Here’s what you need to know if you’re searching for Portuguese Water Dog rescues in the United States. The Portuguese Water Dog is a lively and courageous dog initially bred to assist fishermen at sea. With proper training, these dogs are good at diving, retrieving, and guarding.
The Portuguese Water Dog’s robust body, webbed feet, and waterproof coat make it an excellent swimmer. Affectionate and obedient, the athletic, energetic Portuguese Water Dog requires daily exercise. Also commonly referred to as the Portuguese Fishing Dog, the Portuguese Water Dog has evolved into a loving family companion over the decades.
This dog breed requires a lot of training and can be sweet, friendly companions when properly trained. Portuguese Water Dogs are not very popular in the United States, so finding a rescue to adopt this dog breed can be difficult. However, if you have decided to adopt and give this dog breed a second chance at life, we are here to help.
This guide will walk you through the various places you can easily adopt a Portuguese Water Dog. Portuguese Water Dog rescues in the United States are committed to saving these dogs from being euthanized in shelters and finding the best homes. Here are the best places to adopt this breed in the United States.
Before you scroll down this list of Portuguese Water Dog rescues in the United States, you can check out these other rescue shelter recommendations from our team at We Love Doodles: Best Bichon Frise Rescues in the United States and Best Shar-Pei Rescues in the United States.
Find a Portuguese Water Dog Rescue Shelter Near Me in the United States
Here’s a list of the best Portuguese Water Dog rescues in the United States with available dogs for adoption.
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1. Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Rescue
The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Rescue Rescue, Inc is one of the best places to adopt this dog breed in the United States. It is a non-profit organization with members throughout the country dedicated to rescuing and helping this dog breed.
It is a rescue and relocation program that assumes the responsibility of evaluating and placing Portuguese Water Dogs that have been abandoned, lost, or surrendered by their owners. As a non-profit organization, Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Rescue Rescue is managed by volunteers and funded by donations and adoption fees.
The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Rescue offers various services. Besides rescuing and rehoming Portuguese Water Dogs, they provide resources and advice to potential and existing Portuguese Water Dog owners. Their goal is to help people know their dogs better to prevent them from being surrendered or abandoned.
They have volunteers in every state. The volunteers covering a state are alerted whenever a Portuguese Water Dog exists in a shelter. They will evaluate the dog and take it to an approved vet. The vet will run a series of health tests to unravel the dog’s health status. All known health issues are addressed immediately, whether surgery or dental needs.
These volunteers include foster families and their regional rescue representatives. The representatives are in charge of rescuing and evaluating the dogs. After receiving appropriate vet care, the dogs are then moved to foster homes. They will remain with the foster families until a suitable adopter comes for them.
While in foster homes, the rescued dogs will continue receiving proper vet care, including microchips and spaying/neutering when needed. All rescued Portuguese Water Dogs are temperament evaluated to allow for a successful placement. Dogs are only released to adopters based on compatibility.
They thoroughly screen adopters to ensure they are a good fit for the dog based on their temperament, behavior, and other needs. Once the new owners are chosen and the Portuguese Water Dog has been adopted, the organization will follow up with the adopters to ensure that the adoption works.
Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Rescue Rescue has certified counselors who counsel Portuguese Water Dog owners with issues with their dogs. They have representatives nationwide who are capable of handling these situations. The organization also accepts owner-surrendered dogs. The adoption process starts by filling out an online application.
Once approved, they will contact you to conduct a phone interview. They will ask many questions during the phone interview to get enough information to pair you with the right dog. Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Rescue Rescues tries to keep adopted Portuguese Water Dogs geographically close to where they first come to the rescue.
Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Rescue Details
- Address: Foster homes in all States
- Website: Portuguese Water Dog Club of America Rescue
- Phone: (877) 328-7937
- Email: [email protected]
2. Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Club
Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Club is one of the most reliable Portuguese Water Dog rescues in the United States. This rescue organization saves, rehabilitates, and rehomes Portuguese Water Dogs in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Maine.
If you are looking for the best place to adopt this dog breed in those regions, Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Club should be your number option. The organization helps Portuguese Water Dog owners who want to give up their dogs by assessing the Portuguese Water Dog, placing them in foster homes, and finding the best permanent home.
They service Portuguese Water Dog owners in many states and are willing to help you find your new best friend. They only accept owner-surrendered purebred Portuguese Water Dogs. In addition to accepting owner-surrendered dogs, Mayflower rescues this breed from high-kill shelters in their service areas.
They rescue dogs found as strays and medically treat and prepare them for adoption. With attention, love, and understanding, surrendered and rescued Portuguese Water Dogs will bond with their new owners and make excellent companions. While in foster homes, these dogs are loved, cared for, and given all the attention they need.
They do a great job of getting the dogs to bond with people again and prepare them for adoption. All rescued dogs also undergo basic training and socialization to blend into their new families easily. Before the placement, the organization ensures every dog is up-to-date on vaccinations and dewormed.
All rescued dogs are also tested for heartworm and other common diseases associated with this breed. If the dog is diagnosed with any treatable condition, the organization will fund the treatment as soon as possible. Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Club does its utmost best to make the best match for both the adopter and the dog.
They carefully and thoroughly screen prospective adopters via interviews and questionnaires. The entire staff and members of this organization are committed to the temperament, welfare, and health of this dog breed. They are willing to help interested parties, potential adopters, and new Portuguese Water Dog puppy owners understand the challenges of owning this eager-to-please, intelligent breed.
