Behind the sunshine and beautiful beaches of Sal, there is a little rescue where abandoned dogs are being given something far more precious than paradise. A second chance at life, love and belonging.
There are some places you visit on holiday that stay with you long after your suitcase has been unpacked, the washing has been done and everyday life has quietly resumed. Places that leave a little piece of themselves tucked away inside your heart. And I know that OSPA Cabo Verde will be one of those places for me. When we think of Cape Verde, we tend to picture golden beaches, turquoise seas, beautiful sunshine and the sort of peaceful days that make us forget, just for a little while, about the stresses and worries waiting for us back home. And yes, Cape Verde is all of those things. But behind the holiday resorts, the swimming pools and the picture-perfect coastline, there is another side to this beautiful island. One that doesn’t appear in the glossy holiday brochures. A world where dogs are abandoned, unwanted, neglected or simply born into circumstances where nobody is able to care for them. And tucked away on the island of Sal is a remarkable little place trying desperately to change that. Its name is OSPA Cabo Verde. And while we were celebrating my hubby’s 50th birthday in Santa Maria, we had the privilege of visiting. I don’t think I was quite prepared for how much it would affect me.
A Little Rescue With an Enormous Heart. 💖 OSPA Cabo Verde is an animal welfare charity based in Santa Maria, on the island of Sal. Its mission is wonderfully simple, although achieving it is anything but. To help animals who have been forgotten. To care for those who have been abandoned. To provide shelter, food, medical treatment and kindness to dogs who might otherwise have very little chance of survival. And, wherever possible, to find them loving homes where they can finally experience the life every animal deserves. A life where food arrives every day. Where there is somewhere safe to sleep. Where a gentle hand means affection rather than fear. Where nobody simply walks away and leaves them behind. It sounds like such a small thing, doesn’t it? A home. A family. Somebody to love them. But to a dog who has never known those things, it must mean absolutely everything.
OSPA’s work goes beyond providing shelter. The charity also helps with veterinary treatment, vaccinations, parasite prevention, neutering and the welfare of animals within the wider community. Because rescuing animals isn’t only about helping those already in trouble. It’s also about trying to prevent the next generation from suffering the same fate.
The Reality Behind the Rescue. There was something we discovered during our visit that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. OSPA has no electricity or running water at its rescue centre. Just think about that for a moment. A place caring for vulnerable animals, some of whom have already experienced more hardship than any creature should, is operating without two of the most basic things we take for granted every single day. No running water, no electricity, and yet, somehow, the work continues. The dogs still need feeding. Their living areas still need cleaning. Water still needs to be provided. Bedding needs washing, animals need comforting and the endless daily responsibilities of running a rescue centre don’t simply disappear because the facilities aren’t there. I found myself thinking about the ordinary things we do without a second thought. Turning on a tap. Switching on a light. Washing a bowl. Cleaning a floor. Flushing a toilet. Things so simple that we barely notice ourselves doing them. And then imagining trying to care for an entire rescue full of dogs without those conveniences. It must make an already physically and emotionally demanding job so much harder. Yet the staff and volunteers continue to turn up. They continue to care. They continue to give these animals the attention, patience and kindness they so desperately need. I think that says an enormous amount about the people behind OSPA. Because loving animals is easy when everything is comfortable and convenient. Continuing to care for them when the circumstances are difficult, the resources are limited and the work never seems to end? That takes a rather extraordinary kind of dedication. And I sincerely hope that, one day, OSPA will have the facilities that both its animals and the loving people caring for them deserve.
Every Dog Has a Story We May Never Know. One of the things I find most heartbreaking about animal rescue is that we can never truly know everything an animal has experienced. We can see the condition they arrive in. We can sometimes learn where they were found. We might know whether they were abandoned, injured or neglected. But we cannot ask them what happened. We cannot ask how long they waited for somebody to come back. Whether they were once loved. Whether they remember a home. Whether they spent their nights frightened, hungry or alone. And that’s what makes rescue animals so incredibly special. They carry stories they cannot tell us. Some are immediately affectionate, desperate for a cuddle and a little attention. Others need time. They need patience. They need to learn that the hand reaching towards them isn’t going to hurt them. And then, sometimes, something wonderful happens. A frightened dog begins to trust. A nervous tail starts to wag. A dog who once had nobody discovers that somebody has chosen them. Not because they’re a particular breed. Not because they’re the prettiest puppy. Not because they have an impressive pedigree. But simply because they deserve to be loved.
