Maltese Rescue & Adoption

As of October 2026, 15 Maltese are available for adoption in Canada across 11 rescues on LocalPetFinder. Listings update regularly as dogs are adopted and new ones arrive — browse the current Maltese above and apply directly through the rescue.

LocalPetFinder lists adoptable Maltese from rescues across Canada in one searchable place. Use the city links above the listing to narrow to a city near you, or browse the full inventory below. Each profile links straight to the rescue to apply.

Maltese typically live 12 to 15 years.

Adult Maltese need about 30 minutes of daily exercise. Adolescent dogs (under 2 years) typically need 40 minutes — more than mature adults.

Breed-associated conditions to ask the rescue about include Luxating patellas, Dental disease, Portosystemic liver shunt. See the citations in the Health section above for authoritative information on each. This is editorial summary, not medical advice — consult your vet for individual guidance.

Adoption fees for a Maltese from a Canadian rescue typically range $250 to $650 CAD for adults, with puppies usually $450 to $800. That fee normally covers the spay or neuter, core vaccinations, microchip, deworming, and a veterinary health check before placement. The exact number varies by rescue and the dog's age, medical history, and how long they have been in care — the live amount shows on each rescue profile.

Not for sale, for adoption, which is usually the better deal. Every Maltese here comes from a Canada rescue or shelter, not a breeder, pet store, or classified seller. Adoption fees are typically $250 to $650, with puppies at $450 to $800 and already include vaccinations, deworming, microchip and spay or neuter when age-appropriate, versus roughly several thousand dollars to buy a Maltese from a breeder. If you searched "maltese for sale canada" or "maltese puppies for sale," adopting gets you a healthy, vetted dog for a fraction of the price.

You can buy from a registered breeder, but it is worth weighing against adoption first. A reputable Maltese breeder typically charges several thousand dollars and often has a waitlist, while a rescue Maltese costs $250 to $650, with puppies at $450 to $800 fully vetted and may be available now. Be cautious of cheap maltese-for-sale ads on classified sites and marketplaces, which are frequently backyard breeders or puppy-mill resellers with unvetted, sometimes sick animals and no health guarantee. If you do buy, insist on seeing where the puppies were raised and getting vet records. For most families in Canada, adopting a rescue Maltese is cheaper, faster, and gives a dog in need a home.

Adoption is the closest honest answer, and it is not free. A rescue Maltese in Canada typically costs $250 to $650, with puppies at $450 to $800, so the lower end lands under the "$500" people search for and the rest does not. What the fee buys is work already done, the vaccinations, deworming, microchip and spay or neuter, which would cost more than the fee itself if you arranged it yourself, and it is still far below breeder prices. Be wary of genuinely free maltese listings. An animal advertised free to a good home has usually not been vetted, and free rehoming ads are the route flippers and unregistered breeders use to move animals with no health guarantee and no recourse. Paying a rescue fee buys you a dog someone has already examined, treated, and been honest with you about.

Both, but adults far outnumber puppies, and it is worth knowing that before you start looking. Most Maltese arriving in Canada rescue are adolescents and adults, because that is the age at which first homes tend to give up. Puppies do come through, usually as accidental litters or with a surrendered mother, and they are typically spoken for quickly. Setting an alert beats refreshing the page. It is also worth asking whether you actually want one: an adult arrives with a temperament a foster has already observed and described, where a Maltese puppy is a prediction, and for this breed in particular knowing what you are getting is the more useful thing.

Start with the listings on this page, which pull from Canada rescues and shelters and are refreshed regularly, so what you see is what is genuinely available rather than a stale directory. If nothing suits today, that is normal for this breed: rescue intake is intermittent rather than steady, and a breed with none listed this week often has several next month. Setting an alert beats checking back, and it is worth widening to nearby towns, since most rescues serving Canada will adopt out across a reasonable driving distance rather than only inside one municipality.