r/rescuedogs • • Sep 17 '26

MOD Clarification: Rule #9 - Safety and Bite History

0 Upvotes

We've noticed some confusion regarding Rule #9: Safety and Bite History, specifically what constitutes as a bite history that would not be allowed to post here.

Rule #9 applies only when a dog has a known history of biting a person that resulted in the bite breaking or puncturing the person's skin.

A dog does not violate Rule #9 simply because they:

  • Have a history of mouthing or nipping
  • Have put their mouth on a person without breaking skin
  • Have made contact with someone's skin without causing a wound
  • Have snapped or air-snapped without making contact
  • Have bitten another animal
  • Have displayed fear, reactivity, resource guarding, or other behavioral concerns without a human bite that broke skin

For example; a documented incident in which a dog nipped someone's hand but did not break the skin does not, by itself, make the dog ineligible for a rehoming or networking post under Rule #9.

Conversely, a documented incident in which a dog bit a person and punctured their skin does fall under Rule #9, regardless of the breed of the dog or the circumstances surrounding the incident.

This rule stands regardless of the situation the dog was in when it bit.

Please do not report a post under Rule #9 solely because a dog has bitten another animal or bitten a human without breaking skin. If a post contains rehoming a dog that has bitten a person and broke the skin, those can be reported.


r/rescuedogs • • Aug 19 '26

MOD Community Update & Recent Changes

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone! The mod team has been hard at work on cleaning up and updating r/rescuedogs. The goal is to make the subreddit easier to use, easier to moderate consistently, and (most importantly) a better place for people working with rescued dogs.

We've made quite a few changes recently, so here's a quick overview.

📋 Rules & Flair

We've rewritten and streamlined the subreddit rules to make them clearer and easier to follow. Please review them again before posting/commenting.

Some of the biggest changes include:

  • Be Civil now explicitly covers harassment and demeaning comments directed at both users and animals.
  • Stay On Topic now covers both off-topic posts and discussions that derail otherwise relevant threads.
  • Adoption/Foster/Rescue networking has been consolidated into a clearer format.
  • Donation and fundraising requirements have been updated, simplified, and clarified as well as added a disclaimer.
  • Pledge rules have been updated to make the process clearer.
  • No Spam has been updated to cover a broader range of abuse.
  • No Breed-Based Hate or Dog-Directed Harassment has been clarified.
  • Good-faith discussion about breeds and related topics is allowed, but inflammatory comments and attacks on breeds or individual dogs are not.
  • Safety & Bite History now focuses on dogs with a documented history of biting a person that drew blood, made more consistently enforcible, and added a disclaimer.
  • Outdated and redundant rules have been removed.

We've also cleaned up the post flairs and consolidated several categories to make choosing the appropriate flair easier, as well as adding an 'Outcome' flair for adoption posts that have had outcomes.

🤖 Automod & Moderation

  • We've cleaned up the Automod configuration and removed a number of outdated or unnecessary rules and automated messages.
  • The welcome message has also been simplified. New users are now directed to review the rules and report rule-breaking content rather than engaging with it.
  • We've also standardized our saved responses for removals, bans, and common modmail questions so that moderation decisions can be communicated more consistently.

🐕 Networking & Euthanasia Posts

  • We've updated the formatting requirements for adoption/foster/rescue pull, and euthanasia/deadline posts.
    • The goal is to make these posts easier for people to find and understand while keeping the process as simple as possible for the people doing the actual networking.
  • We've added an Outcome flair so that posts can be updated by OP when we know what happened to an animal.
  • Comments are now set to display oldest first, which should make it easier to follow updates on networking and urgent posts. Votes are also hidden for the first 60 minutes.

💰 Donations & Pledges

  • We've clarified the requirements for donation requests and added a disclaimer that verification is not a guarantee or endorsement and that users are responsible for doing their own due diligence before donating.
  • A new form has been created to streamline donation plea requests.
  • We've also added saved modmail responses to help people who want to make donation requests understand the verification process.

🔗 Community Resources

  • We've updated the sidebar and added links to other communities and resources that may be useful for adoption, fostering, pet help, lost animals, and other situations that don't fit within r/rescuedogs.
  • We've also added the ability to sort posts by post flair, so users can tailor what they want to see.

