Volunteering is the voice of the people put into action
Volunteer
Give your time - there's a role to suit everyone
Dog walking
Come along and stretch your legs together
Flight Chaperon
Fly a dog home to their new family
Helping the staff
Cleaning, feeding, and daily care
Foster family
Open your home, even just for a while
Hosting events
Raise funds and awareness your way
Volunteer with us
None of this would be possible without your help. Volunteering and supporting us is what keeps us going. We thank you all for your gift of time, helping in the shelter - our dogs and team greatly appreciate your kindness.
Volunteering is the voice of the people in action, and your voice is important and needed by our furry friends. Whatever time you have to give, there's a role below to suit you.
Not sure where to start? Here are the main ways people help us, day to day:
See the ways to help ↓Dog walking
We all love a change of scenery, and that includes our dogs too. They love to get out and go for a walk. Although they have a large play area, the dogs adore meeting new people, and taking their new human friends for walks outside. Everyone is welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult.
- What to bringSensible shoes or trainers, and a hat. Bring water, or soft drinks are available at the refuge for a donation of €1.
- Walking daysTuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, 9am to 1pm - we're closed Monday, Friday, and Sunday.
- Walking with othersPlease walk at a safe distance from others if you're walking dogs who aren't with their kennel mates.
- If you're unsureWorried a dog might be too big for you to handle? Just tell the kennel staff - we want you to enjoy it.
Come to take us for a walk!
Come along and make a new furry friend, and keep fit at the same time. We can be found near Parque de la Reina, 38627, Arona, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. No need to call ahead or book a time — just come by during walking hours and say hello to the kennel staff.
Where we areFlight Chaperon
We're always looking for animal-loving flight chaperones who are willing to accompany one of our dogs on a flight from Tenerife to their new, forever home abroad - destinations include Holland, Italy, Germany, mainland Spain, and others.
It's a simple process, and there's no cost to you for the dog: we arrange and pay for everything related to their journey.
Here's how it works
- 1
A Live PAWS representative will meet you with the dog just before check-in at the airport, and check the dog in at the same time as you check in your own luggage.
- 2
Depending on their size, the dog will either fly in the air-conditioned hold, or - if they're small enough and you'd prefer - in the cabin with you.
- 3
At the destination airport, you collect your own luggage from the conveyor belt as normal, then collect the dog and their travel box from the bulky-luggage counter. A Live PAWS representative will be waiting in arrivals to take the dog from you there. That's it.
- 4
Being a flight chaperone gets dogs to their new homes faster - and if you're travelling at short notice, we can often arrange a flight to match.
Cleaning & Helping Kennel Staff
Dogs need to live in a clean environment, and they need daily care, 7 days a week. No matter what the weather, we are there every day to make sure they get everything they need. They love their routine.
Their kennels need to be cleaned every day, medicine given if required, food and clean water. If you want to discover the joy of caring for them, come and visit us at the shelter.
Foster family
Some of our dogs need a foster home rather than adoption - whether that's a few quiet weeks recovering from surgery, or a permanent, loving home for a dog the team believes may never be adopted. Vet bills, vaccinations, and worm treatment are all covered by us; many foster carers bring their own food, though we provide that too.
Hosting events
Have you ever thought about having fun and helping the dogs at the same time? Hosting events is a great way to do this. But hosting is just a part of it, especially if you have the skills to make crafts or donate items for raffles. Every penny helps.
If you want to host a fundraising event on behalf of Live PAWS, please contact us with the details. Alternatively, if you would like to make crafts or donate items for raffles etc, we would be more than happy to receive them. We can use them at our organised events to raise funds.
You can also drop off donated items at our Charity Shop - everything sold there goes straight back into caring for our dogs.
Proudly Supported by AntiPlagas Tenerife
AntiPlagas Tenerife donates €200 to Live PAWS every single month — helping keep our dogs fed, vetted, and cared for. They're ROESB-licensed pest control specialists serving South Tenerife, dealing fast with cockroaches, bed bugs and ants using safe, guaranteed treatments. If you ever need pest control, please consider giving them a call.
Give a Rescue Dog Their Best Day Yet
Some of our dogs have known very little joy — just survival, one day at a time. For €20, you can change that, just for one afternoon. We'll take one of our dogs to Mascots Pet Resort for a swim — splashing, chasing, completely free, maybe for the first time in their life. We'll film every second of it and put the video on their page, so you can watch the exact moment happiness looks like for a dog who's never really had any.
PAWSistant