Founded in early 2017, El Refugio Hogar Animal Costa Ballena (which means “The Refuge Animal Home of Costa Ballena”) is the only animal rescue organization in the Costa Ballena region of southern Costa Rica.
The goal of El Refugio is to improve the welfare of dogs and cats through rescue efforts, low-cost spay/neuter and vaccination clinics, education programs, and community outreach, with a focus of rescuing and rehabilitating homeless, abandoned, and injured dogs and cats.
To date, we have:
- Rescued over 943 homeless, abandoned, starving, sick, and injured dogs and cats, including providing veterinary care, vaccinations, spay and neuter surgeries, and caring for them until they are adopted
- Spayed and neutered over 3,844 animals at low-cost community spay and neuter events
- Provided ongoing care for the 40-60 animals that are at our shelter and in foster care at any given time
- Helped hundreds of local families in need with emergency assistance for their pets and animals they have rescued through our community outreach program
- Presented animal welfare educational programs for numerous local schools and youth programs throughout the Costa Ballena region
El Refugio is a non-profit, no-kill animal rescue organization, run entirely by volunteers, including its board of directors. All money donated goes entirely to the ongoing welfare of the animals. El Refugio also receives generous support from a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in the U.S. called Friends of El Refugio. (Donations made to Friends of El Refugio may be tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers.)
To learn more about some of our current projects, visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/elrefugiocostaballena.
FAQ
Where are you located? Can I come and visit the animals?
ADOPTION DAYS: Contact us and we will arrange a time for you to meet the animals
Our shelter is located in southern Uvita. We are located 150 west of Los Troncos Restaurante.
How do I adopt or foster an animal? What are the requirements? Is there an adoption fee?
To see all of our adoptable animals and learn more about the adoption and foster process and requirements, see the Our Animals page. All animals are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and dewormed prior to adoption. We ask for a donation of $50 to adopt a dog or cat. Qualified low-income families may be eligible for a discounted adoption fee.
Are you accepting new volunteers to help at the shelter?
Yes! We have volunteers at the shelter seven days a week. Duties include walking dogs, feeding dogs and cats, cleaning, and, of course, loving and snuggling with the animals! We pride ourselves on the level of care we give to our animals, and we give them as much love and attention as we can to ensure that both their physical and emotional needs are met. Whether you want to make an ongoing weekly commitment or you are just want to help occasionally and play with and socialize the animals, we’d love your help! For more information about volunteering and to submit an application to be a volunteer, see our Volunteer page.
Click here to learn more about volunteering at the shelter and to apply to be a volunteer!
I want to help but would like to do something other than direct animal care. Do you need volunteers for things outside of the shelter?
Yes! We need volunteers for education programs, social media, fundraising, marketing, spay and neuter clinics, grant writing, off-site adoption events, and more! If any of these sound interesting, we would love to talk to you! For more information about these volunteer opportunities and to submit an application to be a volunteer, see our Volunteer page.
Click here to learn more about available volunteer opportunities and to apply to be a volunteer!
How do I donate? How do I become a monthly donor? Are my donations tax-deductible?
While we need people to achieve our mission, we also need donations! If you share our vision and want to make a donation, visit our Donate page for more information. You can make a one-time donation, or be an “Angel for Animals” by becoming a monthly donor! If you prefer to donate items, we have a wish list to help guide you in your purchases. We are a nonprofit volunteer organization, and ALL donations go directly toward animal care, spay/neuter and vaccination clinics, and community education and outreach programs.
El Refugio is a Costa Rica nonprofit association. Donations made to our Banco de Costa Rica bank account or in cash in Costa Rica may be tax-deductible for Costa Rican business taxpayers. All donations made on our website and via PayPal go to our affiliated 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization in the United States called Friends of El Refugio Hogar Animal Costa Ballena and are tax-deductible for United States taxpayers. (See our Friends of El Refugio page for details. See our Donate page for more details.
Where is Costa Ballena?
Costa Ballena (which means “Whale Coast”) is located on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. It is centered around the towns of Uvita, Dominical, and Ojochal. Uvita is home to the Parque Nacional Marino Ballena (Whale Marine National Park) and is famous for the twice-yearly migrations of humpback whales that come to give birth and raise their calves in the warm Pacific waters just offshore from Uvita.
Board of Directors
Our board of directors is comprised of a diverse group of extremely talented and passionate people with a common vision. All of our board members, who are all volunteers, are active either “in the trenches” providing day-to-day care to the animals at the shelter, fostering animals in need, and/or working on various projects for El Refugio’s committees, such as animal care, education, spay and neuter programs, public relations, adoption and foster programs, fundraising and grant procurement, and more. We are always looking for talented and passionate people to join our team!
El Refugio’s Board of Directors:
- Sandra Hamilton (President)
- Adriana Hutton (Vice President)
- Dr. Pam Lopez (Secretary)
- Dr. Marlene Boyer (Treasurer)
- Amelia Plowman (Vocal)
- Maggie Donnelly (Vocal)
- Licda. Jacqueline Quesada B (Fiscal)