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Puppies and dogs in Big Lake, Minnesota

Looking for a puppy or dog in Big Lake, Minnesota? Adopt a Pet can help you find a new best friend near you.

A pair of dogs

Adopt a dog in Big Lake, Minnesota

These adorable dogs are available for adoption in Big Lake, Minnesota. To learn more about each adoptable dog, click on the "i" icon for fast facts, or their photo or name for full details.
We'll also keep you updated on Bubba's adoption status with email updates.
Photo of Bubba

Bubba

Pointer

Male, Adult
Big Lake, MN
Size
(when grown) Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg)
Details
Needs experienced adopter, House-trained, Spayed or Neutered, Shots are up-to-date,
Story
Bubba is some sort of pointer mix and is about 4 years old. Such a sweet boy who has always welcomed affection and has such a love for life. When we found him, he was quite emaciated and required proper refeeding and lots of love. Our family felt as though he found us for a reason and therefore he has been at home with us, hoping his owners may respond to social media posts however this never happened and unfortunately, he was never microchipped. He is doing really well right now in regards to having gained appropriate weight and although we will miss him, we are not in a position to keep him long term. Bubba is a high energy dog that thinks he is a lap dog:) Requires ability to get significant amount of exercise daily. Loves walks, car rides and palling around. Knows basic commands. Walks well on a leash but requires redirection with bunnies/other dogs/some people as he will bark. Has started to play along fence line with neighbors dog. Warming up to our FIVE cats :)
We'll also keep you updated on Riley's adoption status with email updates.
Photo of Riley

Riley

German Shepherd Dog Terrier (Unknown Type, Medium)

Female, Adult
Becker, MN
Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Good with kids, Not good with dogs, Needs experienced adopter, House-trained, Spayed or Neutered, Shots are up-to-date,
Story
ISO a truly special home for Riley, our 8-year-old German Shepherd / Pit Bull Terrier mix with the biggest heart and strongest personality. She is funny, gentle, affectionate, and deeply loving. She smiles when she’s happy, leans in for comfort, and bonds fiercely with her people.Riley was rescued two years ago by my son, he was informed that she was abused. Because of that trauma, she needs to be the only pet in a calm, stable home with someone patient and experienced. My son and her moved back home as he plans to leave for the army and we keep her and our dog separate at all times. This decision is heartbreaking, but she deserves peace, security, and the chance to truly thrive.Riley is incredibly loyal once she trusts you and will love her person with her whole soul. We are seeking a compassionate, responsible home where she can feel safe and cherished for the rest of her life.
We'll also keep you updated on Oreo's adoption status with email updates.
Photo of Oreo

Oreo

Labrador Retriever Mixed Breed (Medium)

Male, Young
Becker, MN
Size
(when grown) Med. 26-60 lbs (12-27 kg)
Details
Good with kids, Good with dogs, Not good with cats, House-trained, Spayed or Neutered, Shots are up-to-date,
Story
Oreo was found on the streets of Detroit by my spouse co-worker. They took him in, but could not keep him long term. We met up with them in OH to transfer ownership and bring him home in Dec of 2024. We had no history for him and are unsure of breed other than black lab mix. He was just about 7 months old at that time. He is a sweet dog who was very nervous at first but learns new tricks easily (very treat motivated). We still use a slow bowl because he inhales every meal, but he loves to cuddle, play and jump. He got away from us in September and was hit by a truck which broke his jaw. We got that fixed and he healed up so well even the vet was surprised. We love him, but he does not like cats so our rescue cat pretty much just comes into the house for food now. He is great with our kids aged 9-13, he loves to play. They play chase games and fetch. He loves to play tug-o-war. We would really love to find him a good home since he has had a pretty rough life so far.
We'll also keep you updated on Sundance's adoption status with email updates.
Photo of Sundance

Sundance

Retriever (Unknown Type)

Male, Adult
Ramsey, MN
Size
(when grown) Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg)
Details
Good with kids, Not good with cats, House-trained, Spayed or Neutered, Shots are up-to-date,
Story
Meet Sundance Sundance is an active, loving dog who will be 7 years old on February 12. I adopted him when he was 2, and he has been a loyal companion ever since. He is a great match for someone who enjoys running or staying active, he keeps up well, stays focused, and absolutely lives for playing frisbee, his favorite way to run fast and burn energy. Sundance also loves walks, car rides, pup cups, and his buddy Biscuits. Recent changes in my schedule have made it clear that Sundance needs a home with more consistency and daily companionship than I can currently provide. Please note he is on Prozac. He has some quirky eating habits but does well with a routine and currently eats biscuits in the morning and a full meal at night. Sundance would thrive with a patient, active person or family who can give him the time, structure, and love he deserves.
We'll also keep you updated on RAINEY's adoption status with email updates.
Photo of RAINEY

