Giving Orange County's at-risk shelter dogs the support, advocacy, and second chances they need to succeed - because every dog deserves a next chapter, and we believe in the underdog.
OC Underdogs rescues dogs facing euthanasia by focusing on rehabilitating through education-driven fostering, and places them in forever homes where the relationship — not just the adoption — is built to last. We've always believed in the underdog. We just think it's time everyone else does too.
Every dollar you donate goes directly to the dogs.
OC Underdogs runs entirely on the generosity of people who believe in the underdog. We have no corporate backing, no institutional funding — just a community showing up for dogs that have no one else.
Your donations cover everything from the everyday essentials like food and leashes, etc. to the big stuff like vet bills, medical appointments, adoption events, transportation, training tools and supplies, all to set our fosters and dogs up for success.
When you donate to OC Underdogs — you're pulling a dog off a euthanasia list, funding the foster who transforms them, and building the road to their new life.
different Ways that you can donate:
Any amount that you can give directly helps transform the life of a dog in need.
Meet the FoundersMy first rescue came off a euthanasia list. He was one of the most difficult experiences I've ever taken on — there were nights I cried, moments I wanted to quit, days I didn't know if we'd make it through. But instead of giving up, I leaned in. I learned from him and with him. That bond became something I can't put into words, and it gave me a purpose I didn't know I was missing. He wouldn't be alive without me. And honestly, I wouldn't be who I am without him.
That experience sent me to the front lines — walking the rows of Orange County shelters as a volunteer, face to face with dogs that had been dumped, discarded, and forgotten. I saw hard cases. I worked with tough dogs. I learned to look past the barking, the scars, the fear — because I knew what waited on the other side of that kennel door. What I also saw was a crisis no one was talking about: Orange County has a shelter problem. It's quiet, it's overlooked, and it's costing dogs their lives every day. I started OC Underdogs because it was time for a rescue to step up for this county.
“OC Underdogs wasn't built in a boardroom. It was built in the hard, messy, tear-filled work of loving dogs that the world had given up on.”
My partner Donald and I share this mission completely — and our dogs, Sully and Roscoe, are living proof of why it matters. Sully is our fearful, reactive, high-drive dog. Roscoe is shy and submissive, easily overwhelmed by the world around him. Most people wouldn't choose them. We see them as the truest winners we've ever known — because they've taught us more about patience, empathy, and ourselves than we ever expected. They are, in every sense, our underdogs.
If you've ever felt called to something bigger, I invite you to take this journey with us. Adopting a shelter dog changed our lives and gave us a purpose we didn't know we were searching for. It can do the same for you.
With light and love,
OC Underdogs