Adopt a Dog in British Columbia: Find Trusted, Local Rescues Today

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You’re finally a responsible adult. You have your own place, a good job, and you even work from home. So, you’ve decided to take the next step and adopt a dog.

But you want to find something close by so you’re looking for dogs for adoption in British Columbia.

Back when I was a kid we looked up the local shelters in the yellow pages and visited shelters after school and on weekends. That’s how we found our Border Collie mix, Maffy. Our wonderful mutt!

We found our first dog as a responsible adult way back in 2005 through PetFinder.com.

However, when we searched for rescues in British Columbia we couldn’t find a good list on Petfinder.com or other sites.

So, we decided to take action and create this ultimate list of dogs for adoption in British Columbia which includes all the shelters and rescues we could find in the province.

Below are all of the organizations in British Columbia 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!’

Dog Shelters And Rescues In British Columbia

OrganizationCityPhoneAAIDD Adopt An Indian Desi DogAbbotsford604-852-3375Angel’s Animal RescueMerritt250-378-5223Animal Advocates SocietyBC AreaContactBC Chihuahua RescueNanaimo BC SPCA 100 Mile House & District Branch100 Mile House250-395-5303BC SPCA Abbotsford BranchAbbotsford604-850-1584BC SPCA Burnaby BranchBurnaby604-291-7201BC SPCA Campbell River Community Animal CentreCampbell River250-287-7766BC SPCA Chilliwack BranchChilliwack604-823-6612BC SPCA Cowichan & District BranchDuncan250-746-4646BC SPCA East Kootenay BranchCranbrook250-426-6751BC SPCA Education & Adoption CentrePort Coquitlam604-468-4044BC SPCA Haida Gwaii BranchQueen Charlotte City250-559-8807BC SPCA Kamloops BranchKamloops250-376-7722BC SPCA Maple Ridge BranchMaple Ridge604-463-9511BC SPCA Nanaimo & District BranchNanaimo250-741-0778BC SPCA North Cariboo Branch, Prince GeorgePrince George250-562-5511BC SPCA North Peace Branch, Fort St. JohnFort St. John250-785-7722BC SPCA Parksville-Qualicum Beach & District BranchParksville250-248-3811BC SPCA Powell River BranchPowell River604-485-9252BC SPCA Prince Rupert BranchPrince Rupert250-624-2859BC SPCA Quesnel and District BranchQuesnel250-992-7722BC SPCA Salt Spring Island BranchSalt Spring Island250-537-2123BC SPCA Shuswap BranchSalmon Arm250-832-7376BC SPCA South Okanagan/SimilkameenPenticton250-493-0136BC SPCA South Peace BranchDawson Creek250-782-2444BC SPCA Squamish Valley BranchSquamish604-898-9890BC SPCA Sunshine Coast BranchSechelt604-740-0301BC SPCA Trail Regional BranchTrail250-368-5910BC SPCA Vancouver BranchVancouver604-879-7721BC SPCA Vernon & District BranchVernon250-549-7297BC SPCA West Vancouver BranchWest Vancouver604-922-4622Big And Small Animal RescueGreater Vancouver AreaContactBlack Dog Society of BCFraser ValleyContactBone Voyage Dog RescueBC AreaContactBroken Promises RescueVictoriaContactBully BuddiesVancouver ContactCAWES (Coast Animal Welfare & Education Society)Bowen Island604-947-2333Coquitlam Animal ShelterCoquitlam604-927-7387Countryside KennelsPort Coquitlam604-945-0125Creston Pet Adoption And Welfare SocietyCreston250-428-7297Cross Our Paws RescueNorth Vancouver ContactCrowsnest Pet RescueHeffley Creek Dachshund & Friends Rescue TeamAbbotsford778-982-1299Delta Community Animal ShelterDelta604-940-7111Dhana Metta Rescue SocietyVancouver District of North Vancouver Animal Welfare ShelterNorth Vancouver604-990-3711Dog ControlPenticton250-492-3801Faunadael Pet RescueDuncan Fraser Valley Humane SocietyMission604-820-2977Furever Freed Dog RescueBC AreaContactGerman Shepherd Rescue of BCChilliwack Global Animal LoversInvermereContactHands on Fur /Formerly Turtle GardensTopley250-696-3461Heart Dog RescueKootenayContactHome At Last RescueLower Mainland BCContactHugABull Advocacy and Rescue SocietyVancouver Langley Animal Protection SocietyLangley604-857-5055Loved At Last Dog RescueVancouverContactMex-Can Pet PartnersVictoriaContactNew Stride Thoroughbred Adoption SocietyAbbotsford778-985-5673New Westminster Animal ShelterNew Westminster604-519-2008NewbarkBlack Creek250-218-0201Northern Animal Rescue AllianceTerraceContactNorthern Hope Dog RescueVancouverContactNorthwest Animal ShelterSmithersContactOkanagan Central Small Dog Rescue SocietyKelowna250-808-1107Our Last Hope Animal Rescue SocietyPrinceton604-749-7150Paws It Forward Dog RescueKelownaContactPawsitive Animal RescueVancouver604-849-0056PB & Chi Dog Rescue SocietyBC AreaContactPennies For DogsVancouver Prince George Animal RescuePrince GeorgeContactRain Coast Dog Rescue SocietyVancouver Island250-507-6685Regional Animal Protection SocietyRichmond604-285-7724Rescue A BoxerDelta Richmond Animal Protection Society / Animal ShelterRichmond604-275-2036Richmond BC SPCA Education & Adoption CentreRichmond604-277-3100Rosier Days Dog RescueVictoriaContactS.A.I.N.T.S.Mission SARA SocietySurrey604-580-8254See Spot Smile Dalmatian RescueBlack Creek250-650-4477Small Dog Rescue BC SocietyVancouverContactSociety-Save Animals through Rescue & AdoptionSurrey604-580-8254Surrey BC SPCA Education and Adoption CentreSurrey604-574-1711TnT Sharpei RescueFraser Valley604-357-3294Tsawwassen Animal HospitalDelta604-943-9385Vancouver Island Dogs Rescue SocietyVictoria ContactVictoria Animal Control Services Ltd.Victoria250-414-0233Victoria Humane SocietyVictoriaVictoria Pet Adoption SocietySaanichton Whistler Animals Galore SocietyWhistler604-935-8364

