The Animal Pad

Our mission is to form a safe space for dogs experiencing crisis and neglect, and to build a community of compassion through education, rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption. Our community of volunteers and fosters strives to ensure that all dogs get a fighting chance, and believes that no case is too extreme to be helped, meaning our rescue is full of perfectly imperfect dogs who can’t wait to meet you!

The Animal Pad is an all-breed, all needs dog and cat rescue based in San Diego that focuses on saving dogs from high kill shelters here in CA and the streets of Mexico. We get them the vet care they need, place them in foster homes, and then find them loving forever families.

As an entirely women-led organization, we strongly value collaboration and inclusion, and pride ourselves on the diversity and passion of our all-volunteer team. We are regularly involved in advocacy efforts for both unhoused/displaced animals and their humans, and participate monthly in SD street outreach in collaboration with Project Street Vet. We are well known for taking on severe medical cases that other organizations won't/don't, and as a result have come to be regarded as an org that truly fights for and champions the underdogs!