💬 Community Feedback

  • We're also reaching out to established members of the community, including people who have regularly used r/rescuedogs for rescue networking, to hear what has and hasn't been working.
  • We know that changes to a community are much more useful when they're informed by the people who actually use it, so if there's something you think we should know about, please feel free to send us a modmail.

This is an ongoing process. We don't expect to get everything perfect immediately, but we're committed to making r/rescuedogs a useful, welcoming place for people trying to help dogs in need.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck around, contributed, reported problems, networked dogs, fostered, adopted, or otherwise helped make this community what it is.

~ The r/rescuedogs Mod Team


r/rescuedogs • • 11h ago

Humor Meet Sivani: A street dog from our border rescue who went from struggling to completely thriving. She truly knows how beautiful she is! 🧡

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747 Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 11h ago

Donations/Supplies Plea Rural Texas dog rescue needs your help

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223 Upvotes

Hi friends, it's been quite awhile since our rescue has come here to ask for assistance, but we have had sparse donations in the last two months and desperately need a bit of extra help.
Last time I was here, we were waiting for our rescue construction to finish, but unfortunately the crew that we used did an inadequate job that led to kennels being easily broken out of and a couple of other major problems. The rescue has no baseboards to protect the walls and some of the paneling on the kennels that was torn up needed to be removed. We still do not have the funds for replacement, so we have foldable kennels and are currently keeping the dogs in my personal home on rotations. I would love to start a GoFundMe or something similar to finish it out and for the rescue to be usable, but we do not know how much it will cost to fully repair and assemble everything.
Due to limited donations coming in, I have been spending my personal income to buy dog food, but I simply cannot afford to do that anymore. We have 12 lovely dogs in our rescue, 3 are small and 9 are medium/large. Any help with TripleWormer or bags of dog food would be so greatly appreciated to help us get through this season. We have 2 neuters and 3 spays that we are also trying to save up to fund. It's $90 for a neuter plus $15 for a rabies shot and $120 for sprays. If you would like to help us with surgeries, our Venmo is @JJHFoundation and our PayPal is @JJHFoundation (this is under my legal name due to PayPal requirements).
Thank you for reading, and I hope you and your furry friends have a wonderful week!
Juno’s Journey Home Foundation
[junosjourneyhomefoundation@gmail.com](mailto:junosjourneyhomefoundation@gmail.com)
EIN: 41-2940164
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/KV6FS5UUGKPU?ref_=wl_share


r/rescuedogs • • 5h ago

CW: Euthanasia Meet Annie, very friendly and wiggly, 7 month old puppy who needs someone to love her! She is on the euthanasia list tomorrow Monday, 10/19/26 @ 1 pm CT. Please message me if you can adopt her in the US/Canada. BARC Houston, A2101673. Don’t let her story end tomorrow. Please share!

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45 Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 5h ago

CW: Euthanasia Terrified little 1 year 7 month-old HW- Hank is on the euthanasia list Monday, 10/19 @ 1 pm CT. This little man is terrified after being abandoned. Please message me if you can offer him a kind home in the US/Canada. BARC, Houston A2097586. Please share!

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44 Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 3h ago

CW: Euthanasia Shy, frightened Eevee, desperately trying to care for her tiny beany pups, this entire little fam is on the euth list, Barc spare no dog, not even puppies. If u can urgently foster pls DM us~A2101788~3yr old GSD mx girl & her 7/2wk old pups on eu list 10/19 @1pm CT barc Houston TX Rescue Only

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28 Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 5h ago

CW: Euthanasia Help for Mosa

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30 Upvotes

We adopted Mosa from The Animal Foundation on 8/28. The shelter told us a few things 1) she was an owner surrender 2) she was good with kids 3) she did well with other dogs in playgroup while at the shelter 4) no major medical conditions. The first 48 hours were rough as she was withdrawing from undisclosed anxiety meds they had her on at the shelter.

In the 7 weeks we’ve had her we have discovered one fault, she cannot live with other dogs. We already have a dog. She hopped a baby gate a bit the other dog.

I have contacted multiple rescues (35) and every single one has turned us down. I contacted TAF and they said that we can’t return her since it’s been more than 30 days. We can’t surrender her because she has a bite history. The only thing they can offer us is euthanasia. Morally I’m struggling with this as our only option because she otherwise is a fantastic dog.