I have always believed that animals give us far more than we could ever possibly give them in return. Their loyalty, their affection, their ridiculous little personalities and their ability to make an ordinary day feel a little brighter. And when I think about my own animals, Athena, Obito and Munchkin, at home, with their comfortable beds, their toys, their food and all the love they could possibly want, it makes me terribly sad to imagine dogs who have never experienced those things. Because every dog deserves to know what it feels like to be somebody’s world.
You Can Help, Even If You’re Only Visiting Cape Verde. One of the loveliest things about OSPA is that you don’t have to live on the island, or even be considering adopting a dog, to make a difference. Holidaymakers can visit the rescue and spend time with the dogs. You might help with feeding, cleaning or grooming, depending on what the team needs. You might take a suitable dog for a walk. Or you might simply sit quietly with one who needs a little reassurance and affection. And please don’t underestimate how valuable that can be. A few minutes of kindness might seem insignificant to us. But to a dog who spends much of its life waiting for attention, those minutes can mean the world. And something we witnessed firsthand during our visit touched our hearts more than I can adequately put into words. These dogs absolutely adore their walks. The excitement, the wagging tails, the sheer happiness of being out exploring the world beyond the shelter gates. For a little while, they get to enjoy the simple pleasures that so many of our own dogs experience every day. But what moved us most wasn't their excitement at going out. It was their excitement at coming home. As we made our way back towards the rescue, we noticed something rather beautiful. The closer the dogs got to the shelter, the more excited they became. They recognised where they were going. They knew those familiar surroundings. And despite having thoroughly enjoyed their adventure, they were genuinely delighted to be returning. Because to them, OSPA isn't simply a shelter. It's home. It's their safe place. The place where they are fed, cared for, comforted and loved. The place where familiar faces greet them, where kindness surrounds them and where they know they belong. And I think that says something incredibly powerful about the people who care for these animals. These are dogs who may have experienced abandonment, neglect or unimaginable uncertainty. Yet here they are, happily making their way back to a place where they have learned that human beings can be trusted. That love exists. That they are safe. We watched it happen with our own eyes, and I can honestly say it melted our hearts. Because while we might look at OSPA and see a rescue centre struggling without electricity or running water, those dogs see something entirely different. They see the place where somebody cares whether they've eaten. Where somebody notices when they're poorly. Where somebody knows their name. Where they are no longer forgotten. And isn't that rather extraordinary? That a place with so little in the way of material comforts can offer something so many abandoned animals have never known.
The feeling of being home. Of course, every one of these beautiful dogs deserves the opportunity to have a loving family and a permanent home of their own. But until that day comes, how wonderful that they have somewhere they are genuinely happy to return to. Their excitement at coming home told us more about the love within those shelter walls than any words ever could. And that is something I don't think we will ever forget. Taking the dogs for walks also helps them become more comfortable around different people, which can be enormously beneficial when the time comes for adoption. You don’t need to be an experienced animal rescuer. You don’t need to give up your entire holiday. And you certainly don’t need to be able to do anything physically demanding to show an animal kindness. Sometimes, simply being there is enough. We visited, and we’re planning to return. Because once you’ve met these animals, witnessed their happiness and seen the love that surrounds them, it's rather difficult not to leave a little piece of your heart behind. And even harder not to want to go back.
Giving a Dog a Forever Home. Of course, one of the greatest gifts anyone could give an OSPA dog is a permanent, loving home. And something that might surprise people is that adoption isn’t necessarily limited to those living in Cape Verde. OSPA has helped dogs find homes overseas, including in European countries. During our visit, we were told that dogs travelling internationally fly from Cape Verde to mainland Europe before continuing their journey onwards to their new homes. It’s quite extraordinary to imagine, isn’t it? A dog who may once have been wandering the streets of Sal, with no idea where its next meal would come from, eventually travelling thousands of miles to a family who has been waiting to love it. From uncertainty to security. From abandonment to belonging. From having nowhere to call home to having a place on somebody’s sofa. But international adoption is a serious commitment, and there are important practical and legal arrangements to consider.
