Joshua Tree No-Kill Shelter
Our Mission
The Joshua Tree No-Kill Shelter is dedicated to ending euthanasia in our region and bringing real hope to the Mojave. We provide a safe, compassionate haven for abandoned and homeless pets as they wait to start their next chapter.
Our History
Our journey began in 1972, born from a community-wide effort to support homeless pets in the Morongo Basin. Thanks to the generosity of local animal advocate Kay Baker, who donated 3.5 acres of land, we opened our doors in 1981 and proudly transitioned into a recognized no-kill shelter in 2005.
Our Care Model
As the only no-kill shelter in the Morongo Basin, we are a community-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit that treats every animal as an individual. We provide dogs and cats with the time, medical care, and enrichment they need to heal and decompress, ensuring they are truly ready for their forever homes.
Building Lifelong Matches
We believe in the power of real, lasting connections that work for both the pet and the family. Our team focuses on thoughtful, transparent matching to ensure everyone succeeds long-term, providing guidance on temperament and compatibility to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Join Our Community
If you believe animals deserve a second chance, you are already part of our mission. We invite you to visit our shelter in Joshua Tree to meet our adoptable residents or connect with us on social media to share our stories and help these wonderful pets find the homes they deserve.
Trust Assessment
SilverRated Sep 11, 2026
NonprofitVerifiedPhysical FacilityOperating 50+ years
FinancesOnline Review Highlights
- Clean, well-maintained facility
- Staff and volunteer dedication
- Strict adoption policies
Coverage We Reviewed
Z107.7 FM Joshua Tree
6/5 - Saturday is California Adopt-A-Pet Day with free and discounted adoptions at shelters in the hi-desert
Saturday (June 6) is California Adopt-A-Pet Day. Nothing has changed my life more or for the better than adopting our beautiful little dog Sunday from a
Recent Videos
10/11 - Mr. Wyclef thought he was going to have a nice, chill day hanging out with Emily in the office. 😂 But our sweet kitty, Marlene, decided HIS bed was HER bed (Wyclef was NOT amused), and Foxy just wanted to play. And play. And play some more. 😹 So much for a relaxing day, buddy! After the storm, we’re just so grateful to see our shelter animals safe, dry, and having a little fun. ❤️ (Well, Wyclef might have some notes.) 📝 Now, if only we could get all these sweet faces into forever homes of their own! 🏡 Ready to meet your new best friend? Visit our website (link in bio 🔗👆🏽) to see all of our adoptable dogs and cats. Please share this post! Let’s get our shelter animals out of here! 🎬 #adopt #donate #thankyou #joshuatree
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10/10 - We are HAPPY to interrupt your soon-to-be-stormy Saturday with some INCREDIBLE news! 🌧️❤️ EEVIE IS ADOPTED!!! 🥹🎉 After all her hardship, having her former owners surrendering her, being scared and so shut down at the shelter, and enduring TWO massive dental procedures, this beautiful girl finally got her happy ending. 😭 And it gets even better. The amazing couple who adopted Eevie? They adopted Billy the Kid from us exactly ONE YEAR AGO TODAY. Can you even believe that?! 😭❤️ Thank you for coming back for another shelter dog and for seeing Eevie for who she is. This girl needed someone to give her a chance, and you did just that! 🛟 We love ALL our adopters, but the people who look at an older dog, see past the hard stuff, and decide they deserve a chance at a good life? We bow to you. 🙌❤️ Happy tails, sweet angel. You’ve waited long enough. Now go enjoy the life you deserve. 🐾 And to everyone following along, there are more amazing dogs and cats at our shelter still waiting for their people. If you’ve been thinking about adopting, maybe this is your little nudge. Your next best friend might be waiting for you right here. Please share this post! #adopt #goinghome #thankyou
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10/9 - Have you guys met MOON! 🌙 Six months old, 37 pounds, brindle and white, and ridiculously pretty. 😍 Moon isn’t just a pretty face 🤩🌖 This girl has an AMAZING disposition. She loves people, loves being around her humans, and has that sweet, easygoing personality that makes you want to scoop her up and take her home. Did we mention she’s dog-friendly? 🐾 Moon is currently in a foster home, but what she really needs is a family of her own! Six months old is the perfect age to start building a life together. Let’s not let this beautiful girl grow up waiting for someone to choose her. 🥹 📧 Interested in meeting this superstar? Email office@jtnks.org to arrange a meet-and-greet! 🗣️ Please share Moon’s post! Every adoption opens up space for us to save another dog from a high-risk shelter. Let’s get this sweet girl HOME! #adopt #moon #joshuatree
