Zack Keithy, our author, has been a certified veterinarian technician for over 6 years (contact him here). The articles written here are based on his expertise and experience, combined with a review by our expert vet reviewers. Learn more about us here.
Are you looking for the best dog rescues in Ohio, either to adopt or to join as a volunteer? Well, there are lots to choose from, but to help with your selection process, we have narrowed it down to this selection of the very best!
Quick note here: The main difference between dog rescues and shelters is that rescues are typically privately run and funded through donations, while shelters are organized by local government.
Dog rescues are not listed in any particular order. Check out other excellent dog rescues in other states here.
Medical Questions? Talk to a Veterinarian 24/7.
Connect one-on-one with a licensed vet who will answer your questions in minutes.
*Article may contain affiliate links to retailers like Amazon and Chewy. Learn more on our disclosure page.
Related topics:
Central Ohio dog rescue
Dog rescue Columbus, Ohio
Ohio toy breed rescue
Shih Tzu rescue Cincinnati
Small dog rescue Central Ohio
Small dog rescue Cleveland, Ohio
Small dog rescue Columbus ohio
Small dog rescue Dayton Ohio
Small dog rescue Northeast Ohio
Small dog rescue Ohio
Small dog rescue Toledo Ohio
- 1. Almost Home Dog Rescue of Ohio
- 2. Purebred Rescue Organization of Ohio
- 3. Multiple Breed Rescue Ohio
- 4. PAWS Ohio
- 5. RESCUEDohio
- 6. Speak for the Unspoken Dog Rescue
- 7. Stop The Suffering
- 8. Storm Angels Rescue
- 9. Cleveland Protective Animal League
- 10. Save The Animals Foundation
- 11. Toledo Animal Rescue
- 12. Secondhand Mutts
- Other Dog Rescues in Ohio Worth Mentioning
1. Almost Home Dog Rescue of Ohio
Almost Home Dog Rescue of Ohio (AHDRO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers that have saved hundreds of dogs since its founding in 2003.
All donations and fees go entirely toward the care of their rescued canines.
The mission of AHDRO is to provide a safe haven for homeless collies, shelties, and mixes of both breeds until their forever homes are found; to reduce the number of unwanted pets by altering all dogs in their rehoming program; to educate the public about the importance of altering pets; to promote the message that owning a pet is a lifelong commitment.
2. Purebred Rescue Organization of Ohio
Location: PO Box 545, New Albany, OH 43054 (mailing only)
For nearly two decades, the Purebred Rescue Organization of Ohio has been rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming companion animals.
What began as a tiny Dayton foster-based rescue focused on purebred puppy mill releases and owner surrenders have expanded into a multi-city initiative that now includes the PUPP Prison Dog Training Program and partnerships with shelters across Ohio to help save hundreds of dogs each year.
They rescue dogs of all breeds, mixes, shapes, and sizes, despite their name!
While the dogs are in their care, they provide routine vetting – all of their dogs are fixed, heartworm tested, vaccinated, and microchipped before being put in adoptive homes.
3. Multiple Breed Rescue Ohio
MBR is a modest organization dedicated to assisting as many displaced animals as possible.
In Ohio, they collaborate with humane officers, veterinarians, and shelters to assist dogs that have been mistreated, abused, neglected, or require medical attention.
They also accept dogs from high-kill shelters, local county-run pounds, and in-state rescues to help them create a place for new arrivals.
They will occasionally assist with owner surrenders in dire instances.
All of their animals are given thorough and necessary vetting once they arrive in the organization’s care to ensure their safety.
The bulk of their canines is in foster homes because they do not have a public shelter.
4. PAWS Ohio
Location: PO Box 24651, Cleveland OH 44124
In 1976, the Public Animal Welfare Society, Inc. (PAWS) was established.
They are a non-profit, no-kill 501(3)(c) organization that is regarded as one of Ohio’s most renowned and long-standing cat and dog humane rescue organizations.
In Northeastern Ohio, their aim is to rescue, foster, and adopt companion animals.
They also provide medical treatment, as well as spaying and neutering services, for the injured or sick animals that they take in.
The Executive Director, Amy Beichler, was a leading force behind the enactment of Goddard’s Law in 2016, which made it a crime in Ohio to abuse companion animals.
They are a volunteer-run organization with a Board of Volunteer Directors in charge.
The day-to-day operations of PAWS are overseen by an Executive Director and an Associate Director.
They have volunteer coordinators who administer a variety of specific departments within PAWS, as well as a host of dedicated volunteers who give their time and effort to PAWS-related tasks and events, all reporting to the Executive Director.
5. RESCUEDohio
On August 1, 2015, RESCUEDohio was created by a group of dedicated animal lovers in the central Ohio area.
The founders come from a variety of professional backgrounds, but they all share a love for saving dogs.
They were previously involved in several parts of rescue, including fostering, fundraising, coordinating, and training, before founding RESCUEDohio.
This organization’s purpose is to assist in the adoption of unwanted and abandoned dogs as well as to campaign for the rights of all animals worldwide.
6. Speak for the Unspoken Dog Rescue
Location: PO Box 534, Grove City, OH 43123
SPEAK! for the Unspoken is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue based in Columbus, Ohio.
They are a foster-based rescue dedicated to the rescue and education of special needs animals.
They concentrate their rescue efforts on dogs and cats with unique needs, particularly double merle dogs born with eyesight and/or hearing impairments as a result of bad breeding techniques.
