33 Children’s Books About Animal Shelters and Rescue Pets

There’s no such thing as a bad dog, just a bad owner.

John Grogan, Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog

National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day is tomorrow, April 30.  This day was created as a way to raise awareness for thousands of pets that are waiting for (and needing) adoption from the shelters.

It isn’t always easy to adopt a pet through a shelter as I found when we were ready for a dog five years ago. Puppies were hard to come by in the pet shelters locally. The breeds there also weren’t recommended for families with small children.

It wasn’t always possible to meet the dog before adopting it. I think it takes patience and perseverance to find the right pet through a shelter, but it seems well worth the effort based on the rescue dogs and owners that I’ve met through the dog park. Pet shelters also turned out to be popular in Early Chapter Books this year.

I have 29 children’s books about animal rescue on this list so far! What are your favorite books about adopting pets? Have you ever thought of adopting a pet from an animal shelter? Thanks for sharing!

33 Children’s Books About Animal Rescue

Picture Books of Pets in Animal Shelters

Tate’s Wild Rescue by Jenny Turnbull, illustrated by Izzy Burton

Tate writes letters to wild animals, offering to rescue them but none of them are interested. They prefer the wild. Just as Tate is about to give up, a new letter arrives. This animal is interested in all Tate has to offer. A warm bed. A bath. And meals fit for a king. Tate’s new best friend is a rescue dog. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

The Rescues Finding Home by Tommy Greenwald and Charlie Greenwald, illustrated by Shiho Pate

Two dogs, Moose and Bear, meet at an animal shelter and become friends. They both wait patiently for their forever home and on one lucky day, a human named Cathy adopts them both. There is an adjustment period for them, but they learn more about themselves and about what makes a family. This is a heartwarming story about finding home. [picture book, ages 5 and up]

Operation Rescue Dog by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Luisa Uribe

Alma’s mami is in Iraq and her abuela has a great idea! They will get a rescue dog the color of mami’s eyes. As they drive to the rescue dog truck meet up, Alma and abuela’s car gets a flat tire. The rescue dog truck also has a little problem when one of the dogs, Lulu, runs off into the cornfields. Both problems get fixed and when Lulu meets Alma and abuela, it’s clear that this is a forever home. This is such a lovely and heartwarming story to inspire readers to consider a rescue dog for their next pet. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

My Dog, Hen by David Mackintosh

Hen is a dog from an animal rescue shelter and he’s getting used to his new life! Hen’s a great dog but he can be destructive. Gran makes him a giant toy from all Hen’s chewed-up dog toys. This picture book has a secondary refrain about upcycling that is reflected in the need to rescue pets in animal shelters. They are just as good as new! And sometimes, even better! [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Lola Gets a Cat by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

Lola wants a cat so she learns about cats and how to take care of them. She and her mommy go to a cat shelter to find a cat and a kitten chooses her! There’s a lot to do to get ready for a new pet. When her kitten comes home, Lola knows just what to do. A gentle story about rescuing a kitten from a pet shelter and the responsibilities of being a good cat owner. It can be expensive to care for cats so I wanted to include this Nutra Thrive for Cats coupon code. [picture book, ages 2 and up]

The Lost Kitten by Lee, illustrated by Komako Sakai

Hina and her mother find a lost kitten at their door with gooey eyes. The mother cat seems to ask them to take care of her kitten. Hina would rather have a kitten from a pet store, but she helps her mother set up a space for the kitten and take care of it. She checks on the kitten but it’s disappeared. Hina remembers when she was separated from her mother in a store. She thinks the kitten might be feeling lost and scared too. Distraught, she decides to search for it and discovers it, finally, snuggled in her sweater. A lovely picture book to inspire cat adoption from a pet shelter. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Like a Wolf  by Géraldine Elschner and Antoine Guilloppé

Raised in harsh circumstances and languishing in a dim kennel, this is a lonely dog whose only wish is for freedom and friendship. Because of the dog’s appearance — pointed ears, sharp teeth –, everyone passed it by looking instead for a “good dog.” Until one day, a man appeared and treated it with kindness. He recognized the good dog inside as a shepherd’s dog. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Sal Everybody’s Pal, Sal Finds a Forever Home by Diana Alvear, illustrated by Chandler Strange

Sal has been at the shelter for a long time and at visiting day today, hopes to find a forever home. Sal and his friends impart through this story lessons to readers that it’s best to adopt pets from shelters, rather than buy them from stores, and that all animals deserve love, dignity, and respect, no matter their age or health. This is good to buy for Adopt a Shelter Pet Day because 10% of all profits will go to support animal rescue groups and shelters. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Luis and Tabitha by Stephanie Campisi, illustrated by Hollie Mengert

A pet owner adopts Luis the alley cat who, after meeting the pet owner’s gorgeous indoor cat, Tabitha, will do anything to remove the glass door that separates them. [picture book, ages 5 and up]

Dog Days in the City by Jodi Kendall

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“There is never a shortage of books about animal shelters and children who want to take care of animals, but there is never a shortage of readers for them, either. Most animal-obsessed readers would be thrilled to have seven puppies arrive unbidden on their doorstep, even if it means quite the outlay of money for food and puppy pads! It was interesting to see Josie’s thoughts about quitting gymnastics, and her light romance with Scully was fun as well.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

 Atty at Law by Tim Lockette

Review from Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Atticus Peale lives in Alabama with her father (who, not surprisingly, is a lawyer), her stepmother, Taleesa, and her stepbrother, Martinez. Taleesa, who is Black, is a writer, and one day when Atty and Martinez are tagging along with her to an animal shelter, they meet Easy. Easy seems like a great dog, but a man shows up and wants the dog put down, claiming it bit him and that he is the owner. He won’t give his name or offer proof, but the dog can’t be adopted and the shelter director, Megg, says he may even need to be put down. Atty talks to her father, who lets her know she can go to court on behalf of the dog and argue that the law holds the owner responsible, and the dog should not have to die. The judge, who is a little annoyed with Atty for “playing lawyer”, agrees– as long as the dog remains locked up. Meg agrees to do this, and Atty has won her first case. Her father is working on a murder case; a man they know from the neighborhood has been accused of killing the pawnshop owner, and the evidence doesn’t look good, although Atty finds some holes in the case, including the fact that the man in question couldn’t read. ” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Children’s Books of Kids Volunteering at Pet Shelters

Tails from the Animal Shelter by Stephanie Shaw, illustrated by Liza Woodruff

This picture book combines poetry with extensive nonfiction narratives about animal shelters. Use this for April’s Poetry Month. It’s a nice accompaniment to all the animal shelter chapter books. There’s additional information in the back matter about volunteering for this popular cause. [advanced picture book, ages 6 and up]

Elmer and the Talent Show (Life in the Doghouse #1) by Danny Robertshaw, Ron Danta, and Crystal Velásquez, illustrated by Laura Catrinella

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Benny’s father is a writer, and his mother is in the military, so they move frequently. Benny has had a hard time fitting in with his classmates, and his parents think it would help if he had a dog. They go to Danny and Ron’s rescue, and Benny has his heart set on a German Shepherd puppy, although Elmer, a ten-year-old dachshund who was badly neglected and whose tongue sticks out because of a broken jaw, has his heart set on this family to adopt him. When the parents come back to get the puppy, they see Elmer and are moved enough by his story that they bring him home. Benny is a bit reluctant, but bonds with the dog. The parents enroll the two in a dog agility class so that Benny can meet other children, and he gets along well with the outgoing and enthusiastic Kitts, whose dog, Coda, helps Elmer with some of the tasks in class. Unfortunately, the boys at school whom Benny would like to befriend make fun of Kitts, and Benny stands by and doesn’t stick up for her. The two manage to make up, and work with Elmer to help him participate in an agility competition.” [early chapter book, ages 7 and up]

My Furry Foster Family: Truman the Dog by Debbi Michiko Florence, illustrated by Melanie Demmer

Kaita Takano and her family foster pets as well as take care of their dog Ollie, a dachshund, who is also a rescue. They have their hands full with Truman, a black lab with destructive tendencies. When it’s time to find Truman a forever home, it’s hard to let go.

This is an endearing series about pet rescue. My only criticism is the portrayal of the Takano family whose very large and round eyes and skin tone look more Latino than Japanese. An Asian illustrator might be more cognizant and nuanced about portraying a Japanese family more accurately. [early chapter book, ages 5 and up]

Critter Club: Ellie and the Good Luck Pig by Callie Barkley, illustrated by Marsha Riti

Ellie and her friends run an animal shelter in Ms. Sullivan’s barn. A new pig arrives and makes Ellie think she has extraordinary good luck so she’s worried that her lucky streak will end when the pig gets adopted.  This is a sweet story that would appeal to girls. [early chapter book, ages 6 and up]

