The beautiful face above is Missy, our own mixed terrier rescue dog who came into our lives as a senior rescue dog. She is the best dog in the universe and we would adopt another senior dog in a heartbeat. They are the best! Please consider giving a senior dog a soft place to land for their remaining years. "We love you, Missy."

Adopting A Rescue

A new life at your home, a pup who has been somewhere else before... maybe had someone else's love for a while, maybe had no love at all... maybe she had a rough life, and it might take her 6 months to learn how to play with a toy or learn that it is safe to fall asleep in your arms. Or she might be a happy go lucky, trusting soul from day one.

You might never know how old, how many years ahead she might have. If she's a mix, you may not know which combination of breeds It's fun to guess, but then you decide you don't really care Because she's already stolen your heart and it doesn't really matter if she's a Malti-Poo, a Yorkie-Poo or a mixed up Poo. She's just full of love. It may not matter if she's 7 or 9 or 12 years old - you have fallen head over heels in love.

Just know that you are in for the ride of a lifetime. And there's no need for a seat belt. The throttle of your heart is wide open. This ride is going to be pure FUN!

To our Penny — the best rescue dog in the world who will always be all ours: We love you!

Missy's Mission

Friendship — a precious commodity. To have a friend in life is the soul's greatest blessing. It's the stuff that dreams are made of. Dogs are truly a man's and a woman's best friend.

The mission of Small Dog Lifesavers is to introduce you to a friend or two! Since you are interested in small dog breeds and mixes, we are hoping one of the links listed here will lead to an opportunity for you to help and support and maybe adopt a new family member!

These are mostly rescue groups and not breeders. The folks who run these rescues are true dog lovers (big hearted individuals) who spend time, energy. and often a lot of their own money on rescuing and caring for these adorable small dogs until they are adopted.

Caution: you may see a face or two you just can't resist.

Adoption Gallery

Pictured are some dogs currently available for adoption from any of our hand-picked rescue and adoption facilities. Please note that several of these animals are Special Need dogs which can be the hardest to place and are most in need of your love.

And be sure to visit our extensive directory of rescue and adoption services, indexed at left.

Click the picture to contact the adoption/rescue service.
Or click the link to see a larger view of that adorable face.

Featured Rescue

Pets Alive Sanctuary

Small Dog Life Savers Southern California welcomes Pets Alive Sanctuary in New York State! Pets Alive is a no-kill animal shelter, located in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, about 1 1/2 hours from New York City. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and place animals in need. Victims of neglect, abuse, and violence, many of them have special needs and have been rejected by other organizations.

Animals at the sanctuary range from dogs and cats to farm animals, exotic birds, and many others. Many of the animals at Pets Alive are older, have special needs or require special care. For more information or to see our available dogs for adoption, please see us at our web site: Pets Alive.

Featured Rescue

Yorkies & Friends Rescue

Yorkies & Friends Rescue helps Yorkies and Small Dogs in Southern California. Yorkies & Friends Rescue assists Yorkies, Yorkie mixes, and small dogs in Southern California. We are a proud member of the Rescue Alliance of Hairless & Other Breeds, Inc., a national 501(c)3 non-profit animal rescue organization. We're a small, all volunteer group who are dedicated to providing all that our rescued dogs need in the way of veterinary care, optimal nutrition, and TLC.

We then find the very best home possible for each dog. You can see our adoptable dogs on our site. Your donations are greatly appreciated and will be used to provide vet care and supplies for our rescued furry friends (Paypal donation is available on our Petfinder site). If you live in Southern California and would like to join us in helping these little guys, please email us at yorkies6D@gmail.com.

News & Notes

A dog is a gift to your heart. Small Dog Lifesavers presents links and information about dog rescue services, agencies, and groups as a public service for the benefit of our 4-legged and 2-legged friends.

Rescue Dogs Are the Most Lovable of All

Ask anyone who has rescued a dog from one of these rescue groups — they will tell you these dogs are loving, loyal, and have been a joyful addition to the family!

Friendship is only one of the rewards you will receive after adopting a small dog from a rescue group. Loyalty and never-ending love comes along with the package.

This is Penny - another great mixed terrier breed rescue dog we decided to keep for our own! There are more dogs like Penny available right now for adoption!

Our Newest Resource

Rancho Coastal Humane Society

If your pet has gone to Rainbow Bridge ...

If your pet has gone to Rainbow Bridge, please remember your pet loved you so very much and perhaps this is what she or he might have said to you:

....I was abandoned and sent to survive all alone,
then you reached your hands out and gave me a home.
You made me part of your life, I became your treasure
and in return, I tried to bring you so much pleasure.

As a thank you for my love & loyalty,
I could really see
that my welfare was your job,
you took good care of me.
Through good times and sad, I was always by you;
and to me you were loyal and so loving too.

Let me live on now, since we must be apart,
I'll live in your mind and always in your heart.
I love you.

If your small dog is missing ...

We receive lots of emails from people whose small dogs have somehow gone missing from their homes or backyards. They ask us what they should do to find their missing pet. These are some suggestions you can consider immediately:

1) Contact your local Animal Shelter and Animal Control and give them a description of your dog and ask if any dogs like yours have been picked up.

2) Visit your local Animal Shelter regularly and look at the small dogs there at the shelter just to be sure. Don't just rely on phone contact with them.

3) Send a photo of your dog via email to rescues in and around your area. One dog was lost in North Orange County but was found at a rescue in Seal Beach!

3) Bring a photo of your dog along with your contact info to Veterinary Offices in and around your neighborhood. If someone has your dog, they may bring it to the Vet to get checked.

3) Post a photo and contact number with a "Reward" offer around your neighborhood. Try to make it an emotional plea so that people will read it and remember your message and dog's photo.

4) Take walks in local parks during peak hours to see if someone might have found your dog and kept it, not realizing the owner is searching for it. One owner found her dog this way!

5) Whenever you adopt a dog, be sure it is microchipped. If it isn't, please invest in microchipping your dog. Also, have the dog where an ID tag on her/his collar or halter.

Don't breed or buy

Don't breed or buy while those in shelters die... Every second of every minute, of every day, a helpless animal is put to death, just because no one was there to take them home.

You are the world

To the world you are nothing . . . To a rescue dog, you are the world! A house without a dog is not a home. A dog without a home is heartbreaking.

— Pap911Rescue

YappyHappy.com: the ultimate dog tag and other gifts for pets

Our new YappyHappy dog tag not only looks cool, they're more functional than ordinary dog tags.