They have many helpful resources, including training material to help you get started with this breed. After the adoption, you can also reach out to them for assistance and guidance. They provide various services to Portuguese Water Dog owners and potential owners throughout the Northeast, primarily in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Club Details
- Address: Massachusetts
- Website: Mayflower Portuguese Water Dog Club
- Email: [email protected]
3. Peace of Mind Dog Rescue
Peace of Mind Dog Rescue is an all-breed dog rescue organization committed to reducing the number of euthanized dogs in shelters. Millions of dogs are euthanized yearly because they have no place to call home. This pet rescue organization saves as many dogs as possible, taking them into foster care and finding new, permanent homes.
This non-profit was founded in October 2009 and has saved thousands of senior dogs since then. They focus mainly on older dogs at a higher risk of being euthanized. Their mission is to be an advocate and resource for senior dogs in California’s Central Coast.
Peace of Mind Dog Rescue focuses on helping dogs and people from Santa Cruze, Monterey, and San Benito counties. The organization finds fosters and forever homes for Portuguese Water Dogs and other dog breeds whose guardians can no longer provide or care for them.
While seniors are their main target, they also save abused, abandoned, and homeless puppies and adult dogs who need a comfortable and safe environment to call home. One unique thing about this organization is that they help both senior people and senior dogs.
They provide volunteer and financial assistance to enable seniors to keep their dogs with them as long as possible. Peace of Mind Dog Rescue has a lifetime commitment to all dogs under its care. The dogs will either be adopted into responsible forever homes or will live out their lives in foster homes.
Other great services they provide include:
- Helping senior citizens pay for vet care for their dogs when they can no longer afford medical services
- Providing temporary foster care for hospitalized dogs
- Dog-walking for people who are no longer able to walk their dogs
The organization is led by an incredible staff and dedicated board members. They are fully committed to helping these dogs and giving them a second chance at life. Some of their dogs are from shelters in and around the state. Any dog in their program is handed over to a vet for proper vet care.
The dogs are diagnosed and medically treated for any health condition they might have. After the treatment, they are brought up-to-date on immunization, dewormed, heartworm tested, and microchipped.
Another advantage of adopting a Portuguese Water Dog from this rescue is that they provide after-adoption support. You will not be raising your new friend alone, as they provide lifelong support to all their adopters. Even potential adopters are counseled properly about the breed before being considered as an adopter.
Peace of Mind Dog Rescue Details
- Address: 615 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
- Website: Peace of Mind Dog Rescue
- Phone: (831) 718-9122
- Email: [email protected]
4. Portuguese Water Dog Club of Northern California
Next up, we have the Portuguese Water Dog Club of Northern California. The fundamental responsibility of this rescue and relocation organization is to help all Portuguese Water Dogs in need of a safe and comfortable place to call home. You can rely on this organization for Portuguese Water Dogs of various ages and sizes.
They have Portuguese Water Dogs that were turned in by their owners, found in shelters, found wandering on the streets with no identification, and advertised for sale in local papers. The organization saves this breed in various circumstances and provides them with a better life.
They take full responsibility for rescued dogs and provide them with all they need ot bounce back to life. The rescue provides exceptional medical care for all saved dogs. The dogs are treated for all known medical illnesses until they are perfectly healthy and should. All rescued dogs are cared for in foster homes while awaiting adoption.
Portuguese Water Dog Club of Northern California spays or neuters all their dogs when necessary. Dogs less than six months are not spayed or neutered until they get to the right age for the process. Portuguese Water Dog Club of Northern California will also bring all shots up to date to ensure the dogs have all it takes to remain healthy and strong before moving into their new, permanent homes.
They evaluate the behavior and temperament of the dogs to find the right homes for them. The organization does its best to ensure the dogs are placed in suitable homes. They ensure the dogs’ unique needs and personal traits align with that of the adopters before pairing them.
In addition to saving and finding forever homes for these dogs, this rescue program helps Portuguese Water Dog owners having issues with their dogs. They believe that helping pet owners know and understand their dogs better would help prevent these dogs from being turned over to shelters.
Regardless of where you adopted or bought your dog, this organization is ready to help you. They have professional trainers and counselors to teach you more about this breed and help you handle the challenges that come with Portuguese Water Dogs. Portuguese Water Dog Club of Northern California also follows up on all adoptions to ensure that the placement is successful and is working.
They will take back their dog if the adoption is not working and find a new home for them and a new match for you. The organization’s goal is to ensure these dogs end up in the right families and never return to shelters again. They want every adoption to be the last and are committed to working with adopters to achieve that.
Portuguese Water Dog Club of Northern California Details
- Address: Northern California
- Website: Portuguese Water Dog Club of Northern California
- Email: [email protected]
Conclusion For The “Best Portuguese Water Dog Rescues in the United States”
The Portuguese Water Dog has an amazing personality that makes it suitable for many families. Despite being extremely active, this dog breed is surprisingly self-controlled and highly trainable.
They are happy, friendly dogs who bond easily with their families and enjoy being involved in various activities. However, Portuguese Water Dogs can easily become bored and unruly without adequate training and enough exercise.
For more guides similar to this list of Portuguese Water Dog rescues in the United States, you can check out these other rescue shelter recommendations from our team:
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Before you adopt a Portuguese Water Dog companion from a rescue shelter in the United States, you can learn more about this dog breed by watching “Everything You Need to Know About Portuguese Water Dogs,” down below:
Andy is a full-time animal rescuer and owner of a toy doodle. When he’s not saving dogs, Andy is one of our core writers and editors. He has been writing about dogs for over a decade. Andy joined our team because he believes that words are powerful tools that can change a dog’s life for the better.
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