Pet Shelters
Shelters vary in their role in animal care. They are categorized into three primary types: Municipal, Private, and Rescue Groups & Sanctuaries.
Municipal Shelters
These are shelters that provide animal control services funded mostly by local taxes, dog licensing fees, and other specialized programs.
Our city shelter is Houston's Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care. They are a law enforcement agency as it relates to animal issues within the city limits of Houston. They were set up to prevent rabies infection in animals and people. They do offer adoptions, redemptions, vaccinations, & pet licensing. Visit them at www.houstontx.gov and search the city govenment site for BARC.
Our county shelter is a division of Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services, Veterinary Public Health (AKA Countypets). Their primary goal is to create a safe & healthy county for animals and people by enforcing animal regualtion that reduce the spread of zoonotic diseases. They do offer adoptions. Visit them at www.countypets.com.
Private Shelters
These are generally not for profit privately held corporations that have a 501(c)(3) tax status.
They do not have animal control contracts from their municipalities. They derive their funding from donations, adoption fees, and certain charitable events.
They tend to focus on humane treatment of animal education and enforcement, animal behavior issues, neutering services and community projects.
Private Dog Shelters
Rescue Groups and Sanctuaries
These groups often focus on specific breeds or species. They utilize a fostering system. The animal is taken into the rescue through the municipal shelters and private owners and placed with a foster parent. The animal is rehabilitated and made adoptable by the foster parent to a new loving home based on the Rescue Groups criteria.
Rescue Groups and Sanctuaries - Dog Shelters
- Abandoned Animal Rescue (Tomball) Call for an appointment 281-290-0121, 419 East Huffsmith, Tomball, Texas 77375
- Adopt-A-Cat Call for an appointment 281-580-6652, 17319 Bamwood, Houston, TX 77090
- Animal Shelter & Adoption Center of Galveston Island Call for an appointment 409-740-1919, 6814 Broadway, Galveston, TX 77554
- Bay Area SPCA Call for an appointment 281-339-2086, 3000 Ave. R, San Leon, TX 77539
- Bay Area SPCA Call for an appointment 281-339-2086, 3000 Ave. R (off Hwy 146), Clear Lake, TX 77539
- Baytown Humane Society Call for an appointment 832-414-3729, PO Box 2772, Baytown, TX 77522
- Brazoria County SPCA (Lake Jackson) Call for an appointment 979-285-2340
- Bunny Buddies Call for an appointment 713-882-8256, PO Box 131894, Houston, TX 77219
- Citizens for Animal Protection Call for an appointment 281-497-0591, 11935 Katy Frwy, Houston, TX
- E Rescue Houston Call for an appointment 281-556-0226, 13155 Westheimer Rd #141, Houston, TX 77077
- Galveston Island Shelter and Adoption Center Call for an appointment 409-948-2485, 3412 Loop 197 North, Texas City, TX 77590
- Homeless and Orphaned Pets Endeavor (HOPE) Call for an appointment 713-622-HOPE, PO Box 273331, Houston, TX 77277
- Homeless Pet Placement League (HHPL) Call for an appointment 713-862-7387, PO Box 273027, Houston, TX 77277
- Houston Humane Society Call for an appointment 713-433-6421, 14700 Almeda Rd., Houston, TX
- Houston SPCA Call for an appointment 713-869-7722, 900 Portway Drive, Houston, TX
- Miniature Schnauzer Rescue Miniature Schnauzer Rescue of Houston, Inc. (MSRH) is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization sponsored entirely by donations. We are dedicated to the never-ending, sometimes overwhelming, task of saving the lives of abused, abandoned and/or unwanted Miniature Schnauzers who have lost their homes. Many of our dogs come to us healthy. Others are sick or injured. They may come to us from shelters, the streets, from puppy mills or from owners who cannot, or will not, care for them any longer. In almost all cases, at least in their recent past, they have not been loved nor have they felt the security of a loving home. Our goal is to ensure these fine animals get healthy, never again face life in a dangerous situation and, instead, live in a safe, loving and secure “forever” home! Until that time, our dogs live in a loving, foster home. MSRH does not operate a shelter.
- Montgomery County Humane Society Call for an appointment 409-756-3914, 1016 E. Dallas, Conroe, TX
- SPCA of Montgomery County Texas Call for an appointment 936-264-2072, 206-A South Loop 336W #332, Conroe, TX 77304
- Whiskerville Animal Sanctuary Call for an appointment 409-948-1112, 1112 6th Street N, Texas City, TX
