Find Your Ideal Dog for Adoption in Ontario, Canada – Trusted Shelters & Rescues
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Are you looking for dogs for adoption in Ontario, Canada?
Way back in 2004. Yowzers! That’s 19 years ago. Almost 2 decades! Well, way back in 2004 I started visiting shelters and rescues to find my first puppy.
I was lucky to find a small Aussie Lab mix puppy using PetFinder.com.
PetFinder.com is a great resource for finding dogs, cats, and other pets for adoption.
However, PetFinder does not have an easy resource for finding dog adoption organizations in Canada (at least we couldn’t find it).
So, we decided to put together this list of adoptable dog rescues and shelters by Canadian Province.
Below are all of the organizations in Ontario from which you can adopt a dog.
Please continue on to each individual organization’s website by clicking on their name to see dogs they have available for adoption or to learn more about the organization and their mission.
Adopting is a great way of bringing home a dog in need of a loving home.
Consider checking with the organizations in your area on a weekly basis if you’re looking for a specific breed before you decide to go out and buy a puppy from a breeder.
You know what they say – ‘Adopt Before You Shop!’
Tips For Adopting A Dog From The Shelter
As a kid we adopted our family dogs, Maffy and Ralphie from the animal shelter. We also adopted our first dog as a responsible adult from the animal shelter.
Here are a few tips we learned along the way.
- Get the supplies for your new dog. We put together a checklist including the supplies you’ll need for your new puppy.
- Bring a friend or family member to help transport your dog home. If you don’t have anyone to help you then bring a crate so your dog won’t be jumping on you while you try to drive.
- Find out what they’re feeding your puppy and feed the same. Going to a new home is stressful and your dog will often have some stomach problems (diarrhea). If you feed the same food then you can be assured changing foods didn’t cause the upset stomach.
- Setup an appointment with your veterinarian. You want to make sure your new dog is happy and healthy as well as start her on her vaccinations series.
- Take it easy the first couple days home. Let your new dog get used to her new home and environment. The move to a new home is stressful and again you don’t want to cause any unwanted stomach or behavior problems.
Those are a few quick tips off the top of my head. Hopefully, they’re helpful for your new dog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Best Websites For Adopting A Dog?
We found Linus using PetFinder.com. We do see dogs listed for adoption in Canada but PetFinder.com did not have a list of shelters and rescues (that we could find).
I’m putting together this resource that will have a map of Canada and the United States including a list of all the shelters and rescues by state and province.
What Is The Cheapest Way To Get A Dog?
Let me be clear. A free dog is not actually free. You have to consider all of the expenses after the purchase price of your dog including vaccinations, wellness checkup, flea meds, heartworm meds, food, toys, the list goes on and on.
Check out this list of how much a puppy costs to see all the other expenses of dog ownership.
In our experience the cheapest way to get a dog is through a rescue. Why? Because they will cover a lot of the initial costs.
Let’s take the example of puppies we fostered for Cuddly Canines. The initial cost for adopters was $300 but that included microchipping, two rounds of vaccinations, deworming, initial wellness check with the vet, and dog toys.
The puppies from the Cuddly Canines rescue are well taken care of by fosters and in good health when they go to their new homes.
On the other hand our experience with the shelter was quite different. The initial cost for Linus was $37 which included microchipping, first round of vaccinations, and dog toys.
However, Linus was infested with fleas and mites, lethargic, sickly, and we later found out he had Giardia.
Linus’ initial cost of $37 was very cheap. However, after our first vet appointment I believe we had paid close to $1,000 for this puppy. No longer cheap.
What Say You
Adopting a dog is a life changing event. Make sure you do your research starting by contacting a few of the rescues or shelters on our list of dog adoptions in Ontario.
I wish you the best on your journey with your new canine pal.
Tell us a little about how the search is going.
Did you adopt a dog yet?
What kind of dog did you bring home?
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