The Great Dane Rescue of Minnesota & Wisconsin is an all-volunteer rescue devoted to rehoming Great Danes in MN & WI, with an on-site sanctuary for unadoptable Danes to live out their lives .

| Join us in #savingdanes |

At Great Dane Rescue of Minnesota & Wisconsin, we believe every Great Dane deserves someone willing to show up for them.

Sometimes that means helping a dog find a new family. Sometimes it means providing medical care, patience, and a fresh start. And sometimes it means making a lifelong commitment to a dog who simply isn’t safe to place in a traditional home.

We’re here for all of those dogs.

We’re a nonprofit, volunteer-led rescue organization dedicated to the care, rehabilitation, and responsible rehoming of purebred Great Danes. Through our foster-based rescue program and our Great Dane Sanctuary, we provide individualized care for dogs with a wide range of needs.

We’re also a group of people who understand that life with a Great Dane means giant personalities, enormous veterinary bills, questionable sleeping arrangements, and an impressive amount of drool.

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Our Mission: Every Dane Deserves a Chance

Our mission is to provide compassionate, responsible care for Great Danes in need while working toward the best possible outcome for each individual dog.

We accept Great Danes from owners who can no longer care for them, shelters, animal control facilities, and other situations where rescue intervention is needed.

Some dogs arrive healthy, happy, and ready for a new family. Others come with medical challenges, behavioral concerns, or a history that requires additional understanding and support.

We don’t believe rescue is simply about moving dogs from one home to another.

It’s about understanding the dog in front of us and making decisions that give them the best opportunity to succeed.

And sometimes, that means recognizing that a traditional adoption isn’t the right answer.

Two Programs. One Mission. #savingdanes

Our Foster-Based Rescue

Our rescue program serves Great Danes throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and surrounding states.

When a Dane enters our adoption program, we work to place them in an appropriate foster home where they can decompress, receive necessary veterinary care, and begin preparing for their next chapter.

Our fosters are an essential part of what we do. They help us understand each dog’s personality, behavior, and needs so we can make thoughtful adoption decisions.

We don’t place dogs based on who applies first or who falls in love with a particular photo.

We believe the right match matters—for the dog and for the family welcoming them home.

Because successful rescue isn’t measured by how quickly a dog gets adopted.

It’s measured by whether that dog has been given the opportunity to thrive.

Learn About Adopting | Become a Foster

Our Great Dane Sanctuary

Not every Great Dane can safely live in a traditional family environment.

Some dogs come to us with significant bite histories, resource guarding, or other behavioral challenges that make adoption unsafe or unrealistic.

And while those dogs may not be adoptable, that doesn’t mean their lives stop mattering.

Our Sanctuary provides a permanent, structured environment for Great Danes who need lifelong care, experienced handling, and consistent routines.

These dogs aren’t waiting for someone to adopt them. For many of them, we are their forever home.

Sanctuary life looks different from life in a typical household. Our dogs receive individualized care, enrichment, veterinary oversight, and management based on their specific needs and abilities.

It’s not always easy. It’s certainly not inexpensive. And it’s a responsibility we take seriously.

Because when we commit to giving a dog sanctuary, we understand what that promise means.

Learn About Our Sanctuary

The People Behind the Paws

Great Dane Rescue of Minnesota & Wisconsin is powered by a dedicated team of board members, volunteers, foster families, and supporters who share one very important thing in common: a love for these ridiculous, wonderful dogs.

Our board oversees the organization’s operations, finances, rescue programs, and long-term sustainability. Our volunteers and fosters help make the day-to-day work possible, while our Sanctuary has dedicated support for the specialized care our resident dogs require.

There are applications to review, home visits to complete, veterinary appointments to coordinate, dogs to transport, medications to administer, fundraising campaigns to organize, and approximately a million other things happening behind the scenes.

And while the dogs get most of the attention (as they should), none of this happens without the people who keep showing up for them.

Meet Our Board & Team

We’re proud of the people who help lead and support this organization, and we believe you should know who’s behind the work.

Meet the People Behind the Rescue

Rescue Takes a Village

Here’s the thing about rescue: Good intentions alone don’t pay veterinary bills, provide foster homes, or keep a Sanctuary running.

We rely on donations, volunteers, foster families, adopters, and supporters who believe in what we’re doing.

Every donation helps provide care. Every foster home gives us another opportunity to help a dog. Every volunteer who gives their time makes a difference.

And every person who shares our mission helps us reach someone who might be able to change a Great Dane’s life.

We can’t save them all. But together, we can do a whole lot of good.

Our Organization

Great Dane Rescue of Minnesota & Wisconsin is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving Great Danes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and surrounding states.

We are registered as a corporation in Minnesota and Wisconsin and operate in accordance with applicable state requirements.

Wisconsin Dog Seller and Dog Facility Operator License: 266896DS

We are committed to responsible rescue practices, appropriate veterinary care, thoughtful placements, and the long-term welfare of the dogs entrusted to us.

Want to Be Part of Their Story?

There are so many ways to make a difference, and not all of them require bringing home another Great Dane. (Although we certainly understand the temptation.)

Whether you choose to adopt, foster, volunteer, donate, or simply help spread the word, you’re helping us continue this work.

And for the dogs who depend on us, that means everything.

Adopt | Foster | Donate | Volunteer

Great Dane Rescue of Minnesota & Wisconsin |Great Dane Sanctuary