N.C. Non-Profit Animal Rescue

Give a Freedom Ride

In the rescue world, a โ€œFreedom Rideโ€ 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 โ€ฆ. 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 fostersโ€™ homes; who stay up late searching shelter pages for that next โ€œFreedom Rideโ€ 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 areย 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 โ€ฆ. 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 โ€“ often never looking backย โ€“ย as they start their most lifeโ€™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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HOWL-O-WEEN is upon us so start getting those canine costumes ready! We're having our FOURTH annual "Cloudy with a Chance of Boos" Halloween at Clouds Taproom from 3 - 7 pm on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Our judges are working on the schedule so the judging time will be announced asap!! A $5 donation gets your dog(s) entered ... and while you're waiting to be judged (LOL), shop and drink to support Freedom Ride Rescue!

See yall at Clouds! www.facebook.com/events/3829606267183879
... See MoreSee Less

Mark your calendars & clear your schedulesโ€ฆ itโ€™s almost Barkitecture Day! ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ“ฃ

This Saturday from 1โ€“5 PM at Downtown Cary Park, weโ€™ll be part of one of our favorite events of the year โ€“ Barkitecture 2025! ๐ŸŽ‰

This is our fourth year being part of this extra special celebration of animals, and every year the creativity blows us away. Local designers, architects, and builders create the most amazing, pet-themed structures โ€” and we canโ€™t wait to see what they dream up this time. ๐Ÿก๐Ÿ•๐Ÿˆ

Of course, Freedom Ride Rescue will be there with our adorable, adoptable dogs ready to meet you! ๐Ÿถ๐Ÿ’•

โœจ Pet-themed fun
โœจ Creative builds
โœจ Cute adoptables
โœจ A paw-some day in the park

๐Ÿ“ Saturday | 1โ€“5 PM | Downtown Cary Park

Come out, join the fun, and maybe even meet your new best friend. See you there!

@barkitectureevents
... See MoreSee Less

At 9 years old, this sweet girl has the perfect balance of spirited energy and snuggly charm. Weighing in at 55 lbs, Zuzuโ€™s heart is just as big as her love for belly rubs! ๐Ÿ’•

โœจ Why Zuzu is wonderful:
๐Ÿพ Sweet, affectionate, and absolutely loves cuddles
๐ŸŽพ Still playful โ€” enjoys catch, zoomies, and long walks
๐Ÿก Fully house trained & crate trained (though sheโ€™d rather be on the couch!)
๐Ÿถ Loves romping with her foster sister
๐Ÿ’ป The best work-from-home buddy โ€” naps quietly by your side

Donโ€™t let her age fool you โ€” Zuzu is full of joy, spirit, and plenty of tail wags. Sheโ€™s the perfect mix of adventure companion and couch cuddler, and sheโ€™s ready to fill her forever home with love, laughter, and loyalty. ๐ŸŒธ

๐Ÿ‘‰ Apply to adopt Zuzu: www.freedom-ride.org
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See us on Instagram

Browse our dogs in foster care and available for adoption!

HOWL-O-WEEN is upon us so start getting those canine costumes ready! We're having our FOURTH annual "Cloudy with a Chance of Boos" Halloween at Clouds Taproom from 3 - 7 pm on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Our judges are working on the schedule so the judging time will be announced asap!! A $5 donation gets your dog(s) entered ... and while you're waiting to be judged (LOL), shop and drink to support Freedom Ride Rescue!

See yall at Clouds! https://www.facebook.com/events/3829606267183879
Mark your calendars & clear your schedulesโ€ฆ itโ€™s almost Barkitecture Day! ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ“ฃ

This Saturday from 1โ€“5 PM at Downtown Cary Park, weโ€™ll be part of one of our favorite events of the year โ€“ Barkitecture 2025! ๐ŸŽ‰

This is our fourth year being part of this extra special celebration of animals, and every year the creativity blows us away. Local designers, architects, and builders create the most amazing, pet-themed structures โ€” and we canโ€™t wait to see what they dream up this time. ๐Ÿก๐Ÿ•๐Ÿˆ

Of course, Freedom Ride Rescue will be there with our adorable, adoptable dogs ready to meet you! ๐Ÿถ๐Ÿ’•

โœจ Pet-themed fun
โœจ Creative builds
โœจ Cute adoptables
โœจ A paw-some day in the park

๐Ÿ“ Saturday | 1โ€“5 PM | Downtown Cary Park

Come out, join the fun, and maybe even meet your new best friend. See you there!

