N.C. Non-Profit Animal Rescue

Give a Freedom Ride

In the rescue world, a “Freedom Ride” is that magical car ride out of an animal shelter for a dog. At first they are nervous, but there is a moment when they realize they are safe …. tongue out, tail wagging, a new chapter for them.

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About Us

About Our N.C. Rescue

We are proud to be the crazy dog lovers who skip out on work to transport dogs from all over the state to their excited fosters’ homes; who stay up late searching shelter pages for that next “Freedom Ride” potential; who spend countless hours making rescue a reality!

Freedom Ride Rescue brings together individuals who share a love for dogs and a dream to see a no-kill state. Our foster-based network is in the Raleigh/Clayton, NC, area. We bring in dogs of all ages, sizes and breed mixes. We help to rehabilitate these animals – providing security, love, medical, and behavioral training as needed – until they can be adopted to their “fur-ever” homes.

We are foster based: we have no facility and every one of our adoptable (and not quite ready to be adopted) animals are in homes where families are teaching trust, love, basic manners …. preparing your future dog ready to be the best addition to your family that he can be!

As fosters, we are willing to have our heart break after we love, rehabilitate and nurse an unwanted, unloved animal until they prance away with their fur-ever person – often never looking back – as they start their most life’s wonderful chapter: the one as a cherished pet.

So join our road to making freedom rides happen! We are a wonderful, tight-knit family needing volunteers, fosters, donors – basically caring people willing to help in any way they can!

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Stay up to date with current adoptable dogs, available fosters, events and more.

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All dogs listed here have been added to the website to begin receiving applications. If you are interested in any of these dogs, please visit www.freedom-ride.org/for-adoption to read more information and submit an adoption application ...

Elsa is still finding her brave—and looking adorable while she does it! 🩷🐾

This scruffy sweetheart is a little shy, but a dog buddy has helped her come out of her shell and discover the fun of puppy life. Her ideal home would have a furry friend to play with and learn from, plus patient people who’ll let her build confidence at her own pace.

Ready to help Elsa blossom? Apply at www.freedom-ride.org! 🏡
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What a great week we had! A huge thank you to the Oak City Brewing Run Club for letting us come hang out with adoptalbe Freedom Ride dogs ... then a GREAT night at the Durham Beer Garden!

For anyone wanting to join us Thanksgiving morning in Garner - the Turkey Day 5K is for competitive athletes WITH an element of casual dog and kid friendly strolling ... costumes and giggles encouraged (after the serious heats take off, of course).

For more info AND to register, trot over here:
runsignup.com/Race/NC/Garner/FreedomRideRescueTurkeyDay5k

#durhambeergarden #freedomriderescue #PawItForward #freedomriderescue #oakcitybrewing
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Browse our dogs in foster care and available for adoption!

Elsa is still finding her brave—and looking adorable while she does it! 🩷🐾

This scruffy sweetheart is a little shy, but a dog buddy has helped her come out of her shell and discover the fun of puppy life. Her ideal home would have a furry friend to play with and learn from, plus patient people who’ll let her build confidence at her own pace.

Ready to help Elsa blossom? Apply at www.freedom-ride.org! 🏡
🚨🚨FOSTER NEEDED!!🚨🚨Tiny 4 mos old little Acorn is in need of a foster. He’s  a little thing at only 10 lbs and scared in the shelter. He’s a sweetheart and does well with other dogs per shelter staff. If you can foster sweet Acorn please email jennifer@freedom-ride.org today!
What a great week we had! A huge thank you to the Oak City Brewing Run Club for letting us come hang out with adoptalbe Freedom Ride dogs ... then a GREAT night at the Durham Beer Garden!

For anyone wanting to join us Thanksgiving morning in Garner - the Turkey Day 5K is for competitive athletes WITH an element of casual dog and kid friendly strolling ... costumes and giggles encouraged (after the serious heats take off, of course).

For more info AND to register, trot over here:
https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/Garner/FreedomRideRescueTurkeyDay5k

#durhambeergarden  #freedomriderescue #PawItForward #freedomriderescue #oakcitybrewing
🐾💗FRR Alum Pixel (FKA Calypso) found her forever home in August, and her family is absolutely smitten with her! 🏡🐶

😆At about 5 months old and 30 pounds, this fun, clumsy little pup is still figuring out how to coordinate all four legs when she jumps. Face plants are apparently just part of the process!

