About Safe Hands Rescue

Safe Hands Rescue

We are a 501c3 non-profit foster based animal rescue organization based in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area.

Our mission To save the lives and improve the lives of companion animals by engaging communities and connecting people, resources and knowledge.

We believe that all sentient beings aspire to and are worthy of happiness.  We believe people can and should do better by the animals that share our world.  They think, they feel, they desire and are deserving of joy.  Our companion animals seek a connection, they work hard to understand us and we owe them the same in return.

Our conviction and beliefs are our actions.

We rescue.  We are fulfillers of hope, righters of wrongs and healers of bodies and souls.  We are vanquishers of hungers and fears.  We are champions of the underdog, defenders of the voiceless and guardians of innocence.  We uncover the radiance we know exists even in the darkest of places and hours.  We are overcomers of odds.

We rehome.  We work to provide companion animals with the best lives possible.  In return, we know, they give us all the best days of ours.

Huck collage sitting wborder 2016
Treya

A Light in the Darkness


Our work focuses on rescuing and rehoming dogs from overcrowded, high intake, low adoption shelters where there is otherwise little hope. We also work to solve the homeless pet population problem where it starts.

We partner with the shelters our rescue dogs come from and work to help them and the surrounding community.

If you support our work, this is what your love, energy and passion create and make possible.

This is the heartache. This is the joy. This is hope. This is A Light in the Darkness.

** Make sure to stay till the end... there is a happy ending! **

Volunteers at work
New dog intake, adoptable dogs from Safe Hands

What We Do

When we were founded in October 2006 we had a big idea.

We wanted to create a different kind of rescue.
We wanted to take a holistic approach to helping a shelter and community.
We wanted to help ensure affordable spay and neuter was available.
We wanted to provide resources and training to help the shelter do the best job possible.
We wanted to make a commitment to a shelter to help all adoptable dogs in the shelter make it out alive.  Not just a few.
We wanted to create a model we could take to other communities and shelters to help reduce and ultimately eliminate homelessness of companion animals.
We wanted to bring hope, possibility and optimism.  We wanted to be a light in the darkness to guide the way.

We’ve put these goals into action and we’ve seen tremendous success. 

We have:

  • Helped over 14,000 animals find new homes directly through Safe Hands Rescue
  • Provided transportation for approximately 16,000 additional animals to other rescue organizations
  • Brought a monthly low cost spay/neuter clinic to our first partner community
  • Reduced euthanasia at our first partner shelter from 98% to under 10%
  • Reduced annual shelter intake by more than half
  • Expanded to partner with 4 shelters and communities
  • Have assisted with rescuing animals in 9 different states, Mexico and South Korea

What we do brings hope for both animals and people.

It brings a brighter tomorrow.  It is a light shining in the darkness.  Together we can give even more companion animals what we want for them all, hope; the chance for a better life filled with love and kindness.

Boots On The Ground

We have a problem with homeless companion animals in the United States. It is real. It is heart breaking. It is time to fix it. This is the story of one group of people making a significant difference.  Safe Hands is on the ground 24/7 at our Safe House, partnering with local shelters to save more animals every day.