Great River Rescue

Great River Rescue Great River Rescue is a companion animal shelter and low-cost spay/neuter program in Bemidji, MN.

Great River Rescue houses adoptable dogs and cats until a suitable forever home can be found. The shelter provides quality care the animals, spays and neuters all animals, and helps educate the public on pet care. The shelter is funded by community donations, and service fees.

Onyx and Sasha found their forever families today! We’re so excited for these puppies to start their new life, thank you...
04/04/2025

Onyx and Sasha found their forever families today! We’re so excited for these puppies to start their new life, thank you for adopting!❤️

04/04/2025

We are celebrating Pet Week starting April 6th! Our friends at Great River Rescue do such a great job helping find our furry friends their forever homes and your support helps them to achieve those goals!

Donating is as simple as rounding up your purchase at the till to the nearest dollar amount or purchasing a bag of our delicious gourmet popcorn (we will donate $1 from the sale of every bag of popcorn).

Help out our four-legged friends with your donations and they will love you furrever!!!

Thank you Lueken's Village Foods for your continued support, we’re so grateful to have such a wonderful community!💙💚
04/04/2025

Thank you Lueken's Village Foods for your continued support, we’re so grateful to have such a wonderful community!💙💚

Click each photo for description on the pet. Learn more or schedule an appointment to meet them on our website!
04/03/2025

Click each photo for description on the pet. Learn more or schedule an appointment to meet them on our website!

04/02/2025

We are closed today due to the weather, we apologize for any inconvenience. A staff member will still be answering phone calls and returning voicemails. We will be open again tomorrow at 12:30pm. Thank you! Stay safe and stay warm❄️

Meet Freya!🐶This beautiful girl is a large (80lbs) mixed breed, spayed and utd on vaccines, who’s not doing so great her...
04/02/2025

Meet Freya!🐶
This beautiful girl is a large (80lbs) mixed breed, spayed and utd on vaccines, who’s not doing so great here at the shelter. Occasionally we get dogs that no matter what we do, the stress of being in a shelter is too much when they’re used to a loving home.

Freya is looking for a quiet home, one with not very many people coming and going. She has previously lived with cats, but slow and proper introductions are always needed with new pets. Freya feeds off of nervous energy, so a confident owner is a must. Once she gets to know someone, she is the cuddliest, most loving and playful pup ever.❤️ She LOVES balls, squeaky toys, treats, and walks.

Help us find a home for this wonderful girl! Learn more or schedule an appointment to meet Freya on our website.

We’re extremely grateful for Taco John’s in Bemidji for doing a fundraiser for us, the support in our community is absol...
04/01/2025

We’re extremely grateful for Taco John’s in Bemidji for doing a fundraiser for us, the support in our community is absolutely incredible!!🐶🐱❤️ Thank you so much!

Our May clinic for Pet Fixers is currently completely booked for cats and female dogs. There are only 4 male dog spots l...
04/01/2025

Our May clinic for Pet Fixers is currently completely booked for cats and female dogs. There are only 4 male dog spots left. To register, please go here: https://www.greatriverrescue.com/adoption-2/pet-fixers/ and please note the income registration guidelines.

Pet Fixers is a low-cost spay/neuter clinic for qualified low-income pet owners and caretakers. From April through November, we hold once-monthly spay/neuter clinics that include preventative care treatments. The program relies on volunteer service and partner veterinarians working for a reduced rat...

04/01/2025

We will be closed today (4/1) and will resume normal hours tomorrow (4/2) due to being short staffed. We apologize for any inconveniences!

These babies are just the cutest pups ever!😍 Sasha, Onyx, and Bernie are all super smart and social, and will be fantast...
03/31/2025

These babies are just the cutest pups ever!😍 Sasha, Onyx, and Bernie are all super smart and social, and will be fantastic dogs for any family. Schedule an appointment to meet them on our website!

Meet our dog and cat of the week, Tassels🐶 and Koda🐱!Tassels is a large boy, about 80lbs of pure love. This stunning pup...
03/31/2025

Meet our dog and cat of the week, Tassels🐶 and Koda🐱!

Tassels is a large boy, about 80lbs of pure love. This stunning pup absolutely adores other dogs and kids, so much that he should have these in his new home! He loves his kennel, tennis balls, snuggles, and being outside. He is such a good dog!

Koda is an outgoing female, who is a perfect lap cat. She loves attention and is friendly with everyone. Koda even does good with the other kitties she’s with at the shelter!

Learn more or schedule an appointment to meet them on our website!

Mac had a fantastic weekend with a volunteer! He had so much fun getting out and about for a break from the shelter. Her...
03/30/2025

Mac had a fantastic weekend with a volunteer! He had so much fun getting out and about for a break from the shelter. Here’s what his short-term foster had to say:

“We loved having Mac for the weekend! Mac really enjoys car rides and walking outside. We took him to the state park and he enjoyed wandering around and smelling! He is such a friendly dog and loves being with people (especially men). Belly rubs, cuddles, and chasing tennis balls were some of his favorite things!”

Thank you for taking this fluffy guy for a much needed vacation❤️

Diesel and Tassels very quickly became best friends shortly after being introduced! These two handsome boys love spendin...
03/29/2025

Diesel and Tassels very quickly became best friends shortly after being introduced! These two handsome boys love spending time with each other. Tassels (longer fur) definitely needs another dog in the home, as they help him open up tremendously. Diesel would do fantastic with other dogs or as a solo pup. Schedule an appointment to meet either of them on our website!🐶❤️

Diesel (Meathead)Adult male, 5 years oldLab mix80lbsNeutered & UTD, good with cats, kids, and other dogs!
03/28/2025

Diesel (Meathead)
Adult male, 5 years old
Lab mix
80lbs
Neutered & UTD, good with cats, kids, and other dogs!

