Links to Compassion
Local Animal Rescues
A Shelter Friend
A nonprofit 501c3 organization that facilitates the rescue of animals from county shelters in southeastern North Carolina.
A nonprofit 501c3 organization that facilitates the rescue of animals from county shelters in southeastern North Carolina.
Adopt-An-ANGEL
A 501c3 charitable organization focused on reducing the numbers of animals euthanized in area shelters through adoption and spay/neuter programs.
A 501c3 charitable organization focused on reducing the numbers of animals euthanized in area shelters through adoption and spay/neuter programs.
Adoption First Animal Rescue
A 501c3 organization that works with donors, volunteers, county shelters, community businesses, and individuals to lower the euthanasia rate.
A 501c3 organization that works with donors, volunteers, county shelters, community businesses, and individuals to lower the euthanasia rate.
All 4 Cats
A 501c3 foster-based cat rescue whose focus is working with the community to rescue stray cats. Felines are vetted, socialized and placed in loving homes.
A 501c3 foster-based cat rescue whose focus is working with the community to rescue stray cats. Felines are vetted, socialized and placed in loving homes.
Creates community partnerships to promote responsible pet ownership, decrease overpopulation and find every adoptable pet a perfect, loving home.
Cape Fear Rescue League
A "no walls" non-profit animal rescue organization that cares for animals who are unwanted and/or whose lives are endangered.
A "no walls" non-profit animal rescue organization that cares for animals who are unwanted and/or whose lives are endangered.
Carolina Animal Protection Society
A 501c3, un-sheltered organization whose goal is to save cats and dogs that have been abandoned, abused, or neglected due to human discord.
A 501c3, un-sheltered organization whose goal is to save cats and dogs that have been abandoned, abused, or neglected due to human discord.
A 501c3 organization dedicated to rescuing cats and kittens. All felines are spayed or neutered and vaccinated prior to being placed in a forever home.
Cat Tails
Dedicated to rescuing cats and kittens who are stray, unwanted or have been surrendered to a municipal shelter and finding them safe, loving homes.
Dedicated to rescuing cats and kittens who are stray, unwanted or have been surrendered to a municipal shelter and finding them safe, loving homes.
Coastal Animal Rescue Effort
Established by Atlantic Animal Hospital,
C.A.R.E. assists injured or ill needy animals, restores their health, and adopts them into loving new homes.
A 501c3 foster-based rescue located in Wilmington dedicated to providing a loving environment until permanent forever homes are found.
Cumberland County Animal Services
Protects citizens by active enforcement of state and local laws, provides sheltering of stray /unwanted animals, and promotes responsible ownership.
A 501c3 non-profit dog rescue ran 100% by volunteers whose mission is to save dogs and find the right forever home for them and their families.
Feline Urgent Rescue & Rehab
A 501c3 that rescues homeless, injured and/or feral cats and kittens and prepares them for forever homes in the Hampstead/Wilmington, NC area.
To serve, advocate, and be the voice for the underprivileged and abandoned animals awaiting homes in shelters throughout New Hanover County.
Fresh Start Rescue, Inc.
A 501c3 group of volunteers dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, unwanted, or injured reptiles. (from snakes to lizards and everything in between)
Furever Friends Animal Rescue
A 501c3 whose main purpose is to provide medical and surgical care to homeless, injured or abandoned animals and prepare them for adoption.
A rescue that provides a safe haven for shelter dogs until a forever family is found via rescue, temporary housing and transport.
Hamilton's Healing Hearts
Assists pets in need through fostering, adoption, education, spay/ neuter, and community outreach with emphasis on helping senior and special needs pets .
Jaded Paws Rescue
A 501c3 whose main purpose is to provide medical and surgical care to homeless, injured or abandoned animals and prepare them for adoption.
A 501c3 open-door shelter that annually accepts approximately 2,500 stray, neglected, abused or surrendered animals from Lenoir County, NC.
Monty's Home
A 501c3 organization sponsoring canine rescue / prison training programs (Pawsitive Partners Prison Program). Operates Animal Lovers Thrift Shop.
New Hanover Animal Services
Ensures proper animal care, through prevention, public perception, and education with a desire to provide good homes for its adoptable animals.
A small non-profit animal shelter in Wilmington, NC whose purpose is to find loving, forever homes for the dogs and cats in their care..
NHC Rabbit Rescue of Wilmington
Aims to protect and stop the exploitation of pet rabbits surrendered to shelters for the purposes of food, breeding, fur, training dogs, or being used as live bait.
