7 Local Organizations to Consider for Pet Adoption
Photographed by Sela Gonzales
From rescue and rehabilitation to adoption services, these groups help animals in need find safe, loving homes.
Seeing a four-legged friend on the street on your way to an errand may brighten your day, but these animals are far better off when they have someone to care for them, away from the noisy streets and highways. This is the principle some pet organizations uphold as they rescue and care for the animals in need. If you are looking for a furry companion, here are some organizations to look explore as you search for a new member of your family.
Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
Location: Aurora Boulevard corner Katipunan Avenue, Katipunan Valley, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
PAWS focuses on rescuing dogs (aspin) and cats (puspin) recovering from cruelty or neglect. Their process requires an online application, a face-to-face visit to the shelter, and a minimal adoption fee that covers spay/neuter, vaccinations, and microchipping.
CARA Welfare Philippines (Compassion and Responsibility for Animals)
Location: 175 Lopez-Rizal corner Samat Streets, Mandaluyong City
To manage community stray populations, CARA Welfare Philippines conducts the Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return (CNVR) program. However, the organization encourages the adoption of its rescued cats and dogs, which are temporarily housed at the CARA cattery clinic facility while they wait for their forever homes. They have adoption fees, but these are not to buy the pets but to help cover the medical care, food, and resources for the remaining rescues in their care.
Pawssion Project Foundation
Location: Tungkong Mangga, City of San Jose del Monte (Bulacan) and Hacienda Feliza (Bacolod)
The primary focus of Pawssion Project is conducting large-scale rescues of impounded dogs scheduled for euthanasia, neglected stray animals, and disabled pets. They allow active social media screening, shelter visits, and trial foster or adoption periods.
Animal Kingdom Foundation (AKF)
Location: No. 8 Purante St., Barangay Cubcub, Capas, Tarlac
While they also rescue abandoned pets, Animal Kingdom Foundation rehabilitates strays and rescues animals from the illegal meat trade. They post an application form on their website, followed by a screening evaluation and interview to assess adoption compatibility.
Strays Worth Saving (SWS)
Location: Tanauan, Batangas
Handling cases needing intensive veterinary care, Strays Worth Saving (SWS) treats rescues at its veterinary clinics before moving them to recovery shelter spaces. These animals are usually those who suffer from severe vehicular accidents, advanced tumors, neglect, or extreme abuse. They post active rescue profiles on their official Facebook page and website, where interested pet owners can fill out their online application. A physical interview and home check would follow to verify living arrangements.
Hound Haven Philippines
Location: 353 Pinaglagarian Street, Angat, Bulacan
The first and only institutionalized nonprofit sanctuary in the country dedicated to retired military working dogs (MWDs) and contract working dogs (CWDs), Hound Haven Philippines provides specialized physical rehabilitation, behavioral retraining, and lifetime home placement for dogs that spent their lives working in bomb detection, tracking, or narcotics. They schedule in-person shelter visits to evaluate compatibility and offer a 30-day trial foster period in your home
Philippine Animal Rescue Team (PART)
Location: Purok 3, Brgy. Maulawin, Santa Elena, Camarines Norte 4611
As the country’s first registered SEC no-kill animal shelter, Philippine Animal Rescue Team (PART) is run by volunteers who care for hundreds of rescued stray dogs and cats and run ongoing medical rehabilitation, neuter outreach, and rescue programs. For adoption, they share the pet’s history and lifestyle fit to help candidates find suitable animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Within Metro Manila, PAWS is based in Quezon City and CARA Welfare Philippines operates out of Mandaluyong City. Organizations located in surrounding provinces include Pawssion Project (Bulacan and Bacolod), Animal Kingdom Foundation (Tarlac), Hound Haven (Bulacan), Strays Worth Saving (Batangas shelter, supported by a Metro Manila clinic network), and PART (Camarines Norte).
Yes, rescue organizations require an adoption fee, but these charges are not used to “buy” or profit from the animal. Instead, the funds cover essential medical services like spaying/neutering, vaccinations, and microchipping, and help support food and care for other rescues remaining at the shelter.
Hound Haven Philippines is the country’s first and only nonprofit sanctuary dedicated specifically to military and contract working dogs. They focus on the physical rehabilitation, behavioral retraining, and adoption placement for dogs that spent their working lives in bomb detection, tracking, or narcotics work.
PAWS primarily rescues cats and dogs recovering from direct human cruelty or severe neglect. In contrast, Pawssion Project specializes in rescuing impounded animals scheduled for euthanasia alongside disabled pets. At the same time, Strays Worth Saving focuses on critical medical emergencies like vehicular accidents and advanced tumors that require urgent veterinary care.
Interested adopters must first complete an online application form and pass a screening evaluation or interview. Following a mandatory home check and shelter visit to verify compatibility, the applicant completes the process by paying the adoption fee and signing the final adoption contract.