5 Best Golden Retriever Rescues in Ontario! (2022)

Here’s what you should know if you’re searching for the best Golden Retriever rescues in Ontario. With their floppy ears, heart-melting eyes, and lovable personalities, it’s no wonder that Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular breeds in the world. However, popularity comes at a price, and since there are so many Goldens around, many of them get given up through no fault of theirs.

Before you scroll further down this list of Golden Retriever rescues in Ontario, you can check out these other dog-related recommendations from our team at We Love Doodles: Best Labrador Retriever Rescues in Ontario and Best Small Dog Rescues in Ontario.

Find a Golden Retriever Rescue Shelter Near Me in Ontario

If you are looking for a Golden Retriever rescue in Ontario, you’re at the right place! Here are some breed-specific rescues throughout the province and other places where you might find your new Golden best friend.

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1. Golden Rescue

Golden Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing Goldens since 1990. It is one of Canada’s largest single-breed rescue centers and is entirely run by volunteers who love the breed. Funded by donations, they operate with four core values: integrity, non-judgment, kindness, and compassion.

All their dogs are neutered and microchipped, and checked by vets. There are different ways you can help them out. One way is to foster a Golden by filling in their online application form. The organization prefers foster homes without any children under the age of eight. It also isn’t desirable if you have other pets in the house.

They don’t split up two Goldens that are bonded as if they were siblings, so you should be willing to foster them if necessary. Fostered Goldens will be allowed to socialize, adapt to domestic life, and receive medical care and training while they wait for their forever homes.

All their Goldens are spayed or neutered and microchipped, and before adoption, each Golden is thoroughly temperament-tested to ensure that they can be placed in the most suitable home. Alternatively, you can adopt a Golden retriever.

The fees are $750 if you reside in Canada and $1,000 if you reside out of Canada. Before adopting, you must be prepared to visit the Golden in their foster home. They have plenty of information on their website related to Goldens, such as training your Golden, promoting good behavior and health, safety, and hazards in the home.

They also have the option to ‘surrender your Golden,’ which means you can give them up if you can no longer care for your Golden. Golden Rescue is committed to returning them and will try to place them in another home.

Golden Rescue Details

• Phone Number: (416) 657-2445
• Email Address: info@goldenrescue.ca
• Website: Golden Rescue

2. No Dogs Left Behind

No Dogs Left Behind have taken dog rescue to a new level. Jeffrey Berry is the man who founded the organization in 2016, where he managed to transport 121 survivors from East Asia into the US for adoption.

The group grew into a large dog rescue in Asia with three dog sanctuaries. They currently have 500 survivors in their care. With the help of donations and dog sponsorships, they transport as many dogs as possible to their safehouses in Ontario, Florida, and New York, where the dogs are placed in new homes.

They have quite a few rescued Golden Retrievers available in Ontario, so check their website. If you adopt or foster a dog from them, you know that you are contributing to a bigger cause. No Dogs Left Behind are animal rights activists who believe in and fight for a cruelty-free world.

Their dogs have been rescued from meat markets in Asia and illegal dog traffickers. They depend on donations from supporters, adopters, fosters, and those who wish to sponsor a dog and take it out of Asia.

All their rescued dogs receive medical care, are vaccinated, sterilized, and given a name. After being rescued, the dogs are taken to one of the three locations in East Asia, where they are rehabilitated and socialized to trust humans again.

Rescued dogs from No Dogs Left Behind have a survival rate of over 90%. Just be aware that even though the rehabilitation process is very positive, some dogs’ trauma may be triggered even after a long time. Be prepared for bumps in the road if you decide to adopt with No Dogs Left Behind.

If you wish to contribute to their cause, you can choose a dog from the ‘Dogs available for adoption in Canada’ section and fill in an application form. Costs vary between $2,000 and $3,000 depending on the transport fees. This price includes vaccination, deworming, microchip, and medical papers.

Since they cannot meet you in person or do a home visit, the process is done online and through WhatsApp. You communicate with them until your dog arrives, and if you want more information, you can get in touch with them on their website. They’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

No Dogs Left Behind Details

• Address: Canada Safehouse 15 Reesor Road, Scarborough, Ontario M1X 1R5
• Website: No Dogs Left Behind

3. Dogs Unlimited Rescue

A non-profit organization, Dogs Unlimited Rescue, rescues dogs from any breed in high-kill shelters and shelters. While they work with different breeds, they also have Goldens occasionally, so call them up to check.

