Smiling Dog Rescue

Smiling Dog Rescue SDR is a 501c3 non-profit charity located in Tucson, AZ that rescues dogs in danger of euthanasia and places them in foster care pending adoption.

SMILING DOG RESCUE ARIZONA
SMILING DOG RESCUE FLORIDA
SNIP-A-PIT

Smiling Dog Rescue (aka S.D.R.) began in January of 2007 when Rica was asked to help a smiling pit bull set for euthanasia at a kill shelter in Southern Arizona. Being made aware of this one endangered and innocent life led to a greater awareness of a sad reality - the enormous number of pit bull and pit bull-type dogs who too ofte

n end their lives in high kill shelters - merely because of the way they look. Never looking back, SDR has since then rehabilitated and re-homed nearly 6000 unwanted, stray and abandoned pit bulls, bully type dogs, as well as many other types of dogs from all over southern Arizona. SDR is committed to reducing the number of homeless, relinquished, abandoned and needlessly destroyed dogs. This commitment has been directly dependent upon the great generosity of the system of foster homes, as well as veterinary clinics, shelter workers, other rescues and volunteers who all work together with SDR to create a network that enables as many adoptable dogs on death row to be saved as possible. We strive to save as many adoptable dogs as possible - and statistically that means the majority of dogs in danger are pit bulls. The plight of the pit bull dog in America is currently a controversial one - because of negative stereo types perpetuated by the media, which then affects the reputation of the breed as a whole. Many factors complicate matters for responsible owners and bully dog advocates. In order to help combat the negative stereotypes, SDR strongly advocates spaying or neutering, and will not adopt out a dog that has not been altered. Smiling Dog Rescue Arizona and Florida locations have created a free spay and neuter program for Pima County AZ and Brevard County FL for low income owners of pit bull and pit bull mix dogs called Snip-A-Pit that can be accessed through snipapit.com. We are convinced that overall responsible bully dog ownership is the key to changing perceptions of these dogs from the snarling and vicious monsters constantly seen on the news, back to the all American family dog reputation they once enjoyed. SDR believes that in order to accomplish restoring the pit bull to their former position of reverence and high esteem - it is vital to eliminate all backyard breeding, dog fighting and the inhumane treatment they suffer at the hands of people who believe the stereotypes. Focusing on the positive images there are, and encouraging and supporting all the great canine ambassadors for the breed that are out there, is the best path towards ending the negative stereotypes of these wonderful dogs, once known only for their great loyalty and good will towards men.

05/06/2026
05/04/2026

Beautiful Lydia, enjoying her bully stick that’s to auntie Jen.

Does anyone know why we haven’t had a flood of applicants for this gorgeous, friendly girl?!?

Lydia Rose
2 years old • Dog & Kid Friendly! • No Cats, please
Application: www.hopeofdeliverance.org
Adoption fee: $100
📍 Tucson, AZ

Our SDR girls Hallie & Marshmallow. 💕 So thankful for our amazing rescue community.
04/30/2026

Our SDR girls Hallie & Marshmallow. 💕
So thankful for our amazing rescue community.

04/19/2026

The last few pups with Smiling Dog Rescue need our help. 🥹

These two beautiful girls are needing urgent fosters or adopters, either together which would be AMAZING or separate. 💕

Rica always saved the best dogs and these girls are no exception. 💕

04/18/2026

Friends, Many of you know that our dear founder Rica passed away end of last year. 💔

Rica’s husband needs our help placing the last dogs from Smiling Dog Rescue. Please share and help us get these sweet girls into foster (or preferably forever homes!)!

“On the left, is Hallie.

Hallie is a 4-6 year old, Pitbull/Catahoulla mix. She is spayed, vaccinated, and micro chipped. Hallie gets along with other dogs and children. She is house broken and enjoys chasing lizards.
On the right, is Marshmallow.

Marshmallow is a 4-6 year old Shepard mix. Marshmallow loves other dogs, children, and chickens. She is spayed, vaccinated, and micro chipped. Marshmallow is house broken, travels well, and a couch potatoes, if you let her.”

Our fellow rescue friends at Hope of Deliverance, Inc. have stepped up to help. If interested in fostering or adopting, please submit a courtesy application to foster or adopt, through links below.

Adoption: 🔗 https://www.hopeofdeliverance.org/adoption-application

Foster: 🔗 https://www.hopeofdeliverance.org/foster-application

Rica gave so much to so many, please help us honor her legacy.

Please SHARE!

04/18/2026

Friends, Many of you know that our dear founder Rica passed away end of last year. 💔

Rica’s husband needs our help placing the last dogs from Smiling Dog Rescue. Please share and help us get these sweet girls into foster (or preferably forever homes!)!

“On the left, is Hallie.

Hallie is a 4-6 year old, Pitbull/Catahoulla mix. She is spayed, vaccinated, and micro chipped. Hallie gets along with other dogs and children. She is house broken and enjoys chasing lizards.
On the right, is Marshmallow.

Marshmallow is a 4-6 year old Shepard mix. Marshmallow loves other dogs, children, and chickens. She is spayed, vaccinated, and micro chipped. Marshmallow is house broken, travels well, and a couch potatoes, if you let her.”