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10/7 - YOU GUYS! 😭❤️ Check out the difference in our sweet Eevie! Thanks to everyone who donated to her dental fundraiser, she was able to have Part 1 of her dental on September 24th. 🦷 Eevie needed a full-mouth extraction, so this has been a BIG procedure for this sweet girl. A huge thank-you to Warren for making the drive to Rialto Animal Hospital to drop her off, and to Jocelyn for bringing her safely back to JTNKS. And thank you to @rialtoanimalhospital for taking such amazing care of her! 🥰 @desertbingo did an amazing job raising money for Eevie too! 📣 We appreciate you all so much! Evie heads back to Rialto on October 8th for the final part of her dental, when the remaining teeth will be removed. For now, she’s back at the shelter, settled in, eating her wet food like a champ, and being the bright light she is. ❤️ Evie could be the light in YOUR home. 💡 This approximately 7-year-old Dutch Shepherd/Malinois mix has SO much to offer: 🐾 Great on leash 🚗 Fantastic traveler 🏠 House trained 🐶 Knows “sit” and “shake” 🎾 LOVES the play yard ❤️ No aggression during handling 🥰 And just an incredibly sweet, gentle girl Poor baby has been through enough, and you wouldn’t even know it! Now she just needs someone to show her what the rest of her life can look like. ❤️ Ps: Eevie’s fundraiser has a few more days left if you can donate! Link in bio 👆🏽🔗 #dutchshepherdsofinstagram #malinois #donate #thankyou
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10/6 - Our Gentle Giant, FRED, got a day out with Meg! He went to work with her AND to the park! Looks like another Straight A report card! 🎓 From @meg_charnley : - Fred was super good boy!!! - Greeted everyone and got some belly rubs - Didn’t bark or growl at all. Biggest noise he made was a disgruntled sigh when I didn’t share my lunch with him - No accidents inside - Was great on leash - Was on point with his sit command - We had a CPR class going on in our conference room across the hall and he was very diligent in watching the class to make sure they were all doing their compressions correctly! - Got very excited when his collar came off and he got scratches on his neck and behind the ears - Recall is kind of hit or miss but overall he was ok! - He was a bit playful throwing his bone around and then doing a roll/flop onto peoples laps - He really enjoyed having a good sniff in the dog park while trotting around! - Was a big sleepy baby that got some good zzzs in 🐶 You guys! Come meet this beautiful, sweet, giant lap dog! Fred will be such an amazing member of the family! 📣 Can’t adopt? Please share this post! It really helps get our shelter animals seen! #adopt #adoptdontshop #fred
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10/5 - These guys came through for the Joshua Tree No-Kill Shelter this weekend! 👊🏼 Steve & Glen from @thestationjoshuatree generously lent us their dunk tank FREE OF CHARGE so we could raise money for the shelter at the @gublerorchids Festival. 🌸 We had A LOT of fun with it. 😂 Huge THANK YOU to Steve & Glen for supporting our animals and helping us make this fundraiser so much fun. This is what our little desert community is all about — And to everyone who paid to throw balls at us: thank you for your money and your excellent aim! 🎯 We appreciate you guys so much! Huge thanks to @doorologist for being the best salesperson in the desert and @lndzb @msjyvhs @lindalindakrantzy @reverberationsmedia for doing the most amazing job!
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10/4 - Meet SID! He was known as Balboa at the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter, but we renamed him Sid because, well… look at him. 😂 He looks just like Sid the Sloth from Ice Age! 🦥 Sid showed up at YVAS about five months ago after being attacked by another dog. He was taken to the vet right away, had drains placed, and had a long recovery. ❤️🩹 After all that, he just kept getting overlooked. Now he’s with us and we love him! He’s sweet, friendly, seems to like other dogs, and he’s much more relaxed here. We haven’t seen any kennel stress so far! And that face? Come on. Sid the Sloth is pretty damn cute. 😂 There’s actually a Sid the Sloth quote from Ice Age that feels pretty fitting — when abandoned by his family, Sid says: “They do this every year. Why doesn’t anyone love me?” Well, Sid, we love you and we know your new family will too! Come meet this lovable boy! Can’t adopt? Please share this post!! Let’s get Sid the home he deserves! #adopt #iceage #sidthesloth #joshuatree
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10/2 - You Guys!! Calvin got ADOPTED! Calvin’s new mom wasn’t planning on getting another dog. Then she saw the video of him arriving at our shelter from 29 Palms and thought, “Okay… I need to meet this guy.” 🤔 She came down, met him, and that was that. She fell in love. And while Amanda was meeting Calvin, her daughter was falling for a kitten named Dolly. 👱🏼♀️ One family visit turned into two adoptions. 😂 (We’ll have more on Dolly later!) We set up a meet-and-greet with their sweet girl, Honey Bee 🐝, and she and Calvin were like long lost friends 🐶 (Best name change ever) … Calvin is now JACK JACK! 🎲🎰 We are SO happy for this guy. Sometimes life throws you a curveball, and every once in a while, it’s exactly the one you need! Amanda feels like her sweet pup who crossed the Rainbow Bridge recently, sent Jack Jack to her family. We can’t argue with that. He looks like he’s always belonged. 🥹 Thank you for adopting, @mrsamandaroby1 and family! We’re so happy for this crew! 🗣️ Can’t adopt? Please share this post! We have many shelter animals waiting for their lucky break! #adopt #thankyou #adoptdontshop #goinghome