They rely on volunteer fosterers to care for the rescued dogs. Their mission splits into two main objectives: to rescue and rehome abandoned, unloved, or displaced dogs and to educate the public about pet overpopulation.

They aim to end animal overpopulation and kill shelters and backyard breeders. They have a lovely testimonials section where they frequently update with news from adoptive families with pictures. Their adoption process is somewhat different.

Since most of the rescued dogs come from outside Canada, they offer a two-week foster-to-adopt program where you first meet the dog at the airport as soon as they arrive and foster them for two weeks.

After two weeks, you decide whether to fully adopt the dog or give it back to Dogs Unlimited Rescue if things don’t work out. The dogs are then cared for in Toronto, and the search for a new home continues.

If you want to adopt a dog, you must fill out their online application form. Prices range from $1,600 to $1,900 per dog to cover the shipping costs of the rescued dogs.

Dogs Unlimited Rescue Details

• Address: Dogs Unlimited Rescue Toronto, Etobicoke, ON
• Website: Dogs Unlimited Rescue
• Email Address: dogsunlimitedrescue@yahoo.ca

4. Niagara Dog Rescue

They are a non-profit organization established in 2015, aiming to help dogs at risk of being euthanized or at high-kill shelters. While they work with different breeds, they also have Goldens occasionally, so call them up to check.

They solely depend on their volunteers to foster the dogs until they are adopted, as they have no physical shelter. They work with 160 volunteers and have placed over 6,300 dogs since 2015.

If you would like to adopt a dog from them, fill in their application form online, and an adoption team volunteer will contact you to have an initial phone interview.

If the interview is successful, they will check your references and do a home visit. If the dog you have chosen is in Canada, you may meet them beforehand. Adoption fees vary depending on the age and needs of each dog.

Dogs under a year cost $850, between one and eight years $695, seniors over eight years, and dogs with special needs cost $450. Alternatively, you can choose to foster first; there are no costs, and it is a great way to see if a new dog will fit in well with your home and life.

Niagara Dog Rescue Details

• Address: 6-1500 Upper Middle Rd. West, Suite #107, Oakville, Ontario
• Website: Niagara Dog Rescue
• Email Address: info@niagaradogrescue.org

5. Labrador Retriever Adoption Service Inc.

Lab Rescue is a rescue center for Labrador Retrievers, but they may occasionally have Golden Retrievers. They are a volunteer-based rescue center that provides health care and new homes for Labs in Ontario.  Once the dogs are surrendered to Lab Rescue, they are neutered, immunized, microchipped, and eventually adopted.

If you are ready to adopt, you can fill in the application form on their website, and they will try to match you with a dog. Only the applicants that make the shortlist will be contacted for an initial meeting.

To meet the requirements for adoption, you must have a properly secured yard or open space to run in. Apartments or flats are not accepted. The dogs must not be alone for 6 hours as they need to be around people.

Standard dogs and puppies cost $750, dogs above eight cost $500, and a bonded pair of Labs or Goldens costs $1,300. If you would prefer to foster, you will get all the support you need from Lab Rescue, who will cover all the food and medical costs for the dogs.

Labrador Retriever Adoption Service Inc. Details

• Address: 115 George Street, PO Box 254, Oakville, Ontario, L6J 0A2, Canada
• Website: Labrador Retriever Adoption Service Inc.
• Email Address: Info@lab-rescue.ca

Conclusion For The “Best Golden Retriever Rescues in Ontario”

We hope this list of Golden Retriever rescues in Ontario will bring you steps closer to finding a future companion to adopt. Whether you plan to adopt a Golden Retriever companion from a rescue shelter in Ontario or another dog breed, you should know that you’re making an impact in this world, and we thank you for that. Our team at We Love Doodles wishes you the best of luck on your journey to finding that right companion in Ontario.

For more guides similar to this list of Golden Retriever rescues in Ontario, you can check out these other dog-related recommendations from our team:

• Best Golden Retriever Rescues in Canada
• Best Golden Retriever Rescues in California
• Best Golden Retriever Rescues in Virginia

Before you bring home a Golden Retriever companion from a rescue shelter in Ontario, you can learn more about this dog breed by watching “3 Types of Golden Retrievers and How to Identify Them” down below: