Friendswood nonprofit Three Little Pitties Rescue is saving thousands of dogs and cats from shelters across the Houston-area each year, said founder and Executive Director Alayna Matranga Goodson.

“We're just a bunch of crazy dog ladies, and we have a passion for using our minds to work smart to save dogs and cats because they really need us,” she said.

How it works

Three Little Pitties Rescue was founded in March 2018 by three friends who saw an overwhelming need for more rescues in the Houston-area, Matranga Goodson said. The organization takes in animals from 15-20 area shelters and individuals who’ve found them on the street.
Alayna Matranga Goodson, founder and executive director, established the adoption agency in March 2018 with two other friends who saw an overwhelming need for more rescues in the Friendswood-area. (Courtesy Three Little Pitties Rescue)
Alayna Matranga Goodson, founder and executive director, established the adoption agency in March 2018 with two other friends who saw an overwhelming need for more rescues in the Friendswood-area. (Courtesy Three Little Pitties Rescue)
Three Little Pitties staff work with dogs and cats at their two-acre Friendswood facility, which features large oak trees, play yards with baby pools and a content room for pictures and videos of the rescues.

Matranga Goodson said her team provides medical care for each animal and runs play groups, as well as one-on-one training classes to keep them socialized. She said it's crucial that they keep pets social and happy while they're waiting to meet a family.


“They're living beings,” she said. “You have to continue to get to know them and improve on any of their challenges. And we're willing to put in that work with them, especially because we are an all-breed rescue.”
Three Little Pitties Rescue takes in all breeds of dogs and cats, and trains and socialize them to prepare them for adoption. (Courtesy Three Little Pitties Rescue)
Three Little Pitties Rescue takes in all breeds of dogs and cats, and trains and socialize them to prepare them for adoption. (Courtesy Three Little Pitties Rescue)
Diving in deeper

Every other week, the pet adoption agency transports more than 100 rescued animals to regions across the U.S. with the most adoption searches on different search engines, Matranga Goodson said, including the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest and other Texas cities. They have their own bus service and hire staff to drive and care for animals along the way.

Expanding their marketing efforts across the country gives these animals a better chance of adoption and gets them to their new homes more quickly, she said.
Three Little Pitties finds rescues from 15-20 shelters, the Brazoira County Animal Shelter and from people who find them on the street. (Courtesy Three Little Pitties Rescue)
Three Little Pitties finds rescues from 15-20 shelters, the Brazoria County Animal Shelter and from people who find them on the street. (Courtesy Three Little Pitties Rescue)
“[There is an] overpopulation of animals, a lack of homes and the lack of care for them,” Matranga Goodson said. “And shelters are doing their best, but even if you got the Astrodome they would still run out of room. They would still have to euthanize.”

How to get involved


Three Little Pitties Rescue will hold a gala to fundraise for medical care and shelter costs at Hotel Zaza in September. Visit their website for more information on donations and sponsorship opportunities.