Downtown Dog Rescue

01/06/2026

Free Pet Wellness Clinic this Sunday January 11 9 am. Vaccines, Microchips for puppies under 4 months. Adult dogs must already be spayed or neutered to qualify You need to live in one of the following cities to register: Maywood Huntington Park, Lynwood, Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Cudahy, Compton , South Gate and Florence-Firestone Watts area. We help anyone who identifies as homeless. .
TEXT your zip code to 213-448-9961. If you qualify you will receive a reservation confirmation. Please do not call.

01/03/2026

🥳 2026 is off to a great start for UKI who’s waited two years to be adopted! Congratulations to the new family! 💜

❤️

12/31/2025

The DDR adoptable dogs say THANK YOU for your support in 2025! 🙏🏼We cannot do the work we do without your help. If you have the means, please help us start 2026 strong with a final year-end donation. 💜 Link in bio or visit https://downtowndogrescue.org/donate

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year 🥳

12/30/2025

We need your help! Every day, Downtown Dog Rescue meets families who love their pets deeply but cannot afford the basic care they need — families living in unstable housing, working long hours for low wages, or simply trying to make it through the week. Their pets are often the only constant, the only comfort they have.

Everything we provide — every surgery, every crisis intervention, every dog given a second chance — is funded entirely by people who believe in our mission!

Please support our work if you can. Your gift means a family will not have to choose between poverty and the pet they love. We are grateful for your generosity which truly sustains us - and changes lives!
Donate Now: https://downtowndogrescue.org/donate

Every day, Downtown Dog Rescue meets families who love their pets deeply but cannot afford the basic care they need — families living in unstable housing, working long hours for low wages, or simply trying to make it through the week. Their pets are often the only constant, the only comfort they h...

12/22/2025

“Winter” didn’t smell like a puppy. Her coat smelled like meth-evidence of how deeply addiction saturates life on the street. She was running down the sidewalk when she was found. Four,maybe five months old. No leash. No plan. She ran straight into waiting arms. It was confirmed that her person did not want to take care of her, so the community was watching out for her. This community of trailers and RVs parked near the metro line had kept her safe, but it was likely a matter of when she would have been hit by a train or car.
M**h convinces people they’re managing. That they’re okay. That they can take care of others, even when they can’t care for themselves. Puppies don’t survive that illusion.
Winter is safe now at our kennel. Our manager Jenny gave her that name - a marker of time, a line between what was and what is.
This work happens quietly every week. It requires presence, resources, and a willingness to intervene when it matters. If you are able, please consider supporting our work.

12/19/2025

Meet Peaches.
Peaches is a 10-year-old senior cat who recently began experiencing heavy, labored breathing. His person is unhoused and, for years, did everything they could to keep Peaches fed—often relying on table scraps and whatever food they could find. Peaches has always been their constant, their comfort, and their emotional anchor.

Recently, Peaches and his person were finally able to move into a housing program with stable, affordable housing. But stability does not automatically mean access to veterinary care. Living on General Relief as their only income, there was no way to afford a vet visit—especially when something felt seriously wrong.

Feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, Peaches’ person reached out to our social worker, Jackie. Jackie took the time to truly listen—not just to the medical concern, but to how deeply Peaches matters to their emotional well-being.

Through one of our partner animal hospitals, Peaches received a comprehensive veterinary exam, blood work, X-rays, medication, and an injection. Thanks to our discounted rate, the total cost to Downtown Dog Rescue was $416.20. Peaches was diagnosed with asthma—a treatable condition—and his person felt enormous relief knowing what was wrong and that Peaches could breathe comfortably again.

This is what access to care looks like. This is why we do this work. Your donations make moments like this possible—when a beloved companion animal doesn’t suffer simply because their person is poor or unhoused.

If you’re able, please consider donating to help us continue providing lifesaving veterinary care to pets like Peaches and dignity and support to the people who love them.

Donate. Share. Help us keep families together.

12/17/2025

At Downtown Dog Rescue, our work doesn’t stop at vaccines or spay and neuter.
Through our monthly community wellness clinics with the volunteer veterinarians and vet techs of the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, we see the same pets again and again — dogs and cats living with chronic conditions that cause real, unnecessary suffering. Skin infections. Ear infections. Eye issues. Conditions that are painful, frustrating, and often entirely treatable.
What we hear most often from families is heartbreaking but familiar:
“I know what’s wrong. I just can’t afford the cure.” Many people can scrape together enough for an exam, but not the ongoing treatment plan that healing requires. Without follow-up care, these issues linger for months or years.

That’s where DDR steps in.
At our clinic in Maywood, Dr. Hoffman makes time every week to see patients like this sweet dog, who has been living with a chronic skin infection — highly treatable, but left untreated simply because of cost. We ask families to donate what they can afford, knowing that dignity matters and access should never depend on wealth.
Our clinic is not open to the general public. It exists for those who need it most: unhoused community members, families barely getting by, and people living one crisis away from losing everything — including their pets.