How Does International Adoption Work? The first step is to contact OSPA directly and discuss the possibility of adoption. The team will need to understand your circumstances, your home environment, your experience with dogs and whether you have other animals or children. Finding the right match is incredibly important. A dog who has experienced trauma or spent a long time in a rescue environment may need additional patience and understanding. Some may settle into family life relatively quickly. Others may need weeks or months to feel completely safe. And that’s perfectly understandable. After all, we cannot expect an animal whose world has been turned upside down to immediately understand that everything is finally going to be all right. Once a suitable dog has been identified, the necessary veterinary preparations and travel arrangements can begin. These may include microchipping, vaccinations, rabies blood testing, veterinary examinations, official health certificates, travel documentation and an airline-approved crate. The exact requirements depend on the destination country and the legal classification of the movement.
How Much Does It Cost to Adopt a Dog From Cape Verde? This is probably one of the first questions prospective adopters will ask. And unfortunately, there isn’t one simple figure that applies to every country or every dog. The total cost can depend on the dog’s size, the veterinary requirements, the airline, the destination and whether onward transport is needed. Expenses may include the adoption fee, vaccinations, microchipping, blood tests, veterinary certificates, transport crates, flights, airport handling and onward travel by road. As an indication of how much international animal transport can vary, another overseas rescue organisation has published UK transport estimates ranging from approximately £900 for some accompanied journeys via Europe to £2,000–£3,500 for independent air cargo. Please know that these are not OSPA’s prices, and they should not be treated as a quotation for adopting a dog from Cape Verde. Anyone considering adoption should ask OSPA for an individual estimate covering the entire journey, including any veterinary and transport costs. It is also important to understand that bringing a rescue dog into Great Britain involves different rules from simply travelling abroad with a pet you already own. UK import restrictions mean that travelling through mainland Europe does not, by itself, make a rescue dog’s entry into Britain legally permissible. Prospective UK adopters must confirm the current legal import route with the relevant authorities before making any commitment or paying for transport. For those living elsewhere in Europe, the regulations will depend on their own country’s animal import requirements. It might seem like an enormous amount of paperwork and organisation. But I know in my heart, that for somebody who finally gets to welcome their chosen rescue dog through the front door, every form, every telephone call and every mile travelled becomes part of a rather wonderful story. The story of how their dog came home.
Could You Foster a Dog Instead? Not everybody is in a position to adopt permanently. And that’s absolutely fine. But fostering may offer another opportunity to help. A foster home provides temporary care for a dog while a permanent family is being found or travel arrangements are completed. For a rescue dog, that time in a home can be incredibly valuable. They can begin learning what family life looks like. They can become accustomed to household noises, everyday routines and human companionship. They can discover that a bed is somewhere safe to sleep and that a closed door doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve been abandoned. Fostering can also help rescue organisations understand a dog’s personality and what sort of permanent home would suit them best. Anyone interested should ask OSPA whether it currently needs foster carers, where those homes need to be located and what support is available. Because sometimes you don’t have to be an animal’s forever home to change its life forever, sometimes you simply need to be the person who helps it get there.
What If You Cannot Adopt or Foster? There are still so many ways to help. You can sponsor a dog, make a donation, contribute towards food and veterinary treatment, help with fundraising or bring useful supplies when visiting the island, like we did. You can read all about that here - A Little Kindness Can Travel a Long Way 🐾 By Athena & Obito — The Snowdogs.
OSPA offers sponsorship opportunities for individual dogs and kennels, allowing supporters to contribute regularly towards their care. And regular support is particularly valuable, because rescuing a dog is only the beginning. That dog still needs feeding tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that. There will always be veterinary bills, parasite treatments, repairs, cleaning supplies and all the other expenses that come with caring for animals. Even a small monthly donation can become something meaningful when enough people come together. And for anyone travelling to Cape Verde, I would strongly encourage you to contact OSPA before your holiday to ask whether there are any particular supplies they urgently need. Something relatively inexpensive to us might make a considerable difference to the people caring for these dogs. Just imagine if every holidaymaker visiting Sal brought one useful item or donated the cost of a couple of drinks. Individually, it might not seem like much. Collectively, it could be extraordinary.
