How to Adopt a Dog in Tenerife

Are you thinking about adopting a dog?

We offer a home at the shelter for the remainder of our dogs' lives, but we prefer for them to have their own forever home. Each adoption is considered and treated according to the needs of the dog and the adoptee in order to guarantee the right person for our dogs.

Contact us

Step by step

Adoption process

Either by looking at the website, or visiting the shelter, we can hopefully help you find the type of dog you are looking for.

Once found, we will talk with you about the suitability of the dog for your requirements.

Please be honest about your circumstances, and home environment. For example you may be going on holiday and wish to reserve the dog until you return, or maybe you work full time, or have cats and other animals. Our aim is to match up the right dog with the right person.

Once agreed that the adoption can go ahead, we ask you to sign a contract between us and you, to protect our dogs. We will keep a copy.

We need identification, usually a residence card or driving licence.

The adoption fee will, in most circumstances, be paid before the dog leaves.

You will be given a health card or passport, that has all the dog's vaccinations recorded.

If a dog needs further vaccinations, just take the dog to be vaccinated, with the contract, to our vets. This is included in the adoption fee. We do not pay for ongoing vaccinations, just the initial ones.

All our dogs are wormed and de-flead. We do not pay for further treatment, except in the case of puppies.

Generally all our dogs are sterilised. If not, this can be arranged the same way as a vaccination is arranged: by providing proof of a contract, an appointment can then be made with our vets. Again this is covered in the adoption fee.

All dogs are microchipped in our name. This needs to be changed into the new owner's name by taking the contract to the vets, with the dog, as the microchip needs to be checked. The vet will then change the chip details with Zoocan. You will be informed of these changes by post or via your phone.

If puppies have not received their 3rd vaccinations, they will not be microchipped or have had a rabies vaccine. Take the puppy to the vets when due to be vaccinated, with the contract form, and the vet will then give the vaccines, rabies and microchip. All covered by the adoption fee.

See the Dogs

Happy tails

From our adopters

✈️ Flew home to the Netherlands

Noa completely stole our hearts!

We were on holiday in Tenerife when we noticed that there was an animal shelter nearby. Having previously adopted two dogs from Gran Canaria and having had such positive experiences with Spanish dogs, we thought we would go and have a look. We had recently lost one of our dogs, and our senior dog was feeling lonely, so we felt it might be the right time to welcome another dog into our family.

Noa's familyadopted Noa

Read Noa's whole story ↓Close ↑

We were on holiday in Tenerife when we noticed that there was an animal shelter nearby. Having previously adopted two dogs from Gran Canaria and having had such positive experiences with Spanish dogs, we thought we would go and have a look. We had recently lost one of our dogs, and our senior dog was feeling lonely, so we felt it might be the right time to welcome another dog into our family.

When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed and had the opportunity to explain why we were there and what kind of dog we were looking for. They contacted Jacqueline, who is also Dutch. She arrived about half an hour later, and in the meantime, we went for a walk with Noa and Swan. We immediately had a good feeling about Noa. ♡

When Jacqueline arrived, we discussed several options to find a dog that would be a good match for our family. However, we just couldn't stop thinking about Noa. We decided to spend some more time with her on her own, and the connection between us was wonderful.

The next day, we decided to take Noa to the beach together with Jacqueline to see how she would behave outside the shelter. And what can I say? Noa completely stole our hearts!

We decided to adopt her and immediately contacted TUI to arrange for Noa to fly back to the Netherlands with us. The whole process was arranged so quickly and smoothly. Live Paws provided the travel crate for a small fee and took care of all the arrangements at the airport. Noa did absolutely brilliantly during the flight!

Now, two months later, I am incredibly grateful to have Noa in our lives. She is such a sweet, loving dog who absolutely adores attention. Noa is also loving life here in the Netherlands, although getting used to all the rain took a little time! 😄

We are still in touch with the people who helped us, and I always knew I could reach out if any complications had arisen. Thankfully, that hasn't been necessary.

We honestly can't imagine our lives without Noa anymore. She has truly become part of our family, and we couldn't be happier that our paths crossed. ♡♡♡

We feel so lucky to have found our newest family member through you.

Jadeadopted Pixie

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We had such a wonderful experience adopting our new puppy through Live Paws. From our very first visit to the shelter, we felt incredibly supported. We were given a tour, introduced to the different dogs, and had each dog’s history and personality explained to us, including which dogs might be the best fit for our family.

We were given time afterwards to think carefully about our decision, which we really appreciated. The next step was a home visit, where our puppy came to meet us and see her new home. This was such a valuable part of the process for us, our family, and the shelter. We were able to discuss everything in more detail and make sure that we were the right match before arranging for her to come and live with us.

The whole process was incredibly thorough and thoughtful. It gave us confidence that we were welcoming the right dog into our family, while also giving the shelter reassurance that she was going to a safe, happy and loving home.

The team also took care of her vaccinations and passport, making the whole process so straightforward and ensuring that our new pup had the very best start to her new chapter.

A huge thank you to Jacky and the entire Live Paws team for everything you do. The care, time and dedication you give to these dogs is truly amazing, and we feel so lucky to have found our newest family member through you. ❤️

The perfect second dog to match our first!

ChachiOur 2nd dog has arrived!

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🐾❤️ Our 2nd Dog Has Arrived! ❤️🐾

A huge thank you to Live Paws for helping us find the perfect second dog to match our first! 🐶🐶

They took the time to understand our first dog’s personality and helped us find a wonderful companion who is a great match. 🥰

We couldn’t be happier with our newest family member! 🏡❤️

Thank you, Live Paws, for helping bring them together! 🐾

Find your own happy tail

"You can't change a dog's past, but you can rewrite the future."

Before you adopt

Additional requirements

You must be over 18 to adopt one of our dogs.

Can you provide shelter, warmth, love and understanding?

Shelter dogs are not house trained, except if they have come from a home, so time and patience will be required to train them. Dogs learn quickly. Puppies may take a little longer.

Remember, puppies will chew. Make sure you have plenty of toys, preferably strong ones, without the squeak. Strong ropes are also available, saving your furniture and the odd shoe from destruction.

Dogs need vaccinations, flea and worm treatment, and food. It all costs money, so consider your financial situation before adopting.

Tenerife has Filaria, transmitted by the mosquito, so it's important to give your dog monthly treatment to prevent this. Your vet will give you your options; many combination therapies are available.

If you run into difficulties of any kind, and need advice, we are always here to help.

Other ways to help

Adoption isn't the only way to make a difference in a dog's life - find out more about volunteering, fostering, and supporting Live PAWS.

Other ways to help

Got a question? Ask PAWSistant, our 24-hour helper

Adoption, how it works

Are you thinking about adopting a dog?

Some dogs need a foster home, not adoption

Adoption process

From our adopters

Additional requirements

Other ways to help