Updated September 23, 2026
A pet adoption app that shows real pets at real shelters.
WeRescue is a free app for iPhone, iPad, and Android with adoptable dogs, cats, and other pets from more than 4,000 shelters and rescues across the United States and Canada. Search near you, save the ones you like, and get told when a new pet that matches arrives.
Free to download and use. Also works in your browser at werescue.pet.
What makes an adoption app worth installing
Two things. The listings have to be current, because a pet that was adopted last week is a wasted phone call. And the app has to tell you when something new appears, because the pets people most want are often adopted within days. WeRescue syncs directly with the software shelters use to manage their animals, so listings update as shelters update them, and saved searches send a notification when a matching pet is listed.
WeRescue is the official adoption app of NBCUniversal Local's Clear The Shelters campaign, and it is free for adopters and for the shelters that list on it.
What you get in the app
- Pets from more than 4,000 shelters and rescues. Listings come straight from the shelter software rescues already use, across the United States and Canada, and they refresh throughout the day.
- Dogs, cats, and more. Rabbits, birds, reptiles, small animals, and horses are in the same search, so one app covers every kind of adoption.
- More than 60 filters. Breed, age, size, gender, color, distance, and traits like good with kids or house trained. Set them once and they stick.
- Alerts for new pets. Save a search and get a notification when a pet that matches it is listed, so you hear about them early.
- Scout, an assistant that listens. Tell Scout what your home and days look like, and it suggests real pets and shelters that fit, whether you want to adopt, foster, volunteer, or give.
- Favorites, sharing, and dark mode. Keep a shortlist, send a pet to the family group chat with one tap, and browse comfortably at night.
From install to a shortlist in a minute
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Install WeRescue
Get it free from the App Store or Google Play.
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Tell it what you are looking for
Enter your ZIP code and pick a species, then add filters. Or describe your home and routine to Scout, and it suggests pets and shelters that fit.
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Save the search and favorite pets
Keep a shortlist, share a pet with your family, and get a notification when a new match is listed. Then contact the shelter straight from the listing.
Common questions
What is the best pet adoption app?
The best pet adoption app is the one that shows real, current listings from the shelters near you and lets you save a search and get told when a matching pet arrives. WeRescue does both: it is a free native app for iPhone, iPad, and Android with adoptable pets from more than 4,000 shelters and rescues across the United States and Canada, filters for breed, age, size, and temperament, and alerts for new pets.
Is there a dog adoption app?
Yes. WeRescue lets you search adoptable dogs and puppies near you by breed, age, size, gender, and traits like good with kids or house trained. Save the search and the app notifies you when a new dog that matches is listed.
Is there a cat adoption app?
Yes. The same WeRescue app covers cats and kittens. Filter by age, coat, color, and whether the cat is good with other animals, then favorite the ones you want to meet and contact the shelter from the listing.
What apps are like Petfinder?
WeRescue is the closest native-app alternative to Petfinder: a free iPhone and Android app for finding adoptable pets from shelters and rescues, with location search, saved favorites, and new-pet alerts. Petfinder is retiring its own mobile app on October 15, 2026, though petfinder.com remains available in a browser.
Is the WeRescue app free?
Yes. WeRescue is free to download and free to use for searching, saving favorites, and contacting shelters. Adoption fees are set by each shelter or rescue, not by WeRescue.
Where do the pets in the app come from?
From the shelters and rescues themselves. WeRescue syncs with the shelter management software rescues already use, so a pet listed by the shelter shows up in the app and is removed when it is adopted. Always contact the shelter to confirm a pet is still available.
Can I adopt through the app?
The app connects you with the shelter or rescue that has the pet. Each organization runs its own application, meet and greet, and adoption process, and you complete the adoption with them directly.
Does the app work in Canada?
Yes. WeRescue lists adoptable pets from shelters and rescues in both the United States and Canada.
Used the Petfinder app? It is being retired on October 15, 2026. Here is what is changing and how to keep searching on your phone.
Your next pet is probably closer than you think.
Install WeRescue, set your location, and see who is waiting at shelters near you today.