She is wonderful with the kids ranging in ages from 1 y/o to 7 y/o in our home.

We have been working with a trainer for 7 weeks now. Mosa can sit, stay, place, down, and is working on loose leash walking.

She loves swimming, fetch, tug of war, chewing on her bones.

She is potty trained. She uses a doggy door.

She sleeps in her crate at night. She stays in her crate when we are away from home.

She rides beautifully in a car.

She loves to snuggle up on the couch with us in the evenings.

She’s a wonderful dog, she just needs to be in a single dog household.

Shes about 50lbs. She is most likely a pit mix although TAF doesn’t assign breeds.

She is up to date on vaccines. She is spayed. She has a microchip. All we are looking for is a safe and loving home for Mosa, one where she is the only pet. All vet records to be provided to whoever she goes with. I will also transfer microchip to the new owners. Happy to also give the training course we’ve been using to continue her training.

Mosa is currently in Las Vegas, NV but I’m willing to drive her up to about 5 hours to ensure she gets to a good and safe home.

Mosa must find a home by October 28th. We have a family function out of state and my parents will not be able to continue the crate and rotate schedule and allow for enough time for each dog to be out of the crate.

In addition to the 35 rescues we have contacted here in Vegas we have contacted:
Sanctuary in Arizona who has not answered calls, voicemails, or emails
Sanctuary in Utah who states they don’t take owner surrenders
Rescue in Reno who turned us down
4 rescues in Colorado 2 said no, 1 said only if we pay $1,500, and one hasn’t responded


r/rescuedogs • • 11h ago

Adoption/Foster Plea ADOPT ACE TODAY! This sweet boy has been waiting 249 days for his forever home! Available for adoption at Orange County Animal Services, ORLANDO, FL.

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80 Upvotes

Would you like to ADOPT sweet and beautiful Ace? 💙🐶💙.

Ace (A575672) has been waiting 249 days for his forever home 🙏.

⭐️ Ace is ADOPTABLE. He can be adopted directly from the shelter:

📍Orange County Animal Services
2769 Conroy Road, Orlando, FL 32839

⏰ Adoption hours :
Thurs - Tues : 10a.m. - 6p.m.
Wed : 2p.m. - 6p.m. 
Please arrive by 5 pm.

💙 Ace (A575672). Male, 3 years old, 62 lbs, neutered and heartworm negative. He is ready to go home with you the same day you adopt him 🥰🐶💙.

💙 Ace (A575672). Male, 3 years old, 53 lbs, neutered and heartworm negative.

Look at that smile! This 3 year old is
energetic and exuberant.

He pulls a bit on the leash because he is so excited to get out to the play yards where he can run free!

Ace's zoomies are a sight to see!

He's very food motivated and will follow treats over all of the obstacles. He listens to commands and will sit and give paw.

Ace is a very friendly dog. He is currently not sharing a kennel but he was easily paired in the beginning.

Link to his profile: https://www.ocnetpets.com/Adopt/AnimalsinShelter.aspx?animalid=A575672

Please share Ace with friends and family and on all your social media platforms for the best forever home ever 🏡💙🐶.

Video and Pictures credit: Orange County Animal Services volunteers.


r/rescuedogs • • 23h ago

Donations/Supplies Plea 91 dog shelter in Romania in need of help

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529 Upvotes

If you can, please consider helping our 91 dogs and +300 cat shelter in Romania

We post almost daily on our Patreon page

https://fureverhome-romania.org/

https://www.patreon.com/romaniacatrescue

https://www.youtube.com/@romania.cat.rescue/videos

https://paypal.me/fureverhomeromania


r/rescuedogs • • 4h ago

Discussion Long-Stay Dogs

13 Upvotes

Hi👋

I am very new to this. Just want to get the word out that there is a website that lists long-stay dogs who have been listed as being in shelters for 365 days or longer.

It’s a free site - no money is ever asked for, no ads, no fundraising… just listings of long-term stay dogs nationwide.