Believing that special needs dogs can live happy and healthy lives, they will continue to find these dogs the homes they deserve until reckless breeding ends.
The phrase “special needs and good deeds” was coined by them to encompass all creatures that fall outside of the “special needs” category that they may assist.
7. Stop The Suffering
STS (Stop the Suffering) is a Columbus, Ohio-based animal rescue managed entirely by volunteers.
Dogs from all throughout Ohio, northern Kentucky, and West Virginia are rescued by them.
They place dogs in foster homes and work hard to match them with their ideal forever family.
The team rescues dogs and cats from high-kill shelters, particularly in Ohio, and transports them to safe situations where they can be matched with and evaluated for new families.
To generate funds to support rescued animals with veterinarian care, transportation, and food, they rely on the goodwill of kind-hearted souls such as yourself.
Lastly, they also aim to promote responsible pet ownership through education and resources.
8. Storm Angels Rescue
Location: P. O. Box 259, Lorain, OH 44052
Storm’s Angels was named after the founder’s first dog, “Queen Night Storm,” who had been rescued from a puppy factory.
She developed diabetes and gradually lost her vision and hearing as she grew older.
Storm had diabetes for seven years and was treated at home, after which she was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy at the age of 11 and was confined to a wheelchair until she died of bladder cancer at the age of almost 14.
In her honor, Storm’s Angels Rescue was created to save companion animals.
They concentrate on animals that are deemed unadoptable and work to rehabilitate and place these animals in forever homes.
9. Cleveland Protective Animal League
Location: 1729 Willey Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113
The objective of the Cleveland Animal Protective League is to promote compassion and put a stop to animal suffering.
They are an independent, nonprofit humane society based in Cleveland’s Tremont district, founded in 1913.
This group is not funded or managed by any government or national animal welfare organization and exists as a 501(c)(3) organization.
Fundraising, contributions, foundation and corporate sponsorship, and service fees all help to keep their animal shelter, services, and activities running.
They are dedicated to placing all adoptable animals, and they hope to reach a point where every friendly, healthy, homeless animal in our community can be cared for until a new family can be found.
10. Save The Animals Foundation
Location: 4011 Red Bank Road, Cincinnati, OH 45227
Their no-kill shelter, which is totally funded by donations and run by volunteers, presently houses over 300 dogs and cats, many of them have been abused, abandoned, or literally thrown away.
Volunteer teams work with the animals two shifts a day, 365 days a year, to provide a safe and caring environment until they may be placed in permanent, loving homes.
Thousands of lucky animals have been united with similarly lucky families over the years.
All of their animals are fed high-quality nutrition, have a core network of devoted veterinarians who visit them on a regular basis, and their living areas are cleaned twice a day, every day.
Before being accepted into the shelter population, every arriving animal is given a thorough examination and the necessary vaccines.
In keeping with their concept of promoting responsible pet ownership, all of their animals are spayed or neutered.
11. Toledo Animal Rescue
Location: 640 Wyman Street, Toledo, OH 43609
Their mission is to care for and shelter homeless and abandoned dogs and cats, both temporarily and permanently, by promoting and sponsoring animal welfare education programs, adoptions, preventive veterinary care, and a mandatory spay/neuter program, with a focus on a “no kill” policy for its animals.
The Rescue is run by a small but dedicated staff, as well as a slew of dedicated volunteers who willingly donate their time, talents, and skills to the cause.
They are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that receives no money from the city, state, or federal government.
Toledo Animal Rescue is one of the most well-known and respected animal adoption organizations in Toledo and the surrounding area.
Since its inception in 1927, the resuce, located on Toledo’s south side, has been dedicated to the care and adoption of unwanted and homeless animals.
Animals in their rescue do not have a time restriction.
Adoptable animals are accessible as long as they are physically and mentally healthy and have a good disposition.
12. Secondhand Mutts
Location: 2603 Scranton Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Secondhand Mutts was started in 2006 and functioned as a grassroots community organization until establishing itself as a registered nonprofit in 2009.
It was inspired by one dog left chained to the door of our founder’s dog socialization center.
Each rescue dog has a unique history and story to tell.
The canines can show us their longing for a new life, even if they can’t tell us about their past.
Their goal is to give them as many resources as possible in order to help them find loving permanent homes and a new beginning.
Many of the dogs in their program are rescued from high-kill or at-risk city and county shelters, where their time has expired or the facility is overcrowded.
Some of the pets come to them from other rescue organizations, while others are surrendered by their owners.
They can only accept socialized dogs into their program because they maintain a cage-free environment.
Dogs of all ages and sizes socialize together, and each dog is evaluated before being accepted into the program.
Because shy dogs are frequently neglected by potential adopters and rescues, this team tends to focus on them.
Other Dog Rescues in Ohio Worth Mentioning
There are several other dog rescues in Ohio that are in need of your help, but unfortunately, we are unable to cover every single one of them.
Through online reviews and friends’ recommendations, here are 8 more you can visit and support:
- Canine Collective (Plain City)
- FREEdom Tails Ohio Animal Rescue (Columbus)
- Ohio Fuzzy Paws Shih Tzu Rescue (Pataskala)
- Cincinnati Animal CARE (Cincinnati)
- Humane Society of Greater Dayton (Dayton)
- Maumee Valley Save-A-Pet (Toledo)
- AJ’s Search & Rescue (Fairlawn)
- Humane Society of Madison County (Madison County)
