Sanctuary for Snow Dogs in Cyprus

UPDATE 24-01-2019: 

Back in 2018 we were happy to deliver you most amazing news. We walked away from an idea of cages for rescue dogs. Instead we organized cage free sanctuary, with plenty of space for dogs to run , socialize and play. 

Originally the sanctuary had 2 functional enclosures, but with the help of few most devoted fans of Sled Dog Rescue , not only we managed to make 4 enclosures but also add two beautiful sheds that weren’t there before.

We add the map of how it looks, but also feels like in the sanctuary. 

The whole area is fenced. As you cross the gate, you enter into main front yard. It’s a very big area , so dogs from smaller enclosures are also rotated through it, so they can enjoy change of scenery and more space. 

There are two houses on the territory, so dogs are never alone. 

Behind the second house we have 3 enclosures . All of them can fit 15 dogs easily. The middle enclosure is connected to the house entrance and is the smallest, however four dogs still can freely run and play there and each can have their own space. 

The orange dots and lines are marking the borders of closed sheds where dogs are protected from wind, rain and sun and can chose to sleep in if they want to. 


In the enclosure with the bench for sitting ,volunteers planted more trees that in couple of years will give more shade , so even in the summer dogs can enjoy running. Eventually we hope we can also make a dog pool for hour summers for dogs to enjoy some water splashing. 

The enclosure next to the hills is for escape artists.  There we increased the fences and secured the area the most.


 To save up money a lot of work was done by volunteers. So far we only had to pay for materials ( fences, gravel, cement, wood etc).  However, there is a lot more space for more dogs. Especially sick ones, puppies and ones with behavioral issues.
With more donations we can build isolated enclosures for dogs who can’t be in packs, sick dogs and puppies. 
We took over a great project that we hope will inspire other shelters and rescue organizations to move away from cages . It is possible.  We witnessed first hand immediate improvements in dogs health and behavior. That ofcorse increases their chances to be adopted, as who wouldn’t want to give a home to a happy, healthy and friendly dog? 

So far we collected ( included offline )  3548 Euros and we spent 3470 Euros. We have no money to proceed furtherwith neccessary repairs.

We ask you to join us in this journey of building something amazing. Something that will help more dogs. We want to have our Sanctuary doors  open for all dogs that need help young and old. Sick and healthy. For that we need more people to join! 

If you agree with what we are doing, please donate so we could finish this project and give a chance for dogs to enjoy their lives while they are waiting for people to adopt them


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Every time we speak to people about how many huskies, malamutes and samoyeds are abandoned in Cyprus on weekly basis, people get shocked.

Why there are so many Nordic breeds end up as stray dogs in Cyprus?

We think that lack of understanding of dogs, in combination with attraction to the " exotic" looks made these dogs a target of ignorant people. The raising demand increased the amount of dogs being bred, but also the amount of dogs that have been abandoned.

Life for a snow dog in Cyprus is extremely difficult. 

Siberian Husky is not a beginner dog. It is a highly active dog, with independent spirit and sharp mind. More than anything they like to be busy, they love running and they love cold.

Rehoming process for working breeds has to be a lot more strict,
as they require a lot of exercise and risks of failed adoptions are higher as people do not always want to understand or admit their own physical abilities. Finding good homes where dogs like that can receive everything they need takes time.

Some dogs wait for months, others wait for years. Some dogs find homes quickly and settle immediately. Other dogs need help to be socialized and trained before they can be put for rehoming.

However, keeping dogs in the cages does not help, but makes things worse.

This year we finally managed to launch an experimental project that worked better than we expected. A cage free sanctuary !

You can find out more details about the sanctuary by following this link:

https://sled-dog-rescue.com/help-us-build-cage-free-sanctuary-for-dogs-in-cyprus/

Please join us in the effort to make world better place for dogs!