These 11 week old girls are still waiting for their forever homes! They have the cutest faces ever, and are full of pers...
03/27/2025

These 11 week old girls are still waiting for their forever homes! They have the cutest faces ever, and are full of personality! When fully grown, they will likely be medium sized, and we’re guessing they are pit/heeler/rotti mixes.

Onyx, the black puppy, would really benefit from having an older dog in the home to teach her boundaries and manners. She gets very carried away with play, and likes to be a bully (to both dogs and people!). Puppy classes/training is a must for this gal! Onyx would love an active household to help her release energy. She does great with going potty outside.

Sasha is a much more gentle and calm pup, who prefers to observe before joining in on the play. She gets along great with other dogs, and is already doing fantastic with leash walking and going potty outside! Sasha loves to get the zoomies and race around.

Learn more or schedule an appointment to meet either of these girls on our website!🐶❤️

We love this fluffy face, hopefully someone out there will too!😍 Mac has been waiting for a home with us for 70 days, bu...
03/27/2025

We love this fluffy face, hopefully someone out there will too!😍 Mac has been waiting for a home with us for 70 days, but came from another rescue after being in their care since August 2024. That’s a lot of waiting!💔

We’re happy that we’re able to spoil our pups with lots of walks, playtime, and outings, but nothing is as good as a forever home. Mac’s been having trouble finding a home due to the fact that his best fit is no other animals or small kids, due to him resource guarding. He has had successful playgroups with other dogs with no toys or food around, and he is fantastic with older kids. Resource guarding is something that can be trained and managed, he just needs a home to help him with it!

He is SUCH a lover and snuggle-bug, loves car rides and walks, knows some basic commands, and is fixed and up to date. Stuffed squeaky toys are his favorite! Will you help us find Mac a home?🐶❤️

Glacier found her purrfect home today, and Ghost and Grey were adopted together!! Thank you for adopting these purrfect ...
03/26/2025

Glacier found her purrfect home today, and Ghost and Grey were adopted together!! Thank you for adopting these purrfect kitties❤️

Address

1612 Carr Lake Road SE
Bemidji, MN
56601

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12:30pm - 5:30pm
Wednesday 12:30pm - 5:30pm
Thursday 12:30pm - 5:30pm
Friday 12:30pm - 5:30pm
Saturday 12:30pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

+12187517910

Website

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If you’ve been waiting for a sign to adopt, this is it! We have lots of dogs and cats waiting for their forever homes🐶🐱

Chuck and our two puppies, Panda and Sloth, are just the best of friends!! All three of these pups are so eager to find their forever home, go to our website to learn more about them and to schedule an appointment to meet them!🥰

Chuck and Riggs had lots of fun playtime on Saturday! These two would love to be in a home where they would have other dog(s) to play with, especially Chuck!🥰

Chuck is literally the biggest goofball ever!❤️ He’s a huge cuddle bug, with husky-like sass! If you’re looking to add another canine family member to your household, Chuck would be great. He’s enjoyed meeting other dogs at the shelter and would love a buddy to play with in his new home!🐶 He would do great as a single dog as well. Learn more or schedule an appointment to meet Chuck on our website.

Chuck has so much fun playing “fetch”…or in his case “run after the ball and not give it back”🤣 This boy is such a goofball, and has your typical husky-like attitude and stubbornness! Chuck is sure to be a wonderful companion and guaranteed to give you a good laugh everyday!

Oh Thor❤️ All this big guy wants for Christmas is a home to give him all of the head scratches and butt rubs in the world! Will you help make his wish come true?

Cha Cha Slide and Pop & Lock It LOVE playing in the snow❄️ These two beautiful boys are so ready to find a forever family! They’re 2 month old Lab/Husky mixes, about 15lbs. Learn more about them on our website and schedule an appointment to meet them!

Although perfect in every other way imaginable, Hambone’s separation anxiety is holding him back from finding a forever family. With patience and training, he will make the best companion anyone could ever ask for. According to his previous foster, Hambone matches energy very well when with people. He sleeps when you sleep, plays when you’re ready to play, etc. Hambone knows to sit at the door when he needs to potty, and listens to commands like a pro! He’s lived with dogs, cats, and kids/babies. Hambone is fully vetted and ready to wiggle his way into your heart!❤️

Henny (the brown pup), our longest resident, has been with us for 114 days. She adores people and kids, loves going for walks and swimming, and plays very nicely with other dogs. She tends to dislike female dogs, but played wonderfully with a female puppy today!🥰 Meet and greets with other dogs are required, and she will probably need a no cat home. Henny is fully vetted and ready to find her new home!❤️ Check out the photo in the comments of Henny and Howie!

Henny is fully vetted, about 2 years old, and is a favorite with staff and volunteers. Her only “flaw” is that she can be dog-selective, meaning she is picky about what dogs she likes. It is mainly females that Henny seems to dislike, but meet and greets between any other dogs in the home are required. We love Henny a LOT, we know you will too!

Jasper plays so wonderfully with dogs of all ages, sizes, and genders. He would love to have a playmate in his new forever home!

Henny is such a wonderful dog with the squishiest face!😻 Staff and volunteers are head over heels in love with her, we know you will be too!

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Who we are, what we do.

Great River Rescue is a companion animal shelter that saves, cares for, and finds homes for over 400 dogs and cats each year. We provide quality care the animals, spay and neuter all animals prior to adoption, and help educate the public on responsible pet care. We also offer volunteer opportunities to the public in a variety of capacities. The organization is funded by community donations and service fees. Learn more at www.greatriverrescue.com.