No dogs in this category are available right now.
Listings refresh every few days as shelters update their sites.
No Havaneses listed on LocalPetFinder right now
That just means none are on the site at the moment, not that the breed is unavailable. New listings arrive from rescues and local owners all the time. Be first in line, or help one find a home.
Have a dog to rehome?
Rehoming a Havanese in Ontario?
List your dog free. Local adopters browsing Ontario see owner listings first: no shelter, no fees, you choose the home.
List your pet free →Takes 3 minutes. You stay in control of who adopts.
Not seeing one yet?
Get notified when a Havanese is listed in Ontario
We'll email you the moment a Havanese is listed in Ontario on LocalPetFinder, from a rescue or an owner rehoming.
One email when there's a match. Unsubscribe anytime.
For rescues & shelters
Are you a Ontario-area rescue? List your adoptable dogs free.
Free shelter account: your dogs appear here and across LocalPetFinder, with analytics and adoption applications included.
Adopting a Havanese in Ontario
Havanese are rare in Ontario rescue intake. Most are placed through breed-specific networks — Havanese Fanciers of Canada Rescue (havaneserescue.ca) is the national organisation that pulls into Ontario regularly. When a Havanese does enter the Toronto Humane Society, the Ottawa Humane Society, or Ontario SPCA branches directly, applications close within days. Set up an alert and apply within 24 to 48 hours of a dog appearing.
The Havanese that reach Ontario rescue tend to be seniors surrendered when an owner has died or moved into care, and occasionally 3 to 6 year old adults surrendered when household circumstances changed. Senior Havanese are often the easiest adoptions in the breed — small, settled, and the breed is long-lived (typically 14 to 16 years), so a 9 or 10 year old senior usually has years of companionship left.
A genuinely sociable small companion breed
Havanese are 7 to 13 pounds, content with two short daily walks, and friendly with essentially everyone — the breed is one of the most consistently sociable small breeds in dog. Well-suited to GTA condo and Ottawa apartment living, comfortable around children, and reliably good with other dogs and cats when introduced reasonably. They thrive on company and develop separation anxiety if left alone long hours, which is the main practical concern for a household where everyone works downtown all day.
The Cuban national dog is a long-lived companion breed (14 to 16 years), and the temperament holds up across the lifespan. They handle Toronto and Ottawa winters with an insulated coat at minus 10 and below, and summer heat is manageable with shade and water — they are not brachycephalic, so the humid GTA July and August are not the medical risk they are for Pugs or Shih Tzus.
Coat care, allergies, and health
The long silky coat needs daily brushing or it mats quickly. Most owners keep the dog in a short "puppy cut" at professional grooming every 4 to 6 weeks for $55 to $85 per visit in the GTA. Havanese are often marketed as hypoallergenic — the reality is that the coat is genuinely low-shedding but the dog still produces dander and saliva proteins that can trigger allergies. Always meet the specific dog before committing if allergies are a deciding factor. Health concerns: patellar luxation, hip dysplasia, cataracts, and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (a hip-joint condition in young dogs). Heart conditions exist but are less central than in Cavalier or Maltese. Most Havanese care is managed at GTA and Ottawa primary practices; orthopaedic referrals occasionally go to OVC Guelph.
Looking more broadly? Browse every adoptable dog across the province on Dog Adoption Ontario.
The rescues that most often list Havanese across the province are Toronto Humane Society, Ottawa Humane Society, and Ontario SPCA (Ottawa Area). For breed-specific background, the Canadian Kennel Club is a useful reference.
Havanese Adoption FAQ — Ontario
How many Havanese are available for adoption in Ontario?
As of September 2026, there are no Havanese listed in Ontario rescue on LocalPetFinder right now — Havanese are among the rarer dogs in local rescue. Inventory turns over quickly, so setting an alert is the most reliable way to catch one, or consider an adoptable Havanese mix.
Where can I adopt a Havanese near me in Ontario?
Havanese are rare in Ontario rescue. Most are placed through breed-specific networks like Havanese Fanciers of Canada Rescue (havaneserescue.ca). The Toronto Humane Society, the Ottawa Humane Society, and Ontario SPCA branches see them occasionally. Set up an alert and apply within 24 to 48 hours of a dog appearing.
Are Havanese good apartment dogs in Toronto?
Yes — one of the best matches for GTA condo and Ottawa apartment living. Quiet, friendly with everyone, content with two short daily walks, and reliably good with other dogs and cats. The main practical concern is separation anxiety if left alone long hours — Havanese thrive on company, so a household where everyone is out downtown all day may not be the right fit.
Are Havanese hypoallergenic?
Often marketed that way. Reality: the coat is genuinely low-shedding, but Havanese still produce dander and saliva proteins that trigger allergies in sensitive people. Always meet the specific dog before committing if allergies are a deciding factor. A weekend visit with the dog in the foster home is the standard test before applying.
What does a Havanese adoption fee include in Ontario?
Ontario adoption fees generally run about $500 to $800 for a Havanese, covering spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworming, and microchip. Fees can run higher because the breed is in steady demand and rescues invest in thorough veterinary workups before placement. Hip and patellar condition at intake are worth asking about specifically.
Are these Havaneses for sale in Ontario?
Not for sale, for adoption, which is usually the better deal. Every Havanese here comes from an Ontario rescue or shelter, not a breeder, pet store, or classified seller. Adoption fees are typically $300 to $600, with puppies at $500 to $900 and already include vaccinations, deworming, microchip and spay or neuter when age-appropriate, versus roughly $2,000 to $5,000 or more to buy a Havanese from a breeder. If you searched "havanese for sale ontario" or "havanese puppies for sale," adopting gets you a healthy, vetted dog for a fraction of the price.
Where can I buy a Havanese in Ontario, and should I?
You can buy from a registered breeder, but it is worth weighing against adoption first. A reputable Havanese breeder typically charges $2,000 to $5,000 or more and often has a waitlist, while a rescue Havanese costs $300 to $600, with puppies at $500 to $900 fully vetted and may be available now. Be cautious of cheap havanese-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 Ontario, adopting a rescue Havanese is cheaper, faster, and gives a dog in need a home.
Are there free Havaneses in Ontario, or havaneses under $500?
Adoption is the closest honest answer, and it is not free. A rescue Havanese in Ontario typically costs $300 to $600, with puppies at $500 to $900, 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 havanese 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.
Are there Havanese puppies in Ontario, or only adults?
Both, but adults far outnumber puppies, and it is worth knowing that before you start looking. Most Havaneses arriving in Ontario 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 Havanese puppy is a prediction, and for this breed in particular knowing what you are getting is the more useful thing.
Where can I find a Havanese near me in Ontario?
Start with the listings on this page, which pull from Ontario 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 Ontario will adopt out across a reasonable driving distance rather than only inside one municipality.
Popular dog breeds in Ontario
Havanese adoption by city in Ontario
Each city page lists only the havanese available from rescues serving that city, with local adoption details.
Need to rehome a Havanese?
If you can no longer keep your Havanese, you can list them for free on LocalPetFinder. Your dog stays in your home until you find the right family, you screen who applies, and there is no surrender fee. Not sure yet? Our guide to surrendering a dog in Canada walks through every option first.
List your dog for free →