Build a Healing Space for Rescue Dogs at Sunset Rescue Ranch

Sunset Rescue Ranch, a 501(c)(3) sanctuary for large-breed and behaviorally challenged dogs, is expanding to help relieve overcrowded SoCal shelters. Help us build a new 30x100 ft decompression and training center on 20 acres to give these dogs a true second chance. The property will house the sanctuary dogs, and we will build this building.

Give Them the Chance They Deserve

For nearly a decade, Sunset Rescue Ranch has been a safe haven for the dogs that most others can’t help—the misunderstood, the big breeds, the behaviorally challenged. Here, they aren’t locked in kennels. They live with us, as a family, on couches, by the fire, learning how to be dogs again.

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit sanctuary located in the California desert, and we’ve made it our mission to give these last-chance dogs their first real chance.

Why We Need Your Help

Local Southern California shelters are overwhelmed. Too many dogs are euthanized simply because there isn’t space, time, or the right environment to help them decompress and learn the skills they need to succeed in a home.

We are ready to be part of the solution. We’ve secured a 20-acre property zoned for proper use—but we need your help to build the facility that makes this possible.

Our plan is to construct a 30x100 ft decompression and training building—a space designed not for our permanent sanctuary dogs, but to relieve pressure from local shelters. This building will provide:

A place for shelter dogs to decompress safely

Training to increase adoptability and success in new homes

On-site volunteer and trainer accommodations to support hands-on work

A foundation to grow a team dedicated to behavior work and rehabilitation

Our sanctuary dogs will always live with us in the main house. This project allows us to help more—to create a path for dogs still waiting in shelters, whose only issue is that no one’s had the chance to work with them.

A Message from Our Founder

For nearly a decade, I have dedicated my life to helping the dogs no one else will. These dogs aren’t broken—they’ve just been failed by circumstances. With the right environment, training, and time, I’ve watched dogs transform from terrified, reactive, or hopeless into happy, stable companions.

This new building is about hope. It’s about time. It’s about giving these dogs a real chance at life. But I can’t do it alone. Help me help them. Help me help more.

— John Dellavechia

How You Can Help

Every donation makes a difference. Your support goes directly toward:

✅ Building materials and construction for the decompression/training center

✅ Secure fencing and safety features

✅ Volunteer housing and dog decompression spaces

✅ Training equipment and supplies

❤️ Every donation counts. Every share matters. Together, we can build a future where these dogs have the chance they deserve.

Thank you for standing with us and the dogs of Sunset Rescue Ranch.

No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe.