Goldendoodles are one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. Unfortunately, they are also more likely to end up in an animal shelter. There are a lot of Goldendoodle rescues and shelters that have this beautiful breed available for adoption so we have compiled a comprehensive list of the best doodle rescue shelters in the US.
There are various reasons why pet parents would want to put their Goldendoodles up for adoption and we will also discuss these reasons in this article.
In these rescue shelters, you might find a Goldendoodle to adopt. Still, it is important to note that this is a very popular breed and usually they get adopted quickly. Doodle puppies are extremely rare to be up for adoption. If you do happen to find this breed up for adoption, they will mostly be older doodles. However, these older dogs need a home, too, so don’t count them out.
Now, let’s jump into the best Goldendoodle rescues in the US.
IDOG Rescue
IDOG Rescue is a non-profit foster-based rescue organization for Labradoodles and Goldendoodles and they also help owners rehome their furry friends.
IDOG Rescue is headquartered in Houston, Texas, but they accept adoption applications from across the country.
If you decide to adopt from IDOG Rescue, you can expect an adoption fee between $100 and $750. Their dogs receive extensive veterinary care and are microchipped and spayed before traveling to their new homes.
IDOG also offers a rehoming service for pet owners who feel they are no longer fit to care for their Labradoodle or Goldendoodle.
Since Goldendoodles are so popular, it is very rare that IDOG has puppies available and usually their dogs are of unknown origin. You won’t be able to apply for a specific coat type or gender, you will have to accept whichever dog IDOG can offer you.
Details for IDOG Rescue:
Website: https://www.idogrescue.com/
Email: rescue@idogrescue.com
Address: IDOG Rescue Inc. 6711 Stella Link Road, Suite 344, Houston, TX 77005
Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue
The Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue (DVGRR) is a non-profit organization that rescues golden retrievers, Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, and labrador retrievers. DVGRR opened its doors in 1993 and has adopted out 6120 dogs up to date.
DVGRR is located at Vera Cruz Road, Pennsylvania, where they have a monthly open house for potential adoptees to see and interact with the dogs.
This Goldendoodle rescue shelter is quite strict on its adoption process requirements. For instance, you have to have a fenced yard and usually they do not adopt dogs to a family with small children.
DVGRR does offer top-quality health care to their dogs before they get adopted which could reach up to $3000. If you’re interested in rescuing a Goldendoodle from them, they do have an online application form which you can fill out.
Details for Delaware Valley Golden Retrievers Rescue:
Website: https://dvgrr.org/
Email: info@dvgrr.org
Address: 60 Vera Cruz Road, Reinholds, PA 17569
Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
Somerset Cottage Poodle Rescue
The Somerset Cottage Poodle Rescue (SCPR) is dedicated to rescuing senior hyper-allogenic dogs from shelters with high euthanasia rates and they also accept dogs from owners who can no longer care for their dogs.
They do not have a physical shelter but rely on foster homes that are within a 35-mile radius of Purcellville, PA until the rescues are matched to a new permanent home. An important note is that their foster homes may not have children under the age of 12.
SCPR has rehomed over 800 dogs since starting in 2013 and their senior dogs tend to live long happy lives.
Details for Somerset Cottage Poodle Rescue:
Website: https://www.somersetcottagepoodlerescue.org/
Email: scpoodlerescue@gmail.com
Address: Somerset Cottage Poodle Rescue, Fairfax, VA 22033
Social Media: Facebook
NorCal Poodle Rescue Adoption
NorCal Poodle Rescue Adoption (NPRA) has been adopting poodles and poodle mixed breeds, like Goldendoodles, since 1985 and they also offer to foster a dog until they are ready to be adopted.
NPRA is situated in North Carolina and they are the third-largest poodle rescue organization in the US. They are equipped to perform serious medical procedures on their dogs before being adopted.
They completely rely on donations and volunteers as they are a non-profit organization that only uses 3% of their donations for administrative duties while 97% of their donations are spent on their dogs.
They also offer owner surrender services to help pet owners find new homes for their tail-wagging canine friends.
Once a year NPRA hosts a poodle day in Carmel California intending to unite poodle lovers and owners.
