Every year, nearly one million cats and dogs are euthanized across the country due to overcrowded adoption centers. Those who adopt can save more than one animal’s life by freeing up shelter space for stray, abused, lost + surrendered animals.

Bringing home a furry friend is always an exciting adventure full of love, snuggles, and a chewed up shoe or two.

We’ve done some digging to highlight local animal shelters that need some purrfect parents to bring a fur baby into their furever home.

Best Friend Pet Adoption | Cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies

Barney | Dog | Husky | 5-year-old male
Whitfield | Cat | Orange + white tabby | 4-year-old male

Hope Animal Rescue | Dogs and puppies

Possum | Puppy | Border collie mix | 2-month-old male
Mona | Puppy |Labrador retriever mix | 3-month-old female

Meow House Cat Rescue | Cats + kittens

Baxter (bonded with Blueberry) | Cat | Tuxedo shorthair | 2-year-old male
Blueberry (bonded with Baxter) | Cat | Black shorthair | 2-year-old female

Orange County Animal Services | Dogs, cats + more

Moose Tracks | Kitten | Black and white | 8-week-old female
Sunny | Dog | Golden retriever mix | 3-year-old female

Pasture Pals Equine Rescue | Horses, mules, donkeys, and other farm animals

Henry | Horse | Chestnut with black mane
Blue | Horse | White with cream mane

Possum loves to play with other pups. | Photo via Hope Animal Rescue

PIPS (Perfectly Imperfect Pups) Rescue | Dogs and puppies, with an emphasis on those with medical and special needs

Nacho | Puppy | Rat terrier | 5-month-old male
Korra | Dog | German shepherd mix | 3-year-old female

SAFE Haven | Cats and kittens

Lasagna | Cat | Black shorthair | 2-year-old male
Ladyboog | Cat | Torbico shorthair | 2-year-old female

Saving Grace | Dogs and puppies; volunteer and fostering opportunities

Mike | Dog | Hound | 4-year-old male
Stamp | Puppy | Labrador/hound mix | 5-month-old male

Second Chance | Cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies

Barkleigh | Puppy | Brindle | 9-week-old female
Plum Blossom | Cat | Blue-eyed, white | 7-year-old female

SPCA of Wake County | Cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, and other small animals including rabbits

Chuck | Rabbit | Shorthair | 6-month-old male
Ron Swanson | Guinea pig | Crested | 1-year-old male

Triangle Beagle Rescue | Dogs + puppies with an emphasis on beagles

Huckleberry | Dog| Beagle | Senior male
Olive | Puppy | Beagle | 9-week-old female

Wake County Animal Center | Cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, farm animals, and small critters including rats

Cheddar | Kitten | Orange and white shorthair | 8-month-old male
Roscoe | Dog| Jack Russell terrier | 9-year-old male

See a pawsome pet you want to welcome home? Reach out to the organizations directly to inquire about adoption requirements and procedures. Not ready to take the leap? Ask about joining their foster network.