There are many reasons why we love the German Shepherds, and it goes way past their large size, their rich luxurious coat, and their energetic and playful temperature. The German Shepherd is a very intelligent dog breed (arguably the most intelligent in the world). Its high intelligence makes the breed very trainable as they learn new skills and tricks a lot faster than most dog breeds. Your German Shepherd can be trained to be a protection dog, a service dog, a working dog, a show dog, and a herding or hunting dog.
They also make great family dogs as they are loyal to a fault and they possess a strong willingness or eagerness to please their owners. With the high popularity of German Shepherds in the United States, it is rather sad to learn that a lot of German Shepherds are abused, maltreated, and neglected. You can find lots of these glorious furry angels in dilapidated dog shelters and pounds across the country. If you are considering owning a German Shepherd dog, then adopting any of these German Shepherds is a great way to go.
In this article, we provide a list of German Shepherd rescue organizations we have found operating in the state of Minnesota. Each describes itself as devoted to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming German Shepherd dogs in the state. We have not independently assessed them, so use the checks further down this page before you apply. We have included some of their contact information to make it easy for you to perform sufficient research on each organization listed below.
1. Saving Shepherds of Minnesota
The first rescue to be reviewed on this list is Saving Shepherds of Minnesota. They are arguably one of the largest non-profit charity organizations in Minnesota that are devoted to the German Shepherd breed. They are located in Roseville, Minnesota, and were founded in the year 2015. Since its inception, the rescue organization boasts of successfully rehoming over 600 German Shepherd dogs and their mixes in Minnesota. Lisa Veit and Randy Lenz are the founders of the rescue organization. They are 100% foster based.
Saving Shepherds of Minnesota relies a lot on volunteers to run the activities of the program. They are focused on rescuing German Shepherds that were unwanted, abused, neglected, and euthanized. Each of the German Shepherds are kept in a foster home donated by some of their well-meaning fosters. The reduced dogs are first checked out by any of their licensed vets to be certain they are healthy and free from any mental or physical health conditions they might have been exposed to. They are neutered or spayed and are each kept on proper vaccinations and deworming.
You can check out any of their websites for some of the dogs they have available for adoption. These are all healthy dogs in need of a great family to thrive in. The price for adoption varies with the age of the dog up for adoption and all proceeds gotten from adoption or donations are used for the wellbeing of the German Shepherd dogs. You can also apply to be a foster as they are always in need of new foster homes for the rescued dogs.
| Owner | Lisa Veit and Randy Lenz |
| Open For | Over 5 years |
| Location | Roseville, Minnesota |
| [email protected] | |
| Website | savingshepherdsofmn.org |
| Saving Shepherds of Minnesota |
2. Faerieland Rescue Inc
Coming down to Anoka in Minnesota, we have Faerieland Rescue, Inc. This is another foster based canine rescue organization operating as a non-profit that is dedicated to the German Shepherd and the German Shepherd mix. They are tasked with saving or rescuing German Shepherd dogs found in terrible high kill shelters across the state, rehabilitating them, and providing good homes for them to be adopted into. Aside from the German Shepherd, Faerieland Rescue, Inc also rescues Welsh Corgis.
Kathy DuVall, the founder of the rescue organization is a devoted lover of the German Shepherd breed. She started the organization in 2009 and since then, they have rescued a lot of German Shepherds and Welsh Corgis in the state. They also do their part in educating the community or the public about the proper care for German Shepherd dogs. Rehabilitation is a must for all their rescued dogs as they are looked at by licensed professionals to be sure that they are healthy, both mentally and physically.
Socialization opportunities are created for all dogs that have been rescued through their rescue organization. They also have a lot of dogs available for adoption as listed on their website. They rarely have puppies though. The price for each dog varies from $250 to $500 depending on the age of the German Shepherd dog you intend to adopt. If your application is approved, a meet and greet session is organized. You can also show your support by means of donations and volunteering.
| Owner | Kathy DuVall |
| Open For | Over 10 years |
| Location | Anoka, Minnesota |
| [email protected] | |
| Phone Number | (612) 715-7857 |
| Website | faerielandrescue.org |
| Faerieland Rescue, Inc |
Final Thoughts
These two German Shepherd rescues are rescue organizations we have found operating in Minnesota. They have rescued hundreds of dogs found in very sad conditions in the state, and as such, they deserve their spots on this list. Of the Minnesota rescues listed above, the one that stands out on published information is Saving Shepherds of Minnesota located in Roseville, Minnesota.
How that assessment was made, and its limits. This is a desk review of what each breeder publishes about itself: health testing described, transparency about lines and results, and how much detail is given about how the dogs are raised. We have not visited these premises, bought a puppy from them, or independently verified their testing claims. Treat it as a shortlist to start from, not a recommendation, and run the checks further down this page yourself before you pay anybody.
Saving Shepherds are not the oldest of the two non-profit organizations listed above, but with over 600 German Shepherd dogs successfully rescued and rehomed, they have done a great job with their rescue program.
One cool thing about their program is the fact that they also rehabilitate each German Shepherd dog that they rescue, providing sufficient medical services to all dogs that they rescue. All their dogs are treated for heartworms, vaccinated, and placed on good supplements and food.
Still, this should not be enough reason to work with this or any organization on our list. Learn to do your proper research on each organization, ask the right questions and ensure you visit the foster home of the dog you are interested in. Check the website for more articles like this.
Check any rescue before you apply, including the ones on this page
A directory is a starting point, not a recommendation. Rescues open, merge, pause intake and close, and a listing that was accurate when it was written can be out of date by the time you read it. Verify before you travel or send money, whether the organisation came from this page or anywhere else.
