Click here to sign up for our Senior Mutt Match newsletter. It includes up-to-date information on adoptable senior mutts, links to articles about senior mutts as well as notice about Senior Mutt Match adoption events.

The following San Diego shelter and rescue groups have dogs that participate and/or are listed on SeniorMuttMatch.com. Listed below is the contact information for each of the groups so that you may contact them for further information about adopting a senior mutt from our website.

All shelters and rescues require you to fill out a pre-adoption application to ensure that you are matched with the best possible dog for your lifestyle. Many offer this service on-line, so check their website before you go.

If you are interested in a particular dog from this website, please call the shelter or rescue group to ensure that the dog is still available for adoption. Senior dogs come into shelters and rescue groups on a daily basis and you may find many more great seniors when you visit the shelters.

The sanctuary, the only no-kill shelter in northern Mexico, provides a safe haven for dogs and cats in need. They receive food, medical care, and love for as long as they need. The sanctuary averages close to 400 canine residents and 75 feline residents at any given time. Because we are a no-kill facility, animals that can not be adopted are allowed to stay. Dogs and cats are euthanized only in cases of extreme illness. BAS was officially incorporated in the year 2000 and is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit corporation qualified to receive tax-deductible contributions. BAS receives no assistance from the Mexican government. We survive entirely from contributions from concerned animal lovers. Foster homes always needed!

Boston Brigade Rescue is a not for profit organization dedicated to assisting ill, injured, and homeless Boston Terriers. We are primarily active in the counties of San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino, but work closely with Boston Terrier Resuces throughout the state. Our goal is to re home BTs in loving, responsible, committed homes who recognize that companion animals are a lifetime commitment. All of our dogs receive full physical exam, vaccinations, heartworm and fecal testing, and spay/neuter prior to adoption. Adoptions are by application only. We thank you for considering a senior rescue dog and giving them a chance to bring love and companionship into your life....it is a choice you will never regret.

Boxer Rescue is dedicated to the placing of boxers of all ages into loving, caring homes. All dogs in Boxer Rescue are spayed or neutered before they are placed in their new loving homes. All dogs are in foster homes and are at numerous adoption events around San Diego County. Click here to see a schedule of their adoption events.

We take in stray dogs and cats on the Camp Pendleton Marine Base. We currently do not accept relinquished pets. We are open Wednesdays - Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We are closed Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and holidays. NON-MILITARY WELCOME for adoptions! Directions to the shelter: Take I-5 to the Camp Pendleton off ramp. Go straight until you come to the main gate of the base. After notifying the gate of your destination, enter the base and drive straight for approximately 4 to 5 miles, or about 15 minutes. Turn left on Basilone Road and then right on Vado del Rio Road. Take the first right up the hill and follow the shelter sign.

We are dedicated to finding responsible and loving homes for Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. Our goal is to educate the public, breeders and fanciers on responsible dog ownership including spaying and neutering of pets, behavioral guidelines to ensure problem behaviors are dealt with before the dog is abandoned and to inform prospective CBR owners of the special qualities, characteristics and requirements of our breed before they acquire a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. With proper education, we hope to eventually eliminate the purebred Chesapeake Bay Retriever from any and all rescue programs. It is imperative as owners of Chesapeake Bay Retrievers that we make every effort to care for our own breed.

Coastal German Shepherd Rescue is a non-profit 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to finding loving homes for abandoned German Shepherds. Coastal exists solely because of your tax deductible donations, which support our efforts to save these very deserving animals.

The Department encourages the adoption of shelter animals by responsible persons. Adoption fees include the cost of the surgical sterilization of the animal or a refundable spay/neuter deposit, as well as vaccinations, microchipping or other medical services. In addition, a one-year free license for adult dogs residing within our jurisdiction is included. You are invited to visit one of our three animal shelters to select a pet from the variety of animals normally available for adoption. Adoption hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, we are closed on Sunday and Monday. For more information call or visit your local county animal shelter or call our Adoption Counselor at (619) 767-2632.

