The Wake County Animal Center strives to create a humane community for the pets and people that live here. As the only open admission shelter in the county, we take in all stray, abandoned and surrendered pets in Wake County. Together, with community partners, we treat and re-home thousands of homeless animals every year.
Visit our shelter any day from 12pm to 6pm (may be closed for holidays or inclement weather) to see our available animals. NOTE: animals available IN FOSTER are not housed at the shelter. Please refer to Steps to Adopting an Animal in Foster. All animals seen in out gallery may not be available for adoption, as our gallery is also used to help owners look for lost pets. Some of those pets may not be available to the general public. You must be 18 years old or older and have a valid government issued ID in order to adopt from our shelter. You are required to interact with any animal you wish to adopt. This helps you determine if you think they will be a good fit for your home. Once you have decided they are the one, head up to the front desk with their name and ID number and staff will explain the next steps for you. Any animal that came into our shelter as a stray, must complete their mandatory Stray Hold period before we can finalize their adoption. If the pet you wish to adopt is currently on Stray Hold, you can place a deposit for adoption. If the owner does not reclaim prior to the completion of the Stray Hold period, we can move forward with the final adoption process. Staff at the shelter are happy to explain the process if you have additional questions. All animals adopted from our shelter must be spayed or neutered before being brought home. Good news! We can do that here and it is included in the adoption fee!
Raleigh NC | 1.3 miles away
Our Mission: To offer a helping hand to cats in need of rescue, provide them with food, love, and medical care, and house them safely until an appropriate forever home is found. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue.
Raleigh NC | 1.6 miles away
Wanda's Little Rescue is a not for profit rescue, that is based in Raleigh, NC. Our goal is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome abused, unwanted and abandoned Dachshunds from kill shelters in and around the Carolinas. On occasion, we will also save a Dachshund from Craigslist, to keep them from falling into the wrong hands, for unspeakable reasons. Wanda's Little Rescue is a private, fos
Raleigh NC | 2.9 miles away
Cause for Paws of North Carolina is a 501c3 non-profit organization committed to protecting, nurturing, and finding homes for unwanted or displaced animals. Through our services, collaboration with other organizations, and thrift stores, we strive to improve our communities by recycling goods, creating jobs, and providing care for animals in need of adoption.
Raleigh NC | 4.4 miles away
Great Dane Rescue Alliance was formed in 2012 by a group of dedicated volunteers that wanted to focus their efforts on helping Great Danes and other dogs that needed them most. Through their foster home based program, they work to rescue and rehabilitate those that may be otherwise overlooked.
Raleigh NC 27624 | 4.7 miles away
We guarantee you’ll be smitten when you visit one of our foster homes or join us at an adopt-athon and these little charmers get their paws on you. If you know the value of a best friend in your life, then our adorable, adoptable Snowflake cats and kittens are just like you. With nowhere else to go, these lovable little ones are just waiting to become someone’s purr-fect pet.
Raleigh NC 27624 | 4.7 miles away
Southern Siberian Rescue is a group of dedicated volunteers responsibly rescuing Siberian Huskies in need throughout North Carolina and surrounding states. Our sole purpose and priority is to help unwanted, misunderstood, abandoned or neglected Siberians find homes. We do this by providing needed health care, rehabilitation and training for all our foster dogs and carefully screening potential ado
Raleigh NC | 5.1 miles away
Triangle Beagle Rescue of NC (“TriBeagles”) was started in the summer of 1999 by Susan Hogarth and a group of Raleigh-Chapel Hill area beagle enthusiasts who wanted to see all homeless beagles in the lifetime homes they deserve. In the summer of 2000, TriBeagles formed a Board of Directors and began the incorporation process. We became incorporated in the fall of 2000 as a Federal tax-exempt o
Raleigh NC 27603 | 6.7 miles away
Our Mission: To transform the lives of pets and people through protection, care, education, and adoption. Our vision is to create a humane community.
Raleigh NC 27616 | 7.2 miles away
SAFE Haven for Cats is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter dedicated to finding homes for homeless cats and kittens. Founded in 1994, SAFE Haven for Cats is Raleigh’s no-kill shelter and low-cost spay/neuter clinic. Since opening, SAFE Haven has orchestrated the adoptions of more than 10,000 cats and kittens and spayed or neutered over 30,000 animals in our clinic. As a nonprofit organ
Raleigh NC 27616 | 7.2 miles away
Mitchell Mill Animal Hospital Rescue (MMAH Rescue) is a 501 (c) 3 Non-Profit Animal Rescue dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and pet adoption of cats and dogs in all shapes, sizes and colors! We often help with medically challenged animals in our rescue program; skin conditions, HW positive dogs, orthopedic cases, mange etc.
Raleigh NC 27627 | 7.3 miles away
2PawsUp is a 501c3 organization dedicated to saving animals from the high-kill shelters in North Carolina, providing necessary medical care, and finding them loving forever homes. Spend some time on our site, meet our animals up for adoption, and learn more about our upcoming events, “happy tails” success stories, and many ways to get involved with 2PawsUp and animal rescue.
Raleigh NC 27627 | 7.3 miles away
NRGRR is a 501(c)(3) organization in North Carolina that is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and adoption of golden retrievers in need. The organization advocates responsible pet ownership, community education and protection of all dogs.
Raleigh NC 27617 | 8.1 miles away
Calvin's Paws is much more than an animal rescue group. We are an organization that believes the life of every animal is precious and holds tremendous value. Fueled by our passion to extol this value of life, we are committed to ending the legalized killing of cats who simply have no home or loving humans to care for them.
Raleigh NC 27619 | 8.1 miles away
Heaven and Earth Animal Rescue Team is a nonprofit, all volunteer, limited admission pet rescue organization funded by private donations. We are committed to reducing the number of homeless and unwanted companion animals through education programs, spay and neuter programs, and the responsible re-homing of homeless and unwanted dogs and cats. We are a limited admissions rescue, meaning we can only
Raleigh NC 27614 | 9.4 miles away
Change of Heart Pit Bull Rescue is a non-profit Organization dedicated to educating the public about this very misunderstood breed. COHPBR is run by unpaid volunteers that provide outreach all over the United States. We take in many pit bulls each year that have severe medical cases or have simply been over looked for a long period of time. COHPBR only takes in a small number of dogs to ensure the