Help us Save a Life!

Make a donation

Your donation to Angels Without Wings isn’t just a gift — it’s a lifeline. Every dollar helps rescue dogs in need, providing them with vital medical care, safe shelter, nutritious food, and the chance to find a forever home.

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Help us Save a Life!

Make a donation

Frequency

One time

Monthly

Considering Adoption?

The Adoption Process

At Angels Without Wings, we make adopting a dog simple and rewarding! Here’s how it works:

1. Contact Us – Reach out and let us know which dog you're interested in!

2. Fill out Application - Click on our button to access your application and adopt your new best friend today!

3. Approved? - If your application is approved, you will be contacted by an AWW representative via telephone for a phone interview. You will be asked questions and have the opportunity to ask questions about the animal(s) you are interested in.

4. After the phone interview is complete, a meet and greet will be scheduled. You will have the opportunity to visit the ranch and play with the dog(s) you are interested in. If you have resident dogs, it is recommended you bring your dog(s) to see how they initially get along. We do not allow cat tests on our property.

5. Once the meet and greet has been successful, a home visit is required. This will be done either in person or virtually by an AWW representative.

6. After steps 1-5 are complete and you have been approved to adopt, an adoption contract will be signed and the adoption fee will be collected when you pick your new dog up to take him or her home.

Requirements

At Angels Without Wings, adopting a dog is straightforward and rewarding. Start by contacting us about the dog you’re interested in and submitting an adoption application. If approved, we’ll schedule a phone interview to discuss the dog and answer any questions. Next, you’ll attend a meet and greet at our ranch—bringing your own dog(s) is encouraged to check compatibility. (Please note, we do not allow cat testing.) A home visit will follow, either in person or virtually.

Once approved, you’ll sign an adoption contract and pay a $150 adoption fee when you pick up your new dog.

Availability

Every dog you see at Angels Without Wings is ready for adoption! Our rescue dogs come from many backgrounds, but all are looking for a loving forever home. We update our listings often, so if you find a dog you connect with, don’t wait to apply. Adopt a dog today and help us give them the life they deserve!

Everything You Need to Know.

Fill out our adoption application and you will be contacted by an AWW representative within 1-3 business days.
Once your adoption application is approved and a phone interview has been conducted, we will schedule a time for you to visit the ranch to meet the dog or dogs you are most interested in. All site visits are by appointment only.
The adoption fee for dogs 6 months and older is $150. Puppy adoption fees range from $350-$500.
All dogs from AWW will be altered, microchipped, fully vaccinated, and current on flea/tick meds. Our adoption fee helps with these fees from our vet.
We help displaced dogs who are roaming the streets in cities in the Central Valley and have no place to call home. We also pull dogs from local animal shelters we are partnered with. All of our shelter dogs were on the euthanasia list and would have been destroyed if not adopted or taken in by a rescue.
AWW is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (EIN 33-1284165). All donations are tax deductible.
AWW is a site-based rescue located in Waterford, California. The majority of our dogs are housed on-site, however, we do have fosters who take dogs into their homes to foster until the dog is adopted.
When you foster a dog for AWW, you take the dog into your home and care for the dog as if it were your own. When you choose to foster, you are choosing to provide a safe environment for the dog to decompress and learn how to coexist with humans and possibly resident animals in your home.
Angels Without Wings provides all items necessary to be sure you are successful. This includes, but is not limited to: medical care, food, crate, collar, leash, and a harness for smaller dogs.
When agreeing to foster, it is considered a long-term commitment which can last from a few weeks to several months. Our long-term fosters commit to foster until the foster dog is adopted. We do have a need for short-term fosters to help when our long-term fosters have trips planned and need a safe place for their foster(s) to land for the time they are away.
As a foster, you will be responsible for the following:

transporting and handling the dog at any planned adoption event

sending regular weekly updates on your foster dog including milestones, pictures, and videos

a commitment to foster until the dog is adopted

spend quality time with your foster dog! Our fosters provide invaluable training in the form of consistent routines, teaching basic commands and house etiquette, potty training, and lots of love!

Our goal is to get our dogs into loving homes. If you are interested in fostering one of our dogs until they are ready to be adopted, as the foster, you are first in line to adopt the dog you have chosen to foster.
Our volunteers play a crucial role in the mental and physical well-being of the dogs housed at our ranch. Volunteers will be assigned a dog that is suited to your skill level and you will have a list of things to complete with your dog when you come to the ranch. All volunteers will be trained on how to handle dogs including: safely taking the dog out of their kennel, brushing, walking, playing with your dog the play yard. We like our volunteers to be able to come to the ranch at least three days each week to come spend time with the dog you commit to working with.
Volunteers must be at least 16 years of age. If under 18, a parent permission form needs to be signed. People under the age of 18 are not allowed to be on the premises without an adult present. All volunteers must sign a release of liability waiver.
Our goal is to help end the cycle of animal overpopulation. Altering a male or female dog is the first step in this process. There are also health benefits associated with altering dogs like a reduced risk of certain cancers or severe life threatening issues like pyometra in female dogs.
All of our dogs are seen by our vet, receive all vaccinations (DHPP, Bordetella, Leptospirosis, and Rabies), and are microchipped and altered before they are available for adoption. AWW dogs are given flea/tick medication while in our care. Heartworm preventative can be used at the discretion of the adopter.
Unfortunately, this isn't always something we are privvy to. Many of our dogs are found as strays on the streets, and the majority of the shelter dogs we pull from shelters were taken in as strays. We learn backstories from shelters if the dog was an owner surender, but we learn the most about our dogs and their personalities by spending time with them and learning how they behave in different situations.
We run our rescue on a first come, first served basis in that our meet and greets are done once an adoption application has been approved. We go through adoption applications in the order in which they are received, so if you see a dog you are interested in, don't wait to fill out that application!
The 3-3-3 Rule is the basic rule of what to expect when adopting a rescue dog. Not all dogs follow this rule perfectly as all dogs are unique in their own way. This is the basic guideline of the 3-3-3 Rule:

3 DAYS: the dog feels overwhelmed; might be scared and unsure of what is going on due to being around new people and new smells; may not want to drink or eat much; may curl up and hide in their crate or under a table; will test boundaries.

3 WEEKS: the dog will start to settle in and feel more comfortable with the routines in their new home; may start showing more of his or her personality; behavior issue may begin to surface

3 MONTHS: compfortable in his or her new home; begins to bond with the human or humans in the home; is in a set routine
We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so please consult your accountant regarding a possible tax deduction.
While we prefer our dogs stay local to California, we will help arrange transport out of state for the right adopter. Transport fees will be the responsibility of the adopter.

Meet your Next Best Friend!

Our Dogs