# Vanderpump Dogs
**Vanderpump Dogs** is the common name for two connected ventures: the Vanderpump Dog Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dog rescue organization based in Los Angeles, California, and *Vanderpump Dogs*, a 2021 Peacock reality television series set at its West Hollywood rescue center.[1](https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/adopt) • [2](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/vanderpump-dogs) The rescue center was founded in 2016 by businesswoman and restaurateur [Lisa Vanderpump](https://www.edgepedia.org/lisa-vanderpump) with the stated goal of reinventing the image of a dog shelter, "from a pound to a palace," rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dogs in need.[2](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/vanderpump-dogs)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Organization | The Vanderpump Dog Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue; contributions are tax deductible under IRS rules[1](https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/adopt) |
| Founded | 2016, by Lisa Vanderpump, in West Hollywood[2](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/vanderpump-dogs) |
| Location | 8134 West Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048; open to visitors 7 days a week, 10 am to 5 pm[1](https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/adopt) • [3](https://keyboard-rhino-c3dx.squarespace.com/faq) |
| Origin | Founded after Lisa Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, were moved to act by the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China[4](https://www.latimes.com/companion-animals/adoption/story/2026-02-06/lisa-vanderpump-dog-rescue-medical-fund) |
| Television series | *Vanderpump Dogs*, Peacock, first aired June 9, 2021; one season of six episodes, about 21 minutes each, rated TV-PG[2](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/vanderpump-dogs) • [5](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/vanderpump-dogs/4970394904588946112) |
| Funding model | Proceeds from the Vanderpump Dog Center go back into the foundation to care for more animals[3](https://keyboard-rhino-c3dx.squarespace.com/faq) |
## The foundation and rescue center
The Vanderpump Dog Foundation operates a rescue center on West Third Street in Los Angeles, where adoptable dogs, called "#Vanderpups," are listed on the organization's website with photos, guessed breed and age descriptions, and biographies. The organization notes that because its dogs are rescued from a variety of situations, breed and age descriptions are educated guesses rather than certainties.[1](https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/adopt) The center presents itself as a self-sustaining community hub, and the foundation states that all proceeds from the center return to the nonprofit.[4](https://www.latimes.com/companion-animals/adoption/story/2026-02-06/lisa-vanderpump-dog-rescue-medical-fund) • [3](https://keyboard-rhino-c3dx.squarespace.com/faq)
**Adoption process.** Prospective adopters fill out an application, by email to adoptions@vanderpumpdogs.org, in person at the center, or through a downloadable form. The adoptions team typically takes a day or two to review an application; approved applicants then complete a homecheck done as a short video tour of the home to confirm it is a dog-safe environment, followed by an in-person meet-up with the dog at the center.[3](https://keyboard-rhino-c3dx.squarespace.com/faq) The foundation does not hold dogs and accepts multiple applications for a dog with high interest, choosing the best match for the particular animal; a rejected applicant may apply an approved application toward another available rescue.[3](https://keyboard-rhino-c3dx.squarespace.com/faq)
**Fostering and other programs.** The center keeps most available dogs on site so they can meet potential adopters, but it places some dogs with foster families, for example dogs needing special medical care, dogs that do not get along with other dogs, and dogs needing socialization.[3](https://keyboard-rhino-c3dx.squarespace.com/faq) The foundation also runs a nursery for litters of puppies, which are not posted on the website until they are 8 weeks old and ready for adoption, and it lists initiatives including China programs, a veterans program, spay and neuter, senior, and homeless programs.[3](https://keyboard-rhino-c3dx.squarespace.com/faq) • [1](https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/adopt) Out-of-state adoptions are considered case by case; the adopter coordinates safe travel, and the organization does not ship dogs, noting that flying or long travel is not always safe for seniors or dogs with health conditions.