RAINEY

German Shepherd Dog Labrador Retriever

Female, Adult
Elk River, MN
Size
(when grown) X-Large 101 lbs (46 kg) or more
Details
Good with dogs, Good with cats, House-trained, Spayed or Neutered, Shots are up-to-date,
Story
HI! From Picket Fence Poodle Rescue! Yep. This is NOT a Poodle. As you can see, she is a German Shephard and Labrador cross. And because we only accept Poodles, we are calling her a “Poodle Wanna Be” as she is a special girl with a story to tell. “RAINEY” and her 2 sisters were born on March 3, 2019, at the Tri County Humane Society. Sort of a sad way to start her life, but at 6 weeks old, Rainey was quickly adopted by a wonderful and loving family who deeply loved and cared for her until…… Rainey is an easy going, gentle, sociable, very smart, loving and a quiet (but WILL BARK when someone comes to the door-our security system!) BIG girl.  Since Rainey has been with us, we found that she just LOVES to be with men, women and older children. Rainey has always been a house dog, so if we are gone, she has free access to our entire home (housetrained). She then feels the living room couch and our bed is hers to sleep on. At night she wants to be near us, so she sleeps on the floor next to our bed. Rainey considers herself a member of our family and NOT a dog. Did I tell you that this is a smart girl? That’s the “Poodle Wanna Be” in her! Rainey is just fine with (but mostly ignores) all our gentle and easy-going Poodles. She has been an only dog with cats around her all her life. Yet while on our walks and at various events, she is just fine meeting other older, gentle and easy-going dogs. Rainey will jump up on our couch and sit right next to you!  Rainey also greatly enjoyes going to softball games, meeting people at the Anoka Car Show, attending our recent neighborhood National Night Out, going to the beach, riding in a car, having her coat brushed and loves her food and treats! She will "come" when called, will “sit” upon command and listen to whatever you have to tell her. When Rainey first came to us, she was obesely overweight at 120 pounds. With instructions from our Vet, we have reduced her quality food intake and increased her daily walk to 2 miles a day, which she just LOVES to do. Just grab her leash (or say the w-a-l-k word) and she’s ready to go. She now weights a healthy 115 lbs. which my Vet feels is all muscle. Hmmmm…. Rainey was surrendered to us by a family who we know. Sadly, their special needs child was physically abusing and attacking Rainey even though Rainey did nothing wrong. Finally, it was tearfully decided that for Rainey’s safety, she needed to go to a new home. Rainey has been checked by our Vet and found healthy with no physical or emotional problems. She is spayed, has been recently Heartworm, Lymes and Ehrlichia tested negative, Home Again microchipped and registered. All her vaccinations and worming are up to date. *You must be physically able to handle a 115-pound dog. *Preference will be given to a family with large dog or German Shephard experience. *Rainey has always been an only dog.  She is OK with other dogs, but only for a short period of time. BUT PLEASE: *NO young children. *NO cement trucks (long story there) *Like most rescue groups, we do not adopt our Poodles (and Poodle Wanna Be's) to homes more than 1 day’s drive (round trip) from our location here in central Minnesota. If you feel Rainey would fit into your family or know of a family that would be interested, her adoption fee will be $200.00 which includes the Minnesota sales tax, her leash and collar, a large bag of quality dog food, a new bag of Dasuquin MSM joint supplement (great for all large dogs), her dog food dish, a dog food bin, a large dog pillow and a couple of dog brushes and some toys. For LOTS MORE CUTE pictures, information and our required “Adoption Application”, please visit our website: https://picketspoodles.com/
We'll also keep you updated on TUCKER's adoption status with email updates.
Photo of TUCKER

TUCKER

Poodle (Standard)