If you believe that pets shouldn’t suffer because their people are poor, please consider donating to Downtown Dog Rescue. Your support makes ongoing care possible — not just a one-time visit, but real relief, healing, and hope.
Donate if you can. Share if you can’t. Either way, thank you for standing with our community.

12/15/2025

In 2025, DDR and the served 1,791 pets with the support of volunteer veterinarians and veterinary technicians. 1,463 dogs and 328 cats were provided with vaccinations, microchips, deworming, flea and tick meds. This work continued despite our community increasingly feeling fear and instability due to ICE activity. We serve people who are unhoused, low income, immigrants, seniors, and families who deeply cherish their pets but cannot always afford veterinary care. We believe that access should not depend on circumstance.
These monthly clinic have operated for 12 years, including during COVID, and are free to the community. While veterinarians and veterinary technicians techs donate their time, the cost of supplies averages $30 per pet, adding up to approximately $40,000 per year for DDR to pay.
All pets receiving services are required to be spayed or neutered- or their families sign a sterilization agreement-because responsible, accessible care matters.
This is what community-based animal welfare looks like: consistent, compassionate, and rooted in trust.

12/13/2025

This is Hailey.
At 15 years old, this senior sweetheart was brought to the South LA Shelter because her person was deeply worried about a worsening, serious-sounding cough. Hailey had previously been diagnosed with a heart condition, but her person simply could not afford the exam and medication needed to stabilize her.
Hailey was adopted from the South LA Shelter years ago, and her person absolutely adores her. They tried to save, searched for low-cost veterinary options, and did everything within their means — but living on a fixed income, they couldn’t keep up as Hailey’s cough got worse.
Hailey’s person is a senior citizen, grieving the recent loss of a close friend. Hailey has been their emotional comfort, their routine, their constant companion, and their unconditional love.
When they came to the shelter seeking help, our social worker Jackie wrote a medical voucher so Hailey could receive veterinary care right away. DDR will continue to support them so Hailey never has to go without her heart medication again.

This is why access to care matters. This is why your support matters. You help keep families like this together. Thank you for believing in this work.

12/12/2025

This is Fred.
He and his person have been working with our social worker, Jackie, for about a year. They’re enrolled in our pet food pantry program, and like so many longtime pet families we meet, they’ve been together for 12 years. Fred’s person lives on a fixed income in government-assisted housing and is physically disabled, unable to work — but deeply committed to caring for Fred.
Recently, Fred started acting grumpy, which is not his usual personality. He yelped when picked up, and his person grew worried. They came to the South LA Shelter to talk to Jackie, who immediately noticed a small–sized lump on Fred’s ribcage that had grown quickly. Jackie wrote a medical voucher for an exam and needed veterinary services. Fred’s person had saved enough to pay for the X-rays, but there was no way to afford the full treatment plan.

This is the reality for so many of the people we serve:
They love their pets fiercely, they do everything they can, but the cost of veterinary care puts real treatment out of reach. Pets suffer. People suffer. And too often, they navigate this alone.

Thanks to our community of supporters, DDR covered $460.45 so Fred could get the care he needed. Your donations make moments like this possible. You help keep pets with their people. You expand access to care where it’s needed most.

12/05/2025

Adoption Day is TOMORROW! 🎉🐶
Join us at the South Pasadena from 11 AM – 2 PM for a special holiday adoption event!

Come meet your new best friend — Uki, Shadow, and Tuxedo will all be there and ready for same-day adoption! Whether you’re looking for a loyal companion, a playful pup, or a sweet snuggle buddy, we’ve got the perfect match waiting.

We’re also offering a Special Holiday Adoption Package to help you and your new dog start off on the right paw. 🎁✨

📍 Urban Pet – South Pasadena
900 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena, CA 91030
(We’re right next to Trader Joe’s!)

Bring a friend, do a little shopping, and meet some amazing DDR dogs looking for homes. Let's make tomorrow joyful for a few lucky pups! 🐾💛

12/01/2025

Thank you Full Moon Pet

Superior Snacks for Your Packs — and ours. 💛🐾

If you wouldn’t eat it, why would you feed it?
That’s the spirit behind Full Moon’s human-grade, natural dog treats, and we’re proud to say our dogs agree — Sit. Stay. Eat. comes pretty naturally when these snacks are around.

We’ve been giving these treats to every dog at our kennel, sharing them out in the community, and offering them as a little “thank you” to families when they spay or neuter their pets. Because care, kindness, and good food should be part of every dog’s story.

We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation of multiple cases of treats from Full Moon Natural Dog Treats — your support helps us reinforce wellness, reward progress, and spread joy one wagging tail at a time. 🐶❤️

Thank you for nourishing the pets we love.