The El Cajon Animal Shelter is run by the City of El Cajon. We are open Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 5pm for viewing the animals. We are closed on Sundays, Mondays and Holidays. We have pets of all different types for adoption. We can adopt to you no matter where you live. Check out our pets for adoption on our pet list. Our adoption pets change daily so come down and see what we have. We will try to match you up with the best pet for you and your family. Dog and cat adoptions include a registered microchip, they are spayed and neutered and they are up to date with their vaccinations.

English Springer Rescue America, Inc. (ESRA) is a national referral and foster care purebred placement organization, and a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. ESRA's mission is to provide foster care and adoption referral services to humane societies, private shelters, and animal control facilities nationwide and Canada with English Springers they have impounded.

FOCAS stands for Friends of County Animal Shelters. FOCAS exists primarily to encourage a strong adoption program for animals impounded in the three shelters operated by the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services. FOCAS is a volunteer, non-profit organization formed to help the lost and abandoned dogs and cats in these public shelters. We are a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) charity. FOCAS has no shelters of its own, but works with the three County shelters: North (Carlsbad), South (Bonita), and Central San Diego. Foster homes always needed!

The Foundation for the Care of Indigent Animals is a small, nonprofit, all volunteer organization that takes in small "adoptable" dogs that would otherwise be euthanized. Normally, they are under 20 lbs. Often they have medical problems, most of which can be reversed by our veterinarians. Our fees range from $100 to $250, which covers spay or neutering, vaccines, worming, and some part of any medical expenses; not all are licensed and some are microchipped. We do not have a shelter and the dogs are in foster homes; they are shown every Saturday from 10:30-1:30 at different pet store locations in San Diego. Foster homes always needed!

We are a breed-specific Rescue specializing in German Shorthaired Pointers (GSPs). As a not-for-profit organization, we operate through volunteers and networking to assure proper placement and lifetime assistance for each dog and enjoyment by adopting families. GSP Rescue takes purebred GSPs from any situation for careful evaluation and placement. All dogs are altered, vaccinated, micro-chipped, and come with a warranty contract which provides lifetime training and support. Foster homes always needed!

Gruff's Pit Stop is a canine rescue that coordinates the fostering and adoption of dogs that haven't yet found their permanent home. We specialize in American Staffordshire Terriers ("Am Staffs"), but will do our best to help all breeds, often by referrals to other local rescues that specialize in that type of dog. We are located in North County San Diego, as are many of the foster homes that we work with to give the animals a temporary and loving home before they are placed into permanent situations. We rescue dogs from various shelters, evaluate them, ensure they are healthy and match them with the appropriate family. We take pride in finding the correct dog for the families that contact us by matching the activity level of the dog to the family's needs and making sure that other pets in the family work well with the new addition to the pack. All of this is important in finding forever homes for our rescued pets.

Help4Pets (H4P) is a non-profit 501c3, no-kill animal welfare group that was formed as a network of foster homes in response to the overwhelming number of unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats in the San Diego area. Today we help to place all types of pets into caring "forever" homes.

Our mission is to rescue and dramatically enhance the lives of abandoned and abused animals by providing community education, high quality foster care and medical attention (including spay and neuter care) for those animals in need. Working together with the community, we change the lives of these animals by matching each pet to the best possible home based on their individual needs and personality. We aim to bring them together with people to create a loving bond that lasts a lifetime.

Help4pets is truly a unique animal welfare organization. H4P provides food, shelter, medical care, adoption services, and spay & neuter education for abandoned, neglected, abused, and injured pets. H4P takes in and cares for all types of domesticated animals including “problem” breeds, sick and older animals that may need serious medical attention and that many shelters would reject because they consider them “unadoptable” or “unsaveable”. Being 100% volunteer operated allows all funds to go directly to helping animals.