Details for NorCal Poodle Rescue Adoption:
Website: https://www.norcalpoodlerescueadoption.com/
Email: contact form
Address: 10126 Alta Sierra Dr # 282, Grass Valley, CA 95949
Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
Golden Retrievers in Need Rescue
Golden Retrievers in Need (GRIN) rescues Golden Retrievers and golden mixes from shelters and pounds across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
They also rescue dogs internationally from Turkey and bring them to the United States to find new permanent homes for them.
Unlike most of the other rescue centers on this list, GRIN has a waiting list for younger doodles. They do have them available, but usually, a potential adopted parent would wait up to 4 weeks.
GRIN has over 500 volunteers and has re-homed more than 3,700 golden retrievers and goldendoodles to date.
Details for Golden Retrievers in Need:
Website: https://grinrescue.org/
Email: grin@grinrescue.org or fill out the contact form
Address: P.O. Box 24365 Cleveland, OH 44124
Social Media: Instagram
Doodle Dandy Rescue
Doodle Dandy Rescue is another organization based in Texas. However, they only adopt dogs within a 4-hour radius of Dallas, so if you’re not based near Dallas, you will not be able to adopt a Goldendoodle from Doodle Dandy Rescue.
Its mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home doodles in Texas. Like most of the other Goldendoodle rescues, it’s very rare for puppies to be available. They mostly re-home older, retired dogs.
Doodle Dandy allows foster to adopt, which means that you can provide a foster home for a dog and if you build a bond, you can apply to adopt the dog.
Details for Doodle Dandy Rescue:
Website: https://www.doodledandyrescue.org/
Email: doodledandyrescue@gmail.com
Address: Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
Doodle Rescue Collective
Doodle Rescue Collective (DRC) is a foster-based rehabilitation and rescue center with over 800 volunteers nationwide. They help to rescue and rehome Labradoodles and Goldendoodles. Since 2008 they have rescued over 4000 dogs and placed them across the country.
Doodle Rescue Collective does not have a shelter/kennel or a facility to house these dogs, but they do have foster homes where the dogs are safe until they are ready to be adopted. Their volunteers work together to find a new home for the dogs.
Like most other shelters on this list, DRC also has a rehoming initiative. However, they do not accept doodles that show aggression towards humans or other dogs.
Details for Doodle Rescue Collective:
Website: https://doodlerescueinc.ning.com/
Email: info@doodlerescuecollectiveinc.org
Address: 77 Buttonwoods Ave. Warwick, RI 02886
Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
Golden Retriever Rescue Resource
Golden Retrievers Rescue Resource (GRRR) operates across Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana to rescue Golden Retrievers and Goldendoodles. They rely on volunteers and donations to ensure that their dogs’ medical care and basic needs are cared for.
All of their dogs receive shelter, food, and medical care. Any health treatment that the rescued dogs require are fulfilled and paid for by the rescue center.
They do, however, have a strict adoption process and requirements. A fenced yard is a must, families with toddlers or infants would typically not be allowed to adopt, and applicants would have to do obedience training with their dog.
GRRR also uses foster homes to provide a temporary home for any doodle rescue.
Details for Golden Retriever Rescue Resource:
Website: https://www.gr-rescue.org/
Email: grrradoption@yahoo.com
Address: P.O. Box 57, Waterville, Ohio 43566
Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
Doodle Rock Rescue
Doodle Rock Rescue (DRS) rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes abused or neglected poodle mixes. They prioritize poodles from the streets or neglected shelters.
They have rehomed over 1200 dogs since their establishment in 2017. They also have a foster home system where they cater to the dogs’ medical needs and food while searching for a new home.
You need to be based in Texas to adopt from DRS. The rescue shelter monitors all their dogs and requires a home check before adopting a dog.
Doodle Rock also accepts volunteers to help with the dogs and transportation volunteers, who help transfer dogs and supplies across the state.
Details for Doodle Rock Rescue:
Website: https://doodlerockrescue.org/
Email: contact form
Address: 3604 Vintage Pl, Dallas, TX 75214 USA
Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
Carolina Poodle Rescue
Carolina Poodle Rescue (CPR) is a non-profit rescue group that only works through volunteers. The group has saved and rehomed more than 5000 poodle mixes and continues to rescue dogs across the country.
The rescue center is located on a farm called Dreamweaver Farm where they can hold up to 150 dogs awaiting a new home. CPR spays their dogs before they go to their new homes.
All their operations, maintenance, food, and shelter are paid through donations and adoption fees. CPR also allows you to sponsor a dog, if you’re not able to adopt one.