Male, Senior
Elk River, MN
Size
(when grown) Large 61-100 lbs (28-45 kg)
Details
Good with kids, Good with dogs, Not good with cats, House-trained, Spayed or Neutered, Shots are up-to-date,
Story
“TUCKER” is a beautiful creamy white AKC Standard Poodle who was born June 23, 2015. He weighs a healthy 71 pounds and measures 25 inches from the floor to his withers. This pretty boy was one of many Poodles who came to us in April of 2024 from a Minnesota breeder who was retiring. She wanted the best homes for her Poodles as they enter their “retirement” years. Tucker was adopted in March 2025, but sadly has just been returned to us as his new family had a life-changing event and could no longer keep Tucker. When Tucker first came to us from the breeder, he quickly learned all about being a family dog. He followed us around our home while being a part of our family. He knew how to come when called, sat upon command and was always ready for hugs and attention. We had taken him to various public events, including several softball games that our grandchildren were playing in. While there, he had a good time enjoying the noise, commotion, and people all around him. He also received and enjoyed a lot of love, attention and hugs from many of the children at the games. Then before Tucker was first adopted, he had been placed on a “hold” as he had torn (ruptured) his right rear leg “Cruciate Ligament”. Humans have a similar experience, but it’s called a torn “ACL”. A Specialist was called in, and a surgery was done to fix his torn ACL and meniscus. This surgery is very expensive (thousands), but Tucker was in pain, and he needed our help. And for those of you who asked or questioned our decision: We will not euthanize any healthy Poodle when a highly successful surgery is available! WE THEN CELEBRATED that Tucker completely recovered from his surgery with no problems! And then he was quickly adopted. He was sad to come back to us, but is now again ready for his new family. Tucker is still a quiet, soft, gentle, easy-going big boy, a real cream puff. Going for his daily 2 mile walk with Mike when he listens to the birds sing, watching the squirrels running around and meeting people, is on the TOP of his list of fun things he loves to do. I would also like to stress that he is a very smart boy and has quickly figured out what to do and when. Example, rattle the Cheerios bag and he knows it’s time for breakfast as Mike sneaks Tucker a few Cheerios from the bag. Did I tell you that he is such a very smart and a very good boy?! While Tucker has been around other dogs all his life, he completely ignores small dogs but is just fine with other easy-going large dogs, like our Standard Poodle Lola and Millie (who secretly has a crush on Tucker). Yet, Tucker has been a perfect boy all by himself as he considers himself a member of a family and NOT a dog. He continues to love greeting people who come to visit, is completely housetrained and has full access to our entire home all day, at night and when we are gone. Such a good boy! *A SECURLY FENCED YARD will be recommended as he has been a kennel dog and used to a fenced yard. *You must be physically able to handle a large Standard Poodle. *Preference will be given to a quiet family with past Standard Poodle experience. *Large, easy-going dogs are fine. BUT PLEASE: *NO puppies or cats. *NO aggressive or assertive dogs (they scare him and me). *NO young children. *Like most all rescue groups, we do NOT adopt our Poodles to homes more than 1 day’s drive (round trip) from our location here in central Minnesota. He has been neutered and at his dental appointments, he had many of his rotting teeth removed. He is now eating a hard kibble, so there is no need for soften or canned dog food. Yes, all his Vet work was very expensive. But Tucker is such an amazing loving, smart and good boy that we want the best for him. Everyone loves him, including the staff at our Vet’s office as they all wanted to take him home! He has been Vet checked healthy, is up to date on vaccinations, worming, heartworm/lymes/Ehrlich/ Anaplasmosis (4DX) tested negative, placed on a heartworm preventative, and Home Again microchipped. As with all the other Standard Poodles we have adopted, Tucker’s adoption fee is 1 million, trillion, zillion dollars. However, for the right family his adoption fee is $300.00 which includes $22.00 for our 7.875% Minnesota state sales tax and helps pay for just some of his vet work. Also included is his leash, collar, a bag of quality dog food, a 10-gallon dog food container, treats, a cute toy box, along with a new blanket, a large, soft dog bed and lots of good information to help your Poodle adoption move forward on the right paw! Again, Tucker is a very nice Standard Poodle boy who wants and truly deserves a loving “forever more” home for his “retirement”. For more pictures and information along with our “Adoption Application”, please visit our website: https://picketspoodles.com/

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Dog shelters and rescues in Big Lake, Minnesota

There are animal shelters and rescues that focus specifically on finding great homes for dogs in Big Lake, Minnesota. Browse these rescues and shelters below.

Here are a few organizations closest to you:

Rescue

PICKET FENCE POODLE RESCUE

Elk River, MN 55330

Pet Types: dogs

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Rescue

Fur-Ever Home Rescue

Zimmerman, MN 55398

Pet Types: cats, dogs, rabbits, small animals

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Rescue

United Doberman Rescue and Canine Castaways of MN

PO Box 984, Buffalo, MN 55313

Pet Types: dogs

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Shelter

Crossroads Animal Shelter

2800 10th St. SE, Buffalo, MN 55313

Pet Types: cats, dogs

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Rescue

Rescue Network Inc

Buffalo, MN 55313

Pet Types: cats, dogs

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Shelter

Minnesota Mixed-Breed Rescue

Anoka, MN 55303

Pet Types: dogs

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Rescue

Angel of Hope Animal Rescue

13601 Balsam Lane North, Dayton, MN 55327

Pet Types: cats, dogs

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Rescue

Ruff Start Rescue

PO Box 129, Princeton, MN 55371

Pet Types: cats, dogs, rabbits, small animals

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Rescue

HEART

Maple Grove, MN 55311

Pet Types: cats, dogs

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Rescue

Skylar’s Scholarships

PO Box 1511, Maple Grove, MN 55311

Pet Types: dogs

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For a comprehensive list of all shelters and rescues, try our search page. We have more than 17,000 organizations in our database with furry pals waiting for a new home!