Merlin: Shelter Pet Squad by Cynthia Lord

The volunteers at the Shelter Pet Squad are of mixed ages. The youngest, Suzannah, is just 7 and a half. Her young age comes into play throughout the book as she’s too young to participate in the Adopt a Pet a Thon event without a parent. She also finds the books on ferrets to be a little advanced for her. She doesn’t want to seem like a baby in front of the older kids, but learning to take care of the new ferret is challenging. Is Suzannah just too young for the Shelter Pet Squad? [early chapter book, ages 6 and up]

Magical Animal Adoption Agency: Clover’s Luck by Kallie George, illustrated by Alexandra Boigner

Clover stumbles on an animal adoption agency in the woods near her house. This pet shelter is special because it cares for mystical animals like dragons and unicorns. Clover agrees to help out, but she has her hands full trying to run the shelter on her own when the owner is away. Still, she discovers that she has a special talent in matching the right pet to the right pet owner. But can she protect the animals from an evil witch who is trying to steal them? [early chapter book, ages 6 and up]

Early Chapter Books of Animals Doing the Adopting

Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home by A. R. Capetta, illustrated by Charlene Chua

Hocus and Pocus are two slightly magical puppies trying to find a forever home that keeps them together with a witch, warlock, or wizard. In order not to be separated, they create mischief. Pronouns are also introduced with a young warlock, Tam, using they and them. I love that this gentle adventure combines themes of shelter animals, magic, and LGBTQIA+. [early chapter book, ages 6 and up]

My Pet Human by Yasmine Surovec

This is a story from the point of view of a stray cat adopting a human. It’s a charming, well-paced story that feels like a graphic novel because dialogue bubble cartoons take up most of the page. It would appeal to reluctant readers, both boys and girls, because it’s funny yet moving with drama and lots of love. [early chapter book, ages 6 and up]

The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Willems, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi

Diva is a pampered Parisian dog who is afraid to stray outside the confines of her home. Flea is a flâneur — someone who wanders the streets and bridges and alleys of the city just to see what there is to see. Diva is intrigued but nervous. Flea is curious and nervous about Diva’s life too. Breck-Fest, in particular, intrigues him. Together, they explore this opposite perspective until they figure out a way to merge the two together. [early chapter book, ages 6 and up]

Middle Grade Books with Animal Shelters

Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko, illustrated by Wallace West

Review by A Kid’s Book A Day:

“Chance has had a rough year, winding up at a shelter called Dogtown minus one leg.  After the humans decide he’s a good luck charm, he gets the run of the place, eventually befriending Mouse (a mouse) and Metal Head (one of the robot dogs who also come to the shelter).  When Metal Head decides to escape and try to go back home, Chance and Mouse go along to offer help and moral support.  Metal Head’s boy, now a cool middle schooler, rejects him, and Metal Head is heartbroken.  Chance finally reveals his own story, encouraging Metal Head to focus on the future.  The three make it back to Dogtown, where Chance discovers he is on the dreaded List, meaning he will be heading for the great dog park in the sky.  His final desperate action results in a surprising happy and heartwarming ending; since this is billed as book 1, we may get to hear more of Chance’s story.  Includes a list of seven things kids can do to help shelter dogs.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Animal Rescue Friends by Meika Hashimoto and Gina Loveless, illustrated by Genevieve Kote

The animal rescue is a shelter for both pets and humans. The animals bring out the best in the kids who volunteer there. From ferrets to rabbits to dogs and cats, the animal rescue shelter helps everyone connect. [middle grade graphic novel, ages 8 and up]

Animal Rescue Friends: Friends Fur-Ever by Gina Loveless, Meika Hashimoto, illustrated by Genevieve Kote

The college pressure is strong (even though they are in 5th grade!) so Maddie and Bell create their own club to help animals since they already volunteer at their animal shelter. They help a variety of animals from a Bearded Dragon who is shedding, a porcupine with a quill in its foot, a bunny who is trained as a therapy animal, and more. Warm fuzzy animal rescue stories + graphic novel format = a winning formula! [middle grade graphic novel, ages 8 and up]

Brave Like That by Lindsey Stoddard

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“This had a lot of elements that were interesting; scenes at the fire station, volunteering with an animal shelter, a beloved grandmother, and of course, dogs and football. Middle school is a minefield of interpersonal relationships, so it was interesting to see Cyrus’s understanding that for his own good, he should hang out with the football team, even though he doesn’t much like them. Of course, it is even better to show him realizing WHY he doesn’t like them, and challenging their treatment of a fellow student he likes. It’s good to see this sort of behavior modeled in books. It’s also interesting that Cyrus struggles with reading but is trying to get better.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Pigture Perfect by Jenny Goebel