Italian Greyhound Rescue is a service provided for Italian Greyhounds that have been abandoned at animal shelters, taken from abusive homes or surrendered to rescue due to the death or divorce of the former owner. Occasionally, dogs are turned over to rescue because the owner can no longer keep the dog and the dog was acquired from a source to which it cannot be returned. IG Rescue members foster these orphans in their homes, where their health and temperament are evaluated. All dogs are taken for a veterinary check-up: vaccinations are updated, the animal is neutered/spayed and, if necessary, its teeth are cleaned. Each Italian Greyhound is evaluated so that it can be placed in a home suitable to both the dog and new owners.

Labrador Rescuers was established to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home stray, abandoned or unwanted Labrador Retrievers into loving and caring homes that will provide our labs a place to lay their heads in dignity for the rest of their lives. We strive to provide all families with the education they need for responsible and enjoyable pet ownership. Labrador Rescuers is brand new and starting from the bottom up. You can help by donating to this very worthy organization. Foster homes always needed!

Guided by the belief that humankind has a responsibility to respect other forms of life in this world, the mission of NCHS is to promote a humane and sustainable environment for all animals, including humans; to protect animals from neglect, abuse and exploitation; to advocate for their interest and welfare; and to educate the public in responsible and compassionate stewardship.

Operation K9 Rescue is a non-profit rescue organization whose objective is to rescue, rehabilitate and find forever homes for the abused, neglected and abandoned American Bulldogs, Rare Mastiffs and Bull breeds. We aim to educate the public and dog owners as to the care, training, and requirements of owning one of these breeds. As the only Tosa (Japanese Mastiff) rescue in the United States and one of only a handful of American Bulldog rescues on the West Coast, we take pride in finding loving forever homes for the dogs in our program. Established in 2001, we have we have rescued and found homes for more than one hundred dogs with volunteer and community support

raise funds for animal welfare; facilitate public awareness and education about animal welfare; encourage spay and neuter programs; build and maintain a no-kill animal care facility (with the exceptions of terminally ill or vicious animals) in Coronado; encourage and assist with adoptions of homeless pets; assist feral cat programs with trap, spay/neuter release program; network with animal facilities, rescue groups, humane societies; encourage fostering of animals; establish a PAWS Jr. program for those under 18 years old; institute a senior citizen "adopt a senior pet" program.

Pit Bull Rescue San Diego is devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming pit bulls in San Diego area shelters, educating the public on responsible pet ownership, and advocating against the inhumane activity of dogfighting and the unethical practice of backyard breeding.

Pug Rescue of San Diego County (PRSDC) is an all volunteer, charitable organization dedicated to rescuing unwanted, neglected, abandoned, and relinquished Pugs and placing them into a new home where they may live out their lives in a loving and caring environment.

Rancho Coastal Humane Society's goal is to care for the homeless animal population of San Diego County and to educate the public about pet over-population and responsible companion animal care. Through their Second Chance Program RCHS is able to take dogs and cats from the three county shelters (and other municipal shelters) which are unable to hold their animals very long as they must constantly make room for the seemingly never ending influx of unwanted animals. RCHS is a limited admission shelter, so they are able to keep their adoptable animals longer. That means that these dogs and cats are given a "second chance" for adoption, and are given a new opportunity to find a loving home.

Retrievers & Friends of Southern California, Inc., was formed to rescue and re-home Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, providing an alternative to the animal shelter for owners who can no longer keep their dogs. We are a full-service rescue, with dogs coming to us from all over the Southern California area for foster care services. RFSC not only provides care for dogs while they are waiting for adoption, but we provide follow-up assistance for the life of the dog. If for any reason a family can not keep a dog, the dog is brought back to the organization for placement. To ensure that this occurs, we have refined our geographic adoption area to Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Orange counties.

In addition to Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, RFSC also accepts mixed breeds and other small purebred dogs as space allows. We accept Goldens and Labs of all ages, including seniors and those with special needs. All dogs are spayed and neutered and updated on vaccinations if not already done by the owner. Dogs with special medical needs are further evaluated by our veterinarian for treatment. Your donations are always appreciated and help us to continue to care for these special dogs. Because we are an all-volunteer group, 100% of all adoption fees and donations are used for the care of the dogs in our program. Your tax-deductible donations are appreciated!

