Thanks to our generous supporters and our wonderful team of volunteers all the cats and dogs have been successfully relocated to the new shelter!
Check out our Moving Day video to see the fun.
The weeks of advance planning leading up to moving day all paid off. The dogs were loaded up and transported to their new rooms first and then we brought the cats over slowly through the day. Happy to report no problems at all!
As expected the cats were a bit hesitant on day one. 9 month old Naranjito was the bravest, immediately exploring everywhere and climbing the catio fencing, even hanging on the ceiling fence for a bit. Monica was the most frightened by her new surroundings initially but is adjusting with the help of our volunteers. Over the days, the felines have settled in and now they love to play in the real grass and enjoy the warm sunshine, first-time experiences for the majority of them.
The dogs, who need to be in their kennels between the morning and afternoon volunteer shifts, as well as throughout the night, are enjoying spaces large enough to walk and stretch and play. 8 month old Puppy Kia has undergone the biggest transformation since arriving at the new shelter – she is no longer barking! The much more relaxed environment has really helped her settle down.
A big win is the volunteers no longer hit their heads when going in and out of dog kennels…no more ducking needed!
The new pens are easier to clean which will help to keep our furry friends healthy, and they are more private which lowers the stress level.
And we have to thank the Demo Team who made quick work of taking down the cat and dog kennels at the old location so we could return the property back over to the owner.
We are located right in the heart of Uvita, with space for more cats and dogs, easier access to medical care, and better workspace for our volunteers.
Our wonderful benefactors, Nate and Kimberly Albers, purchased this property for us to use, so we could have a larger shelter to be able to help more dogs and cats in our community. Their generosity in allowing us to use the space is already paying off as we’ve already brought in several new animals!
Volunteer
We have an AMAZING team of volunteers at El Refugio, but we are always in need of more people to help!
Learn more about our new Volunteer-in-Residence opportunities where you can volunteer and live on site.
El Refugio needs your support. Our rescue relies wholly on donations to care for the dogs and cats. With facilities to help more cats and dogs in need, comes more expenses – for life saving medical care and food, as well as a safe, healthy place for the animals to rest their paws while waiting to find their forever homes. Please consider making a monthly sustaining donation to help us continue to help the animals. If you’d like to be an even larger part of supporting what we do, there are NAMING opportunities available for dog kennels, cat rooms and much more. Please contact us if you are interested to learn more.