Local Rescue Links:

(sorry that these links are in no particular order - as I've found them is how they're listed - so just surf them and enjoy!)

A great site and fabulous resource and the first place for anyone looking for the next pets - http://nshomelesspets.com/ - maintained by one fabulous person committed to helping homeless and abandoned animals in Nova Scotia - and also looking for real and actual solutions to the problems of homeless animals.  This is a website not to be missed!  

The Nova Scotia SPCA is comprised of a network of eleven shelters and foster-care based branches across the province. In addition to the Metro Shelter, which serves the Halifax Regional Municipality, branches are located in Antigonish, Cape Breton, Colchester, Hants, Kings, Lunenburg, Pictou, Queens, Salmon River (Digby County) and Yarmouth - they all list animals that they have available for adoption - so you can check them out individually -

• http://www.spcans.ca - this is the website for the Provincial branch - the "umbrella" of the organization

These are the websites for all the individual branches across the province -

• Antigonish SPCA

• Yarmouth SPCA - the first established SPCA shelter in Nova Scotia - opened in 1900!

• Cape Breton SPCA

• Colchester SPCA

• NS SPCA Metro Shelter - the SPCA for the Halifax Regional Municipality

• Lunenburg County SPCA  

• Kings County SPCA

• Pictou County SPCA

• La Baie SPCA

• Lunenburg SPCA

•  Hants County SPCA  

• Queen's County SPCA

If you're willing to travel a bit - you can check out these SPCA's and rescues in PEI and New Brunswick!!  

• PEI Humane Society - http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/PE01.html  

• Bathurst Area SPCA - http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NB09.html  

• Oromocto Area SPCA in New Brunswick - http://www.oromoctospca.ca/ - they have one of the best fostering programs in all of Atlantic Canada!  

• Carlton County, NB SPCA - http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NB06.html  

• Quispamsis, NB Animal Control - http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NB10.html  

Here are other private rescues in Nova Scotia -

Animal Rescue Coalition - one of the busiest rescues in Nova Scotia - they are a private rescue that doesn't have a "shelter" - they exist and rescue solely through private donations - and hard working volunteers who fund raise constantly and open their homes to foster the dogs and cats who come through the rescue's auspices - this is definitely a rescue worth supporting for all the hard and worthwhile work that they do!  

Atlantic Canada Rescue - is a new coalition of rescue associations and individuals from across the Atlantic Provinces and volunteers who are committed to helping homeless and abandoned animals - and are also committed to advocacy, and transparency in their dealings with the public and each other.  They are interested in not only ending ending homelessness for companion animals - but also shutting down puppy mills and the selling of live animals in pet stores, inhumane killing of companion animals in the very shelters that are supposed to be "sheltering" them, and they are also committed to educating the public on responsible pet ownership.  It's a tall order - but they believe there are a lot of like minded individuals already within the rescue community who believe in the same ideals who will join them - and that there is a willing public who are ready to hear what they have to say.  Their website is at http://atlanticcanadarescue.ca/ - check there often, because it is having things added every day as their webmaster (guess who it is) - adds new information and resources all the time!  It also has information on how you can join them!  

http://www.bideawhile.org Bide A While Shelter  

Litters n Critters is a rescue society that is located in several areas of Nova Scotia - expanding from just the Halifax area - and has helped lots of cats and dogs over the years - check out their website to see if they have the perfect forever animal that you've been searching for.

Tiny Paws Rescue, is a rescue that has branches all across Canada - and they've got a branch in Nova Scotia too - they rescue small breed dogs - which are the hardest to say no too!  Check out their Petfinder site, and then deny what I just said!

And if that Petfinder page didn't whet your whistle - you should check out Atlantic Small Dog Rescue!  Their Petfinder page is at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS46.html

SHAID Tree Animal Shelter, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia - "Our doors are open to all abandoned and abused animals in distress" - one of the oldest, and most compassionate of all rescues in Nova Scotia - along with the Yarmouth SPCA, probably the 2 oldest no-kill shelters in the province. 

Atlantic All Dog Rescue - rescues just that - all dogs!  You can check out their Petfinder page here - http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS36.html - they are local to the Halifax/Tantallon/ Glen Haven area

Golden Mountain Dog Solutions is in the Bridgewater area - their site says they're main goal is keeping dogs with their owners - which is super!  So if you're in the Bridgewater area, and you're having problems with your pet, and you want to keep them and you're looking for help - you should contact this group - but their site also says that occasionally they do have dogs available because of mis-matches between owner and dog - so they'd also be a place to check out just in case they have something available.  Their website is at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS45.html

Colchester County Animal Control   - is an animal control facility that is run like a rescue - solely because of the person who works there.  The dogs of Truro are very lucky.  If only ALL Animal Control Facilities could be run like this!

