Derby City Dog Rescue (DCDR) was founded in early 2011 by a group of friends who bonded over a shared love of dogs and a desire to help shelter animals. Our initial aim was to bridge the gap between local animal shelters in Louisville, Kentucky, and approved rescues outside the state to facilitate placement of local dogs in urgent situations. To ease some of the difficulties that can arise when dealing with a government shelter, we provided quality photos of the animals, quality communication between the rescue and shelter, pulling assistance, and help with getting dogs to transports. Alongside these efforts, DCDR also began serving as a small local rescue--taking a very limited number of dogs from area shelters, placing them into foster homes, and handling their adoptions.

DCDR has since grown into one of the largest dog rescues in the area. At any given time, we have an average of 75-100 dogs in our local adoption program, and we still continue our efforts to get others to safety with our out-of-state partner rescues. To date, DCDR has saved nearly 2000 dogs with this combined approach.

Most DCDR dogs are rescued when they are out of time in the shelter or in need of medical treatment the shelter cannot provide. Our dogs live in volunteer foster homes, learning the basics of house life and receiving any veterinary treatment they may require.

All our rescue efforts are accomplished by a small, all-volunteer group of dedicated individuals who work together to achieve the common goal of saving hearts, one paw at a time. These efforts are supported by an equally dedicated (and awesome!) base of foster homes, donors, and volunteers, whose support is instrumental to our success.

Derby City Dog Rescue is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit, all-breed dog rescue based in Louisville, KY, USA. All donations are tax-deductible.


Email Us: [email protected]