About Small Dog Rescue South Africa

Small Dog Rescue South Africa helps people find trusted small-breed rescue, adoption and rehoming support by breed, province and need.

Referral Platform Disclosure: Small Dog Rescue South Africa is a guidance and referral platform. Adoption, surrender, screening and placement decisions are managed by the individual rescue organisation responsible for each application.

Our Mission

Finding the right rescue organization when you want to adopt or need to surrender a small dog can be overwhelming. There are hundreds of local shelters, but many specialized breeds (such as Yorkies, Maltese, and French Bulldogs) benefit from breed-specific rescue networks that operate via foster homes rather than traditional brick-and-mortar kennels.

Our goal is to act as the national "front door" to trusted rescue support, helping visitors answer:

  • What kind of help do I need?
  • Which rescue is suitable for my dog's breed, my location, and my situation?
  • What should I do next?

What We Do

  • Discovery & Directory: We aggregate listings and guides for registered breed-specific and general small dog rescues in South Africa.
  • Situation Triage: Through our interactive Rescue Finder, we help redirect lost/found cases away from surrender processes and direct urgent rehoming inquiries to suitable platforms.
  • Legitimacy Guidance: We educate potential adopters and owners on how to spot scammers, puppy brokers, and unethical operations disguised as rescues.

What We Do Not Do

  • We are not a physical shelter: We do not keep dogs in kennels, hold foster spaces, or coordinate hands-on animal transport.
  • We do not process applications: We do not review adoption forms, perform home checks, or make placement decisions. These are managed exclusively by the partner organizations we refer you to.
  • We do not collect fees: We do not request adoption fees, donations, or surrender fees. Any financial contributions must be made directly to our registered partner NPOs.

How We Select Partners

All partners featured in our directory must meet our strict Partner Inclusion Criteria. We regularly audit and verify the contact details, public registrations, and vetting policies of our partners.

If you operate a registered small dog rescue in South Africa and would like to be included in our directory, please fill out our Inclusion Form or contact us.

Last reviewed: July 2026 • Content updated regularly to ensure accurate routing.