OCPAW
Onslow County Partners for Animal Welfare is an organization of individuals who who maintain a program of low-cost spay and neuter certificates
Promotes responsible pet ownership, animal care, community safety; markets animals for adoption; and reduces pet overpopulation.
Operation Topcat
Implements TNR, cats are then returned to their colony for continued care and feeding by a caretaker. Cats or kittens who are tame are available for adoption.
Paws Place Dog Rescue
A 501c3 no-kill shelter dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption of dogs. Operates on donations, volunteers, and an unending love for animals.
Animal shelter open 7 days a week for surrenders, adoptions and to administer Rabies vaccines. They assist Pender County Animal Control and its residents.
Pender County Humane Society
A no-kill shelter dedicated to improving the lives of homeless animals by providing shelter and medical care while finding loving and responsible homes.
Paws 4 Purpose
A non-profit created to help build a community where animals are treated with respect and kindness. Works to best match each pet and family.
A non-profit created to help build a community where animals are treated with respect and kindness. Works to best match each pet and family.
Works with animal shelters to identify adoptable animals who have no option for local adoption or rescue. Participates in Trap/Neuter/Release and transport.
Roseys Rescue
A 501c3 providing shelter, veterinary care, and love to neglected, abused, abandoned and surrendered animals while finding permanent, loving homes.
Southport-Oak Island Animal Rescue
SOAR is a 501c3 non-profit, no-kill animal rescue providing safe shelter, medical treatment, healthy food, daily care and love to lost /abandoned dogs and cats.
Rescues unwanted pets from NC municipal shelters, provides medical needs, spay and neuter and fosters until a furever home is found.
Thundering Paws Pet Adoption Center
Dedicated to the prevention of cruelty to animals through the rescue, care for and placement of rescued cats and to provide education on their care.
The Unforgotten Souls
An organization dedicated to decreasing the euthanasia rate of high kill shelters by educating communities on spay and neuter and bringing awareness.
Creating lasting connections between animals in need and their furever human families. Focused on helping county shelters reduce euthanasia rates.
Feline Matchmakers Inc.
A 501c3 feline rescue that works to match the right cat with the right home and takes in surrenders, found strays and trapped friendlies.
Spay/Neuter
Cape Fear Spay/Neuter Clinic
call 910-602-1101 or visit www.capefearspayneuterclinic.com
Fix A Friend Spay/Neuter Clinic
call 910-253-8161 or visit www.fixafriendclinic.org
Friends of Felines
call 910-452-6721 or visit www.friendsofelines.org
Wilmington Animal Centrix
Friends of Southport Ferals
call 910-617-0933 or click here.
Operation Topcat
call 910-328-4769 or visit www.operationtopcatnc.org
Onslow County Animal Services
call 910-937-1169 or visit www.onslowcountync.gov/animalservices
Onslow County Partners for Animal Welfare
Adoption First Veterinary Clinic
Pet Friends of Duplin County
Paws 4 Pupose
Breed Specific Rescues
Blue Ridge Boxer Rescue
A non-profit Boxer rescue with a coverage area throughout NC, SC, and Virginia. All Boxers are in foster homes and are not kenneled at a facility.
A 501c3 serving NC and assisting in SC, GA, VA, and MD. Bostons come from shelters and directly from owners to live with a foster family and other pets.
Carolina Basset Hound Rescue
A volunteer-staffed, non-profit organization rescuing and placing stray, unwanted, neglected, and abandoned Basset Hounds in the southeastern U.S.
Carolina Boxer Rescue
Helps Boxers in the Carolinas, VA (and parts of GA) by providing a safe foster home for dogs while they search for forever homes.
A no-kill, non-profit rescue group that provides sanctuary, rehabilitation, and rehomes Poodles, Poodle mixes and other needy small dogs.
Chihuahua Rescue & Transport
A non-profit, foster home based organization dedicated to the rescue, adoption and the medical care of stray and homeless Chihuahuas in need.
Doberman Rescue of the Triad
Works to provide the best care and love for unwanted Dobermans Pinschers
and to rehabilitate and re-home these dogs with permanent loving families.
Dedicated to saving white German Shepherds by providing them with a safe, secure foster home where they receive medical care and training.
