Local Animal Rescues to Foster Puppies or Dogs in the South Bay
Right now, shelters are overflowing and rescue agencies are stretched thin—but you can make a difference in the lives of puppies and dogs in need. Fostering provides a temporary, loving home for these animals while they wait for their forever families. It’s a heartwarming way to offer care and, who knows, you might just find your new furry friend in the process! We reached out to our South Bay Local Insider Group for their top recommendations and compiled a list of nearby organizations and rescues that are always in need of foster families.
Rescues and Shelters
The Lovejoy Foundation: The Lovejoy Foundation, Inc.
Location: 1121 West Hillcrest Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90301
The Lovejoy Foundation is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs in need, with a focus on finding them their forever homes. They also offer services to reduce pet overpopulation and promote responsible pet ownership through affordable spay/neuter services, vaccinations, and microchipping. They also offer training, bath-only grooming and boarding.
VACCINE CLINIC: Every Sunday from 9 AM to 11 AM offering vaccines and microchip discounts.
ADOPTION EVENTS: Available dogs can be seen online or at their weekly adoption events on Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM – 5 PM
WAYS TO HELP: Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Donate (Amazon Wish List, Money)
Rescue Bae
Location: South Bay
Rescue Bae’s mission is to rescue and rehome animals in need, and they have already saved over 1,000 cats and 200 dogs. Despite the challenges—emotional, physical, and financial— their commitment never wavers. They believe in making a difference, one animal at a time, changing their world forever by connecting animals with their forever families.
ADOPTION EVENTS: Available dogs can be seen online
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Donate (Amazon Wish List, Money)
Rover’s Retreat
Location: Torrance, CA
Rover’s Retreat is a non-profit dog rescue organization that rescues and fosters dogs locally and internationally. The organization is staffed entirely by volunteers and funded solely by tax-deductible donations.
ADOPTION EVENTS: Available dogs can be seen online or at these upcoming events:
- Dana Point Pups & Cups, June 1st, 10 AM – 2 PM at the OC Local Taproom in Prado Square (34201 Street of the Amber Lantern)
- Woofstock 2024: June 9th at the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center (19130 Ventura Blvd)
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Financial Donation
Harbor Animal Shelter
Location: 957 N. Gaffey Street, San Pedro, CA 90731
Harbor Animal Shelter in San Pedro, CA, is committed to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming stray and abandoned animals. With a dedicated team and community support, they provide essential care and promote responsible pet ownership to ensure every animal finds a loving home including on-site spay & neuter clinic. They also offer alternative solutions to help keep pets and families together, including Home to Home, Pet Food Pantry, Resource Guides and intervention groups that provide assistance with pet retention.
ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online or you can visit Tuesday – Sunday in person
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Donate (Supplies, Amazon Wish List, Money)
Wallis Annenberg PetSpace
Location: 12005 Bluff Creek Drive, Playa Vista, CA 90094
Annenberg PetSpace is a unique community space that facilitates pet adoptions, hosts community events, and offers learning opportunities. Annenberg PetSpace focuses on the mutually beneficial and dynamic bond between people and their pets.
ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online or you can visit Wednesday – Sunday in person
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Financial Donation
Beach Dog Rescue
Location: South Bay
Beach Dog Rescue is a foster-based rescue located in Palos Verdes, California. Their goal is to fight against the high euthanasia rates in California shelters and help dogs find their happily ever after.
ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Financial Donation
Forte Animal Rescue
Location: Marina Del Rey, CA
Forte Animal Rescue seeks solutions to pet-overpopulation, as well as working with the community to cultivate the human-animal bond through education programs and activities. Started in 2002, the rescue has saved the lives of more than 1,500 dogs! This rescue is one of the few rescue organizations to offer a Junior Volunteer Program.
ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online or at their weekly adoption events every 1st and 3rd Saturday from 12:30 – 3:30 PM at Centinela Feed & Pet Supplies at 3860 S. Centinela Avenue in Los Angeles
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Financial Donation & Fundraising Events
Wags and Walks
Location: West Los Angeles, CA
Wags & Walks is dedicated to reducing euthanasia in local shelters and increasing awareness of rescue dogs being wonderful pets. Wags and Walks focuses on advocating for wrongfully stereotyped bully breeds, medical dogs, and mamas + puppies that are often overlooked and at-risk due to overcrowding. THis rescue is a family-friendly rescue, encouraging children to get involved with their parents. To date, they have rescued over 7,250 dogs in need.
ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online or at events found on their website
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Book Private / Corporate Events | Financial Donation
Pacific Pups Rescue
Location: 7381 La Tijera Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Pacific Pups Rescue is a Los Angeles, foster-based rescue. They rescue dogs from kill shelters and from owners who can no longer care for their animals due to extreme circumstances. All of their dogs live in foster homes until they find their forever homes. Fun Fact: Pacific Pups Rescue provides the puppies seen in the “Celebrities Play with Puppies While Answering Fan Questions” series of videos.
ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online or at events found on their website
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Financial Donations
HIT Living Foundation
Location: Los Angeles, CA
The HIT Living Foundation directs their energies in areas they believe the world’s voiceless need most: animal welfare with a focus in dog rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming, domestic and international community outreach and animal welfare education. The foundation is a 100% foster-based animal rescue and is reliant on volunteers and fosters to fulfill their mission
.ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online or at events found on their website
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Financial Donations
Infinite Love Animal Rescue
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Infinite Love Animal Rescue is dedicated to finding forever homes for abandoned and displaced dogs while educating the public to be more responsible pet owners. Their goal is to help these dogs in every way possible… emotionally, socially, and physically so that the transition into their forever homes will be as smooth as possible.
ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Donations (Supplies, Money)
Breed Specific Focus
Bullies and Buddies Rescue
Location: Redondo Beach, CA
At Bullies and Buddies, the mission is focused on the compassionate rescue, thorough rehabilitation, and successful placement into loving forever homes for bullies and other companion breeds in need across the heart of Southern California.
ADOPTION EVENTS: Adoption events are held on most Saturdays! Meet the rescues, capture precious moments, enjoy puppy kisses, share snuggles, and connect with their team. Visit their website for details.
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Donate (Supplies, Money)
California Doodle Rescue
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
The California Doodle Rescue is dedicated to rescuing, fostering, and finding loving homes for poodle-mixed breed dogs, affectionately known as ‘Doodles’—including Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, Aussiedoodles, Bernedoodles, Sheepadoodles, and more. Their mission is to promote humane animal regulation, encourage spaying and neutering, and provide quality medical care for these dogs. They support no-kill shelters in California and offer a safe haven for neglected, abused, and abandoned Doodles. They also provide educational resources on dog rescue, proper care, and the importance of addressing issues like puppy mills and hoarding.
ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online or visit their calendar for upcoming events:
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Financial Donations
Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue
Location: San Diego, CA
Labradors and Friends Dog Rescue Group is dedicated to saving homeless Labradors, Labrador mixes, and their “friends” from high-kill shelters in California and the Southwest. They have programs In response to the growing number of senior dogs. Committed to changing lives, they unite dogs with their forever families and strengthen the community through rescue and adoption.
ADOPTION: Available dogs can be seen online or visit their calendar for upcoming events.
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Donate (Amazon Wish List, Money)
Southern California Bulldog Rescue
Location: Santa Ana, CA
Southern California Bulldog Rescue provides shelter, re-homing assistance, and funds for medical treatment for over 250 bulldogs annually. These dogs come from animal shelters, other rescue groups, and owners who wish to surrender their purebred bulldogs. We help bulldogs in the Southern California area find suitable homes. Over 2,800 bulldogs have been placed through rescue in Southern California over the last 15 years.
ADOPTION: Most of their available dogs can be seen online
WAYS TO HELP: Foster & Adopt | Volunteer Your Time | Donations (Supplies, Money)
Additional Resources:
Pedro Pet Pals
Pedro Pet Pals is a South Bay non-profit organization in San Pedro, dedicated to saving homeless animals. They work with the community to find foster and adoption homes for animals, especially those that are most at risk of being euthanized and raise funds to provide services and supplies for animals in our local community and animal shelters, including vouchers for dog spay / neuter and low-cost, mobile vaccination clinics.
