisers and donations to fund the Veterinary care and other needs of our dogs, to prepare them for their adoptive families.

Maryland SPCA

Our animal shelter works to improve the lives of pets and people in the communities of Baltimore City and the surrounding areas.

Baltimore Humane Society

The Baltimore Humane Society was founded to protect our region’s pets and to address and prevent their suffering. Since our first day we’ve developed a set of tenets that represent our commitments to the pets we care for. All of our efforts are centered around one word … “humane”.

Pitties and Purrs Rescue

Almost Home Dog Rescue

Almost Home Dog Rescue is a non-profit, foster-based, all volunteer rescue organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilating dogs at risk and in danger of an untimely death. We all share the passion of helping these homeless dogs who don’t have a voice, who won’t have a chance, without organizations such as this one, helping them to a new beginning. It is our mission to seek out dogs where there is need, to bring them to us where they are placed in loving foster homes and prepare them for their forever families. It is also our mission to prepare our adoptive families for a smooth transition and a better outcome. Our community outreach program will offer New Adopter classes whether you adopt from us or not.

Leashes End Senior Pet Sanctuary

Leashes End operates out of a spacious, private home that sits on nearly three park-like acres of fenced-in land in the Avery Village subdivision of Rockville, MD. If our house looks like a home, it’s because it is. We do not use crates. We do not use cages. Our senior cats and dogs are family and we treat them as such. They sleep with us in our beds at night. They lounge on dog beds, cat trees, and laps during the day. They roam freely about our property, roll around in the grass, and bask in the sunshine. They enjoy delicious meals prepared especially for them. They are groomed regularly in our in-house grooming salon. And they receive gold-standard veterinary care, to include from various board-certified specialists.

Animal Care Shelter for Kent County

As Kent County’s only animal shelter, we care for hundreds of animals each year, with the mindset that each and every single adoptable pet will receive food, shelter, medical attention and love until they’re home. We also focus on progressive programs that strengthen our community through our food pantry, lost and found services, rehoming support services and more.

Fallston Animal Rescue Movement

Fallston Animal Rescue Movement, Inc. (FARM), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established by Greg and Barbara Bertling in 2000, is often the difference between life and death for many rescued pets. FARM’s mission is to rescue pets from local shelters who either “run out of time” or are “deemed unadoptable” due to medical issues, behavioral issues, or age. Rescued pets receive required medical care (emergency, routine, and specialty), behavior modification, and training, as well as boarding, food, grooming, and shelter. Thousands of pets have been rescued and adopted since FARM’s inception.

Eskie Rescuers United

The dogs we foster come from many places. Some are turned in by their owners who can no longer care for them. Other dogs are found as stray dogs, or for one reason or another they wind up in dog shelters. There are far too many dogs without homes in the U.S. and the majority of them have to be put to sleep due to overcrowded conditions in shelters. We work to save as many American Eskimo dogs that we can by rescuing them. We then foster the dogs in the volunteer’s homes, provide veterinary care, and put a profile for the dog on our website. We do not "sell" dogs. We find homes for dogs and adopt the dog to you. This means that you cannot just walk off the street and buy a dog from us. Learn more about the adoption process.

3 Acres Rescue

3 Acres Rescue is a no-kill Animal Rescue in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, that specializes in dogs, cats, and livestock. We rescue pets from high kill shelters across the United States and bring them to our rescue to then rehome with applicants that are extensively processed with our Application Processing Team. Marilana Zahedi-Mullis is the founder of 3 Acres Rescue and established her nonprofit status as a 501(c)3 in 2022. 3 Acres Rescue does not profit from donations or adoption fees; all money goes toward the pets’ care. Costs for rehoming a pet on the euthanasia list include things like, transport fees to get them to safety, certificates to cross state lines, initial vet care, spay/neuter fees, microchipping, additional vet care when needed. These fees outweigh the adoption fees we charge, so we really rely heavily on donations and volunteer hours. When adopting a pet from 3 Acres Rescue, you’ll received a fully vaccinated, spayed/neutered, and microchipped pet. 3 Acres Rescue also coordinates a decent number of our rescued dogs specifically for Heartworm positive pups, which we will provide funding/medication for slow-kill Heartworm treatment. Over a hundred homeless and abandoned animals were able to find their fur-ever homes from September-December 2023 alone. Our dream is to give every pet a fair chance at life. Could you help?

Baltimore County Animal Services

Husky Education And Rescue Team

We are a nonprofit animal rescue organization. Our organization saves, rehabilitates, and rehomes Siberian Huskies (and other breeds of dogs) who are abandoned and are in kill shelters. We provide medical and behavioral services and rehome them to compatible families. We do this through volunteer efforts. Most of the dogs in need come from shelter where they're at risk for being euthanized. We have a network of foster homes along the East Coast, and our primary office and overflow rescue center is in Maryland. Our Adoption area ranges from Connecticut to Georgia. We do make exceptions for other states on a case by case basis.

Montgomery County Services and Animal Adoption Center ( MCSAAC

Pep's Pals Rescue

Puppies Are Worth Saving Inc. (PAWS Rescue)