The beautiful face above is Missy, our own mixed terrier rescue dog who came into our lives as a senior rescue dog. She is the best dog in the universe and we would adopt another senior dog in a heartbeat. They are the best! Please consider giving a senior dog a soft place to land for their remaining years. "We love you, Missy."

Missy's Mission

Friendship — a precious commodity. To have a friend in life is the soul's greatest blessing. It's the stuff that dreams are made of. Dogs are truly a man's and a woman's best friend.

The mission of Small Dog Lifesavers is to introduce you to a friend or two! Since you are interested in small dog breeds and mixes, we are hoping one of the links listed here will lead to an opportunity for you to help and support and maybe adopt a new family member!

These are mostly rescue groups and not breeders. The folks who run these rescues are true dog lovers (big hearted individuals) who spend time, energy. and often a lot of their own money on rescuing and caring for these adorable small dogs until they are adopted.

Caution: you may see a face or two you just can't resist.

Adoption Gallery

Pictured are some dogs currently available for adoption from any of our hand-picked rescue and adoption facilities. Please note that several of these animals are Special Need dogs which can be the hardest to place and are most in need of your love.

Click the picture to see a larger view and our listing.

Featured Rescue

Bichon FurKids Rescue

Bichon FurKids Rescue and Bichons and Buddies are a charitable not-for-profit organization based in and serving Southern California. Our goal is to rescue Bichons, Bichon mixes and other small dogs who can no longer live with their original guardian or guardians. We believe that each life is meaningful and that all deserve to live out their lives as loving companions in forever homes. Our motto, "Making a Difference in a Dog's Life" reflects our commitment to assisting healthy, adoptable Bichons and their buddies find loving guardians who can care for and protect them as long as they live.

We are NOT a shelter. We rescue from the Los Angeles city and county shelters, and Orange County shelter. We accept Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, Maltese and Pomeranian owner turn-ins who are need of re-homing for whatever reason (to save them from even a temporary stay at a shelter).

News & Notes

A dog is a gift to your heart. Small Dog Lifesavers presents links and information about dog rescue services, agencies, and groups as a public service for the benefit of our 4-legged and 2-legged friends.

Rescue Dogs Are the Most Lovable of All

Ask anyone who has rescued a dog from one of these rescue groups — they will tell you these dogs are loving, loyal, and have been a joyful addition to the family!

Friendship is only one of the rewards you will receive after adopting a small dog from a rescue group. Loyalty and never-ending love comes along with the package.

This is Penny - another great mixed terrier breed rescue dog we decided to keep for our own! There are more dogs like Penny available right now for adoption!

Our Newest Resource

Yorkshire Terrier Club of Los Angeles Rescue

We rescue and assist Yorkshire Terriers in Southern California. We're a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, all volunteer group. You'll find us at www.ytcla.com and Petfinder.com. Come help us help these terrific terriers. If you'd like to adopt a rescued Yorkie, please email us at yorkies6d@gmail.com. We are very grateful for your donations. All donated funds go to help our rescued Yorkies, either with vet costs or supplies (beds, food, piddle pads, harnesses, leashes, etc.). Everyone in our rescue group is a volunteer. Please help us help the dogs, and send a donation to YTCLA Rescue Fund - 7986 Poinsettia Dr., Buena Park, CA 90620. Thank you!!!

If your pet has gone to Rainbow Bridge ...

If your pet has gone to Rainbow Bridge, please remember your pet loved you so very much and perhaps this is what she or he might have said to you:

....I was abandoned and sent to survive all alone,
then you reached your hands out and gave me a home.
You made me part of your life, I became your treasure
and in return, I tried to bring you so much pleasure.

As a thank you for my love & loyalty,
I could really see
that my welfare was your job,
you took good care of me.
Through good times and sad, I was always by you;
and to me you were loyal and so loving too.

Let me live on now, since we must be apart,
I'll live in your mind and always in your heart.
I love you.

If your small dog is missing ...

We receive lots of emails from people whose small dogs have somehow gone missing from their homes or backyards. They ask us what they should do to find their missing pet. These are some suggestions you can consider immediately:

1) Contact your local Animal Shelter and Animal Control and give them a description of your dog and ask if any dogs like yours have been picked up.

2) Visit your local Animal Shelter regularly and look at the small dogs there at the shelter just to be sure. Don't just rely on phone contact with them.

3) Send a photo of your dog via email to rescues in and around your area. One dog was lost in North Orange County but was found at a rescue in Seal Beach!

3) Bring a photo of your dog along with your contact info to Veterinary Offices in and around your neighborhood. If someone has your dog, they may bring it to the Vet to get checked.

3) Post a photo and contact number with a "Reward" offer around your neighborhood. Try to make it an emotional plea so that people will read it and remember your message and dog's photo.

4) Take walks in local parks during peak hours to see if someone might have found your dog and kept it, not realizing the owner is searching for it. One owner found her dog this way!

5) Whenever you adopt a dog, be sure it is microchipped. If it isn't, please invest in microchipping your dog. Also, have the dog where an ID tag on her/his collar or halter.

Don't breed or buy

Don't breed or buy while those in shelters die... Every second of every minute, of every day, a helpless animal is put to death, just because no one was there to take them home.

You are the world

To the world you are nothing . . . To a rescue dog, you are the world! A house without a dog is not a home. A dog without a home is heartbreaking.

— Pap911Rescue

YappyHappy.com: the ultimate dog tag and other gifts for pets

Our new YappyHappy dog tag not only looks cool, they're more functional than ordinary dog tags.