Welcome to the SOS Website
LATEST NEWS – For latest news, click here
SOS is an animal charity, founded in 1997 and located on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain. It is funded entirely by donations and sponsorship. We seek to:
- provide a safe and caring environment for our animals
- rehabilitate dogs damaged by their experiences
- find loving homes in Spain and other European countries
- provide veterinary care for all our animals
- neuter, microchip and vaccinate all our animals
- Click to learn more about us and our work
Every animal that comes through our gates receives the utmost care and affection. Our pledge is to never euthanase our animals unless it is absolutely essential and then only on veterinary advice. We are fortunate in having a sister organisation in Sweden that helps rehouse some of our animals Click to see Swedish Website.
Website moving to new web host
After increasingly bad service we are having to move our website to a new provider. This may cause disruption for a few hours but hopefully you won't be too badly affected. It should run much better in the future.
Great results for 2011
Despite a very difficult year, SOS yet again successfully rehomed over 100 abandoned dogs. SOS Sweden placed 58 dogs, SOS UK 20, 3 dogs were rehomed in Holland, 4 went to Switzerland, 1 to Portugal, 3 to SOS Spain supporters living in the UK and 14 dogs found good homes here locally. A huge thank you to everyone concerned who helped make all this possible. If you can help with our appeal (read below) we would be very grateful indeed.
URGENT NOTIFICATION AND APPEAL
We are sad to have to report that SOS Animal Refuge is on the move once again – given just 10 days to vacate the refuge by the local council. Thanks to heroic efforts by volunteers, we have been able to place all the dogs in various temporary locations. (Full story here: Moving Appeal.)
Even worse, we have been fined Euros 3000 by the council. We desperately need help to pay this. Can you help in any way? Financial donations can be made here: Donate. We also have a stall at La Trocha market. If you have any bric-a-brac, household and kitchen goods or good quality clothes that you no longer need please telephone us on 665 682 919 or 605 227 155. We will collect.
Urgent re-homing help required
If you want to help by adopting or fostering one of our dogs, you can always see what is available either by watching the slide show on the right or by clicking on DOGS in the main menu above. However, we have also created a special page that has details of dogs who, for one reason or another, need re-homing more urgently.
This sometimes happens when those who are currently fostering dogs can no longer keep them. Or it could be because someone has found a dog, temporarily taken it in, and contacted us. Brief details of some of them below. To read more about the dogs, please click here: Urgent Re-homing
Alfie must move on
Alfie is a lovely 11 month-old puppy, found abandoned and taken in by animal-lover Trish Willis of Colmenar. Friendly, good natured and loving but unfortunately has fallen out with one of her other dogs and must be re-homed. She can transport him anywhere within a radius of about 50KM. If you can you help, contact Trish direct on (0034) 951 163157. Read more at Alfie's story
Yet another abandoned dog ‐ can you help?
This seven month old puppy was rescued by some people living in Alhaurin de le Torre. They only have a small apartment and cannot keep him. Contact us if you can help. Read more at Pup's story
Abandoned dog needs home – can you help?
Rescued by us at La Trocha near Coin, Rod (now around a year old), is looking for a home. He really needs somewhere soon otherwise he'll have to come to us at SOS for a longer-term stay. Can you help, or do you know anyone else who can? If so, contact us for more information. Thanks.
Last of six looking for homes
These two little girls are very affectionate and are looking for loving homes.
They were in a group of six puppies which were dumped outside the gate of an SOS supporter, who has luckily been able to find homes for four.
Now she is hoping that Tiny (top) and Beauty (bottom) will be lucky enough to find new owners too. If you can help please contact Therese on 653 257 875.
Happiness is always just around the corner
There have been some extra wide smiles at SOS recently. Why? Because a no-hoper Sponsor dog who had been at SOS for over 4 years has found a wonderful new home in Sweden.
The dog in question is Binfo (Bynfo). It seemed that he was destined to see out his days at SOS. Of course, we know from living here in Spain, that there are worse places than SOS to live out your life. But it doesn't compare to being with a loving owner in a real home.
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Swedish volunteer Elin, who was helping at SOS Spain, fell in love with him and took him back with her to live in Sweden.
The two pictures of him walking and swimming say it all. We wish Elin and Bynfo lots of luck.
And, yet again, we thank all those dedicated people who work at SOS here in Spain, in Sweden and in the UK. Special thanks also go to those who support the organisations with vital funding and in so many other ways.
An Uncomfortable Truth
Most people don't know that municipal dog pounds in this part of Spain will only keep stray dogs for about 10 days. After this, they are killed by gassing – a distressing process. Without animal charities like S.O.S, there would be more dead animals on the roads, starving in the streets, or sitting on "death row" in one of these pounds. So, we are working hard to save and re-home as many as we can. See some of our success stories below.
Yet more successes at SOS
Hector the English bulldog was dumped in a ditch near the refuge. He was microchipped – his name was Attila – and he had had a Spanish owner who cared nothing about the dog's welfare. He was very ill when he was discovered by some of our young Swedish volunteers who could not bear to see the state he was in and carried him to SOS. It wasn't a hard job – he weighed so very little.
At SOS we never put a dog to sleep if there is a reasonable chance of recuperation, and in Hector's case the advice from our vet was that, while it would be a slow job, it would be worthwhile. And so it proved to be. It took patience and a lot of love, all fuelled by seeing the stump of Hector's tail wag. Here is a picture of Hector with his Vet Ana who spent so much time with him.
And the result has been fantastic. One of the volunteers fell in love with him, and he was one of several dogs who left the refuge in June 2011 for a new, loving home in Sweden.
And here, finally, is one more photo of Hector – this time three weeks after he had arrived in Sweden. Doesn't he look so happy to be there!
Also along for the ride to Sweden was Gulliver the French Bulldog.
He too was previously microchipped as Goliat, had been sold on twice, and dumped because he had an infected eye that was very painful. We guess his last owner decided it might be cheaper to get a new puppy rather than pay for his treatment at the vets.
We will never know because his microchip was not changed into the last owner's name and contact details. Again he captured the love of one of our young volunteers, who used to "put him on the phone" so her mum in Sweden could hear him! So off he went too! And here he is with new owner Lina.
The Costs of Caring
We try never to turn an animal away, especially if it has been abandoned or is suffering. This is an expensive commitment. We desperately need your help to continue our valuable work.
On arriving at the refuge every dog and puppy costs SOS 200 euros in basic medical costs. This covers neutering, vaccinations (including rabies) blood tests and microchipping. After that each animal costs 240 euros every six months in feeding costs, plus worming and flea treatment. Our long stay sponsor dogs cost 40 euros a month each. This of course does not include subsequent vets bills should we discover a medical condition that needs treatment.
The overall running costs for the refuge depend on the number of animals at any one time, but in the winter months, it costs around 550 Euros a week for rent, food, cleaning materials, electricity and so on. This does not include veterinary bills.
Can you help us in any way? There are many ways to help (not just financial). Click the Donate and Other Help buttons on the main menu to find out more.
And Finally...
Thank you so much for visiting our web site – we hope you have found it interesting. If you would like to find out more about our work please contact us by email, or phone – just click on Contact Us in the main menu.