The San Diego Humane Society and SPCA’s mission is to promote the humane treatment of animals, prevent cruelty to animals and provide education to enhance the human-animal bond. You can fill out a pre-adoption questionnaire on-line or print it out and bring it with you when you go to visit one of their awesome senior mutts!

San Diego Poodle Rescue is a division of the San Diego Poodle Club. We are a non-profit 501(c)3 group dedicated to helping poodles in need. Our poodles come from a variety of sources such as owner relinquishments and from various animal shelters. We do not have a shelter facility. All of our poodles are housed in foster homes. We are in need of loving foster homes! If you are interested, please contact us for more information. The best way to contact us is by email! If you are interested in one of the poodles listed on our website or are inquiring about relinquishing a poodle, please contact us. An adoption application must be completed and approved prior to meeting all animals for possible adoption. Home visits are also done by a poodle rescue representative. All of our poodles are spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinations are up to date.

Spaniel Rescue is dedicated to the rehoming of spaniels with an emphasis on Cocker Spaniels. SDSR handles all sorts of purebred Spaniels - and the occasional mixed breed. We rescue spaniels of all ages as well as spaniels with clean bills of health or special needs. Foster homes are always needed. Please contact us if you are interested in adopting or fostering a spaniel. Foster homes always needed!

Save the Dalmatians and Others Canine Rescue, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to the rescue of Dalmatians from shelters, the promotion of adoptions of shelter Dalmatians and education of the public about the Dalmatian breed. We are appalled at the number of Dalmatians being surrendered to shelters or being picked up as strays by shelters and are doing what we can to alert the public to this tragedy and save Dalmatians' lives. We specialize in referring potential Dalmatian adopters to various shelters that have Dalmatians available. As space permits we are able to bail Dalmatians out of shelters and foster them until we locate new homes for them. As funds become available, we place advertisements in local newspapers to generate homes for Dalmatians. Another very important function of our organization is public education about the Dalmatian breed. We disseminate information via mail, email, telephone and at adoption events. We also work with newspapers, radio and television to have information about Dalmatians published or broadcast.

Last year Shelter Pet Partners quietly took in 1,419 animals from the county shelters, more than any other group, more than the next four largest groups COMBINED! We found excellent new homes for pets with medical conditions, senior pets and puppies and kittens who needed fostering until they were ready for homes of their own. From June 2003, to July 2004 we spent over $145,000 on vet bills alone. 100% of your donations go to care for the animals. We do not have offices, we have donated (adoption center) space at various stores throughout the county. The majority of our animals are cared for in foster homes.

Southland Sheltie Rescue, Inc. is a non profit organization that helps Shetland Sheepdogs find forever homes where they will be well cared for and loved. The Shelties come directly from owners and sometimes from local shelters. SSRI provides needed medical care, training, and grooming for foster dogs before they are available for adoption. Available Shelties are kept in foster homes where they are treated as members of the family. Senior Shelties are especially cute and appreciative of a loving home, warm bed, and good food. Fostering or adopting a senior dog is a very rewarding experience. Foster homes are always needed

Disclaimer: SeniorMuttMatch.com acts as a directory of homeless pets and pet adoption organizations. No information in SeniorMuttMatch.com is guaranteed. Although the information on SeniorMuttMatch.com is updated frequently, it is always best to call the facility, organization or individual that lists the pet to insure the dog is still available and to insure the information listed in SeniorMuttMatch.com is accurate. It is crucial that any pet found through an adoption service or individual be thoroughly examined by a veterinarian immediately upon adoption. Any pets found, adopted through, or listed in SeniorMuttMatch.com are the sole responsibility of the adoption organization, individual/s placing the pet for adoption and/or the adopting party. SeniorMuttMatch.com accepts no responsibility for any liability or for any injury or damages to any person or property caused by any listed animal, as well as any cause of action, claims, suits or demands whatsoever that may arise as a result of such injury or damage.