@barkitectureevents
At 9 years old, this sweet girl has the perfect balance of spirited energy and snuggly charm. Weighing in at 55 lbs, Zuzuโ€™s heart is just as big as her love for belly rubs! ๐Ÿ’•

โœจ Why Zuzu is wonderful:
๐Ÿพ Sweet, affectionate, and absolutely loves cuddles
๐ŸŽพ Still playful โ€” enjoys catch, zoomies, and long walks
๐Ÿก Fully house trained & crate trained (though sheโ€™d rather be on the couch!)
๐Ÿถ Loves romping with her foster sister
๐Ÿ’ป The best work-from-home buddy โ€” naps quietly by your side

Donโ€™t let her age fool you โ€” Zuzu is full of joy, spirit, and plenty of tail wags. Sheโ€™s the perfect mix of adventure companion and couch cuddler, and sheโ€™s ready to fill her forever home with love, laughter, and loyalty. ๐ŸŒธ

๐Ÿ‘‰ Apply to adopt Zuzu: www.freedom-ride.org
What would your dogโ€™s diary say??
MERE HOURS until we close bidding on our annual auction at 8 TONIGHT! We are so grateful to everyone who donated items - and to the bidders who are graciously outbidding each other!

https://auctions.signupgenius.com/bid/frrsilentauction2025/

All of the proceeds will help Freedom Ride Rescue cover medical and training needs of our adoptable dogs, like Katara, Dwight, Razz and Rosie!
#pawsitforward #nopawsleftbehind #freedomriderescue #onlineauction
โœจ๐Ÿพ Meet Cleo โ€“ Our Black Beauty ๐Ÿพโœจ

With her sleek black coat and soulful eyes, Cleo is a true stunner. We believe sheโ€™s a Lab/Plott Hound mix, and at just a little over a year old, sheโ€™s the perfect blend of playful energy and sweet affection. ๐Ÿ’•

Cleo has both the looks and the personality to win your heart in record time. Whether sheโ€™s showing off her goofy side during playtime or leaning in for snuggles, sheโ€™s the kind of dog who makes every day brighter. ๐ŸŒŸ

Apply to adopt Cleo: www.freedom-ride.org
Set yourself and your dog up for training success by making sure you have realistic expectations and you are asking for behaviors that are doable for your dog.
Meet Frodo, our lowrider lovebug straight out of Middle-earth! With the noble face of a German Shepherd and the stout, squat build of a true adventurer, this gentle soul is ready to set out on the greatest journey of all โ€” finding his forever home. ๐Ÿก๐Ÿ’›

Like his namesake, Frodo has a heart full of loyalty and courage. Heโ€™s calm, easygoing, and happiest when heโ€™s by your side โ€” whether itโ€™s a peaceful walk in the Shire (a.k.a. your neighborhood) or a cozy evening curled up by the โ€œfire.โ€ ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ•

๐ŸŒŸ Dog-friendly fellow traveler
๐ŸŒŸ Gentle and affectionate Hobbit-heart
๐ŸŒŸ Short legs, epic levels of cuteness

Frodo may not be carrying a ring, but he is ready to carry all the love and devotion you could ever want. ๐Ÿ’โค๏ธ

๐Ÿ“œ Apply today to join Frodo on the next chapter of his adventure โ€” maybe straight into your home! www.freedom-ride.org
๐ŸŒŸโœจ Glow Up Alert!!! ๐ŸŒŸโœจ

When Katara arrived in August, she was in rough shape โ€” missing much of her coat, with itchy, scabby skin, painful ear infections, and hips that ached from years of neglect. It was clear she had spent much of her life with a breeder before finding herself in a shelter, skinny and malnourished. ๐Ÿ’”

Fast forward to now, and Katara is almost unrecognizable! With good food, proper medication, and plenty of love, this 5-year-old retriever mix has transformed into a beautiful, happy girl who finally knows the comfort of soft beds, fun toys, and kind arms to curl up in. ๐Ÿพ๐Ÿ’–

Through it all, Katara has shown us what resilience really means. Sheโ€™s sweet, affectionate, and grateful for every ounce of love she receives.

Katara will need some ongoing care โ€” regular allergy medications and a little extra support for her hips โ€” but what sheโ€™ll give back is priceless: loyalty, joy, and endless love.

๐Ÿก Katara is now available for adoption and ready for her forever family. If youโ€™ve been waiting for a gentle soul to remind you of the healing power of love, Katara is your girl. ๐Ÿ’•

๐Ÿ“ฒ Apply today at www.freedom-ride.org
AUCTION UPDATE: Several items are as special as they are unique due to the love and care that went into their creation! Nancy Shepard's sweet doggy quilt; the hand crafted drink caddy of reclaimed woods by Brindle Besties Creations ... Brian McFadden's double donation: a Weltron SPACEBALL and a Panasonic TNT - both with modernized elements (and retro tapes included) .... 

We are humbled by the support and love! PLEASE bid on your favorite items - we close at 8 pm Sunday!! 

And let's all hope adoptable Mira gets a home AND a new bed out 
of this!! See the full auction here: 
https://auctions.signupgenius.com/bid/frrsilentauction2025/

#pawsitforward #nopawsleftbehind #freedomriderescue #onlineauction

Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.โ€

~ Karen Davison

Services

What We Do

๏†ฐ

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 fostersโ€™ homes โ€ฆ who stay up late searching shelter pages for that next โ€œFreedom Rideโ€ potential โ€ฆ. who volunteer countless hours making rescue a reality!

๏ƒฑ

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); weโ€™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 personย as they start their most lifeโ€™s wonderful chapter: the one as a cherished pet.

Upcoming Events

ย 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.ย 

Report Lost Pet