The strongest single check is free and takes two minutes. Most legitimate rescues in the United States are registered non-profits, and the IRS publishes a searchable record of them.
The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search lets you look up an organisation’s “Eligibility to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions” and its filing record (apps.irs.gov/app/eos, retrieved 2026-08-13). It covers five datasets, including Form 990-series returns, Publication 78 data, determination letters, and, most usefully here, an automatic revocation list of organisations that have lost tax-exempt status.
That last one is the check worth doing. The IRS states that an organisation automatically loses tax-exempt status “if an organization does not file the required Form 990-series returns or notices yearly for 3 consecutive years” (retrieved 2026-08-13). An animal rescue that has stopped filing for three years is telling you something about how it is currently being run.
Alongside that, three quick signals:
- A physical presence you can verify a foster network with real addresses, or a facility you can visit.
- An application process that asks you questions. A rescue that will hand over a dog with no questions asked is not screening its homes, and that should worry you on the dog’s behalf as much as your own.
- Willingness to say no. Good rescues turn down applicants and turn down dogs they cannot place safely.
Be wary of anything that looks like a sale wearing rescue language: puppies consistently available, a fixed price rather than an adoption fee, pressure to pay a deposit before meeting the dog, or transport arranged before any home check.
What the adoption process actually involves
People are often surprised by how thorough rescue adoption is, particularly for a large working breed. In Minnesota as anywhere, expect most of the following.
- A written application. Housing, fencing, hours the dog would be alone, other pets, children, and previous dog experience.
- References. Often including your vet, if you have had a pet before.
- A home visit, in person or by video. It is a check on fencing and safety, not on your housekeeping.
- A meet-and-greet, and a second one with any resident dog, usually on neutral ground.
- An adoption fee. This typically covers neutering, vaccination, microchipping and any treatment the dog has had, and it rarely covers the rescue’s full costs.
- A contract, which will normally require the dog to be returned to the rescue rather than rehomed privately if things do not work out.
That return clause is a feature, not a catch. It is the mechanism that stops a dog cycling through strangers, and a rescue that does not have one has no plan for the dog after you.
The questions to ask about the individual dog
The organisation matters less than the match. These are the questions that actually predict how the first six months go.
- Why is this dog here? Owner surrender, stray, or returned from a previous adoption are three very different histories.
- Has it been returned before, and why? Ask directly. The answer is usually informative rather than disqualifying.
- How is it with other dogs, cats, and children? Ask what that assessment was based on, not just what the conclusion was.
- Has it been assessed for resource guarding or handling sensitivity? Both are manageable and both are much easier to plan for when you know in advance.
- What veterinary work has been done, and what is outstanding? Ask for the records rather than a summary.
- Is it house-trained, and is it used to being alone? Separation problems are common in rehomed dogs and worth knowing about before the first working day.
- What support do you offer afterwards? The good ones stay reachable.
If a rescue cannot answer these, that is not necessarily dishonesty. A dog that arrived last week genuinely has an unknown history. “We do not know yet” is a perfectly good answer; “he is fine with everything” about a dog nobody has tested is not.
What an adopted German Shepherd tends to need
Two things are worth planning for specifically with this breed.
A settling-in period with less going on, not more. A dog that has just changed homes has lost every predictable thing it had. Quiet routine, no visitors, and letting the dog approach you does more in the first fortnight than any amount of attention. Our guide to building a bond with your dog covers why doing less works better at this stage.
A realistic view of what is common in the breed. A Royal Veterinary College VetCompass study of 12,146 German Shepherds under UK primary veterinary care found the most frequently recorded disorders were “otitis externa (7.89%), osteoarthritis (5.54%), diarrhoea (5.24%), overweight/obesity (5.18%) and aggression (4.76%)” (O’Neill et al., Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 2017, retrieved 2026-08-13).
Read that list as a checklist for the first vet visit rather than a warning. Ears and joints are worth having looked at early in any adopted Shepherd, and weight is the one factor on the list you fully control.
Aggression appearing in a clinical disorder register is also worth understanding correctly: it is something vets record and work up, not a temperament verdict. If it comes up, the referral route is a vet and a qualified behaviour professional. AVSAB advises that “if a trainer is observed using aversive training methods or if a trainer discusses out-dated ideas such as dominance, leader of the pack, or alpha theories, then clients should be advised against hiring them” (AVSAB Position Statement on Humane Dog Training, 2021, retrieved 2026-08-12). That rule matters most for exactly the dogs that come through rescue.
If nothing here is the right fit
Breed-specific rescues in any one state can be small, and availability swings month to month. Widening the search is usually more productive than waiting.
- Municipal shelters and all-breed rescues take in far more German Shepherds and Shepherd crosses than the breed-specific groups do.
- Neighbouring states. Many rescues will place across a state line for the right home, though some require you to collect.
- Adult dogs. Puppies get applications within hours. A four-year-old dog with a known temperament is often the better match anyway, and is far easier to assess honestly.
If you end up buying rather than adopting, the screening questions change but the principle does not: ask for documents rather than descriptions, and treat anything unverifiable as unverified.
Disclaimer: PetVR shares general information based on our contributors’ firsthand experience with German Shepherds — it is not veterinary advice. Always consult a licensed veterinarian about your dog’s health, diet, or behavior. Read our full disclaimer.
Widening the search past Minnesota
Shepherd availability swings month to month, so if Minnesota has nothing suitable right now it is worth watching German Shepherd rescues in Illinois alongside Shepherds waiting for homes in Iowa and the Wisconsin rescue directory, or opening our full German Shepherd rescue index. If you decide to buy instead, here are the Minnesota breeders worth vetting.
Top 4 Best German Shepherd Rescues in Oregon