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Grace is having a little bit of a rocky adjustment to her new living arrangement, but she WANTS Mr. Pine to like her, and tries really hard not to give him a hard time, even feeling bad about the tone she uses with him at one point. This is fantastic, and really true to life for middle school-age children who are trying to do the right thing. The interactions with Emma, whose mother suddenly decides to move away, are realistic as well. The details of training a pig and of the problems they can get into if not trained are very good. Grace was such a well-meaning character, and I liked her a lot. There haven’t been a whole lot of characters lately whom I have enjoyed as much!  [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Ember (Rescue Dogs #1) by Jane B. Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Dog stories, especially ones that feature working dogs in action-packed storylines, have been more popular in recent years, and this is a great addition to books of this genre. The training is well described, and the path to becoming a Search and Rescue dog isn’t always smooth. Ember’s experiences with other families before coming to the Sterling Center highlights the fact that it’s important to match high-energy dogs with families who understand their need for purpose and exercise!” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Nubby’s Story by Aubre Andrus

From Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Based on a true story, we follow the founder of W.E.A.R., a nonprofit animal rescue organization, Lou Robinson, and husband Mark Bowling as they care for a boxer who was born without front legs. From birth, they took Nubby in, fed, and cared for him around the clock, battled illness, and found the best way to maximize his potential despite the challenges he faced. With four other dogs in the house and an animal charity to run, the two managed to help Nubby and also get the word out on social media that “different is not disposable”. They also faced challenges due to storms, reconfigured their house to better care for Nubby, and generally were tireless in figuring out the best way for Nubby to interact with other dogs, stay mobile, and have the same experiences as able-bodied dogs.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Storm Dog by L. M. Elliot

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“This was such a vivid description of spring in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains that I could smell those apple blossoms. Very atmospheric! Ariel’s family dynamics are interesting, and her friendship with Sergeant Josie is touching. I especially appreciated the unfortunate but illuminative scene where Josie is targeted by people who want her to “go back to her country”; she’s from Puerto Rico. Teaching Duke to dance was fun, which nicely balances out her well-warranted anxiety about George. I was also glad to see that the father was described as older when his involvement in Vietnam protests was mentioned.” [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

Elvis and the World as it Stands by Lisa Frenke Riddiough, illustrated by Olivia Chin Mueller

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Elvis is a kitten who has ended up in a shelter with his sister, Etta. He is glad to be going to a forever home but devastated that he and Etta are separated. He ends up in a home in San Franciso with Georgina, a girl whose parents are divorced and who also has Mo, a guinea pig, Laverne, a fish, and Clementine, an older cat who isn’t very glad to see him. Georgina is sad about her parents being apart and is very interested in architecture. She (and sometimes the animals) works on Lego models of famous buildings and is very interested in the Twin Towers. She wants to visit New York City with both of her parents, but her mother in particular is less than thrilled. She splits time between her parents’ apartments, but is not allowed to have pets at her father’s.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Home Sweet Forever Home by Rachele Alpine, illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Lauren is a very energetic character who does not let other people get in the way of getting things done! She and her friends take their tasks seriously, even trying to get their teacher to adopt a pet (in a really charming scene where the teacher thinks they are trying to set her up with a boyfriend!). I love the energy and the fact that they don’t shy away from working hard. Lauren’s family, with her stepfather and stepbrother, seemed nicely realistic. Her uncle who owns the cupcake shop is gay, and the friends have diverse backgrounds. I really liked the short biographies, and am looking forward to the next book of the four-book series, which brings in art. Fans of Coco Simon’s different series will like the Invincible Girls and their club.” [chapter book, ages 7 and up]

Pawcasso by Remy Lai

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Jo’s world is an idyllic one few of us get to experience– shops within walking distance that include a grocery, ice cream store, and book store; children allowed to roam freely and run their father’s dog grooming business in an emergency; public transportation; and lots of children hanging about having adventures. Seeing the community tussle over leashes vs. no leashes was compelling, and it was easy to believe that people thought Pawcasso belonged to Jo. The family problems add an additional layer of interest. Brightly colored illustrations in an appealing style will appeal to fans of Telgemeier, Jamieson, and Scrivan.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Must Love Pets: Bunny Bonanza by Saadia Faruqi

While this charming series is about pet sitting, readers who enjoy reading about rescue pets will love this too. Imaan, London, and Olivia have a pet-sitting business. When they agree to watch a bunny named Doc who can do tricks, their marketing plan for their business might be too ambitious. [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

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p.s. Related posts:

Five New Rescue Dog Books

Picture Book On Rescue Dog after Loss of Pet

Animal Friendship Picture Books

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