FAQs

How Much Does It Cost To Adopt A Dog In British Columbia?

On average to adopt a dog in British Columbia will cost you around $300 – $600.

There are many factors involved with the adoption fee of dog. Most rescues will charge a different rate for puppies, young adults, adults, and senior dogs.

The adoption fee is a small amount compared to the cost rescues incur with vet bills, medication, vaccinations, microchipping, food, toys, other supplies, fostering, etc.

Are There Small Dog Rescues In British Columbia?

Yes, there are small dog rescues in BC. In fact there’s a pretty good chance that many of the shelters and rescues on our list will have small dogs from time to time.

Here’s a list of dog rescues that specialize in small breed dogs.

• BC Chihuahua Rescue – Chihuahua’s are definitely a small breed with the average adult weight around 4-6 pounds.
• Dachshund & Friends Rescue Team – Dachshund is another small breed dog although a bit larger than a Chi. Also know as a Doxie, they weigh in around 16-32 pounds for standard and miniatures come in at no more than 11 pounds in weight.
• Okanagan Central Small Dog Rescue Society – Small Dog Rescue.
• Small Dog Rescue BC Society – Dog rescue specializing in small dogs.

If you’ve checked these four shelters and haven’t found the perfect small canine friend then try the other shelters and rescues on this list and ask them if they have a small dog that fits your lifestyle.

Are There Older Dogs For Adoption In British Columbia?

Most dog rescues and shelters will have adoptable dogs of all ages including puppies, adults, and senior dogs.

Unfortunately, we did not come across any shelters in BC that specialize in senior dogs. Please take the time to visit all the rescues near you on our list.

Final Thoughts

That’s the list! Were you able to find an adoptable dog?

If you’re having trouble finding the perfect match then I suggest you be patient and check in with multiple rescues and shelters in the coming weeks.

Most rescues and shelters are getting new dogs constantly.

Your perfect match might be right around the corner.

A second option would be to expand your search radius and maybe check out shelters and rescues and nearby provinces or even across the border in the United States.

Have you ever adopted a dog?

Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.

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