Early preview. We are building this in the open. The list is still growing, so some groups are missing and some details may be out of date.
shelter dogs, cat rescue, wildlife, horses
40 groups so far
Narrow these down by cost, days and more
Nonprofit 路 North
The city's open intake animal shelter on Hunting Park Avenue. Volunteers walk dogs, help at adoption events, and care for cats at adoption centers, and people can foster animals until they are adopted.
Last seen active: October 2026
Student group 路 Online
Penn's branch of a national student group that studies and promotes plant-based eating for the sake of animals, the environment, and human health. It runs group dinners, conferences, and campus tables.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Lower Northwest
An all-volunteer rescue for stray and abandoned cats. Cats live in foster homes until they are adopted, and the rescue also traps, neuters and returns feral cats from colonies.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower North
A small Philadelphia rescue that takes in stray and abandoned cats and kittens, gets them medical care, and finds them homes. It depends on foster homes, adopters and donors.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
A nonprofit that works to save healthy and treatable pets in Philadelphia shelters. It runs free community pet food pantries and helps owners find rescues instead of surrendering pets.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit
A Collegeville nonprofit that brings certified therapy dog teams to nursing homes, hospitals and reading programs across southeastern Pennsylvania. It also runs a crisis support team for school districts.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower Northwest
A horse stable in Fairmount Park run by a nonprofit that cares for horses and protects the Wissahickon Valley. People can take riding lessons, ride the trails, and join monthly volunteer days.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Upper Northwest
A small rescue in Mt. Airy that cares for animals until they find homes, using foster families, adoption, and a pet pantry program.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 North
A nonprofit riding club in North Philadelphia that teaches young people to ride and care for horses, with life skills and school support built in. Riding is free for kids and families.
Last seen active: July 2025
Nonprofit
A trap, neuter and return group for homeless and feral cats, based in Delaware. It says it works across the Philadelphia region, and foster homes care for cats until they are adopted.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower Northwest
A nonprofit that runs a riding stable near the Wissahickon in Fairmount Park, offering riding lessons, leasing, and boarding. It also holds monthly volunteer days for barn and park upkeep.
Last seen active: October 2026
Program 路 University Southwest
A pet therapy program at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Trained volunteers and their dogs visit patients in the hospital.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Brewerytown
A nonprofit cat rescue in Brewerytown that runs Le Cat Caf茅, where visitors can spend time with adoptable cats, and places cats with foster homes until they are adopted.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 South
A Philadelphia nonprofit that rescues homeless and unwanted cats and places them in permanent homes, with help from volunteers and donors.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 South
A volunteer-run Philadelphia rescue that takes in stray cats and kittens and places them in foster homes until they are adopted.
Last seen active: August 2026
Nonprofit 路 Central
A nonprofit run by volunteers and paid for by donations, working toward better treatment for dogs with cancer.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Upper Far Northeast
A rabbit rescue that takes in domestic rabbits from shelters, strays, and hoarding cases and places them in foster and adoptive homes in the Philadelphia area. It also arranges veterinary care and holds rabbit care outreach events.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 River Wards
A registered nonprofit animal sanctuary that cares for animals in need until they can go to permanent homes. Volunteers can foster cats, including mother cats and kittens, through its foster program.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
A Philadelphia animal welfare group, founded in 1874, that runs adoptions, a community cat program, and a Philly Pets program. It also places animals in foster homes and uses shelter volunteers.
Last seen active: September 2026
Program 路 Upper Northwest
A riding stable in Wissahickon Valley Park that teaches group and private riding lessons to children over 7 and adults, runs summer day camps, and holds shows and fundraisers that welcome volunteer help.
Last seen active: October 2026
Friends group
A free, volunteer-run dog park in Fishtown. The New Kensington Community Development Corporation built it at the Shissler Recreation Center, and it asks visitors for donations to keep it open.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
A Philadelphia animal rescue with an Old City adoption center and two spay and neuter clinics. Volunteers can help at the shelter, and people can foster animals while they wait for homes.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
A nonprofit riding center on Bustleton Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. It offers therapeutic horseback riding for people with disabilities, plus autism, adult, first responder and 4-H programs.
Last seen active: September 2023
Student group
A Penn student group for riders. Some members compete in intercollegiate horse shows, and others ride for fun, with riders from many backgrounds and experience levels.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
A statewide nonprofit of volunteers who help animals and the people who care for them during disasters and emergencies, such as house fires and loose livestock. The City of Philadelphia points local volunteers to its Philadelphia County division.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 River Wards
A large animal shelter and rescue with a Philadelphia headquarters on Erie Avenue. It places animals in foster homes and welcomes adult volunteers for animal care, adoption events and special events.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
A licensed wildlife rehabilitation center that takes in injured and orphaned wild animals from Philadelphia and nearby counties. Its volunteers do much of the daily feeding and cleaning.
Last seen active: January 2026
Club 路 Upper Northwest
A membership club at Monastery Stables in the Wissahickon Valley where members ride horses without owning one. Members share the chores of caring for the horses.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit
The Philadelphia Zoo runs several volunteer programs, from docent training to shifts at special events and internships in animal care and conservation education.
Last seen active: September 2026
Nonprofit
An all-volunteer cat rescue in West Philadelphia. It traps, neuters and returns community cats, cares for kittens and sick cats, and fosters and adopts out friendly cats.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Bridesburg
An all-volunteer cat rescue run on donations. It trims colonies of outdoor cats, takes in sick or unwanted cats, runs a sanctuary, and places cats through adoption and foster homes.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 University Southwest
A Philadelphia nonprofit that rescues senior dogs from local shelters, finds them permanent homes, and fosters other animals in volunteers' homes.
Last active date not known yet
Friends group 路 Lower Northwest
A members-only dog park in Roxborough run by a nonprofit association with a volunteer board. Every member is asked to volunteer at the park.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Lower Northwest
A nature center in Roxborough with woods, fields, and trails. Volunteers help with its yearly Winter Bird Census and with seasonal work days.
Last seen active: October 2026
Nonprofit 路 Washington Square West
Volunteers who look after the off-leash dog park in Seger Park. They run the dog run, organize neighborhood cleanups, and host community events with local businesses and musicians.
Last seen active: December 2023
Nonprofit 路 South
A South Philadelphia nonprofit that traps, neuters, vaccinates and returns stray cats, supplies humane traps to community members who help neighborhood cats, and rescues and adopts out cats from its adoption center.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Central
A Philadelphia dog rescue that cares for overlooked dogs in a kennel facility, places them in adoptive homes, and asks for foster homes and adult volunteers.
Last active date not known yet
Program 路 Airport
A volunteer program at Philadelphia International Airport where certified therapy dog teams spend about two hours a week in the terminals, helping travelers and staff relax.
Last active date not known yet
Nonprofit 路 Upper Far Northeast
A foster-based rescue for dogs and puppies. Foster homes care for the animals until they are adopted, and the rescue also welcomes volunteers and holds public events such as a pet fair.
Last active date not known yet
Program
A horsemanship program for young people in Philadelphia, based at the Chamounix Equestrian Center in Fairmount Park. It runs a summer camp and one-day farm and horse programs for kids. The group says its riding is free for under-resourced youth.
Last seen active: October 2026
Includes: animal shelters and pet help, cat rescue and community cats, fostering animals, wildlife rescue and rehab, dog parks and dog owner groups, horses and riding, pigeons, birds, fish and reptile keeping, zoo and aquarium volunteering.