Our Tale

The Rescue Train was founded in 2004 as a nonprofit, 501(c) 3, no-kill animal welfare organization. Today we are known as one of the most innovative and hard-working groups in Los Angeles run by dedicated volunteers. Through our unique programs and solutions, we've helped save thousands of animals' lives. Our ability to collaborate and form partnerships to achieve our goals sets us ahead of the pack.

Rolling Down the Tracks to Save Animals' Lives...

  • Rescue & Rehome

    We’ve had close to two decades of experience saving animals from abuse, neglect and euthanasia. We rescue dogs and cats from city and county shelters and find them loving homes. We save all breeds, and we don’t shy away from senior animals or animals with treatable medical conditions. We invest a lot of time, love and resources in each animal in our care.

    Our hands-on rescue work gives us a lot of experience evaluating animals’ temperaments and behaviors, and we pass this information onto potential adopters. Most of our rescues live in foster homes, which allows us to see how they behave in a home setting. We pride ourselves on matching the right pet with the right owner, resulting in a lifetime of love and companionship.

    Adopt

  • Shelter Intervention

    Poverty directly contributes to shelter euthanasia rates. With the lack of affordable housing, and the homeless crisis on the rise in Los Angeles, many pet owners believe that surrendering their animal to a city or county shelter is their only option. Our Shelter Intervention Program provides resources to low-income, senior citizens and homeless pet owners, giving them options to keep their pets out of the shelter and in loving homes where they belong.

    Our compassionate bilingual counselors evaluate each case individually and work with the pet owner to develop personalized, long-term solutions. This allows us to reduce the number of animals entering Los Angeles shelters and thus reduce the burden on local rescue organizations.

    Learn More

  • Pet Pantry

    The Rescue Train knows how much money you make does not equal how much you love your pet. There are many areas in Los Angeles where people live in poverty and struggle to keep food on the table. Guardians who cannot afford to feed their pets are often faced with surrendering their animal to local shelters.

    Our Pet Pantry collects donations of pet food and supplies and distributes them to financially struggling pet owners, including low-income families, seniors living on fixed incomes, veterans and the homeless. Pet Pantry clients must demonstrate need through income-based qualifications and can receive a monthly supply of pet food during times of financial hardship.

    Donate Pet Food

  • Hyla Marrow – Animal Angel (1950-2016)

    As a young girl, Hyla had a passion for cats, and this devotion was carried throughout her lifetime. Her many accomplishments include: gifted financial investor, talented stuntwoman, dancer, poet and world traveler. She created the Hyla Marrow Trust, to help the plight of homeless cats in Southern California and to help save as many lives as possible.

    Since her death in 2016, her Trust has benefited over 60 animal welfare organizations including The Rescue Train. In her memory, we have launched a free monthly Mobile Spay and Neuter Clinic for feral cats, helping our cat adoption program and providing important resources to low-income and homeless cat owners. Hyla’s spirit and love of cats will always live on through the work we do, and we thank the Hyla Marrow Trust for their support.

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