[3](https://keyboard-rhino-c3dx.squarespace.com/faq)
## Origins in the Yulin campaign
The foundation grew out of Lisa Vanderpump's animal-rights advocacy against the Yulin dog meat festival, an annual event in Guangxi, China, at which festivalgoers eat dog meat. Vanderpump, a vocal critic of the event, organized a rally to the Chinese embassy, which Bravo covered on *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills*, and she has described a rescue operation in China in which activists infiltrated meat trucks and removed dogs destined for slaughter, bringing some to the United States as "Yulin ambassadors."[6](https://time.com/4559971/lisa-vanderpump-interview-dogs/) A Los Angeles Times profile states that the foundation was born from this moment of international crisis, when Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, were moved to action.[4](https://www.latimes.com/companion-animals/adoption/story/2026-02-06/lisa-vanderpump-dog-rescue-medical-fund)
## The television series
*Vanderpump Dogs* premiered on Peacock on June 9, 2021, as a six-episode reality series of roughly 21-minute episodes.[2](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/vanderpump-dogs) • [5](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/vanderpump-dogs/4970394904588946112) The show follows Lisa Vanderpump as she matches rescue dogs with clients at the Vanderpump Dogs Rescue Center in West Hollywood.[5](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/vanderpump-dogs/4970394904588946112) Episode premises include matching dogs for an eccentric dog walker and an animal-loving couple ("A Paw-fect Proposal"), a client seeking a service dog ("The Doggy Wears Prada"), a family seeking a hypoallergenic dog ("The Princess and the Pup"), and a rescue dog going into labor ("Cheaper by the Vanderdozen").[5](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/vanderpump-dogs/4970394904588946112) The series is listed as ended after its single season.[2](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/vanderpump-dogs)
Common Sense Media's review describes the show as heartwarming for dog lovers but notes mild sexual innuendo in the banter and brief mention of some rescue dogs' former abuse, recommending it for ages 10 and up.[7](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/vanderpump-dogs) The series is one of several Vanderpump-branded spin-offs from her reality television universe; a Time survey of the franchise notes that *Vanderpump Dogs*, like *Vanderpump Rules: Overserved* and ABC's *Pooch Perfect*, survived only one season.[8](https://time.com/6960510/vanderpump-rules-the-valley-vanderpump-villa/)
## Public profile
The foundation's visibility rests heavily on Vanderpump's reality television fame. She has used her platform for animal advocacy, including the annual Vanderpump Dog Foundation gala, whose 2018 report lists celebrity supporters from *The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills* and *Vanderpump Rules*.[9](https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/s/2018VanderpumpGalaReport.pdf) The foundation appears on [Los Angeles County](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-county)'s list of active adoption partners.[10](https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/AP-list-11-13-2024.pdf)
## References
1. [Adopt a #Vanderpup, The Vanderpump Dog Foundation](https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/adopt)
2. [Vanderpump Dogs, TheTVDB.com](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/vanderpump-dogs)
3. [Frequently Asked Questions, The Vanderpump Dog Foundation](https://keyboard-rhino-c3dx.squarespace.com/faq)
4. [The Puppy Palace: Visiting the Vanderpump Dog Foundation, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/companion-animals/adoption/story/2026-02-06/lisa-vanderpump-dog-rescue-medical-fund)
5. [Watch Vanderpump Dogs Season 1, Peacock](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/vanderpump-dogs/4970394904588946112)
6. [Lisa Vanderpump on Vanderpump Rules and What Makes a Great Reality TV Star, Time](https://time.com/4559971/lisa-vanderpump-interview-dogs/)
7. [Vanderpump Dogs: Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/vanderpump-dogs)
8. [How The Valley and Vanderpump Villa Fit Into the Vanderpump Rules Universe, Time](https://time.com/6960510/vanderpump-rules-the-valley-vanderpump-villa/)
9. [The 3rd Annual Vanderpump Dog Foundation Gala Report (2018)](https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/s/2018VanderpumpGalaReport.pdf)
10. [Active Adoption Partners, Los Angeles County Animal Care](https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/AP-list-11-13-2024.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Celebrity, family, lifestyle, and court reality series › Lifestyle, dating, and docusoaps › Celebrity and family docusoaps › Premiered 2019 to 2026*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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