Our fellow rescue friends at Hope of Deliverance, Inc. have stepped up to help. If interested in fostering or adopting, please submit a courtesy application to foster or adopt, through links below.

Adoption: 🔗 https://www.hopeofdeliverance.org/adoption-application

Foster: 🔗 https://www.hopeofdeliverance.org/foster-application

Rica gave so much to so many, please help us honor her legacy.

Please SHARE!

‼️ EMERGENCY PLACEMENT NEEDED!‼️Friends, as you know our dear Founder Rica passed away end of last year.💔Last night, som...
04/17/2026

‼️ EMERGENCY PLACEMENT NEEDED!‼️

Friends, as you know our dear Founder Rica passed away end of last year.💔

Last night, some of the remaining dogs Groot and Hailey were battling rattlesnake bites and our amazing fellow rescuer & dear friend Bree w/ Hope of Deliverance, Inc.stepped in to help save these babies just as our beloved Rica Powell would have done. Both of these dogs were saved by our own wonderful dog advocate Rica, before she passed.

Ways to donate:

💰 Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CYN9VLPKKUZ2L&ssrt=1696269452996

💰 Venmo:

💰 Zelle: 330.647.9963

Hope of Deliverance is a 501(c)(3) organization.
EIN: 84-4294902

Rica’s husband also needs our help placing the last dogs from Smiling Dog Rescue. Please share and help us get these sweet girls into foster (or preferably forever homes!)!

Groot has found foster placement.

“On the left, is Hallie.

Hallie is a 4-6 year old, Pitbull/Catahoulla mix. She is spayed, vaccinated, and micro chipped. Hallie gets along with other dogs and children. She is house broken and enjoys chasing lizards.
On the right, is Marshmallow.

Marshmallow is a 4-6 year old Shepard mix. Marshmallow loves other dogs, children, and chickens. She is spayed, vaccinated, and micro chipped. Marshmallow is house broken, travels well, and a couch potatoes, if you let her.”

Submit a courtesy application to foster or adopt, through links below.

Adoption: 🔗 https://www.hopeofdeliverance.org/adoption-application

Foster: 🔗 https://www.hopeofdeliverance.org/foster-application

Rica gave so much to so many, please help us honor her legacy.

Please SHARE!

Finally, the research is proving what many of us already knew. ~ Laurie
10/03/2025

Finally, the research is proving what many of us already knew. ~ Laurie

07/20/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DqkpU59KN/

I am dedicated to bringing a voice to the many dogs who are unwanted, displaced, abused, or neglected. Often at risk of being euthanized, dumped in shelters, out of hoarding situations, abandoned or given away.

07/14/2025

ARIZONA friends and family! ♥️🌵
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE!!

BUDDY + RIO
PUPDATE: Shelter updated us that they now know RIO is a spayed FEMALE!!

****Looking for an AMAZING home that will take both**

URGENT call for help for these two at the Nogales shelter. This beautifully bonded pair ended up there through no fault of their own.. their parents divorced. And the hope and prayer is that someone will give them a loving home TOGETHER immediately! They need out. If they have to be separated they can, but their family and life as they know it has already been torn apart..

If interested please DM us asap so we can connect you with the angel hearts who are helping them. Believing for you precious babies!!

Here is their writeup! 🙏🏻♥️✨

Yep, that's us! So you're probably wondering how we got in this situation....

Hi! We are Buddy the shepherd mix and Rio the Weimeranner and together we make a dynamic duo, a fun loving, affectionate, social, and adventurous pair who thought they had it all and a bag of chips! We had a good life, a loving home, lots of attention, walks, treats, car rides, our own dog beds, and tummy rubs on the couch! We were living the doggie high life!

Then tragedy struck. We did our best to stop it, but all the love, kisses, zoomies, and soulful cuddle sessions with our humans couldn't stop the rift that took place in our cozy family life and home. Our beloved parents decided to call it splits, and for some reason that we don't understand, they decided to call it splits with us too!

A few days ago, we thought we were going for pup cups and a drive through the countryside, and instead, we ended up at some unfamiliar building and were so confused to see our beloved owners handing our leashes over to someone called animal control. We aren't sure what that is, why it's so loud and stressful here, why we are stuck in this tiny kennel, and especially why our parents haven't come back for us! We've been told they won't though, and that we need to accept this and move on..

We are hoping you can help us with this moving on thing? We would really like to get out of here...it's pretty scary! We need a new family to help spring us out of here, someone who will love us, and will cherish and care for us always so we don't have to go through this seriously unpleasant and scary experience ever again! We will make it worth your while with tons of love and laughter for years to come! *** Also, we really love each other, see each other as BONDED FAMILY, and we are all we have now...so we are really hoping some amazing family will adopt us together! Never leave a sibling behind!

****Looking for a home that will take both****

Please come rescue us soon at Santa Cruz County Animal Care & Control in Nogales, AZ. Hours are Mon-Fri from 8-5, and sometimes by appointment. We can't wait to meet you and to spend the rest of our lives being your best friends! We want to make lemonade from these lemons life has recently thrown at us! Come help us make the best life lemonade ever!

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Tucson, AZ

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