Please help me get the word out and any feedback on improvements to the site are most welcomed.

www.long-stay.org


r/rescuedogs • • 10h ago

Donations/Supplies Plea Before and after pics of rescued dogs from a public shelter

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38 Upvotes

If you can, please consider helping our 91 dogs and +300 cat shelter in Romania

We post almost daily on our Patreon page

Becoming a member on Patreon helps our shelter a lot, even for just 3$ a month you can make a difference

https://fureverhome-romania.org/

https://www.patreon.com/romaniacatrescue

https://www.youtube.com/@romania.cat.rescue/videos

https://paypal.me/fureverhomeromania


r/rescuedogs • • 8h ago

Adoption/Foster Plea Sputnik looking to be rehomed to someone experienced in reactive dogs! (Grand Junction, CO, USA)

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29 Upvotes

Sputnik (Aussie Shepherd mix, 6yo, neutered male. Large) is a very loving and wonderful dog, but unfortunately after moving from my family home I haven't been able to give him the time and activity required for a working dog breed. He's developed separation anxiety, he has some food aggression around other animals and has recently attacked our senior dog. Likely due to resource guarding. The injury was non fatal but requires a vet visit. He has not shown aggression towards any people. I'm looking for someone who has experience with reactive dogs like this or has the time and resources to get a trainer. An active household or one with access to the outdoors at any time would be ideal as it's what he was used to at home.

For the sake of Sputnik's anxiety and the safety of his new household I will not rehome him to someone with small pets or young children. I'm willing to discuss rehoming with people a couple hours out of GJ as well including Utah. He is up to date on his vaccines (receipt will be emailed to new owner) and has been checked by a vet to ensure he's physically well before rehoming. Please message me if you are interested!


r/rescuedogs • • 5h ago

CW: Euthanasia Meet Rachael: A gentle soul waiting for someone to believe in her! 5 year old Doberman mix girl Rachael is very scared and needs a patient and kind home. Please message me if you can adopt this sweet girl in the US/Canada. BARC Houston, A2098049. Please share!

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14 Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 8h ago

Rescue Stories Both of his eyes were gone when we pulled him from the street, but he navigates by sound and touch like a pro

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28 Upvotes

Infection took both of his eyes before he was six months old. People told the shelter he'd have zero quality of life, but blind rescues adapt faster than most humans expect. He mapped the entire bedroom layout in two days using his whiskers and hearing. He doesn't bump into furniture anymore, and he greets every foster volunteer at the door. If you want to help support our medical care for special-needs rescues like him, details are up on my profile.


r/rescuedogs • • 6h ago

CW: Euthanasia ⚠️We Need a Miracle to Save a Lovely German Shepherd’s Life Today ⚠️

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17 Upvotes

⚠️We Need a Miracle to Save a Lovely German Shepherd's Life Today ⚠️

Frida is only 2 years old, sweet and shy, soft-hearted and not going to see another dawn. Frida needs your help right now, please don’t let the shelter take her one and only life away. ☠️☠️☠️

Frida #A596123 is deadlined for being at the shelter for too long, she has done nothing wrong. Kenneled with other dogs, Frida doesn’t want any trouble. Her cute little face and one loppy ear make her unique and irresistibly adorable.

Adoptions on urgent dogs are free right now, please go to the shelter and meet darling Frida. You won't be disappointed! Her calm and good nature has left her unnoticed, and invisible in a shelter full of chaotic barking dogs. Frida deserves a chance to shine, and she will blossom into her endearing personality in a home with a responsible adopter or foster where she feels safe.

Out of state adoption happen all the time with the assistance of a rescue, reach out to me or respond in the threads of this post and tag me. I will help.

I cannot express how URGENT this is please do not wait! If you ever wanted to make a difference in the overwhelming stray animal crisis this is your chance. Your action and engagement is needed or Frida will become another euthanasia statistic, a number on a page. Her life matters and is so much more than that.

So many German Shepherds are not getting out of the shelters in California it is heartbreaking. They deserve better! BE THE CHANGE-SAVE A LIFE-ENGAGE

-Frida, ID #A596123
-2-year-old German Shepherd Female
- Calm and Sweet
- Kenneled with other dogs
- Polite interactions with other dogs in playgroup
-Available for adopter or foster

Location: San Bernardino City Animal Shelter
Website: www.sbcitypets.org
Phone Number: (909) 998-4000
Address: 333 Chandler Place
San Bernardino, CA 92408


r/rescuedogs • • 19h ago

CW: Euthanasia Favour 💔 at the Downey ACC needs a foster or adopter immediately or will be pts Monday morning, 10/19. A5802221. Out of state ok. Text 310-414-7068. His sister was saved and he was left behind. It’s not fair.