Details for Carolina Poodle Rescue:
Website: https://carolinapoodlerescue.org/
Email: info@carolinapoodlerescue.org
Address: 6705 Union Hwy, Pacolet, SC 29372
Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
Petfinder
Petfinder is different from all the other rescue centers mentioned above. Petfinder is an online database that you can use to search for dogs, cats, and other such animals to adopt (including Goldendoodles!).
This database is a directory for over 11000 animal shelters across the country, so this is the best place to start looking for a doodle. You can also use the location filter to see Goldendoodles that are available near you.
Details for Petfinder:
Website: https://www.petfinder.com/
Email: contact form
Address: N/A
Social Media: Facebook and Instagram
Why Do People Put Goldendoodles Up For Adoption?
When a Goldendoodle gets put up for adoption, usually it is because the owner cannot take care of them anymore. Even though doodles are intelligent and trainable, sometimes they aren’’t the perfect fit for a family.
Let’s discuss some of the reasons why doodle owners put their dogs up for adoption.
Goldendoodles Are Extremely Energetic
Goldendoodles are energetic and they need at least two hours of exercise every day. If they do not get this exercise, they might become destructive or show behavioral issues.
This amount of energy can become overwhelming to a pet parent, especially if they work an 8-hour job. Ultimately this is one of the most common reasons why pet owners give their doodle up for adoption.
The Goldendoodle is Too Old For Breeding
Since Goldendoodles have become quite popular, unfortunately, there are a lot of puppy mills with terrible breeding conditions. Here Goldendoodles are bred for specific coat color, size, etc.
When doodles become too old to breed, the puppy mill will put them up for adoption. You are more likely to adopt an older dog from the shelters we mentioned as doodle puppies are extremely rare. However, these dogs need love, too, especially since they were kept in such harsh and unhealthy conditions for most of their lives.
Goldendoodles Bark
Like most other dog breeds, Goldendoodles tend to bark to express their emotion. They bark when they feel separation anxiety but mostly they bark as a defense mechanism. If they feel that your family is in danger, they will bark.
This can be trained out of Goldendoodles, but some pet owners do not have time or patience to train their dogs, so they put the doodle up for adoption.
A Major Life Change for the Owner
Sometimes, life gets in the way, and the pet owner realizes that they will no longer be able to care for their Goldendoodle. A responsible pet owner is also one who knows when they are no longer fit to care for their dog.
These life changes could be moving to a new house with no yard, getting a new time-consuming job, the primary caretaker of the dog passing away, etc. Any of these could be why a doodle is placed in a shelter to find a new permanent home.
Goldendoodles Can be Expensive
Goldendoodles are a poodle mix, which means that they require frequent grooming, at least every 8 weeks, and regular brushing at home.
This grooming can cost $50-$80 every 8 weeks, but overall a Goldendoodle can cost you up to $1000 per year. Some pet parents cannot afford this expenditure on their doodles.
How Much Does it Cost to Adopt a Goldendoodle?
Each organization has different fees. Adopting a Goldendoodle from a rescue center could cost you between $300 and $1000. This usually includes a spay procedure before adoption.
This is still cheaper than buying a Goldendoodle puppy from a breeder for an average price of $2000. When buying a puppy from a breeder you could also, indirectly, be supporting puppy mills, which is why it’s important to adopt, not shop.
How to Ensure That You Are Selected For a Goldendoodle Rescue
If you have decided to adopt a Goldendoodle and you have your eye on a rescue organization that you would like to work with, how can you ensure that they select you to adopt a rescue?
Don’t be too specific in what you’re looking for. Rescue shelters will not like it if you apply specifically for a male, less than 6 months, tan coat puppy. You should be willing to accept any dog that they match you with.
Be sure that you meet all their requirements. Usually, their adoption requirements can be found on their website or their application form. For example, do you have a fenced-in yard? Do you have a local vet? Are you financially capable of caring for a dog? etc.
Follow their Instagram and Facebook. Sometimes they post pictures of dogs before they are available on the website.
Additionally, make sure your personal references are in place, most times rescue groups actually do contact your references to make sure that you will be a fit pet owner. If your references are unreliable, they will certainly not allow you to adopt.
Final Thoughts
We have reviewed several reputable Goldendoodle rescues to help you make an informed decision when adopting a Goldendoodle. We hope this article helps you to find the perfect canine friend!