The People Behind the Rescue. I don’t want this story to be solely about the dogs. Because behind every rescued animal is somebody doing the work that makes survival, recovery and adoption possible. Somebody cleaning kennels. Somebody carrying water. Somebody preparing food, arranging veterinary appointments or worrying about whether there will be enough money to pay the next bill. Somebody trying to find space for another animal when there is already so much to do. And somebody who, despite all the difficulties, still finds time to offer a frightened dog a gentle word or a reassuring cuddle. And all of this happens at a rescue centre without electricity or running water. Just imagine how much harder that makes even the simplest daily tasks. But there is another side to animal rescue that deserves just as much recognition. The people who go out and find these animals in the first place. The rescue teams who respond when a dog or cat is reported abandoned, injured, neglected or desperately in need of help. Sometimes they might find a frightened dog wandering alone, searching for food. Sometimes it's a litter of vulnerable puppies or kittens, born into circumstances where their chances of survival are already frighteningly uncertain. And sometimes it's an animal suffering so terribly that most of us would struggle to hold back the tears. I can only imagine the heartbreaking situations these rescuers must encounter. The frightened eyes they've looked into. The animals they've held in their arms, desperately hoping they weren't too late. And the emotional strength it must take to remain calm when an animal is terrified, injured or too frightened to trust the very people trying to save it. Because rescue isn't always as simple as picking up an animal and bringing it somewhere safe. Sometimes trust has to be earned,patience is everything. And, despite doing absolutely everything possible, not every animal can be saved. I wonder how those moments stay with the people involved. How they find the strength to go out and do it all again. But they do. Because somewhere, another animal is waiting for help. And then there are the volunteers who have touched our hearts in a way I really wasn't expecting. Because some of these wonderful people don't even live in Cape Verde. They travel from other countries, paying for flights and accommodation, simply to spend weeks at a time helping at OSPA. And what makes that even more remarkable is that some dedicate their precious annual leave to doing it. Just think about that. Those few weeks of the year when most of us look forward to escaping the daily routine, putting our feet up and enjoying a well-earned holiday. They choose to spend them cleaning kennels, carrying water, preparing food, walking dogs and doing whatever else needs doing. Not because they're being paid. Not because they have to. But because they care. They spend their own hard-earned money and travel thousands of miles to help animals who might otherwise have very little. And to me, that is pretty darn amazing. There is something incredibly humbling about meeting people who don't simply feel sad when they hear about abandoned animals, but actually do something about it. They turn compassion into action. And I have to admit, meeting these volunteers has affected us just as deeply as meeting the dogs themselves. In fact, it has got us thinking rather seriously about something. Could we do the same? Could we put aside some of our own holiday time, travel back to Cape Verde and spend a few weeks volunteering at OSPA? It's something we're genuinely considering. We're already looking into flights, accommodation and the overall costs, trying to work out whether it's something we could realistically afford. Because as much as our hearts would love to say yes immediately, everyday life and finances still have to be considered. But the thought is there. And it's growing. Not simply because the dogs have completely stolen our hearts, although they certainly have. But because the people caring for them have too. We arrived at OSPA because we love animals. We wanted to spend time with the dogs, offer a little affection and perhaps do something worthwhile during our holiday. What we hadn't expected was to leave feeling quite so inspired by the people. People who willingly give their time, energy and, in some cases, their annual leave to make life better for animals who cannot help themselves. And it's made us wonder whether we could become a small part of that wonderful team ourselves. I don't know yet whether we'll be able to make it happen. But I do know that the idea has found its way into our hearts. And sometimes, that's where the most meaningful adventures begin. It would be easy to look at OSPA and see everything it doesn't have. But having visited, I find myself thinking about everything it does have. Dedication. Compassion. Determination. And an extraordinary amount of love. From the rescuers who venture into heartbreaking situations, to those providing daily care, arranging adoptions and travelling from overseas to volunteer, every single person plays a part in giving these animals another chance. Before an animal can discover what it means to be loved by a family, somebody first has to show it that its life is worth saving.