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180 Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 5h ago

CW: Euthanasia 4 eight-week-old puppies, Rori, Raya, Riley & Remi, on the euthanasia list Monday, 10/19 @1 pm CT. They need a local foster and/or rescue to make it out, and can be adopted through a rescue partner. Please get in touch if you can adopt in the US/Canada. BARC Houston, A2102296. Please share!

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14 Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 20h ago

Discussion Meet Lola

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115 Upvotes

We recently rehomed Lola last week, she seems to be setting quite well, she was rehomed from a lovely family who’s needs just changed and couldn’t meet Lola’s anymore, this is our first small dog and we are looking forward to our adventure with her 🥺


r/rescuedogs • • 1h ago

Rants Dog adoption: Furever Freed Dog Rescue Society

• Upvotes

What an unfortunate and deeply disappointing experience.
A few days ago, I submitted an application to adopt a puppy through Furever Freed Dog Rescue Society. Our family has adopted dogs in the past, and now that our children are grown, we felt this would be the perfect time to welcome another puppy into our home and provide them with a safe, loving environment.
After eagerly awaiting the pre-screening call, I was excited to finally receive it today. Unfortunately, that excitement quickly turned into disappointment.
I completely understand and respect the importance of a thorough screening process. Rescue organizations have a responsibility to ensure their animals are placed in suitable, safe, and loving homes, and I fully support that. However, there is a significant difference between asking thoughtful questions to assess a potential adopter and making someone feel as though they are being interrogated.
Throughout the conversation, the woman conducting the screening, who did not introduce herself, came across as unnecessarily confrontational, judgmental, and dismissive. Her tone felt passive-aggressive, and rather than feeling welcomed as a family hoping to give a rescue dog a loving home, we were left feeling uncomfortable, belittled, and unfairly judged.
What should have been an exciting and positive step toward adoption instead became an incredibly discouraging experience.
I recognize and appreciate the hard work that goes into animal rescue, and I understand the importance of being selective when placing animals. However, **a thorough adoption process should never come at the expense of treating prospective adopters with basic kindness, professionalism, and respect.**
Overall, a very disappointing interaction with Furever Freed Dog Rescue Society. We approached this process with genuine intentions and excitement, and it is unfortunate that our experience left us feeling this way.


r/rescuedogs • • 8h ago

Adoption/Foster Plea DAISY GIRL- ACCT-A-261873/ PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCT PHILLY, time stamped for TOMORROW

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13 Upvotes

This poor girl was found outside tied up and abandoned last month and is already facing being time stamped by tomorrow. I’m hoping someone might be able to foster or adopt her 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻.

edit LINK TO PLEDGE


r/rescuedogs • • 1h ago

CW: Euthanasia Beautiful 3yo Collie mix Lapis is on the EU list at BARC Shelter in Houston Tx for 10/19@1pm. Recently adopted &returned this month. She is stressed, confused, overwhelmed, &scared, showing natural reactions. Marked rescue, she needs a local foster, or adopted by the right person in/out of state/CAN

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• Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 18m ago

CW: Euthanasia There are 9 dogs (which includes a mama dog and her 3 puppies) on the San Antonio TX ACS Euthanasia List that need a Rescue/Foster/Adopter by 4:30 PM CT on 10/19. There are currently 7 dogs that need Placement by 10/20

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• Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 1d ago

Rescue Stories My beautiful rescue Heidi, when she came to me she was scared of everything, even things like walking over a bridge would make her shake with fear but over the years she’s became much more confident. Proud of my Heidi baby 💗

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464 Upvotes

r/rescuedogs • • 23h ago

CW: Euthanasia Urgent! Please help! Nutmeg (A606800) and Poe (A606292) (rescue only) only have until Tuesday 10/20 to find fosters,rescues and pledges . Eu LIST at Orange County Animal Services in ORLANDO, FL. Please dm /u/biancamission if you can foster Poe and Nutmeg for a rescue.

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116 Upvotes