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Affenpinscher Afghan Hound Airedale Terrier Akbash Akita Alaskan Klee Kai Alaskan Malamute American Bulldog American Cocker Spaniel American Eskimo Dog American Hairless Terrier American Pit Bull Terrier American Staffordshire Terrier Anatolian Shepherd Aussiedoodle Australian Cattle Dog Australian Kelpie Australian Shepherd Australian Terrier Basenji Basset Hound Beagle Bearded Collie Beauceron Bedlington Terrier Belgian Laekenois Belgian Malinois Belgian Shepherd Belgian Tervuren Bernedoodle Bernese Mountain Dog Bichon Frise Black Mouth Cur Black and Tan Coonhound Bloodhound Blue Lacy/Texas Lacy Bluetick Coonhound Bolognese Border Collie Border Terrier Borzoi Boston Terrier Bouvier des Flandres Boxer Boykin Spaniel Briard Brittany Brussels Griffon Bull Terrier Bullmastiff Cairn Terrier Canaan Dog Cane Corso Cardigan Welsh Corgi Carolina Dog Catahoula Leopard Dog Caucasian Shepherd Dog Cavachon Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Cavapoo Chesapeake Bay Retriever Chihuahua Chinese Crested Chinook Chiweenie Chow Chow Clumber Spaniel Cockapoo Cocker Spaniel Collie Coonhound Corgi Coton de Tulear Curly-Coated Retriever Dachshund Dalmatian Dandie Dinmont Terrier Doberman Pinscher Dogo Argentino Dogue de Bordeaux Dutch Shepherd English (Redtick) Coonhound English Bulldog English Cocker Spaniel English Setter English Shepherd English Springer Spaniel English Toy Spaniel Entlebucher Feist Field Spaniel Fila Brasileiro Finnish Lapphund Finnish Spitz Flat-Coated Retriever Fox Terrier (Smooth) Fox Terrier (Toy) Fox Terrier (Wirehaired) Foxhound French Bulldog German Pinscher German Shepherd Dog German Shorthaired Pointer German Spitz German Wirehaired Pointer Glen of Imaal Terrier Goberian Golden Retriever Goldendoodle Gordon Setter Great Dane Great Pyrenees Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Greyhound Halden Hound (Haldenstrover) Harrier Havanese Horgi Hovawart Husky Ibizan Hound Icelandic Sheepdog Irish Setter Irish Terrier Irish Water Spaniel Irish Wolfhound Italian Greyhound Italian Spinone Jack Russell Terrier Japanese Chin Jindo Kai Dog Karelian Bear Dog Keeshond Kerry Blue Terrier Kishu Komondor Kuvasz Kyi Leo Labradoodle Labrador Retriever Lakeland Terrier Lancashire Heeler Leonberger Lhasa Apso Löwchen Maltese Maltipoo Manchester Terrier Maremma Sheepdog Mastiff Miniature Bull Terrier Miniature Dachshund Miniature Pinscher Morkie Mountain Cur Munsterlander Mutt Neapolitan Mastiff Newfoundland Norfolk Terrier Norwegian Buhund Norwegian Elkhound Norwegian Lundehund Norwich Terrier Nova Scotia Duck-Tolling Retriever Old English Sheepdog Olde English Bulldogge Otterhound Papillon Parson Russell Terrier Patterdale Terrier (Fell Terrier) Pekingese Pembroke Welsh Corgi Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen Pharaoh Hound Pitsky Plott Hound Podengo Portugueso Pointer Polish Lowland Sheepdog Pomeranian Pomsky Poodle (Miniature) Poodle (Standard) Poodle (Toy or Tea Cup) Portuguese Water Dog Presa Canario Pug Puggle Puli Pumi Rat Terrier Redbone Coonhound Rhodesian Ridgeback Rottweiler Saluki Samoyed Schiller Hound Schipperke Schnauzer (Giant) Schnauzer (Miniature) Schnauzer (Standard) Schnoodle Scottie, Scottish Terrier Scottish Deerhound Sealyham Terrier Shar Pei Sheepadoodle Sheltie, Shetland Sheepdog Sheppit Shepsky Shiba Inu Shih Poo Shih Tzu Silky Terrier Skye Terrier Sloughi St. Bernard Staffordshire Bull Terrier Sussex Spaniel Swedish Vallhund Texas Heeler Thai Ridgeback Tibetan Mastiff Tibetan Spaniel Tibetan Terrier Tosa Inu Treeing Walker Coonhound Vizsla Weimaraner Welsh Springer Spaniel Welsh Terrier Westie, West Highland White Terrier Wheaten Terrier Whippet Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Xoloitzcuintle/Mexican Hairless Yorkie Poo Yorkie, Yorkshire Terrier