The 5 Best Animal Shelters in Winnipeg to Find Your New Furry Family Member
Bringing home a furry friend sounds like a dream, until you’re drowning in adoption options. After all, finding your new best mate shouldn’t feel like chasing your own tail.
That’s why finding the best animal shelter in Winnipeg matters. We looked into local rescues, adoption fees, foster programmes, and medical care through veterinary hospitals.
Ready to meet your four-legged soulmate? Here are several shelters worth a visit, each helping animals find the loving homes they deserve.
How much does an adoption at an animal shelter cost in Winnipeg?
Pet adoption fees in Winnipeg typically range from $50 to $500. These generally cover initial vaccinations and spaying or neutering.
Adopting an adult cat costs around $50 to $150. Adult dogs have higher fees, ranging from $171 to $400.
Puppies are the priciest, with adoption fees between $400 and $500. Fees vary depending on the shelter and the animal’s age.
1. Winnipeg Humane Society
Address: 45 Hurst Way
Contact: 204.982.2021 | Fax: 204.663.9401 | [email protected]
Hours: Tuesday-Friday, noon – 6:30 PM | Saturday, 10 AM – 5:30 PM | Sunday, noon – 5:30 PM
Rescue pets deserve second chances, and the Winnipeg Humane Society has been handing them out since 1894. As Manitoba’s oldest animal shelter, it helps furry friends find loving homes while providing essential veterinary care.
Beyond adoption, its veterinary clinic handles specialized treatments and surgeries for animals needing extra attention. That’s reassuring when your future furry companion needs more than a belly rub and a cozy bed.
Meanwhile, its foster programme makes opening your home to a rescue much easier on your wallet. The shelter supplies food, bedding, and other essentials, while veterinary and behaviour teams help foster carers navigate tricky situations.
We love how its pet food bank and behaviour helpline support struggling owners who want to keep their pets. It’s a thoughtful approach that helps more animals stay out of shelters in the first place.
However, the clinic no longer accepts routine primary care appointments due to capacity limits. Pet owners must arrange regular checkups elsewhere.
Customer Reviews
Invaluable Support and Care for Local Animals
Amazing shelter that does so much for the animals of our city/province. Super helpful to lower-income pet owners in their time of need, and provides amazing care for animals in the shelter. I wish they received more funding; there are thousands of strays that need homes and care in Winnipeg. They really deserve more funding since they do such a good job despite those circumstances. I really value their services and have had nothing but positive experiences with them over the past 20 years!
- syd rummery | Google Reviews
Top-Notch Care at Wildfire Pop-Up Shelter
Pop-up shelter: The staff & volunteers working at the pop-up shelter for pets of the wildfire evacuees are doing a great job looking after these pets. It’s a sad and stressful time, but the owners of these pets can be relieved to know their pets are being given top-notch care.
- Lucille Meilleur | Google Reviews
2. Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter
Address: 12-2727 Portage Avenue
Contact: 204-832-7387 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 AM – 7 PM | Saturday-Sunday, 11 AM – 6 PM
At Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter, finding the right home matters more than beating the clock. As Manitoba’s first registered charitable no-kill shelter, it lets animals stay until they find their perfect match.
Before adoption, the shelter arranges veterinary examinations, vaccinations, and health certificates for its furry residents. That means your new companion can start settling in without as many medical loose ends.
Meanwhile, its on-site retail shop makes supporting rescue animals as easy as stocking up on treats. Merchandise proceeds help fund shelter care, and adopters enjoy 20% off eligible purchases on adoption day.
Even better, the shelter relies on community donations and fundraising rather than government funding. So, whether you’re adopting or shopping, you can lend a paw to its rescue efforts.
That said, the shelter sometimes requires young siblings to go home together, which limits single-pet adoption options. If you’ve got room for two, though, you could head home with double the cuddles!
Customer Reviews
Wonderful Kitten Adoption Experience with Helpful Staff
The Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter was such an amazing experience for adopting my new kitten. I came in twice in one week to adopt my new kitten, and both times all the employees were extremely helpful. The day I adopted my kitten, one of the employees, Amber, was very informative, kind, helpful and patient, making the adoption process so easy and enjoyable. Amber answered all of my questions and gave me lots of helpful tips, showing she genuinely cared.
Overall, a wonderful, easy experience! Highly recommend!! 🙂
- Alyssa Kaminsky | Google Reviews
A Shining Star Saving Countless Lives
I’m a big fan of the Winnipeg Pet Rescue Shelter!
The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. The welfare of the animals is of utmost importance in the incredible work they do.
Their diligence and kindness have saved countless animals and given them an opportunity to live their very best lives in loving homes. It’s truly remarkable and a shining star in our community.
Thank you for everything you do!
- Caroline Hunter | Google Reviews
3. Animal Services Agency
Address: 1057 Logan Ave
Contact: 311
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 6 PM | Saturday-Sunday, noon – 5 PM | Adoptions & Doggie Dates: Monday-Friday, noon – 5:30 PM | Saturday-Sunday, noon – 4:30 PM
Unsure whether a new dog will fit your family? Winnipeg’s Animal Services Agency offers a seven-day home trial after adoption, giving you time to see how things work out.