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10/1 - We LOVE a PUPDATE 💪🏽🐶 Especially when it’s from an animal who lived with us for a long time. And Petey was in the shelter way too long. He was so stressed in his kennel and it was hard for people to look past that. Month after month he kept getting overlooked and passed by. But look at him NOW. 🥹 Petey has a brand-new house in a brand-new state, a family who absolutely adores him, and siblings — including a cat who has already made it very clear that Petey is NOT in charge. 😂 His new parents love him so much, and seeing this happy, settled, spoiled version of Petey is exactly why we do what we do! Thank you @whatuhjokester and your amazing wife, for seeing this boy and making him part of your family. We couldn’t be happier for you Marshmallow man! 🐾❤️ Please share this post! Let’s get some more happy endings for shelter animals everywhere! #adoptdontshop
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9/30 - Who can resist a little terrier named Foxy?! 💕👱🏼♀️ This little girl is 1 year old and only 11 pounds, but don’t let the tiny package fool you. She’s got that big terrier personality we love so much. 💪🏽 Foxy is a little shy when you first meet her, but give her a minute and she’s right there with you. She’s sweet, funny, curious, and just a little bit sassy. Basically… 11 pounds of terrier. 😂 We’re still getting to know her, but this little girl is already a staff fave! (Aren’t they all!) 🥹 Come on down to the shelter and meet Foxy! 📆 Thursday - Sunday ⏰ 10-3pm 🗣️ Can’t make it during open hours? 📧 office@jtnks.org for an appointment! #adopt #blonde #terrier #foxy
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9/27 - ✋🏽Stop scrolling and take a minute to look at this majestic AND goofy purebred Doberman! 🖤🐾 Meet CERBERUS! The newest member of the Joshua Tree No-Kill Shelter family! Cerberus came to us a few days ago from Palms N Paws in 29 Palms, and we are already in LOVE! And he’s not just a pretty face! This guy knows his stuff — sit, shake, down, spin and maybe even speak… lol. He LOVES toys, LOVES people and is super outgoing. He seems to love everyone he meets! 🥰 At 74 pounds and VERY tall, he’s a whole lot of Doberman! If you’re looking for a smart, goofy best friend, he is the one for YOU! He is dog friendly but we don’t think cats are his fave 😿 Come meet Cerberus! This handsome good boy is ready to find his people 🖤 Can’t adopt? Please share this post! Let’s get this sweetheart seen 🎬 #doberman #dobermanpinscher #dobermansofinstagram #joshuatree
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9/25 - 🎉 Wyclef says TGIF!! 🎉 Wyclef spent the day with our friend, Meg, at her office yesterday and she said he had great day! So, naturally, he got a report card. 📝 From Meg~ “Wyclef was great! - Absolute giddy kippers when he first came into the office and off the leash. Ran about peeking in at everyone’s rooms and seeing what they were up to with his tail wagging and nails clicking! Wasn’t bold enough to let anyone pet then but had a good sniff of them all 👃🏼 - Started letting people give him a scratch when they were sat on the floor rather than standing and gave his belly if I was next to them on the floor and even started climbing in a few people to get cuddles when they were sat down! - Had some protective growling and barking at someone who came in wearing a wide brimmed hat, was fine with people in baseball caps 🤷♀️, but as soon as the person took it off he settled down and then sat down and let them pet him 🩷 - Good on leash! Very excited and enthusiastic every time he could go on a walk! 🐕 - He enjoyed looking out of windows and seeing what people were up to (although he did accidentally run into a floor length window he thought was the door when he was excited about having his leash on) 😂 - Going to be a great and lovable companion for whoever adopts him. He had a lot of love to give once he was comfortable in his space and the person!” That’s all folks! Come meet our little pancake 🥞❤️ Wyclef is about 2 years old, neutered, 29 pounds, and beyond adorable. He’s got the cutest little body and a personality that will absolutely win you over. 🤸♀️ Please share this post! Wyclef needs a home! #wyclef #adoptdontshop #pitbullcorgie #joshuatree #foster
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9/24 - Meet the First Ladies of Country Music!🎶 🎶 Dolly Parton — adoption pending! 💕 Patsy Cline — pink collar Loretta Lynn — purple collar Reba McEntire — the cute red head! (Just kidding) These four little ladies are so ridiculously cute and sweet, you’re not going to believe it. 🥹 Dolly has already found someone waiting to take her home, but Patsy, Loretta, and Reba are still looking for their people! Come down to the Kitten Lounge and meet these little country queens! 🎀🐾 Can’t adopt? Please share this post! #kittensofinstagram #dollyparton #patsy #reba #loretta 🎸
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9/23 - Pug/Shiba lovers! Meet NORMA! This 2-year-old Pug/Shiba mix has the cutest little underbite and a personality to match. 😂 Norma LOVES to play fetch and already knows sit, shake, and down. She seems to be potty trained, is very people-oriented, and didn’t react at all to the barking dogs walking by her kennel! She is not cat friendly, and while she may be dog tolerant, she’ll need to meet any potential canine roommate to see if they’re a match. 🎬 And the faces this girl makes?! Absolutely hilarious. 😂 If you’re looking for a fun, smart, people-loving little dog with a serious underbite situation, come meet Norma! ❤️ Can’t adopt? Please share this post and let’s get Norma a home! 🏡 #adopt #pug #shibasofinstagram #pugsofinstagram #joshuatree
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