Animal rescue isn’t always the beautiful, heartwarming moment we see in photographs when a dog finally reaches its new family. Much of it is exhausting, repetitive, messy and emotionally difficult. There are wonderful days. But there must also be heartbreaking ones. And I think the people who continue to do this work deserve far more recognition than they often receive. Especially when they’re working without basic facilities such as electricity and running water. Their kindness doesn’t make those difficulties disappear. But it does mean that, despite everything, the animals are not forgotten. And that matters enormously.
A Different Kind of Holiday Memory. When we return home from Cape Verde, there will undoubtedly be photographs of beaches, sunshine, beautiful scenery and all the little moments that make a holiday special. But I know the memories that will stay with me the longest won’t have anything to do with the beach. They’ll be of the dogs at OSPA and of the people doing their best for them. Of the extraordinary amount of work happening behind the scenes. And of the uncomfortable realisation that while we spend our holidays enjoying everything this beautiful island has to offer, there are people quietly working to make life a little better for the animals who have nowhere else to turn. I don’t write this to make anyone feel guilty about enjoying their holiday. Quite the opposite. I think travel is a wonderful opportunity to experience beautiful places, meet different people and make lovely memories. But perhaps it can also be an opportunity to leave somewhere a little better than we found it. To give something back. To notice the things that don’t appear in the travel brochures. And to remember that paradise can look very different depending on whose eyes you’re looking through. For us, Cape Verde might mean sunshine, relaxation and time away from ordinary life. For a dog at OSPA, paradise might simply mean a full bowl, a comfortable bed and somebody who will never abandon them again.
Every Pawprint Deserves a Place to Belong. I often wonder what dogs think when they finally arrive in a loving home after a difficult beginning. Do they understand that this is it? That they don’t have to keep moving? That the food will always come? That the people smiling at them are their people now? That the soft bed in the corner really does belong to them? Perhaps they don’t understand immediately. Perhaps it takes time. But I like to imagine there comes a moment when something changes. When they stop waiting for everything to disappear. When they finally relax. When they realise that, for the first time in perhaps a very long while, they are safe. And I cannot think of many things more beautiful than that.
OSPA Cabo Verde may not have the facilities it deserves. It may not have unlimited resources, endless funding or the luxury of an easy working environment. But it has something that cannot be bought. People who care enough to keep trying. People who see value in lives that others may have overlooked. People who believe that even the smallest, scruffiest, oldest or most frightened dog deserves a chance. And I hope that by sharing our visit, perhaps a few more people will discover this remarkable little rescue. Perhaps somebody reading this will make a donation. Maybe a future holidaymaker will spend a morning volunteering. Perhaps somebody will sponsor a dog. And maybe, somewhere, a person who has been thinking about adopting will see a photograph of one of OSPA’s dogs and think… There you are. I’ve been looking for you. Because sometimes changing the world doesn’t mean doing something enormous. Sometimes it means changing the world for just one living creature. And to that creature, it means everything.
To the staff and volunteers at OSPA Cabo Verde, thank you. Thank you for every bowl filled, every wound tended, every frightened animal comforted and every life you refuse to give up on. Thank you for doing the difficult work that so many people never see. And most of all, thank you for reminding us that compassion doesn’t need perfect circumstances to exist. It simply needs people willing to care. I hope you know just how much your work matters. Because the animals you save may never be able to thank you in words. But I rather think their wagging tails, gentle eyes, trusting hearts and sheer excitement at returning to the safety of the rescue say everything that needs to be said. And from two holidaymakers who arrived expecting to fall in love with the dogs, but unexpectedly fell in love with the people too... Thank you for reminding us just how beautiful humanity can be when kindness comes before convenience.
How to Help OSPA Cabo Verde. If you would like to learn more about visiting, volunteering, sponsoring, fostering or adopting, please contact OSPA directly.
If you are considering international adoption, please confirm the current veterinary, legal and transport requirements for your destination country before making arrangements. And if you’re visiting Sal, perhaps consider spending a little of your holiday giving some love to the animals who need it most. You might arrive thinking you’re simply going to spend an hour helping a rescue. But you will leave discovering that they’ve given you something rather special in return. Until next time, Toodle pip, Lainey.
Intwined — Because every life has a story worth telling.
