Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch’s Best Animal Shelters – Where to Adopt a Furry Friend

Southwest Florida is a fantastic place to raise a furry family. Luckily, we also have plenty of non-profits that are absolutely wonderful when it comes to the adoption and care of dogs and cats. Listed below are some of our favorite picks in the Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch area for animal shelters and adoptions.

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue

4951 Lorraine Road Bradenton, Florida 34211

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue has been providing a safe space for neglected, abandoned, and mistreated animals in the Sarasota and Manatee County areas since 2008. As a large nonprofit, they rely immensely on donations and volunteer organizations. They have rallied an extraordinarily large community to provide a beautiful space for cats and dogs of all sizes. They are currently undergoing a rather large expansion of their facility to include more play areas, cottages, pools, and visitor centers. This will allow them to house even more of our furry friends for adoption into loving families.

You can see their current list of animals here.

The Humane Society of Sarasota County

2331 15^th St Sarasota, Fl, 34237

The Humane Society of Sarasota is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. They were established in 1952 and were the first nonprofit animal welfare organization in the county. They are a no-kill shelter that provides a safe and healthy environment until pets are adopted.

The Humane Society of Sarasota County finds over 1700 homes for cats and dogs yearly. All cats and dogs are spayed/neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated. The organization does not require appointments to meet pets. They have real-time adoptable cat and dog lists with quality pictures of furry-footed friends. The website includes incredible features such as the animal’s personality, attributes, backstory, and much more.

For more information, click here.

Cat Depot

2542 17th St. Sarasota, FL 34234

Cat Depot is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Cat Depot is a free-roaming adoption and educational center that is adopt-a-pet.com approved. Their free-roaming center is advanced and cage-free. They have found homes for over 17,981 homeless kittens and cats combined.

Their services offer adoption, veterinary care, education, and community cat programs. Visit their built-in gift shop and find stuff for you and your new family member at affordable prices. All the proceeds benefit the kittens and cats waiting for a home.

Cat Depot also advocates the adoption of working cats. Working cats are felines that stay outdoors. They can be as friendly and loving as indoor cats. Working cats hunt insects and rodents in exchange for shelter, food, and medical care.

To schedule an appointment or donate, click here.

Satchels Last Resort

8101 Coash Road, Sarasota, FL 34241

Satchels Last Resort is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization. Their mission is to rehab, rescue, and rehome cats and dogs alike. They are a no-kill shelter. Satchel’s Last Resort emphasizes learning each furry friend’s personality to find the perfect home so they can continue to thrive. All adoptable pets are spayed and neutered, up to date on their shots, and microchipped.

Satchels Last Resort will ensure that the right pet goes home with you. Their application process and interaction appointments are their expert way to find your best match.

When the founders were still living in Chicago, they spent hours attempting to catch a stray dog they found on the streets. After taking the dog to the local shelter, the SPCA, and other rescue organizations, they found there were no services accepting dogs with bad temperaments and attempting to retrain them. They adopted the stray that they had found and provided him with a loving home and plenty of re-training. Because of this, Satchel’s Last Resort emphasizes taking “throwaway” dogs and turning them into viable, productive members of society.

For more information, go to their website.

Royal Pet Rescue

Royal Cat Rescue is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization finding homes for cats since the early 2000s. They are a no-kill rescue that has saved over 5000 cats from high kill shelters.

Royal Cat Rescue is volunteer-staffed. These staff members take the liberty of sheltering rescued cats in their own homes. They provide a home while teaching them behavioral skills. This heroic staff provides medical attention until the kittens/cats are adopted into another loving home. Royal Cat Rescue also hosts and participates in rescue events that service furry friends.

For more information, here’s their website.