 Beulah Berman Memorial Animal Shelter in Shelburne, Nova Scotia - "Saving one animal at a time" - one of the best, if not THE best animal shelters in the PROVINCE - yea! To the PET Project people - great things are happening in Shelburne, thanks to the volunteers there.  Enough good things can't be said about these people!  

Valley Animal Shelter in Wolfville - http://www.valleyanimalshelter.com/home.php  

TLC Shelter is down in Digby - short for "Tender, Loving Care"

Lillian Allbon Shelter  in Amherst, Nova Scotia (which is the town where I grew up) - they have a great website by the way!  

http://www.pickofthelitter.ca/  does amazing things with premature kittens who don't even have a mother cat to feed from and the kittens are able to live - she's a legend in the rescue community - Inge Sadler - the only good thing Peter Duffy ever did was write a nice story about her in the Chronicle Herald in his column, which you can see here.   

Gift of Grace is a small cat rescue run by a lady by the name of Joyce Burns in Bedford.  Joyce has been in the rescue field a long time, and is very dedicated cat person, and has done a lot of great work.

Another cat rescue that has started up out in Beaverbank recently is "Taking Action to Protect Animals - they have a website at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS32.html if you'd like to find out more about them.   And while we're on the subject of cats - Sonya's Cat and Animal Rescue Society has been working to try and fix a feral cat colony in a section of Dartmouth that the NS SPCA wanted to trap and kill - that was the only solution they saw to the problem, so if you'd like to help them out, you can go their website and see what you can do.  It's at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS28.html  

Ca-r-ma.org - Cat Rescue, Maritimes - a cat rescue in New Brunswick - http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NB12.html  

Specific Local Rescue Breed Contacts  

These are all local people who live here and have connections to national breed rescues - so if you'd like a pure breed dog but still want to save a life you should contact one of these people!  You can be put on a waiting list, or there might be a dog out there right now just waiting for you.  They'd also be an excellent resource for asking questions about which breeders might be better than others when it comes to living conditions for their dogs.  And I'm sure they'd also set you straight pretty quickly about buying your preferred breed from a petstore! If you know of a local breed rescue contact that I've missed, please email me at dogkisser@gmail.com and I'll add them here!  

Airedale Rescue is run by Maureen Tate.  Her email address is mtate@ns.sympatico.ca  Her rescue's name is "Second Chance Terrier Rescue and Adoption" and she has a website on Petfinder.  

Bermese Mountain Dog Rescue is helped aloong in the Maritimes by Jennifer Llewellyn who also breeds Bermese Mountain Dogs.  Her kennel is called Kieferkante  Bernese  Mountain Dogs and her email is:  jrllewellyn@ns.sympatico.ca  

Border Collie rescue - Border Collie Rescue Nova Scotia - Border Collies can be a tough breed to own if you don't have the "type A" personality that this breed does - so this rescue can be busy!  You can check out their Petfinder site here - http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS15.html

Boston Terrier Rescue - http://www.bostonterrierrescuecanada.com/ - email is boston_terriers@atlanticcanadarescue.ca  

http://www.boxerrescueatlanticcanada.com/home.cfm  Boxer Rescue Atlantic Canada is run by a super special lady named Lee Anne who cares about dogs and has placed more dogs in great homes than most established government funded shelters!  

http://www.chirescue.org/ - the local rep for chihuahua rescue is Amanda Layton and her email address is chihuahuas@atlanticcanadarescue.ca  

Dalmation Rescue is run by Michelle Rauol Winters and her dog Fudge - her email address is dalspot@hfx.eastlink.ca  

Dachshund Rescue is run in the Maritimes by Charlotte Estabrooks and her email address is caestabrooks@eastlink.ca and their website is at http://www.drna.org/  

German Shepherd Rescue is done in the HRM by a very busy lady named Leah and she has a website at http://www.nsgsrescue.com/ - they also have a Petfinder page at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS38.html this is a breed that is super busy rescue wise and is very popular - kudos to people dedicated to this great breed!  

Golden Retriever Rescue is helped along by Terry Pye and his website is at http://www.pyecanine.com/index_aboutus.html His email is pyek9@nbnet.nb.ca  

For information about great dane rescue - email Lois at  great_danes@atlanticcanadarescue.ca   or check out their website at http://www.danesindistress.com/index.php

Greyhound Rescue: I had emails from local greyhound owners April and Charlene about Greyhound Pets of Atlantic Canada which is a really neat organization that rehomes former racing greyhounds from the USA.  The website gives great details on everything that you'd ever want to know about adopting greyhounds and what to expect from the breed - a lap dog with really long legs!   '

Husky's have their own rescue in Nova Scotia - they have a Petfinder page at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS43.html - they're a great breed for the people who love them, you should check them out!