German Shepherd Rescue & Adoptions
Committed to offering essential care and adoption services to neglected, stray or surrendered German Shepherd Dogs. (Based in NC - supporting NC, SC & VA)
Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love
Founded in Charlotte, NC in 2009 and operating throughout NC and SC, is an extension of Ruff Love Rescue, a 501c3 non-profit.
An established adoption agency providing retired racing Greyhounds a path to lifelong placement into loving homes.
Lab Rescue of North Carolina
A 5013c non-profit organization working to find good homes for abused, abandoned, or unwanted purebred Labrador Retrievers.
Mid-Atlantic Pug Rescue
Dedicated to providing for the short and long term needs of abandoned or surrendered Pugs. Provides medical and foster care until permanent placement.
Dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and adoption of Golden Retrievers. The organization advocates responsible pet ownership and community education.
Pointer Rescue
A non-profit group of coordinators and volunteers dedicated to the rescue of purebred Pointers (sometimes called English or American Field Pointers).
Pug Rescue of North Carolina
A non-profit group dedicated to the Pug breed. All Pugs are fostered in loving homes, nurtured back to health, fixed and socialized prior to adoption.
A foster home based, dedicated crew of volunteers working to assist Jack Russell Terriers in need in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Schnauzer Rescue of the Carolinas
A 501c3 group in NC, SC, VA and Eastern TN that rescues Miniature, Standard, Giant Schnauzers and provides them with secure and safe homes.
Southeast German Shepherd Rescue
Primarily operates in NC and VA and committed to assisting German Shepherd Dog (GSD) and expanding foster networks.
A 501c3 organization dedicated to the Weimaraner breed. They have rescued and placed over 800 Weimaraners in the last 15-years.
Triangle Beagle Rescue
Committed to finding great, lifelong, loving homes for as many Beagles in North Carolina for over 20-years. Operates solely out of foster homes.
Triangle Sheltie Rescue of NC
An all-volunteer, private organization dedicated to helping homeless Shetland Sheepdogs in North Carolina and nearby states.
If you would you would like your animal shelter or breed rescue listed here, please contact us.
Thrift / Resale Shops
For Our Furry Friends Store
FOFF Thrift Store is operated by Pender County Humane Society. Items donated are sold with all profits given to the animals of PCHS.
Open 7 days a week! Gio Fund is a 501c3 non-profit animal welfare fundraising organization serving the greater Wilmington, North Carolina area.
Monty's Home Animal Lover's Thrift Shop
A unique boutique for pets and the people who love them. New and gently used items.
PAWS Resale Shoppe
A resale store with a mission is to support local rescue organizations by raising money through sale of donated goods.
Pet Food Assistance
GIO Fund - Oliver's Pantry
A pet food assistance program
created to help responsible owners who are
struggling to feed their pets. Open
every Tuesday and Saturday from 11am-1pm.
A rescue owned and operated program, that provides FREE pet food, supplies to families that are low income and or financially struggling.
Heidi's Hope Pet Food Bank
Heidi’s Hope for Homeless Animals has partnered with New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office and their Animal Services Unit to create a Pet Food Bank.
Therapy/Service Animal
Canines for Service
Provides Veterans from all conflicts with service-connected mobility challenges, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Military Sexual Trauma with highly trained service dogs at no cost or promotional consideration.
A non-profit organization that provides quality equine assisted activities and therapies for individuals with special needs. The program was founded in 1999 and is an accredited Center of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International.
Four Paws and a Wake-Up NC
A non-profit service dog provider for Veterans and others that considers the needs of the whole individual, not just the need for a service dog. They have a dedicated animal-assisted therapy program with volunteers and their dogs trained to work with people.
paws4people foundation
Educating and empowering people to utilize Assistance Dogs to transform their lives. They have over 1,200 highly trained Assistance Dogs with one or more certifications providing support in areas such as psychiatric service, mobility, and crisis response.
The goal of Paws of War Eastern North Carolina is to rescue dogs from shelters and match them up with disabled Veterans and First Responders and train them as companion or service dogs. The act of training together builds an unbreakable bond.
Feral Cat Resources
Friends of Felines
A 501c3 dedicated to reduce the
overpopulation of feral cats by working with committed
caretakers through trap/spay-neuter/vaccinate and return.
Protecting and improving the lives of the community cats of Southport while advocating for humane treatment of all feral cats and kittens.
OCPAW
Animal advocates who maintain a low cost spay and neuter voucher program for qualified Onslow residents would like to spay/neuter ferals on their property.