💦 Pixel loves chewing sticks and rocks, playing in ALL the water, running around in the rain 🌧️, and even hopping into the shower when her human is in there! 🚿 Personal space? Never heard of it!

🏅She already knows lots of basic commands, thanks in part to her big sister Hazel, who has also been teaching her the finer points of being a dog. Unfortunately, that includes ignoring her name and running away when she's in trouble. 😂 Sisters, right?!

❤️Between her stubborn streak and her silly antics, Pixel keeps her family laughing and makes it pretty hard to stay frustrated with her. 

🧬🐾 Her family recently got Pixel's DNA results back, and SURPRISE! No Dachshund! 😆 Instead, this girl is 51% hound, with 35% American Foxhound, 16% Treeing Walker Coonhound, and a little Bluetick Coonhound mixed in for good measure! 📣🐕

🐶 She's also got Australian Cattle Dog, Miniature American Shepherd, and Australian Shepherd in her mix, which might help explain why she's such a clever, stubborn little character! 😂 And now that she's discovered her voice, that Coonhound bark makes perfect sense! 🎶🐾

🐾💗 We're so happy this sweet girl is thriving in her forever home and keeping her family on their toes! Happy tails, Pixel! 

👀 We absolutely love hearing about how our alumni are doing! Want to see your alum featured? Share their photos and stories on our alumni page—you could be our next spotlight!
From the Balkans to the Triangle: so many dogs in need of foster homes!
Puppy perfection? Palmer understood the assignment! 🐶💙

This precious pup is looking for her people—and a lifetime of learning, growing, and making memories together. Could Palmer be the missing piece of your family? 🧩🐾

Apply to meet Palmer at www.freedom-ride.org! 🏡
Sweet, a little spicy, and best enjoyed with snuggles—it’s Cider! 🍎🐾

This beautiful Shepherd mix loves walks, toys, and playtime with her foster sister, but some pets from her people turn her straight into a cuddle puddle. She’s doing great with potty training and sleeps wonderfully in her crate, too! 🧡

With vanilla-dipped, cinnamon-sprinkled toes and a personality this sweet, Cider is ready to make someone’s life extra cozy. Could it be yours?

Apply at www.freedom-ride.org! 🏡

Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.”

~ Karen Davison

Services

What We Do

Rescue Dogs

We are proud to be the crazy dog lovers who skip out on work to transport dogs from all over the state to their excited fosters’ homes … who stay up late searching shelter pages for that next “Freedom Ride” potential …. who volunteer countless hours making rescue a reality!

Provide Medical Care

Freedom Ride Rescue provides all supplies (crates, food, bowls) and gets the animal in for a vet visit (for a spay, neuter and/or vaccines); we’ll also provide flea and heartworm preventatives. Anything and everything to make a happy and healthy pet!

Find A Home

We love, rehabilitate and nurse an unwanted, unloved animal until they prance away with their fur-ever person as they start their most life’s wonderful chapter: the one as a cherished pet.

Upcoming Events

Don’t miss our fun-filled line up of events!

help save a life

Donations cover vet expenses, shelter fees, continuing long-term care, and any other costs that arise treating dogs in great need. We prepare our dogs for success with a microchip, spay/neuter and make sure they are up to date on vaccines and preventatives. We are a 501(c)(3) organization making your financial contributions tax deductible.

foster

Join our tight-knit rescue family! We need fosters until dogs are adopted, for temporary needs, for medical cases and/or for end of life hospice care. Supplies and vet care is provided. You help your dog blossom and find his fur-ever home and in the process learn what a rewarding experience fostering really is!

Adopt

Adopting a rescue animal helps to save the life of an animal in need, through no fault of their own! And you get a new best friend out of the deal. Seriously, what could be better than that? We take in all mixes of breeds and all ages! You can meet adoptable dogs at our weekly adoption events or put in an application for specific dogs.

Lost a Pet?

Freedom Ride Rescue partners with Petco Love Lost to make reuniting lost pets easier using image recognition technology to search a national lost and found database. 

Report Lost Pet