Animal Rescues on the Costa Blanca: Giving Spain’s Abandoned Dogs a Second Chance

Hola Terrace Crew,

This is a hard subject to write about, but if you spend any time driving along the beautiful valley roads of the Northern Costa Blanca or walking through the countryside, you’ve probably seen them. A quiet, timid podenco darting into the orange groves, or a gentle galgo wandering near a mountain road.

One of the toughest parts of living in this beautiful corner of Spain is facing the reality of animal abandonment. It’s an issue that touches every community here, and the sad truth is that it doesn’t have just one face.

Sometimes, it happens when families face sudden life changes or decide to move away and find themselves unable to take their pets. But just as often, it’s the quiet reality of the local hunting and farming seasons coming to a close, leaving working breeds like hounds and podencos discarded when they are no longer deemed “useful.”

Some are left in fields. Some are tied to gates or even worse. Many are brought to the gates of local shelters by people who simply tell the volunteers, “We can’t look after him anymore.”

Our Own Rescue Story: Snoopy and Missy

Our own journey with rescue dogs started with Snoopy. He came to us from a shelter in Almería — full of uncertainty. His very first day with us involved the Great Puddle Mystery (you can read that story here! ), and he quickly became our happy, silly boy.

A few years later, as Snoopy was getting older, we thought it would be wonderful for him to have a companion. That’s when we rescued Missy from Animal Angells in Benidorm over ten years ago. She was a timid little soul who had clearly known a hard start in life, and we expected her to be a gentle, quiet companion.

How wrong we were! Missy turned out to be a lively little force of nature — stealing slippers, bursting with energy, and keeping Snoopy firmly on his toes. You can read all about “Snoopy’s Puppy Problem ” in our second Paws & Mischief story.

Both of them brought endless joy to our lives. But sadly, not every dog gets that same happy ending without help.

The Heartbreaking Work of Local Shelters

Whether it’s a tiny puppy left in a box by a dumpster or an old hunting hound who has given years of service only to be cast aside, the burden of care falls entirely on local charities.

Shelters like APASA in Jávea, SCAN Costa Blanca, Animal Angells, APROP in Pego, and Paws Xaló do incredible work with almost no government funding. They step in to save the dogs that have been left behind, giving them the medical care, safety, and love they deserve.

Every single day, dedicated teams of volunteers and animal lovers keep these shelters running:

• Daily Care & Socialisation: Volunteers walk the dogs multiple times a day, often giving these animals their very first taste of human kindness.
• Community Donations: Locals regularly drop off vital supplies, from bags of dog food and treats to blankets, towels, and cleaning products.
• Foster Networks: Kind foster families take dogs into their own homes to give them a break from kennel life or to provide extra care when shelters are at capacity.
• Essential Vet Care: Rescues organise and fund vaccinations, microchipping, castrations, and often incredibly expensive medical treatments.
• Finding Forever Homes: They work tirelessly to match dogs with the right families, frequently arranging safe transport to new homes across Spain and the rest of Europe.

How to Support Animal Rescues on the Costa Blanca

If you would like to support the amazing work these charities do, even a small monthly donation or dropping off a bag of food makes a massive difference. Here is how you can get in touch with them:

• APASA Jávea : apasa.javea@gmail.com | Phone: 966 46 39 76
• SCAN Costa Blanca : Visit scancostablanca.com for details on volunteering and donations.
• Animal Angells : Find out more at animalangells.org.
• Paws Xaló : Learn how to help at pawsxalo.com.
• APROP Pego: Connect with them at aprop-pego.org .

A rescued dog — whether they started life as a family pet or a working hound — can go on to live the absolute happiest life. They just need someone to step up and give them that vital second chance.

If you’ve adopted a rescue dog here on the coast, or if you foster, volunteer, or support one of our local charities, I’d love to hear your stories. Let’s chat in the comments below!

With full hearts (and a very spoiled Missy at my feet),

Joanne xx

Sun Sea Sangria