Operation Topcat
Works to humanely help reduce the overpopulation of stray and feral cats in the Topsail Island area, including Sneads Ferry, Holly Ridge, and Hampstead.
Provides sanctuary for feral cats in
the Wilmington area who are being driven from their habitats mostly due to
rapid economic development.
Wilmington Animal Centrix
A small team of trappers who work on trapping and fixing/vaccinating feral cats in colonies with less than 10 cats. Larger colony Voucher Program.
Kitty Pawtrol
A non-profit whose goal is to reduce the overpopulation of community/feral cats through the trap, neuter/spay, and return program.
Animal Welfare
Dogs Deserve Better
A national and award-winning non-profit organization that is a voice for chained and penned, abused and neglected dogs.
Paws 4 Purpose
Helps support local shelters and provide resources for extra care and medical needs by sponsoring heartworm treatments.
Help Tregembo Zoo Animals
A group concerned for the welfare of the animals at Tregembo Animal Park in Wilmington, NC who to work together to help the animals.
Paws-Ability
A 501c3 organization that raises funds to assist local rescue groups and advance programs that improve animal welfare in Brunswick County, North Carolina
Pet Friends of Duplin County
An independent, non-profit 501c3 organization formed
to promote the health, safety, and welfare of domestic companion animals in
Duplin County.
Sunburst Foundation of Wilmington
A canine rescue established in 2001 and became non-profit in 2003. Their major focus today is promoting medical care programs.
Wilmington Animal Centrix
A 501c3 community outreach that works to support and create bridges between local animal rescues and community members who are trying to help animals in need.
Forever By My Side: Shelter Animal Reiki
Amy Gibson is a SARA (Shelter Animal Reiki Association) Practitioner offering complementary (no cost) Reiki sessions for homeless animals in need. .
Financial Assistance
Humane Society of the United States
A list of resources and/or medical care options. Help is out there!
HandicappedPets.com
A list of organizations providing financial aid to help handicapped pets.
Bridging the gap between the cost of medical care and saving the family pet.
The Pet Fund
A 501c3 providing financial assistance to families of domestic animals who need veterinary care.
Financially assists animals with a good prognosis for a healthy life, but are at a financial loss.
Provides mobility impaired animals the support necessary to optimize the quality of life.
Orion's Stars
A 501c3 set up to help owners with large vet bills going through life threatening situations with their pets.
Sea Turtles
Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center
Works to conserve and protect all species of marine turtles, both in the water and on the beach.
A volunteer organization working to protect the endangered and threatened sea turtles of Wrightsville Beach, NC, and their nests.
A non-profit organization whose mission is to
monitor and protect the sea turtle population that visits the Oak Island, NC
beach strand.
Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project
A 501c3 dedicated to
the protection of all sea turtle species from the southern
end of Kure Beach to the northern end of Carolina Beach (Freeman
Park).
Wildlife Rescue/Rehab
SkyWatch Bird Rescue
A 501c3 nonprofit, all volunteer, donation funded organization that rescues injured birds and provides medical care, food, safe
shelter and rehabilitation.
Provides compassionate and aggressive rehabilitation services to injured raptors with the goal of release back to their natural habitat.
A small group with a passion for wildlife that takes in injured and or orphaned wildlife who are in need of little help and love.
Dawn's wildlife rescue & rehabilitation
An all volunteer, 501c3 nonprofit organization licensed to rehab small mammals.
Federally-licensed. Provides sanctuary, rescue, and rehabilitation for wildlife, farm, and exotic animals.
Take in injured and orphaned wildlife and rehabilitates them with the goal of releasing back into their natural habitat.
Parrots
Cape Fear Parrot Sanctuary
Rescues, rehabilitates, and cares for parrots who are unwanted, abused, neglected, or whose owners can no longer care for them.
Phoenix Landing Founation
A 501c3 organization that serves Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, and Northeast Florida through a parrot adoption program.
Companion Parrots Re-homed
A 501c3 whose purpose is to rescue companion parrots from harmful or unwanted situations and to adopt these birds to qualified homes.
Horses/Livestock
Cape Fear Equine Rescue
A 501c3 founded for the protection of equines. Serving Brunswick, Bladen, Columbus, Pender, New Hanover, Onslow, Duplin, and Horry County, SC.
Happy & Sunshine's Pig Sanctuary & Rescue
A 501c3 pig rescue that gives sanctuary to pigs in need of a home due to neglect rehoming, abuse, and abandonment.