Lab Rescue is run by Trish Pittman - they have a website at http://www.labrescuens.booii.com/index.php  and their phone number is 902-883-4799.  Her email is at t.viscount@ns.sympatico.ca   - they also have a Petfinder site at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NS23.html

Ador-a-Bull Pit Bull Rescue - brings pit bulls down from Ontario who would die if they stayed up there.  They were born after the onerous Pit bull ban came into force - and thus have no choice to either die, or be shipped out. They have been temperament tested and vetted and are perfect examples of their breed.  Expect to be thoroughly checked out to make sure you're matched up correctly with your forever canine life companion - but you'll have the best dog you'll ever get!

Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue is represented by a lady named Sara who has 2 ridgebacks - one of whom is a rescued puppy mill dog! Her email address is:  maneen@ns.sympatico.ca  

Sheltie Rescue: Jill Nickerson-Smith is the Nova Scotia CSSA Rep from Canada Sheltie Rescue their website is:  http://www.silversongshelties.com/users/rescue/status.htm and her E-Mail is: seawhisper@ns.sympatico.ca    

Springer Spaniel Rescue of Eastern & Central Canada - are a very active Rescue - I see them at every dog function and Doggy Expo - so they're a great breed specific rescue to see!

Westie (West Highland White Terrier's) local contact is Jeanette Graves.  Her contact information is Tel:: 1-877-861-3375 - her email address is westierescue2002@yahoo.ca - their website is at http://www.westierescuecanada.com/    

Weimeraner Rescue:  Kim McCormick owns and shows her own beautiful weimeraners and is the local rep for weim rescue.  Her email address is zweilichtweims@hotmail.com - her dogs are part of Iam's Superdogs!.  Her rescue's website link is http://www.weimaranercanada.org/rescue   

Whippet Rescue: Tara Bayne oversees the local Whippet Rescue - her website is http://www.geocities.com/whiprescan/ E-mail whippetrescue@nsdogs.com - her phone number is (902) 478 4351  

Canadian Terrier Yorkshire Terrier Rescue - their website is at http://canadianyorkshireterrierrescue.com/    

Other Rescue Type Links that are Interesting!!

Where is a good place on this website to put a pet detective?   I have no idea - so the rescue links page is where I'm putting her!  Her services are really important though - so I didn't want to NOT put her somewhere!  Her name is Vicky Vaughn and she is a "Missing Animal Response Technician" certified by Pet Hunters International (Now the Missing Pet Partnership) - her website is at http://www.petdetective.ca/  and she's also got tips on what to do when your pet goes missing.

Quite often the question comes up - I've found an injured wild animal - what do I do?  Contact these people!  They specialize in the treatment and rehabilitation of injured or orphaned native fur bearing animals and song birds. Their website is http://www.hopeforwildlife.net/  - Eastern Shore Wildlife Rehabilitation & Rescue Centre  

The Nova Scotia Herpetoculture Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating its members and the public on matters concerning reptiles and amphibians in captivity and in the wild.  They have lots of info on how to care for reptiles as well as they will help rehome reptiles needing new owners.  If you're interested in rescuing an animal of this species - the website to go check out is - Ssafe Haven Rescue Society for Amphibians and Reptiles  

East Coast Aquatic Society  meets regularly to talk about all things related to fish keeping!  On their website they say:  The East Coast Aquarium Society is a group of aquarists dedicated to furthering the aquarium hobby and promoting the practice of keeping tropical fish through the dissemination of information.  Doesn't that sound exciting?  

Ecology Action Centre - all things for ecology in the HRM  

http://www.atlanticcathospital.ca/ - website and virtual tour of the Atlantic Cat Hospital and Cat Nap Inn on Quinpool Road in Halifax where I take my cats - nobody knows this but there is jack russell dog behind the counter whenever the owners are there!!  

 Links to Animal Welfare/Humane Organizations that I Personally Like:  

http://www.pleasebekind.com/ - Compassionate Action Institute - their mission is to promote humane education in order to increase awareness and to encourage compassionate action in order to relieve animal suffering

Best Friends Animal Society in Utah is a given!  They are the grand-daddy's of compassion in action - I have a bumper sticker on my car that says "building a society through kindness to animals" - and it's true - and this is what the Best Friends people are doing - they are great.

Dogs Deserve Better - is an organization I've been involved with since 2003 - and they are another organization who is a grassroots organization that have stayed true to their original goal - getting dogs off their chains and into homes - one dog at a time, educating dog owners and rehoming dogs, building fences, and working to pass legislation.  Every life is precious - even the ones you pass by every day and never notice.  I am working at building a Canadian presence for the organization with a Canadian website at http://dogsdeservebetter.ca and also with a website for Nova Scotia at http://bringthedogsin.ca/ - you should check it out!

Some other pages on this site!

Why this website exists

What to do when your dog isn't dog friendly

Tips for owners of dog friendly businesses

Local fun things to do with your dog!

Is your dog dog friendly?

Tips for a benevolent alpha