How to find a pet

Pick an animal, pick a state, press the button. Here is everything you need to know.

Search in three steps

1. Pick an animal. Open the Animal menu and choose Dogs, Cats, Rabbits and so on. Some choices open into specific animals: under Birds you will find Budgies, Cockatiels and Conures; under Horses & farm you will find Horses, Goats and Chickens. The number beside each one is how many are listed right now.
2. Pick your state. The State menu lists every state with the number available there. A (0) means none are listed right now, but you can still pick it: see the tip below.
3. Press the green button. You will see the animals near you, most recently updated first.

Good to know

After you search: see which breeds are available

The results page opens with menus at the top that break the results down by what is actually available in that state:

• Narrow it down by breed lists every breed available, with how many of each. For dogs in Texas you will see choices like Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dog, each with its count. Pick one to see only that breed.
• Narrow it down to a specific species appears for groups with more than one kind of animal. On Horses & farm it lists Horses, Goats, Chickens and more; on Birds it lists Budgies, Cockatiels, Conures and more, each with a count.
• You can also start from the menu at the very top of any page: click Dogs, Birds or any other animal to see all of them nationwide, with the same breed and species menus.

Good to know

Picked a state with (0)? We show you the nearest states that have one

If none are listed in your state right now, you do not hit a dead end. The page lists the nearest states that do, closest first, with how many each has. For example, when Pennsylvania has no birds listed, it points you to nearby states such as Maryland and New Jersey. Click any of them to go straight to those animals.

More about filtering

• Mixed breeds. A mix is listed under the first breed its shelter names, so a Lab and Boxer mix appears under Labrador Retriever. Its card carries a MIXED BREED tag so you always know.
• Undo a filter. Click Show all in the line above the results.
• See more at once. Change Per page to 25, 50 or 100, or use the page numbers at the top and bottom.

Found one you like?

1. Click the photo or the name to see every photo and the notes from the shelter.
2. Use the Contact button to reach the shelter or rescue directly.
3. They handle the application, the meeting and the adoption fee. AdoptNearby never takes applications or payments.

Common questions

Why are there none in my state?

Some animals are rare in some states. The page will point you to the nearest states that have them, and listings change every day, so check back too.

What does the ADOPTED stamp mean?

The shelter has taken that animal off its list, most likely because it was adopted. Stamped animals come off AdoptNearby a few days later.

How up to date are the listings?

They refresh every day from the shelters and rescues. An animal can still be adopted before our next update, so always confirm with the shelter.

Does it cost anything?

No. There is no account, no sign-up and no advertising. Some partner links near the bottom of a page may pay us a small commission; that never changes which animals you see.

I run a shelter or rescue. How do I get listed?

See For shelters. Listing is free.

Something looks wrong or is missing?

Email support@adoptnearby.com and we will look into it.