We appreciate how its Doggie Dates programme lets you spend time with an eligible shelter dog before adopting. You can enjoy outings lasting up to a week, with the agency supplying food and walking essentials.
Beyond adoption, the agency reunites lost dogs with their owners through Winnipeg’s 311 service. They also have a Northern Outreach Initiative that helps pets from remote communities find loving homes.
Plus, adopted dogs come with vaccinations, microchips, spaying or neutering, and six weeks of pet insurance. That’s a handy head start for your newest furry family member!
Do note that the seven-day home trial doesn’t guarantee a full refund if things don’t work out. You can return the dog within seven days, but the agency keeps a $46 non-refundable deposit from your adoption fee.
Customer Reviews
A Safe and Friendly Home for Animals
I want to say a huge Thank You to Animal Service for their excellent work. This is not just an animal shelter, but also a safe, friendly home. All the staff are great professionals who wholeheartedly give warmth, care and home comfort to animals. A wide range of services allows you to make a comfortable stay for animals.
- Петро Губатенко | Google Reviews
Friendly Staff and Smooth Dog Adoption Process
Adopted a dog from here last weekend. Very friendly, accommodating staff. Even let me bring my dog to meet the new dog in the yard for a little while b4 adopting.
Lots of good, loving dogs in the shelter.
- Leanne G | Google Reviews
4. D’Arcy’s Animal Rescue Centre
Address: 730B Century Street
Contact: (204) 888-2266 | [email protected]
Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 11 AM – 8 PM | Saturday-Sunday, noon – 5 PM
D’Arcy’s Animal Rescue Centre turns overlooked pets into someone’s future best mate. It takes in unclaimed and abandoned animals from municipal shelters and community partners, giving healthy and treatable pets a safe place to stay.
When it’s time to meet your potential furry roommate, the shelter skips the awkward kennel introductions. You can get acquainted in private indoor rooms or the backyard, with dog sleepovers helping you test compatibility.
Better yet, adoption packages cover veterinary examinations, vaccinations, spaying or neutering, and a one-year Winnipeg pet licence. You’ll even get six weeks of pet insurance and starter supplies to make those first days less chaotic.
Plus, the shelter encourages meet-and-greets with your existing dog to help prevent household squabbles. It’s a thoughtful touch when you’re hoping everyone will get along.
However, D’Arcy’s rarely accepts pets directly surrendered by owners because it prioritizes unclaimed and abandoned animals. Families needing to rehome a pet may need to look elsewhere.
Customer Reviews
Easy Adoption Process and Patient, Kind Staff
Got our baby from this lovely place back on May 19, 2022 ❤️ All of the staff were very kind, accommodating and patient with me and my bf when we brought Woodruff (now cloud ❤️) home. The adoption process was relatively easy and smooth! No complaints at all! They let you know everything that is to know and give you free stuff when you adopt~ Highly recommend this wonderful shelter when looking to adopt your furbaby!
- Jona | Google Reviews
Dedicated Shelter Matching Pets to the Right Homes
They have helped twice. The staff at the shelter know the babies very well and are only interested in matching the right baby to the right home. Love this shelter and wouldn’t go anywhere else. They truly care.
Both of these babies came from D’Arcy Arc.
- Juli Passmore | Google Reviews
5. Craig Street Cats
Website: craigstreetcats.ca
Address: 487 Craig Street, Winnipeg (mailing address)
Contact: 204 421-1919 | [email protected]
Hours: Hours may vary. Contact for availability.
Not every cat wants a couch, but every cat deserves proper care. Craig Street Cats helps Winnipeg’s outdoor felines through humane trap-neuter-return (TNR) programmes that tackle uncontrolled breeding.
Rather than simply rounding up strays, it trains residents to manage community cat colonies responsibly. Its Colony Manager Programme teaches humane trapping techniques and helps volunteers keep local populations in check.
And when Winnipeg’s winter turns downright brutal, the organization lends another paw. Its Keep Them Warm programme provides winter shelters and feeding stations to help outdoor cats weather the cold.
Meanwhile, its long-term foster programme supports senior, shy, and special-needs cats who need extra attention. Craig Street Cats covers food, litter, and veterinary care, making fostering easier on the wallet.
The downside? Its adoption centre permanently closed in 2025, and it no longer accepts cats for intake. If you’re looking to adopt, contact an active Winnipeg shelter instead, or reach out to Craig Street Cats about volunteering with community cats.
Customer Reviews
Tidy Shelter with Kind Staff and Great Cats
Lovely little shelter that’s kept tidy with easy maneuverability. Definitely recommend looking for your furever family here, especially among their senior cats! Staff were very kind, and if given the opportunity, I’d love to volunteer again.
- Xavier Trudeau | Google Reviews
Wonderful No-Kill Shelter with Caring Volunteers
They are a great no-kill shelter for cats. All the people that work and volunteer there are really nice. The love that they have for all the cats is obvious. There are so many cats there to choose from. I found them after my cat passed. We had all of this very expensive medication to donate. They were very appreciative!
- jason diamond | Google Reviews